RIP
June 26, 2010
I have a customer named Jane*. She brought in a decorating book with a picture of “The Perfect Living Room.” It is a lovely room with yellow walls and a lipstick red sofa as the focal point. I spent about FIVE HOURS recreating the room, just like they do on that TV show! I showed my work to my friends and family and received kudos from them all. At the presentation what to my wondering eyes should appear but a runaway train and in the headlights a deer! “What if I don’t really know what I want? My neighbor doesn’t like red. I will have to live with this a long time. Maybe I shouldn’t get new furniture. Maybe I should do my family room instead. Everyone does this don’t they?” I will spare you the rest of the FIVE HOUR details, but suffice it to say this is one of my more challenging projects. She went home with 4 plans with varying degrees of change in both rooms. I got a call the next day saying that she had spoken with her painter (an obvious design expert) and he says she needs to go for the red and yellow room. The next day’s call was to let me know she had not gotten any sleep the previous night because of the anxiety she was feeling about this bold move. We made an appointment for the following Saturday. After another FIVE HOUR design session, she left with another 4 plans. She called me Monday morning as calm as a summer’s morn, not only did her husband and daughters approve of version 4 but the painter gave it a thumbs up as well. I am glad that we finally hit the target, but I can not help but mourn the red and yellow room that will not be 
*names have been changed to protect the design paralyzed
