From my experience, you will encounter some or all of the following problems when going shopping for new curtains:

You cannot find quite the right colour. For example: The Moulin Rouge theme was very popular in the shops at some stage last year so all you could find were curtains rich in colours like burgandy, red, pinks and lush in texture - voiles were particularly available. And so you could hardly find anything else than that in most shops.

You cannot find something plain, but different. 99.99999% Of people prefer "something plain" or "something natural", meaning beiges and browns. But when they see these colour curtains in shops, there is usually nothing special about them. In fact they are just a little too plain offering nothing in texture or print that you can use to make your room look a little LESS plain and LESS beige.

You see something you like in the shop and buy it. When you install it in the room it was meant for it suddenly looks nothing like you imagined it would. The shade might just be that little to light or too dark. The texture might not suit the overall feel of the room etc. etc.

The standard lengths available in ready made curtaining do not fit your window/door height or width.

The remedy for these problems is of course to have your curtains made-up specifically for the room it is intended for, with the fabric that will match your colour and style (and your pocket) perfectly. Having curtains made up in this way will give your home that personal touch because nobody else will have the same style curtain that you have - different styles of curtaining allow for this, even if two curtains are made with the same fabric, the style it's made up in will make all the difference.

I was in Seattle last year and over breakfast with some Americans I was asked what I do. I responded with my usual response, "I'm an Interior Designer. Not a Decorator, a Designer". Their retort was, "we know what a designer is, you say where the walls go and do the conceptualising." I nearly choked on my coffee. "Yes" I screamed "I have been a qualified Designer for 13 years and this is first time someone has understood the difference." Overseas Interior Designers are known as Interior Architectural Design Consultants, a much more appropriate name. To compound the problem South Africans also have the notion that every time they want to erect a wall or put in a window, they hire an Architect.

In a domestic situation the designer would design a complete concept or a part of a concept for the client. A complete concept would entail the designer being responsible for the structural layout; the architectural finishes i.e. cornices & architraves, the lighting, right through to the furnishings, finishes & fittings. A decorator is someone who you hire to do soft furnishings. If you want new curtains and a lounge suite you'd contact a decorator.

In a corporate situation the Designer would be responsible for draughting the layouts for the dry wall partitioning, the electrical layout and the detail drawings for all the shop fitting. He or she would then put a concept together with all the finishes, the floor finishes, the wall finishes as well as all the proposed furniture. The end result being a home or boardroom put together professionally with the space being both ergonomically as well as aesthetically pleasing.

So here's a tip (from my vast experience of moving about 10 times in 10 years) - wait. I know, if you're at all like me you want everything NOW! When you first move in you are in a hurry to get everything just right, you want to create a comfortable living space and by all means, do this, but wait with the big changes such as wall colours, window dressing, new furniture. The reason I say this is a home has to suit your personal lifestyle (not the other way round), it's almost like wine - getting better with time. It is only over time that you will realise the full potential of your new home. What should be highlited, what would be best kept understated, what parts of your home are your favourite parts, what sort of feel or atmosphere each room needs. Allow yourself the time to really live in your home and then decorate to suit your style of living in this particular home - for no home is quite like another.

How long should one wait? Well, I would say at least six months to a year and if you do need to acquire something new for a room, try to envision the entirety of the home so that the style of that particular room, will fit into the style of the entire home (and of course suit your personal taste). Never buy on a whim or just because a room "just needs something". Wait, wait, wait. In the end, all will come together.

• Look out for hidden costs when asking for a quotation. Make sure the quotation includes undervelt and fitting.
• Ask to see the installation plan prior to installation - make sure that joints in the carpet are not too obvious.
• Check whether the carpet you have selected has the Stain Proof logo - carpets with this logo will indicate what can be used to clean stains e.g. jik and water.
• Check the suitability of the carpet with regards to high traffic areas, you don't want your beautiful carpet ruined by foot traffic before you know it.
• Decide on pile direction before installation - the direction in which a herringbone pattern for instance, lie will make a big difference in the final look and feel of a room.

