| For the first nineteen years of my life I | | | | We found a lovely cottage style home. Once |
| lived in the same town in my parents home. | | | | again I was absolutely thrilled to be able to |
| Whatever home decor there was interested me | | | | start decorating from scratch, since we had |
| little, it was just there. Then I went to | | | | brought nothing with us. I went through the |
| Italy for a year and lived with an Italian | | | | routine of sitting in different corners of |
| Duke and his family. They lived in a villa in | | | | the empty rooms and envisioned what, of the |
| Rome. There I noticed the home decor. The | | | | things I had seen in magazines and home decor |
| rooms were huge. The Duchess had a penchant | | | | stores, would look good in that house. I |
| for elaborate baroque wall mirrors. They were | | | | settled on country cottage style home decor |
| everywhere, with the rest of the home decor | | | | and in the end, of all the homes we had lived |
| to match. Most days the gardener cut arms | | | | in, this one, still today, was the one we |
| full of fresh flowers. I often helped to | | | | felt most comfortable and at home in.Our |
| carry them because I liked to follow him | | | | bliss lasted for almost two years until my |
| around so that I could look at the classical | | | | husband was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia. |
| art statue sculptures and fountains. They, | | | | Fortunately the company let us fly there |
| and marble benches, strategically placed | | | | ahead of time to check the place out and I |
| between the trees and flowers, were the | | | | could see right away that in the colonial |
| garden decor. Since I liked to do it, it soon | | | | style homes we looked at, country cottage |
| became my job to arrange the flowers in | | | | home decor would never do. My husband came to |
| decorative vases. I had a free hand in | | | | an agreement with his company, that instead |
| placing them on tables, cabinets and plant | | | | of paying for the movers to transport our |
| stands. It wasn't exactly decorating, but it | | | | furniture, they would give him a lump |
| gave me a satisfying feeling to contribute | | | | sum.With great pleasure I acquainted myself |
| something to those marvelous rooms.After one | | | | with colonial style home decor, sat in the |
| year I moved to Paris, France. Not much scope | | | | empty rooms envisioning what to put where and |
| for home decorating there. I lived in a tiny | | | | in the end came up with a truly elegant |
| furnished room, where the home decor | | | | period masterpiece. What a delight it was to |
| consisted of a narrow bed, a pine wood chair, | | | | entertain in that house.I should have known |
| a wardrobe and a wood cabinet with a | | | | that it would not last but must admit that I |
| washbowl. A bare light bulb hung from the | | | | said yes faster than my husband when his boss |
| ceiling. All I added was a decorative | | | | offered him a job in Nepal.We had no idea |
| mirror, a reading lamp and a crystal vase, | | | | what to expect in that country. Things seemed |
| which I kept filled with fresh flowers from | | | | primitive compared to what we were used to |
| the market.After that it was exciting to move | | | | but we loved it. We found a rather grand |
| into a house near Los Angeles, California, | | | | looking house where the water pipes and |
| which I shared with my sister. Without much | | | | electrical lines were all outside the walls. |
| planning, we decided what we needed and went | | | | The fuse boxes were right by the entrance so |
| out to buy whatever appealed to us. As nice | | | | that everybody could see that this house was |
| as the furniture had looked in the showroom, | | | | modern enough to have such luxuries. The |
| somehow, in that house it did not seem right. | | | | floors were naked cement and there was no |
| For one thing, it was much too massive and | | | | heating. Sitting in corners of the empty |
| the colors clashed with the paint colors and | | | | rooms to envision them furnished did not do |
| window coverings. We did not have much time | | | | it here either, since there were no stores |
| to stew over it since we both carried a full | | | | where one could just go and buy furniture. |
| load of courses at the college and worked | | | | Simple beds, with hemp cords strung between |
| four hours after class and eight on | | | | the sides and badly made whicker chairs were |
| Saturdays. | | | | all one could buy ready made. Other |
| | | | expatriates advised us to get pictures of |
| The day after I graduated, I got married and | | | | home decor we would like to have and take |
| my wonderful husband and I moved into an | | | | them to a carpenter who may or may not come |
| apartment near his work. At first I had fun | | | | up with something similar. We did and also |
| buying new furniture and making the place | | | | found a place in the bazaar where we could |
| look nice, but soon I realized that apartment | | | | order coir carpeting. It did not look like |
| living was not for me. I missed wandering | | | | much but felt invigoratingly rough under bare |
| between the flowers and sitting on the garden | | | | feet. Dishes, cutlery and whatever else one |
