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