Why do you keep and build paper piles:

1. You can't decide what to do with the information By law we are required to keep all tax documents for a period of 7 years - everything related to your business activities and personal income such as bank statements, receipts and invoices must be kept.
2. You don't want to pack it away because it still requires and action Filing systems are for exactly that - filing. You should keep documents that still require an action (reading, paying, doing) out of your filing system and in a clearly marked drawer or tray until the action has been performed. Only then do you decide if it can be tossed or filed.
3. You might not be able to find it if you put it away The main objection of a filing system is that it needs to be set up in such a way that your documents are easy to retrieve. Make sure you divide like documents into like categories - label your folders and files clearly with the appropriate category for easy retrieval. Simplicity is the key.

How to conquer the paper piles:

• Every piece of paper should have a home.
• Work yourself around your room touching each and every paper.
• Using the acronym FAT (File, Action, Toss) make an immediate decision as to what needs to happen to that paper.
• Create 2 piles - 1 for filing, 1 for action. Throw trash away immediately.
• Try purging at least 20% of your existing paper.
• Take your filing pile and sort the paper into categories.
• Create labeled files or folder using these categories and place your papers in them
• Divide the action pile into "to do" " to pay" "to read".
• Label a Buddi A4 6 drawer unit and place the appropriate category into the corresponding labeled drawer.
• Label the 4th drawer "to file" and use the remaining 2 drawers for anything like scrap paper, exciting projects, inspiration, etc.
• Once you action anything from the to do, to pay drawers throw it away or move it down to the filing drawer.
• You only need to address filing when the drawer is full.
• Open your mail daily next to your Buddi drawers.
• Throw away the envelope and any additional marketing material.
• Sort opened mail directly into the drawers.
• Circling due dates on the outstanding invoices.
• Make sure you look through your to do and to pay drawers weekly to avoid penalties on late payments of actions.

Being organised is not about being tidy - it is about knowing where to find your stuff in the quickest possible time with the least amount of hassle. Set some dedicated time aside to get organised, after that maintaining the system will be easy. It doesn't matter where you start ... just start.

1. First, choose a style (formal or casual) and a theme for your room (such as American country, English garden, techno modern).
2. With the style and theme in mind, decide on an 'anchor' fabric that has 3 or more colors.
3. Use the background color from the fabric as a wall color.
4. Pick a mid-toned color from the fabric for flooring and large furniture pieces, which could be a solid or patterned design. Upholstery can also be done in your anchor fabric or coordinating fabric.
5. Use the brightest colors from the fabric for accessories and accents like welting, picture mats, and decorative pillows.
6. Place your anchor fabric in at least three places in the room (upholstery, pillows, curtains, etc).
7. Use coordinating fabrics in other scales (larger or smaller) as accent fabrics on chairs, pillows, cording, and tablecloths.
8. For example, to use an 'anchor' fabric with a floral design (with white, navy and red): use white (the background color) for walls, navy (a mid-toned color) on floor, blue and white ticking on the sofa, and red (the brightest color) for accessories and accents.
9. To continue this example, the coordinated prints could be the blue and white ticking stripe, a navy leaf print fabric, and a red and white mini-check used on chairs, curtains, and pillows.

1. Repeat colors evenly throughout the room, and in at least 3 places.
2. Adding dressmaker details in cording and trims is one way to disperse color and add interest.
3. Divide color use to approximately 60% of the room in the background (lightest) color, 30% in the mid-tone color, and 10% in the brightest, accent colors.

Conversation flows easily when people aren't shouting across a room, so pull your pieces away from the wall. Chairs and sofas can sit directly opposite each other or can be gently angled toward a center spot. Anchor the grouping by arranging it around a focal point -- either a fireplace, window, or attractive storage piece -- and unite the area with a rug. For added interest, arrange artwork or collections around the focal point and on coffee and end tables. These pieces can actually serve as conversation starters!

Tips for Arranging a Conversation Grouping

Find or create a focal point to anchor your conversation grouping. A focal point is something that draws attention to the area, perhaps a fireplace or a large window or entertainment center. The focal point should be against a wall.

• Pull your furnishings away from the walls to create an intimate grouping. It's hard to converse when you have to shout across the room.
• Place chairs no more than 2.5 m apart to encourage conversation - in fact, closer is better.
• Position a table within reach of every seating piece to make it easier to handle a cup of tea or glass of wine. You'll also want a lamp to light each seating area.
• Allow ample legroom between seating pieces and coffee tables; 350 to 450 mm is a good measure.
• Select side tables that stand as high as the arm of the sofa or chair they're serving.

