Restore Your Sanity With Decorating Therapy

By Carol Lombardo Weil

Have you been in a bad mood lately? What's driving you crazy? Are you having trouble getting comfortable in that chair in front of your computer? Do your rooms seem dark, making you feel tired? Or is everything around you just painfully boring?
Perhaps you need a decorating therapist.
Your environment is a real mood shaper. You already understand that you can't be as productive in your office if the lighting is bad or if the desk is at the wrong height. You may also know that environment doesn't refer to only setting up a room so that it functions the way you need.
It's about the emotional vibes, those elements that contribute to your well-being - or lack thereof.
Environmental conditions that are personally satisfying are important in the workplace, but even more essential at home. Home is where you express yourself emotionally and so it is where you are looking for emotional comfort. It is also the place where you expect to be accommodated.
We all want to live our best, but how good can you feel when your environment doesn't nurture you, inspire you and support you? A decorator can be one of the best agents for dealing with the psychological issues in your home. With skills in color, lighting, room design and window treatments, an interior decorator can address much of the frustration and lethargy you experience when your surroundings let you down.
Here are a few examples:
- Relationships are often central to many decorating problems. It may be your relationship with a room, a contractor or vendor. Trust issues can complicate these relationships, such as when you feel unsure that your contractor or vendor will deliver at the standard you want. A competent decorator can meet with you and your contractor, either individually or jointly, in order to clarify your expectations.
- Decorators also can be helpful when you struggle with indecision. That uncertainty can relate to something as small as whether to paint or wallpaper, or whether to remodel or sell your home. Using a variety of tools, a decorator will work with you to evaluate these options so that you feel more confident with your decision.
- Many people suffer anxiety related to any kind of change. They don't need a pill to cope. They need to consult with someone who can guide them to a place of closure and acceptance. Change is difficult for most people, but there are supportive techniques that can help them envision the outcomes of their decorating projects.
- Individuals need to recognize that there's no longer a stigma associated with asking for help. Assistance through consultation may be short-term or longer-term, depending on your decorating needs.
Don't be hard on yourself because you can't choose a shade of green or decide on the number of light fixtures you need. That's what a decorating therapist does, with the goal of empowering people to go forward with their projects and live in a home filled with energy, contentment and beauty.
Never underestimate the psychological impact of a deficient environment. Get help from a decorator and bring the light back into your life.

Carol Lombardo Weil is president and decorating therapist at CLWdesigns Inc. She can be reached at 410-992-9252 and via www.clwdesigns.net.