Yes.

And -- of course -- Reading About Decorating!! :)

LOL!

For me sailing comes first than decorating, but lately I doubt myself and I never use to... Hope this does not mean my love for it is diminishing. I have lost confidence in sailing too...I no longer go out by myself, need someone now to help dock.

Yes!

And so many different areas within design and decorating to learn new things. Color theory, architecture, art history, psychology, computer graphics, math, construction, crafts...the list is endless!

*you're such a good topic-picker nancybee!

Interior decorating has always been my passion, and we moved often during my 38 year marriage, but I must say I pretty much have everything I want now,
and I have thrown myself more in clothing and accessories, as far as my purchases go.

But I can never resist an interesting home store or magazine, I love the eye candy, and these forums still have an appeal for me. So I guess I'd have to say yes to your question.

I will probably move one more time when DH retires, and that could be pretty much my last decorating project and I'm actually looking forward to it.

Not only decorating but house design, room design, and all things "house and home". It's always been one of my important interests even from childhood. I can remember the house plan of a relative's home that I visited only once when I was 3 years old. My DM and I were discussing it when I was a young adult and she was amazed at my recollection of that house.

I can 'get lost' looking at pictures of houses/interior decor, or looking at or drawing house plans and sometimes have to remind myself I have a life and other things to do! LOL

No. I enjoy it greatly along with a love of antiques - especially the hunt, but I have other "loves" as well. Some that I love more than decorating LOL. It's right up there near the top though!!

tina

Decorating is in the top ten.. but not close to the top.

These days, I think I like reading about decor and talking about decorating more than the actual act of decorating, maybe because my furnishings are pretty much set or maybe because my budget is quite limited. I still get excited when I stumble across a good buy on a vintage item that fits with my collections, but other than a daily scan of eBay, I'm not actively looking for anything. Thank goodness that I can visit GW and enjoy the decorating process vicariously through the various posts.

deedee, thank you.

I am loving reading the responses, everyone!

I'm with LuAnn, it's in the top 10, but not up there. I've been interested in houses and decorating since I was a teen, thanks to my extremely talented mom.

When I was a teenager I'd find "Open House" signs and go in the houses for sale and I'd tell the realtor I was looking at houses for my mother. LOL.

I guess it's in my blood, but I didn't inherit the talent my mom was born with. :(

I'm such a novice. I wouldn't describe anything I've done around my house as "decorating," as that term would be too lofty. But I am fascinated by why some things work and why others don't. I make a study of it, as I work around my house, look at pictures, and read threads here. So, it's really *learning* about decorating that I enjoy, if that makes sense.

Yes, but with reservations. I don't like decorating without money, not tons, but enough iykwim, and I don't like (ever) to watch tv shows about decorating. After awhile, I have magazine burnout too.
But, I LOVE isolating a problem and setting to work on it. Recently, I decided new pillows for the kitchen barstools would update the entire house. So, I am on a quest to find the best look for that area. Etsy has supplied several possibilities and fabric samples are in the mail.

Flipping through a years worth of House Beautiful one evening helped me realize what pattern/color/size pattern of pillow from etsy would look best. (ikat in cobalt and white, btw)
Which one to choose? or, should I buy the fabric and have a local excellent seamstress make them for me? It would save $$ but be a hassle. She sews a knife edge pillow for me for $4.00. She can make anything that looks store bought- she's magnificent. (but not business savvy)

When that is done, I will focus on the next project, already brewing on the edges of my concentration.

stinky, you underestimate yourself! I think your decorating (your living room is what I've seen pictures of) is lovely!
It's definitely decorated.

I think what I meant was do you love everything to do with decorating- doing it, reading about it, looking at it, everything. I enjoy looking at "regular" people's decorating more than fancy pictures in magazines.

Two other things about my love of it- one of my earliest memories (age 2 or 3?) is looking at and loving the fabric on someone's sofa. I remember what the fabric looked like (or at least I think I do). The other thing is that when I am going to get to see someone's house for the first time I am ridiculously excited about seeing their decorating!

Bumblebeez, you are another who has a lovely home, so creatively done. Most artists do, I think.

Nance, thanks! Btw, I don't recall ever seeing posts of YOUR rooms! Have you let us into your decorating world? Show us your style!

I also say I don't "cook," I prepare meals (daily!) and the food is hot usually, so technically it is cooked. If I say I cook then an evaluation that I'm not a good cook may follow. Better to just say I've prepared food. I call my husband for "dinner" by saying, "The food is ready!" I can't call it "dinner" with a straight face.

So I arrange things around the house. Guess it IS decorating, but again, it could be bad decorating if I admit that, yes?