Finally, position your conversation grouping so that there's room for people to walk through the room without passing through it. Traffic "lanes" several feet wide are the most comfortable.

The answers and the issues they bring up can help you decide on what to include, and what to leave out, of your room.

1. What is the function of this room?
   
   It may be basic, but figuring out how a room will be used can provide clues about the furniture to include. It is obvious, for example, that in a bedroom a bed will be needed as well as tables or nightstands. You may also have room for a dresser, entertainment unit, armoire, or seating area. Yet adding activities -- perhaps you'd like a dressing area or exercise area -- will require both space and appropriate furnishings that you'll want to include in your plans.
   
   
2. How often do I plan to use this room?
   
   The answer to this question may help you decide everything from budget to color. A space used infrequently should usually eat up less of your decorating Rands. It might also be a room where you can try bolder color or a furniture style that is different from the rest of your home.
   
   
3. How much light does this room get?
   
   Look for the answer here to give you ideas for a color scheme and help you zero in on decisions about window treatments. A hot corner room with full sunlight may be a candidate for a cooler color palette and light-controlling window shutters. If, on the other hand, your room is a dark space that never sees the sun, then you might choose warm color to brighten it up and airy window treatments to let in every bit of light possible.
   
   
4. What is my favorite color and how can I use some of it in this room?
   
   Ok, so you adore pale green but your husband thinks it looks like the wet dishrag in the kitchen.
   In this case you may not be able to paint your family room pale green, yet you can look for a fabric, area rug, or accessory that features many colors, including your favorite green.
   Use this multi-colored item as your starting point. You may end up painting the room tan and getting that leather chair your husband desires, but your carefully added touches of green will be the frosting on the cake. Remember that background colors are often just that, and it is the accent colors that are the bright "catch your eye" focal points in a room.
   
   
5. What is my favorite outdoor location, vacation spot, or building?
   
   Give this idea a few minutes of attention. Did you think of the beach, the mountains, or a cozy bed and breakfast? What is it about your favorite spot that you like so much -- is it the color, the mood, the style? How might you create this feeling in your room?
   If you choose the beach as your dream location then you might use a sandy colored sisal rug, sky blue walls, deep blue upholstery, and bowls of shells as accessories. Or you might want a nautical theme, a seaside cottage look, or a pale palette of shell pink.
   
   
6. How can I arrange the furniture so it looks best?
   
   Although not every decorating technique applies to every project, the following tips can help get the ball rolling if you don't know where to begin. Here's a mini-course on furniture arranging:
   

• Find the room's focal point and use it to center your arrangement.
• Don't block natural pathways into and through a room.
• Place the largest pieces of furniture first; midsize next, and smallest pieces last.
• Include tables and lighting next to seating pieces.
• Aim to balance large features (like a sofa or fireplace) with a similarly sized element in an opposite location.
• Keep seating arrangements within a square that's between 2.5 and 4.5 meters across.
• Think of an area rug as an island within the room and use it as the foundation for a seating arrangement.

The first step is to get a grip on your style. Go to the room you want to redecorate and follow these four initial steps:

1. Get Honest
   

   Take this Test: Somebody you like and admire is about to walk into this room. How do you hope they would complete the following sentence?
   

   "When I walk into this room, I feel as if..."
   Examples:
   "...I'm in a chateau in the south of France."
   "...I could collapse into that sofa with a good book and put my feet up."
   "...my name should be Winthrop and I should be wearing a smoking jacket."
   What do you want them to say?
   "............" (state the response you pray for)
   What do you worry that they might say?
   "............" (state the response you fear)
   

   Your answers to this test will tell you what isn't working with the way you've decorated your home. So how do you go about changing things?

2. Get Analytical

   Ask yourself: What made you choose your home in the first place? Was it the location: the surrounding trees, lawns, water, woods, buildings? Was it the facade: the shape of the windows/doors, the color/texture of the stone/wood/brick? Was it the look of something inside: a built-in bookcase, a piece of furniture, a sense of brightness, a memory from childhood?

   Analyze what it was that spoke to you, and what it projected about the style of your life once you lived there. Therein lie the clues to your comfort level and aesthetic.

   If you've changed, or if the style of your room can't support the way you want your life to look, you may need to move, or compromise. Your alter ego and the soul of your room need to become one.

