Layer One - The Bones

 “Let it go ‘ho”, those are the words a friend of mine heard on a busy New Orleans street.  She looked down just in time to see a diminutive thief grabbing her very expensive designer purse.   His tiny criminal hands were wrapped around its beautifully hand stitched leather strap and he was ready to run.  And he did run, with her new designer bag in tow.  Do you feel that same criminal violation every time you walk into your house?  Has something robbed you of your dream room?   Now is time to identify that villainous offender of your happiness, and arrest the robber of your dreams.
 
It all begins with the structure and layout of your house.  Think of your house as a whole; a series of spaces linked together by halls and stairways. The rooms should work together and complement each other, strengthen each other, you know the way your husband does. (Ok, not funny, maybe a little funny).
 
 It is very much like having a family.  You know what you want, you take what you get and it just about always turns out to be just right.  Take hope in the words of Elsie de Wolf, America’s first decorator, there is no house so bad that it can’t be made over into something worthwhile.
 
To rid yourself of the goblins that rob you of the peace and harmony you seek in your home, consider story line of your house.  Remember, you are expressing yourself in your house whether you want to or not.  The structure or the bones of the house is the first layer of design. 
 
Think of your space, and now, think of all of the whole house.  Livingroom, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms and baths, and don’t forget all of the extra spots, foyer, hallways, porches, sun porches, libraries, studies, playrooms, mud rooms and laundry rooms.  You must get them all together marching in the same direction.   In the words of Sun Tzu, “He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.”  Same with your house.