I have no problem though, coming right out and saying that I'm
a stinky-gardener!

stinky, my decorating isn't exceptional in any way! I have light colored tile floors throughout and have persian rugs (not matching :) in dark blue. Lots of my furniture is beige or brown. I have lots of real plants and a silk ficus in my dining room. I don't have any original art, unfortunately. Everything looks pretty traditional.

I am getting an iphone so maybe I can learn to post pictures from that. I don't know though- I might feel awful if people didn't like what I had done! or thought it was boring (it probably is).!

Thank you, Nancy, you are as always a sweetheart!
I would like to see pics of your house too. Don't worry about other people not liking it, some will, some won't, But the question is, do you? And even if you don't, that's OK too.

We don't all love our homes, some of it is money, some time, some, not knowing what to do or how to do it.
Our value as a person is not tied to how big, nice or well decorated our home is - or, how many people like it.

No. It probably is in my top twenty near the bottom. (If I had to choose between decorating and other hobbies, it would be low on the list.)

It is a convenient and easy time killer to look at photos/these threads/etc. (eg, I'd rather be hiking, but it's 100f!) I also like to find inspiration and ideas as I make each space in my home comfortable, functional and pleasing to us. So, that's why I'm here. :)

Nance, your house sounds very attractive, warm and inviting! "Exceptional" decorating isn't necessarily the most interesting, comforting or pleasing. I also agree with Bumblebeez; I can't guarantee you that ALL the people here would love your decor, but I'd be willing to wager that many would. I doubt anyone's house or decorating is embraced by everyone!

You're such a friendly, good natured people person, Nance. I bet your house reflects that! What could be better?

Besides people :) golf is #1, followed by drinks and a dinner of appetizers (whoever invented tapas is my best friend!) with friends, then reading. Decorating is just a means to an end, albeit a pleasing end (I hope). I don't like looking for furnishings but do like identifying what I want (through GW or on-line pics). Making the rounds of store after store is pure drudgery to me.

stink-gardener: LOL!

No. It's an interest. Many things are higher on my priority list but I like to see what peeps (you all) are doing with their decor. Makes me look at things differently and identify what I like and don't like.

I used to love decorating. However, I have lived in this house for eleven years (the longest I have lived anywhere) and I have gotten stagnant. I know we will eventually sell to down size so it is not worth starting over like I would prefer. I'm not sure on the style of my next house so I do not want to purchase any big ticket items. I mostly buy inexpensive CL finds to stave off the boredom of my decor. The last time I had fun with decorating was a few months ago on my sons town house. Between CL, garage sales, ebay and me doing the paintings and painting I managed a real hip pad on the most extreme budget. I had so much fun finding deals on nice bathroom tile and you name it plus doing a lot of the labor. I LOVE doing things like that because it's the ultimate challenge. As much as I always think I could have the most beautiful decor if I had the money to match my tastes...what I'm really good at is working with a penny and pulling a look out of it.

I adore houses...decorating, design, architecture, and lately landscape design. Like a pp, I get so excited to be invited to a new friend's home...I love to see floor plan and decorative accents. I am fascinated with all of my friend's renovation projects...one of my friend's said I knew more about her addition than she did. I am currently a SAHM, but have no desire to return to the field I previously worked in (and have a master's degree in) because I want to do something with houses!

No, don't love it and it's not even in my top 10. Gardening, reading, sports, hiking, and some other things light my fire. Decorating is not way up there. But I do enjoy it mildly when it's time to decorate a room and I like for my decor to stay current and fresh. As someone said...maybe it's going on the 'hunt' for something new. I'd rather be involved in the program management part and make sure things are done properly and on schedule.

Bumblebeez and Stinky, thank you for your nice comments. You are both so sweet.

Yes, decorating/landscaping have always been my passion through 50 years of marriage and many different styles, and homes,now have the perfect home and everything I want and my obsession now are my Pc's (5) and my E-reader, have always been a reader, but now I am also a writer, my novel is online for E-readers, free of course.I appreciate just reading the reviews, and I am now writing a sequel.

Here is a link that might be useful: My first novel

Yes, I'd say decorating and anything related to making a house look prettier are my first loves! Well, okay, I put my family first. But sometimes they have to wait while I just move that chair over a few inches...

This is one reason why I enjoy this forum so much. Most (maybe all) of my "real life" friends do not share my passion.

Years ago I read somewhere that women will turn to decorating their houses when they are tired of "decorating" themselves i.e.: clothes, makeup, jewelry etc.

I can relate to that. I'm just not in to all that frou frou, time consuming make me beautiful stuff!!! But I love my garden and redoing furniture and rearranging my house. I'm fine with the way I look and only get all done up when I feel like it and don't bother with it the rest of the time. No I'm not a slob and I can still look very presentable everyday with very little effort :)

Well, okay, I put my family first. But sometimes they have to wait while I just move that chair over a few inches... hee, hee, hee!