   Find the form of decorative self-expression that will suit both you and the rooms you inhabit (maybe it's more Provencal cottage than French chateau).

   Capitalize on whatever it was that drew you to your home in the first place (a feeling of coziness, of being tucked in on a cold winter's night; a feeling of openness, spaciousness, brightness).

   If you were attracted by something external, bring a little of the outside into your rooms, via reprised architectural motifs, fabric textures, foliage, color tones.

   If it was something internal - an architectural detail, such as a fireplace or a window — emphasize it, make it the focal point of your room.

3. Get Practical

   Is the style that you've decided on conducive to the way you live? If you have a houseful of young children and animals, picking an all-white décor or upholstering with delicate silks and laces would be courting disaster.

   Are your rooms in the right place? Answer the following:

   a) Which is the best room in your home, the room with the best shape, the best light, the best architectural features — in other words, the room that persuaded you to choose your current home?
   b) Which is the room you spend most of your time in?
   
   Are (a) and (b) the same?

   If you own your own home, then they should be. If you spend most of your time in the kitchen, why not give it the best room in your house? Knock down walls, if that's practical, to make room for comfortable seating, a table/desk or banquette area, a window with a view.

4. Get Resourceful

   You now know what you need to do. So how do you go about doing it?
   

   You can hire a decorator, or, if you're on a limited budget, you can do this on your own. Buy some helpful decorating books or attend a course (like mine):
   

   Now, get started!
   

However, then came the best part. An introduction to some new designs from Designer's Guild, which is Home Fabrics' more exclusive (in design and price) range. Imagine...Suede in bright pink, red, purple; Suede in bright stripes; Leatherette in bright reds and pinks and purples; Silk, Tafetta and Satin combined into bright, broad stripes and much more. In the words of Maurice, the presenter at the launch: "The local fabrics are beautiful but these are stunning."

Maurice further said: "Don't buy the price, buy the look." And he gave us a few ideas to prove this. For instance, curtains and couches can be in a plain fabric - beautiful but understated and inexpensive. Then you buy 1 meter of any one of these fabulous fabrics and make a few small scatter cushions with this fabric in the front (a plain lining for the back); cover the old ottoman with a combination of this fabric and a cheaper one or make a quilted throw with the same combination and there you have a stunning new look!

And remember, upholstery fabric can be used for more than just upholstery. So can fabric for curtaining. The recipe for a stunning look: A bit of imagination and one or two meters of STUNNING fabric, no matter the price!

How to begin?

1. The very first thing to do is take an inventory of all of your furnishings. This should include rugs, pictures, lamps and mirrors as well as furniture. Do this with tape measure in hand and record accurate dimensions of everything. Make a note next to each piece you list as to its importance to you. Is this the rocker you loved as a child or a table your college roommate left when she moved?
   Three categories are generally enough: 1. Must have 2. Useful if there's room 3. Maybe the Goodwill can recycle this. Be tough!! It's better to have empty spaces to fill later than to pay to move white elephants. (The movers usually charge by weight and elephants tend to be heavy).



2. Next, get the architectural construction plans of your house, if possible. These will be valuable to you, not only for planning where to place your furniture, but in the future, should you need to know if a wall is load-bearing, which way the floor joists run, etc. Any contractors you hire will appreciate them for reference and acknowledge your ability to understand the difficulties of their professions. Besides, having these documents could save you lots of time and money later.



3. Step three is the boring part-field measuring. This means you must accurately measure your new house-all of it! Even if you have architectural plans, you must measure what designers call the "as built" dimensions. Your job will be easier if you have a high quality 5m retractable metal measuring tape. Take along a friend, who is willing to record the numbers on a rough drawing of the layout, while you measure every wall section (right around the room at floor level), doorways, windows (width, height and how far the sill is above the floor), wall thicknesses, moulding widths, ceiling height, fireplaces, and anything else that exists in the space where you hope to create your new dream home. Finally, measure the overall length and width of each room. And bring a sandwich-this always takes longer that you think it should. Hooray, the research is complete. Now you can move ahead with plans for the future.



