Thank you, elizabeth & ingrid for the advice about ensuring the designer understands my vision for the house. We are so fortunate to live in an era with easy access to a plethera of images- my Pinterest boards runneth over. Plus the designer is well known, allowing me to refer directly to rooms she has devised in discussing my ideas. As for taking advice and heeding warnings, my mother was an interior designer, so I have been trained to be a good client who defers to experts.

Mtn & ingrid, yes, I should have spoken to previous clients. Maybe I could still do that. We have not yet signed an engagement letter due to previously mentioned unimaginable snag (house was bought from a developer who used a designer- no one would know this had I not given the designer I want the real estate brochure for the house- but now that she knows this- she is reaching out to previous designer as a "professional courtesy" to get his buy-in. Still awaiting reply from the previous designer. This after spending practically the entire summer waiting for the designer I chose to get a move on.) And yes, Mtn, I have no clue about where to source things, who to hire, etc. I have never lived in London and I am so anxious to have this house ready. Just finding and buying the house took longer than expected ... I am sorry for ranting here.

Thank you all for your advice. I am grateful.

Getting the previous designer's buy-in seems odd to me. What if he wants to impose constraints that are at odds with what you - client who is paying the bills - want? You also mentioned that you've waited all summer for your designer to get a move on. Delays prior to a sign contract don't bode well for the rest of the schedule, I'm not at all certain that I would proceed with that designer. If I did, the contract would have performance incentives and penalties spelled out.

What elizabethva said. You like HER WORK. What does that mean? You want your home to look like the other's she has done? All these designers have good taste, ideas, ability. The issue comes in how does one make YOUR HOME represent you and your taste BEAUTIFULLY. Long distance seems like you have no option but to hire it out, they know where to find what you desire at a minimum. The pictures are all very different. In the end as long as you are happy that is what you are paying for.

Before I signed anything, I would find out with whom you would actually be working. Most big name designers (and NC is certainly in that class!) only shop for special items with their client and have their helpers pull together the colors/fabrics etc. The helpers are also in charge of the specs to the workrooms and all the other details that make this happen. The Big Name Designer is not at the design center pulling fabrics for you! Many people are very surprised to learn that their design is not truly that of the Big Name Designer. I think that's why we often much prefer how their own home looks vs work they did for clients. Their touch is missing.

As to why someone would chose a designer whose work one admires...well, would one have hired Frank Lloyd Wright if one wanted a Georgian Colonial house? Many designers work in one genre only - they do tradition, transitional or modern, but not all three. I would say that NC is more open to different genres than many.

Many clients don't have a style and have no idea what their own taste is. I always have preferred working with a client to make the home a reflection of the client's taste, but sometimes one gets little cooperation doing so and spending the time to help the client actually develop taste can usually not be billed for and is very costly time wise. I love a client who arrives with folders of clippings from shelter magazines, or an iPad filled with pictures of rooms she loves! But many are clueless, and in the end, they just want a lovely home as a status symbol (thus wanting Big Name Designer) and frankly could care less how it looks. And no, I am NOT a Big Name Designer!

Abby, I think the LR as it is now is stunning as it is. But if it's a more "English" look you are wanting - layering, mixing of prints etc, then clearly it is not for you. But then I'm not sure I would choose NC for that these days - she did that look 30 yrs ago, but it's not her look today. If that's the look you want, there is always Colefax itself.

Are you using any of your own things or is this a complete start-over? If it is, you really need to be nearby and more involved in the process. Yes, every now and then, I see a feature in the British House & Garden where an American turned over every detail of their home to a British designer, and let them do it all - linens, dishes - you name it. Probably toilet paper, too! As a total control freak, it makes me queasy even reading about such!

I'm not sure you realize what is involved in all this. One can see a picture of a sofa or chair, but if one hasn't sat in it or does not know the kind of stuffing/springs one likes, one can get a big unpleasant surprise. Horsehair? Down or down mix? Spring units in the backs? Cotton batting or fiberfill? Do you know?

I'd rent a place to live for a year while this is being done so you, if nothing else, learn more about what YOU like and want. You're talking about spending more than most people earn in 10 years on this (in addition to the ungodly cost of the house itself), and if you get it wrong, it will have been a very expensive mistake. This is not something to rush.