I'm a bit relieved to see so many comments about how others don't love it or even place it in their top 10 or 20. I don't love it and it makes me wonder why I spend so much time here. I have learned so many interesting things, and sometimes I'm actually helpful to others, because of what I read here, but I don't put much into practice in my house.

After God, family, and friends....then comes decorating, especially since they have just staked out my new house....so my mind is swirling with decorating ideas.

I went to pick out and order my new furniture...and it turned out that I picked out the same colors for my LR that I had in my old house....so I guess I must have liked it...or I am stuck in a rut!

I spend way too much time looking at forums on this site, but I get so many good ideas from the talented people who post here~

After God, family, and friends....then comes decorating, especially since they have just staked out my new house....so my mind is swirling with decorating ideas.

I went to pick out and order my new furniture...and it turned out that I picked out the same colors for my LR that I had in my old house....so I guess I must have liked it...or I am stuck in a rut!

I spend way too much time looking at forums on this site, but I get so many good ideas from the talented people who post here~

Yes. It's beginning to consume me lately. As of next week we'll be done with the entire first floor of our home, well the remodel will be done but I'll still have to decorate a little. I'm hoping I can focus on life instead starting this fall! We will be remodeling upstairs next year, but it's pretty straight forward (paint and carpet) except the two bathrooms will be more intense. At least they are small rooms. I made the decision after this remodel I will not do any more home improvement projects until next year. I'm excited that the bones of the house will be there as we've remodeled. Now, I can just focus on the fun stuff, decorating. I've never done much for holidays because I always felt our money was better spent elsewhere. This holiday season will be so different.

This question really challenged me to think. My active and passionate affair with interior design has followed an arc that is on its downward side now. Part of that is the natural progression of age, and the attendant changes in the urge to nest, to build, and to accumulate that go with it.

I'm not physically as strong as I used to be, and I have fairly significant arthritis in my hands, so I can't do the things involving hand work, either great dexterity or strength, that I used to do. No more serious gardening, no furniture refinishing, or schlepping little tables and bolts of fabric and sample books all over the place, and very little hand sewing.

So most of my project energy goes into cooking these days, although I still give advice to friends and acquaintances who ask.

One reason I enjoy participating in this forum so much is that, since I'm not in the trade any more, I miss the conversations and the problem solving. And if what I have learned, and whatever native ability I have, can still be of use, I want to exercise it.

Because design for living is, at its heart, a problem-solving discipline. And as many of you have said in lots of other posts (and Bumblebeez said here), good problem solving begins with accurate problem identification. If you don't know what's broken...well, you understand.
And loving to get your teeth in a problem that you actually can understand is a virus that never goes away.

Brons, I love your posts. You just must be as kind and generous as you are talented. P.s. never told you( back in my old name...,LC...days, how much I loved the pic of your (new) home in the snow. What a perfect Christmas card that would make.
Marti

Gosh.
Thank you.

bronwynsmom, I think we might be in the same "boat"...my body full of arthritis and replacements, just does not have the strength to do what in my mind, I would love to do. Refinishing furniture and sewing from bolts of materials are out..and so is the handiwork.....so these forums and putting colors and ideas together is my way of spending lonely times after DH passed away. I feel these
wonderful people on these sites, are my "friends" and so I guess that is why decorating etc. is a passion of mine.

Yes! I have always had a passion for decorating interiors along with landscape design and gardening since at a very early age. ....like some people do sudoko puzzles, I could easily grab graph paper and entertain myself working on floor plans or outdoor areas...sigh....I always loved reading decorating magazines, but it seems the quality of shelter magazine articles has been slipping a lot in recent years - I still get excited a bit, but then get kinda let down every time. Maybe it's just me. I sense a good thread possibility. Interesting post!

I love love love decorating and mostly putting a space together. I was lucky enough to have jobs and my own business and consulting in many homes so I got to see how real people live (as opposed to magazine shoots). The best time I ever had was learning ID and studying in college, each course was like 'pinch myself, I am really here' type of experience. I got to work with designers and very creative people.
Yes, I LOVE decorating and Interior Design. And have loved placement of things since I could walk (was told that at 3 I was rearranging things to look as I called it 'neat'!

Phoggie, my heart goes out to you on the loss of your husband.
The challenges and rewards of a long marriage have a richness that stays in us - and I hope your time alone will reward you more and more as you get farther along.

Not really, but I like the results.

I've never been the "crafty" type but I'm more "handy". I like to paint vs. create.

Yes, I love it, along with woodworking, furniture making,
stained glass, upholstery, making drapes, gardening,
everything really...but they all go hand and hand with
the art of creative living, don't they? Lucky for me,
my main man loves everything I love too, so we enjoy doing it
together.
Oh, we love cooking together too...

Susieq, thanks for the link to your book! I will read it.