4. Using your measurements, draw an "as built" floor plan of your house. If this seems daunting, now might be the time to enlist the help of a professional designer. This floor plan is very important for making sure the furnishings really will fit and still give you room to function in those new rooms. Number the pieces on your furniture inventory and begin placing the items on your plan. Begin with the largest pieces. This is the time to be creative; perhaps a chest that has always been used in the bedroom will look wonderful in a hallway, or by adding a comfortable throw, the slightly tired easy chair from the living room can become a luxury in the guest room. The smaller pieces are even more flexible. Try not to get "locked in" to how things are now. Remember that there are many ways to place furniture and the determining factor should be how you plan to use the space. While it is true that there are some rules you want to abide by, i.e., avoid traffic flow through a seating area, most of them, such as "sofa goes on the long wall," no longer necessarily apply. Expand your thinking - angle the sofa, pull furniture away from the walls, add the unexpected, and break up "sets" of furniture. When you finalize the new layout, draw the furniture on your plan and number it according to your inventory list. By logging your furniture with corresponding numbers, placing it on moving day will be easier and it will only get moved once.



5. Step five is to make the new house look differently than the one you are leaving. This is where the budget comes in. Necessary expenditures include window treatments for light, thermal and privacy control; paint or wallcovering; and floor coverings. It can be likened to preparing the canvas before beginning an oil painting. If you approach this with a long range plan in mind, your money will be used most effectively and if handled correctly, empty areas will merely look comfortably spacious while you are waiting to add furniture. A mistake that is made too often is planning a color scheme around an upholstered piece that is past its prime and possibly out of style. Even if the color is one you love, chances are that the colorists, who determine current hues in all consumer products, have adjusted the shade of your favorite and coordinating selections of new items will be severely limited. Money is usually well spent on new upholstered pieces because they can change the look completely. Just make sure that the sizes are correct for your new plans and purchase where you can specify the material and type of cushioning. All upholstered pieces are not created equal. Don't be afraid of color. It can set the tone of your home (lively, serene, casual, elegant or intimate) and unless you have a large collection of important art, give it a try. Again, professional help can keep you from making a mistake. One hint: paint color is easy to change if you use a neutral color on the trim. Use pattern, texture and color in some new fabrics to enhance your decor. A new bedspread, several specially designed throw pillows, new chair seats will all be relatively inexpensive ways to update what you have.



6. Finally, after you have recovered from moving day, get out the hammer and picture hooks. Hang your paintings, mirrors and family portraits. Don't worry about putting holes in the walls. Even if you make a mistake, it's easy to correct. Nothing makes you feel more settled than getting this completed. Family and friends will say that it looks like you have lived there for years. Count on it!

I have never thought of taking interior decorating outside like this but it does make sense that since we concentrate so hard to colour match the inside of our homes to perfection, we really should not forget about what we see when we look through our windows and glass doors. If you have created a soft, calming look in the baby's room do you really want to see red and orange Strelitzias outside that window?

Take a look at the potted flowers and flower beds outside the windows of each room right now - whether it's on a balcony, a terrace or a stoep and imagine the colours of each room flowing right through to those flowers.

Well, I'm off to the nearest Nursery...

A very simplified explanation of the Zen garden (its origins are in Japan) is: it is a rectangle of sand surrounded by walls on three sides and a wooden veranda on the fourth. White pebbles and rocks are placed within the rectangle. The Zen garden brings peace and serenity to those who visit. This is where the miniature Zen gardens that we see in the décor shops today, stem from.

The mini Zen garden allows you to play or to create; to lose yourself for a few minutes in the patterns and designs. It relaxes, takes the mind off daily strife, calms frayed nerves and renews strength.

And while you are relaxing, the patterns and designs you are making with your mini rake and pebbles may actually say something about you...

If you have a miniature Zen garden in your home, appreciate it for its usefulness as well as its decorative value.

• Relate Art to Wall Size

Choose smaller pictures for narrow walls and larger works for big wall spaces.

• Relate Art to Furniture Size

In general, when hanging art over a piece of furniture it should not be wider than the width of the furniture.

• Light Art Well

Illuminating artwork gives it importance.

• Hang an Art Shelf

Popular art shelves are a great way to add interest and take up very little space. Artwork can be hung on the wall over the shelf as well as set onto the shelf with other decorative objects.

• Check Color

Vibrant colors bring excitement to a room while neutral colors are more calming. Which do you prefer?

