So you think you can decorate? You probably can't. Think you have great taste? You probably don't. Think you have style? Think again. So what is this rant about? Two things. One, let the decorator do it. Let the architect do it. They have created hundreds, perhaps thousands, of rooms. How many have you done? Don't delude yourself. They can do it better. Now I'm going to seem to contradict myself. It may be true that you want to do your own home your way, regardless of what anyone may think and regardless of whether it's "good design". Well, you're right, too. My other point? Do it the way that's comfortable for you.

Now, how to resolve these seemingly conflicting viewpoints? It's fairly simple. Some people really care about a beautifully designed residence. Others don't. Perhaps you're not particularly visual and are convinced you pay no attention to your surroundings. Wrong. You do.

Even if you're not consciously aware of it, you're affected by colors, scale and lighting, by furniture and whatever is on your walls. So maybe you don't "have taste" or even have "bad taste." So what? It's not a character flaw.

Perhaps the theme of this letter is this: Do what you want to do in your own home. As I mentioned earlier, a professional decorator can create an interior space that reflects and complements you and may even improve the way you feel and the way you live. A fine architect or interior designer will almost certainly enrich your life and subtly allow your best self to come forth. The really interesting idea is how people choose to live. Some homes are photogenic, perfect to be featured in a magazine. (This one, for instance.) Some are not. Both are cherished by those who live in them.

And that's the way it should be.

Paige Rense, Editor-in-Chief,
Architectural Digest