| bench under the open sky with that first cup | | | | needs in a home also were of ghastly quality, |
| of coffee, | | | | but it did not matter, nobody else had |
| | | | anything better, except for embassy staff, |
| As soon as our lease was up, we moved into a | | | | who got everything shipped in. Slowly the |
| house on a steep hillside. We used the | | | | pieces of furniture we had ordered were |
| furniture we had, even though it looked out | | | | delivered and little by little the place |
| of place. Going around to flea markets and | | | | started to look like a home. Finally we could |
| buying items without thinking whether they | | | | reciprocate for all the many invitations we |
| would fit in with what we had, did not help. | | | | had accepted from ex pats and local people |
| At the same time my husband inherited his | | | | alike. We might not have had the home decor |
| uncle's collectible knives, swords and | | | | we would have liked but since the electricity |
| sabers. They presented a real challenge for | | | | often failed anyhow, by candlelight it did |
| me. What was I to do with home decor like | | | | look delightful. Besides, we had one of the |
| that?Mother Nature soon took care of my | | | | best cooks in Katmandu and visitors told us |
| dilemma. The house and most of what we owned | | | | that they would have come to eat his food, |
| was burned in the Bel Air fire. Of course I | | | | had the house been empty. |
| was very sad about the loss, yet I was | | | | |
| excited. | | | | We were supposed to go back to the United |
| | | | States after my husband's contract was up but |
| Here was my chance to start all over again | | | | even before that, his boss wanted him to |
| and this time I intended to make the home | | | | transfer to Madras, India. By good fortune we |
| decor match the house.We rented a bungalow | | | | found |
| with a slanting roof, dark, exposed beams and | | | | |
| lots of windows. We moved in with just a few | | | | an almost new bungalow which had been build |
| borrowed necessities and stacks of home decor | | | | on stilts so as to not disturb the roots of a |
| magazines and books. As I saw pictures of | | | | huge holy tree in front of it. The house was |
| things that appealed to me, I would sit in | | | | built in a square around a courtyard with a |
| different corners of the empty room I wanted | | | | mango tree in the middle and all rooms had |
| to furnish and envisioned imaginary items in | | | | big glass double doors opening out to it. |
| place. It was a great method to decide on my | | | | When I saw the place, I could immediately |
| selection. Lime green and lemon yellow were | | | | envision a garden theme and was glad to find |
| very much in fashion then and probably would | | | | fabrics with a lattice and bamboo design for |
| have looked ghastly in any of the other | | | | the curtains and matching green upholstery |
| dwellings we had had. But in that house, with | | | | for the sofas and chairs we had made. Even |
| the dark beams, dark oak flooring and big | | | | though it took many trips to the bazaar, and |
| windows framed by citrus trees, I could | | | | frequent reminders to the carpenters, |
| envision that it would look nice. And it did. | | | | eventually all the home decor complimented |
| It was a delightful home.A year later my | | | | the garden feeling I had wanted to achieve. |
| husband decided to go back to college for his | | | | It was like living outdoors.After that we |
| Masters Degree. We loaded what we could into | | | | moved fourteen more times, always to |
| our Volkswagen Bus, sold the rest of our | | | | different countries, all over the world, |
| belongings and headed for Austin, Texas, | | | | without ever bringing any furnishings with |
| accompanied by two babies and a cat. Money | | | | us. Each time I went through the same |
| was tight and home decor took a back seat to | | | | process of sitting in the empty rooms, |
| all else. Like so many student | | | | envisioning the results I wanted to achieve, |
| accommodations, ours had a lot of make-do | | | | then finding the right home decor. The |
| furnishings. The bricks and boards book | | | | results were always perfect for that |
| shelves, the milk crate and plywood tables | | | | particular house.Few people move as much as |
| and second hand sofas and beds. Our newborn | | | | we did. For them it is even more important, |
| slept in what used to be a packing box for | | | | right at the beginning, to decorate their |
| toilet paper, nicely lined with colorful | | | | home to suit it's character. Having chosen |
| fabric. It didn't seem to matter. I devoted | | | | what looks right then will still look right |
| my time to my children. My husband devoted | | | | years later.Elisabeth Mcgill is now living in |
| his time to his studies .In less than twelve | | | | Arizona. To put her experience with home |
| month he got his degree and was recommended | | | | decorating to good use, she is in the process |
| by his professor to a company in Pasadena, | | | | of starting a home decor business. More on |
| California. | | | | that when everything is in place. |
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