• Bigger is often Better

One large painting makes a statement and keeps things simple. It can also call attention to the focal point of the room which is often the fireplace.

• Landscapes Open Up

Add the look of a "window" to a small or windowless area by hanging landscape art.

• Think Outside the Box

Get creative when framing. Have your favourite items framed in a box frame to create a 3D effect.

• Horizontal Lines

Strong horizontal lines in artwork, or in the way artwork is framed or hung, tend to be calming and can give the illusion of width in a narrow room.

• Vertical Lines

Strong vertical lines -- in a picture, in a frame, or in the arrangement on the wall -- add to the feeling of height in a room.

• Diagonal Lines

Strong diagonal lines -- either within a picture itself or in a line of pictures arranged on the wall -- add excitement to the composition - but only where a diagonal line in the room already exists.

• Symmetrical Arrangements

Symmetry adds balance and formality to an arrangement and is generally pleasing and calming to the observer.

• Asymmetrical Arrangements

Do something unexpected by hanging pictures in an asymmetrical arrangement - this creates a more informal look.

This term and concept is a result of a research program completed by Dr. Margaret H. Harmon of the USA. Her research showed that the decorating choices we make is closely related to our personality traits and so it is possible to base our decorating choices - choices of colour, types of furniture, texture and patterns of fabric etc. - on our strongest personality traits. Based on her research, she developed the "Personal Decorating Analysis" tool to help her clients with their interior decorating choices - you simply fill in a questionnaire about your personality traits, and she provides an analysis about what colours, types of furniture, fabrics to use in different parts of your home.

I think that this is such a great way to help us through the whole decorating process. There's no guesswork as to the choices you should make and the result reflects who you are.

Sometimes, you project a different image of yourself at work than who you really are. You may, for instance, be an executive at a company which requires you to be sharp, orderly, aggressive but in your heart and at home, you are calm, nurturing, sensitive. Here you'll surround yourself with colours and furnishings that reflect the more "relaxed" you, rather than the "high-powered" you. Home is where you can really be yourself, and this is where Psycho-decorating can help you to create the type of environment where you can be just that.

1. Each Colour has its own Language
   Words like "cool", "vibrant", "warm" are words that we strongly associate with decorating colours. When choosing a colour for anything in your home, consider how it makes you feel, rather than what it looks like at first glance.
2. Your favourite colour
   Colour becomes confusing when you start thinking about what fashion or trends dictate. To find your favourite colour again, think back to when you were a child and your answer then to the question "What is your favourite colour?" Then, define it a little further - is it the blue of a cloudless sky, or the blue of the ocean on a cloudy day?
3. Colour and your senses
   Close your eyes and think of peeling and eating a deliciously sweet orange. See it in your mind and taste it and then use what you've experienced in your mind to pinpoint the tone of the colour you would like to use.
4. You can be creative
   Experiment with textures and paint effects. Colour does not have to be flat.
5. Nature will teach us
   Look at the petals of flowers, vibrant tones of fruit. If it works in nature, it can work in your home.
6. Outside/Inside
   Look carefully at the colours of exterior walls and woodwork - this reflects as much about you as the inside of your home.
7. Originally You!
   Stop playing it safe, combine your favourite colour (as described in step 2) with bold, confident fashion colours and create a dramatic effect.

• First of all, make a Numbered List from 1 to N - a number for each list. You will put a number of each box that you pack and list the contents on this list next to its corresponding number.
• Next, take a shoe box and put in it your labels (for boxes), marking pens, masking tape, a pair of scissors, carpet knife and other supplies that you will need to pack and mark your boxes. Also add your Numbered List. Put this box in a central place and always put back whatever you take out of it after packing each box. This way you will not have to spend valuable packing time looking for the marking pen that has rolled under the couch!
• Get ENOUGH cardboard boxes (at least 10) in various sizes, strong tape to close them, unprinted newspaper, packing paper or bubble wrap. Get as many shoe boxes as you can - you can pack smaller, more delicate items into them, mark them and put them in a big box. Number ALL boxes.
• Don't make any of the boxes too heavy. Two people must be able to carry a heavy box comfortably. If a box is too heavy, there is more danger that you or the movers might drop it and break the contents.
• Colour code your boxes and the corresponding rooms in your new home with coloured stickers. This way you or the movers will know which boxes go into which rooms. Stacking everything in one room will just cause you to waste time later on trying to figure out what goes where. Also keep boxes out of traffic areas such as entrances, hallways, in front of doors etc.
• Get the boxes with the most important items (bedding, clothing, kitchenware & food) unloaded first on the other side. Also load and unload boxes one room at a time. That way, when one room's boxes have been unloaded, you can start unpacking while the movers are unloading into another room and you won't be in their way.

