Home Decorating For Dummies
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The numerous interior design options you have can make choosing just one style or even two or three difficult. When you’re having trouble making up your mind about which decorating styles you want to include in your home, knowing more about yourself may help. So take a few minutes to answer the questions in the following quiz.

Your decorating mood

To get an idea of your decorating mood, answer the following questions. Keep track of your answers on paper.

  1. My favorite mood is:

    A. Buttoned up

    B. In charge

    C. With it

    D. At peace

    E. In love

  2. My favorite historic site is:

    A. Monticello

    B. Falling Water by Frank Lloyd Wright

    C. The Louvre

    D. The King Ranch

    E. The Taj Mahal

  3. If I had to live with only one color, I would choose:

    A. Royal blue

    B. Pure white

    C. Beige

    D. Hunter green

    E. Dusty rose

  4. If I could pick only one pattern, it would be:

    A. Paisley

    B. Solid color woven design

    C. Leopard print

    D. Laura-Ashley-type miniprint

    E. English chintz

  5. If I could choose only one piece of furniture, it would be:

    A. A wing chair

    B. A white sectional sofa

    C. A hutch

    D. An entertainment center

    E. A canopy bed

Now total up the number of responses you had for each letter and compare that to these guidelines:

  • Mostly A: You’re a Traditionalist. Warm woods and colors and interesting printed fabrics enrich your life.

  • Mostly B: You’re a Modernist. Streamlined furniture and fabrics with woven patterns add up to the “clean” look of Contemporary that satisfies you.

  • Mostly C: You’re Eclectic. The mix is what matters to you. To make mixing easier, try to limit your furniture to two or three compatible styles.

  • Mostly D: You’re Country. A great gathering of friendly objects and the heart-warming look of timeworn furnishings appeal to your instincts.

  • Mostly E: You’re Romantic. Gorgeous colors, soft fabrics, and pretty objects provide the environment that you need in order to flourish.

Plain or frilly?

To see whether you prefer more or less frilliness, count how many of the following items you especially like in each column:

Category A Category B
Florals Stripes
Pretty colors Neutrals
Lots of pillows and throws Important accessories only
Several different collectibles Investment collections
Several patterns Textures
Fresh flowers Bowls of green apples
Displays of keepsakes Leather
Paintings of mother and child Still-life paintings
Rooms with a view Rooms with a television
Painted furniture Natural fine woods
Sleek surfaces Glass and chrome

If you answered mostly A, add plenty of frills and flourishes to your home. If you answered mostly B, go for rooms that are tailored to perfection.

Formal or Informal?

To determine whether your taste leans toward the formal or the informal, decide whether each statement below is like you or not like you:

  1. I feel it’s best for the host or hostess to serve his or her guests.

  2. I prefer lots of texture and durable, easy-to-care-for materials.

  3. I prefer meals served in the dining room.

  4. I prefer fine fabrics and luxury materials.

  5. I like touches of wit, humor, and whimsy in my rooms.

  6. I most often entertain guests in the kitchen and family room.

  7. I most often entertain my guests in the living room.

  8. I prefer symmetrical room arrangements.

  9. I like lots of furniture groupings placed around a room.

  10. I like very serious interiors.

  11. When others are in my home, I encourage them to put their feet up and help themselves to whatever they want.

  12. Every day is Casual Friday.

For questions 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 10, give yourself 1 for “Like me,” 0 for “Not like me.” For questions 2, 5, 6, 9, 11, and 12, give yourself 0 for “Like me,” 1 for “Not like me.” The higher your score, the more formal you tend to be.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Katharine Kaye McMillan, former senior editor of a New York City-based national magazine, is a writer whose work appears regularly in magazines and newspapers. She is a contributing writer to internationally circulated Florida Design Magazine. She is the co-author of several books on decorating and design, including Sun Country Style, which is the basis for licensed signature collections of furniture and accessories by three leading American manufacturers and importers. A graduate of the University of Texas in Austin, she holds a masters degree in psychology and is a doctoral student in psychology at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.

Patricia Hart McMillan is a nationally known interior designer, whose interior design work for private clients, designer showcases, and corporations has appeared in publications worldwide, including the New York Times and USA Today. Known as a trend spotter and for clearly articulated views on design, she is quoted frequently and extensively in both trade and consumer publications. She a ppears on TV and talk radio. A prolific writer, she is coauthor and author of seven books on interior design and decoration, with Sun Country Style signature collections of furniture based on two books. She has taught decorating courses at several colleges and conducted numerous seminars across the U.S. She is decorating editor for Christian Woman Magazine and reports on design trends for The Sun-Sentinel, a Tribune newspaper based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She has been editor-in-chief of two publications and was head of a New York City-based public relations firm representing some of the most prestigious names in home furnishing and building products. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in art history (with an emphasis in architecture), from the State University of New York (New Paltz). She was awarded a certificate from The New York School of Interior Design.

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