Ceiling fans come in many designs and sizes and allows you to install on high, low and slanted ceilings and in unconventional areas like the patio.

• Learn about the different features of all the different ceiling fans before you buy. Decide which features are important to you and buy one that only address your specific needs. Buying something with all the extras sounds great but you'll end up paying more and not using all the fancy features.
• When shopping, compare motor sizes, blade pitch, brand names and other specifications.
• Find out what electrical fittings are needed. Can it be fitted to your current electrical outlet or do you have to install extension cords?
• Consider how you will control the fan operation. There are fans with pull chains, wall controls or remote controls. If the ceiling is quite high, a pull chain may be difficult to reach.
• Some fans are sold with the remote controls included, however, a remote kit can be purchased separately and it can be connected inside the fan's motor housing.
• Ensure that the ceiling can support the additional weight of a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are not difficult to install and usually come with detailed instructions. If you are unsure how to install it consult your local home center or a qualified electrician.
• Take the room's measurements, including ceiling height with you when you go shopping. Decide beforehand how high it must be hung.
• Decide whether the ceiling fan will be a focal point in the room. There are many beautiful decorative fans available but keep wall finishes, window and door frames and general décor of the room in mind.
• Do you want or need lights on your fan? You can add interesting lighting options to your fan or simply go without.
• Personalize your fan by painting or stenciling the blades to coordinate with your room. This is best done before the fan is installed.

• The general rule is that light colours seem further away, creating the idea of a bigger space whilst dark colours seem to close in, creating a smaller, cosier space.
• For small rooms, painting the walls and ceiling in a light colour will make the room look bigger because light colours reflect light. Paint the skirtings in the same colour as the wall or keep it white.
• To make a big space seem more intimate use dark, warm shades on the walls and ceiling. This will bring the walls inward and the ceiling downward.
• To make a room look longer in one direction, paint the one wall (the one you want to draw the eye to) in a light and pale colour so that it will look further away than it really is. This will make the room look bigger.
• To make the room more cosy, but not too small, paint just one wall in a darker colour so that the darker wall will seem to be drawn into the room.
• If you are stuck with a very high ceiling that makes a room seem cold, paint the ceiling a shade or two darker than the walls so that the ceiling seems to be lower. The colour should not be too dark.
• If the ceiling is very low, making a room look very small, paint the ceiling in a lighter colour than the walls. The darker colour on the walls must reach the ceiling to complete the effect.
• Before you start with any of these effects, first decide what is causing the problem in the room i.e. is it the height of the ceiling or the shape of the room.

Petra Stighling, who sells art from her home in Jeffrey's Bay and who spoke at The Interior Décor Centre's breakfast in September about this very subject, says that firstly, you don't have to be an "art boffin" to choose art sensibly and furthermore, it does not have to be expensive. (Incidently, you can buy art from her and pay it off on a monthly basis with no interest!)

According to Petra, the most important thing about buying art is to buy something that you really like, a piece that will grow on you; that means something to you. When you start thinking about what to choose, keep in mind that it must be a piece that you will take with you from one home to the next (should you move in the future); so it has to be something that you cherish so much that you will create a space in any home for it - it will not be a matter of having something that will not "go with anything else".

Deciding what kind of art to purchase is also a very personal choice. Whether it's original paintings in oil or water colour; landscapes or abstracts; photographic art in colour or black and white - it's got less to do with what is popular and what is "art" than with what you really like to look at.

And looking at it, is the most important part. Art is there for people, you, to look at all the time - if you have a piece of art in your home that you hardly notice, you've made the wrong choice in buying it.

The one thing we all know is that the frame can make or break a great piece of art. If you're not sure about a frame, go to a professional framer and get their advice. Make sure that any frame you choose will enhance rather than embellish.

Buying art can of course be expensive (it does become more so if you are buying more for investment purposes), but it does not have to be. As mentioned, you can purchase from someone like Petra Stighling and pay it off over a few months, interest free. Other options are to keep an eye out for Universities' and Technikons' Fine Arts or Photography students' final year degree shows. Contact Universities and Technikons near you to find out when and where these will be held.

Small local galleries frequently hold exhibitions for example the new Lisa King Gallery in Cape Town that exhibits contemporary/abstract art (more details about this gallery is available on www.interiordecor.co.za). Keep your eye on adverts in the local newspaper; surf the Internet for web sites for art enthusiasts e.g. www.artzone.co.za and www.artslink.co.za You can even buy art online.

Auctions are also a great source of paintings, prints, maps and other pieces. These can be picked up at a good price. Also look out for frames here and at second hand shops.

The main point is: if you think you know nothing about art, get a few friends together and start finding out about it by visiting galleries and exhibitions. It's great fun and you can end up with fantastic pieces to adorn your walls and some valuable investments.

1. Don't put too much furniture in a small room.
2. Don't start painting unless you've tested a small area of the particular wall with the specific paint you want to use - check the sample in the day and the evening to test the colour in different light.
3. Don't place artwork too high - the best place for it is at eye-level (of an average person).
4. Don't use too many colours - use one colour to dominate and others to accentuate. Start with the colours of a key item like a painting, wall colour, colour of drapes etc.
5. Personalise your space around you with items that are dear to you - although those magazine pictures of rooms with only the minimum in them and nothing out of place look very smart and elegant, but they lack personality.
6. Choose lamps and vases that will suit the size of the tables or pedestals they will stand on.
7. Accentuate unique architectural features in a room such as a fire place or a raw brick wall - don't hide it, make a focus point of it instead.
8. If Bali furniture is the "in-thing" you don't have to have it.
9. Decorate your home for you, and not for whoever is visiting.

1. Townships - do a Township Tour in your area and see truly South-African influences at work in the places that you visit. Simple items become the most amazing (and often very colourful) decor accessories.
2. Gardens and forests can help you with your colour scheme. Look closely at how colours of plants and flowers work together in nature and apply that in your home.
3. Take all the spices in your kitchen, put a little bit of each all together on a plate and look closely at the mixture of colours - you can see how beautiful these colours would look in any room.
4. Restaurants employ professional Interior Decorators/Designers to create atmosphere. When you next dine out, notice the type of decor accessories, where they've been placed, the lights, the window dressing, the colour scheme etc.
5. Shop windows - not only decor shop windows - are normally decorated to be pleasing to the eye. Again, note colour schemes used in a window that you particularly like.
6. Antique stores can be a wonderful source of ideas even if you are not very fond of an antique style. You may find one piece of antique furniture that you like and you can use that to build a whole decorating theme around together with modern influences.
7. Need to re-decorate your toddlers' rooms? Ask them to colour in a picture with their favourite colours and use those colours in their rooms.
8. Visit showhouses on a Sunday to see what others have done in their homes.
9. Decor and furniture shops have to display their products in exceptionally eye-catching ways, notice the details and apply them in your home.
10. What pleases the eye more than the ocean and its surrounding beaches? Use the blues and greens of the sea together with the colours of the sand, rocks and pebbles to create a calm and tranquil space. Even the different hues of colour in one sea shell can inspire the look of a room.

When shopping for a mirror, you should base your choice on the size and decor of the room you want to use it in. You don't have to choose one large mirror, a variety of mirrors of different shapes and sizes and frames can be hung in a grouping.

A few great ways to decorate with mirrors:

• Flank the fireplace with mirrors and create the illusion of space.
• Increase a favourite object's presence in the room by using a mirror to reflect it.
• Put small mirrors behind knick-knacks or candles on a shelf or bookshelves to reflect them.
• Create a second "window" in a room by using a mirror to reflect the view from a window.
• Use mirrors between windows to add depth to the room.
• Push a dining-room table against a mirror to double its size.
• Group mirrors of different sizes along a long wall or going up a staircase.
• Place a large mirror over a bed to reflect the rest of the room.
• Hang two mirrors next to each other, the reflections will make the room seem alive.

According to the Chinese (Feng Shui pinciples) a mirror in the right place will harmonize the flow of energy in your room and a mirror next to your dining table will double your wealth and fortune.