Thank you, Becky, I deleted the comment that identified everything. I am sorry for posting this last night. I turned to this board because if I ever discussed this situation with friends of mine, their answer is that the designer should be grateful for the business I am giving her. You and I know that is not the case. I didn't mean to identify the designer in order to show off- that was my fear in using the name- but when I wrote the post without names- it souned like I was being coy- and that sounded worse to me than just spitting it out. I also figure the designer is not a huge deal over here. Deleting my comment was easy. I am not sure how hard it is to delete the whole thread. I will try to figure out how to do that. In the meantime, thank you for reassuring me and telling me to delete what I wrote. Here's to hoping I haven't just killed off my chances of working with this designer.

Thank you, Anglophilia. I appreciate your concerns. First, all of my conversations, aside from the initial call setting up the calls, have been with the designer herself. I am confident that should this arrangement work out, NC would be resposible for the furniture plan, lighting plan and the choice of finishes (along with me.)

The second part of your concerns are more complicated and nuanced. This designer's style matches my style perfectly. I am one of those people who was blessed to have a mother with impeccable taste. My mother would have turned 70 this summer. She died unexpectedly last year. Had my mother not died, she, a trained designer, would have helped me pull this house together. Sadly, that was not to be. NC was the designer my mother would have chosen, and since I am in the fortunate position to be able to hire her, that is what I hope to do.

I grew up in a house filled with English and French antiques (many of them signed). I am not hiring a designer because I lack in knowledge or ability, for that matter. I am hiring a designer because I am not confident in my capacity to make the house look as good as my mother could make the house look- specifically I worry about my ability to use color as boldly. Left to my own devices, I think I would be more timid. My mother (and truthfully her mother as well) could blend classic style with modern touches perfectly. I believe NC does this as well.

I will be bringing art and accessories to London, but not furniture becase we are keeping a house in SF.

And lastly, I want to hire NC because I cannot do as you suggest and be in London as the house is decorated. My family are set to take a wonderful trip from October through the end of January. My eldest son goes to college next year- in all liklihood back in the US. I would rather cede some control over the house decoration and enjoy my time with my boys and my husband right now and walk into a house that is furnished to my standards. I am not handing over the whole project without any thoughts. I bring art, carpets, porcelain and generations of women with strong aesthetic opinions to the table. However, I am rushing this as you said. That is the tradeoff I feel I have to make because of the timing.

(About NC style being stable for the past 30 years- that is a feature, not a bug as we say in my part of the world :-)

I truly appreciate your taking so much time to reply to my post. I admire your style as I have seen it here on GW.

Thanks, arcy. Managing this project long distance will be tricky no doubt. Fingers crossed! With respect to style issues, I think I answered your concerns in my reply to anglo.

Abby, I think a lot of us here can understand the frustration with delays and distance when it comes to home decoration. I'm reminded of Shanghaimom's kitchen odyssey six years ago. Throw in a move, especially an overseas one, and it's incredibly stressful.

I've deleted my previous comment. I hope that helps : ) . I think probably just deleting the names from your one post, and photo descriptions (esp with the photos now removed), plus the mention of your husband's attunement (?!) should do it.

I didn't think you were showing off, and I agree that for a particular/peculiar situation like this, one wants to share more details rather than fewer for the sake of understanding. Plus, there are a lot of threads at GW -- especially in this forum, the kitchen forum, and the building a house forum -- where some talk about interior decorators/designers meaning staff in the Home Depot kitchen cabinet department, or residential designer or draftsman meaning architect.

I knew the name, but then I've been interested in design and all things British since my teens, from Nancy Lancaster (yellow walls forever!) through Jane Churchill and Robert Kime to Rita Konig and Ben Pentreath, though I definitely lean more toward informal country houses. In college I had a subscription to British Homes & Gardens magazines and kept a Smallbone catalogue by my bed, planning for my future dream house. It's taken only 30 years...

I'm sure we can probably discuss this here rather generally, without names or other specifics, especially once you proceed with the actual work. Additionally, I'm sure you could contact Anglophilia off list, and you could also contact me, if you'd like, if you just need a safe space to vent or do some brainstorming/blue sky thinking for a Plan B (I think my settings allow you to contact me -- if not, let me know here and we'll see what we can do).

Becky, I, too, had a Smallbone catalog for years! I don't like what they're doing today at all, but oh, those mid80's hand painted kitchens they did. And yes, Nancy Lancaster's famous Yellow Room never fails to make me swoon.

I've recently discovered English Home - what a charming magazine.

Abby, my settings also allow private contacting. I'm do sorry about the loss of your mother. What fun she would have had helping you with your London house! You can bounce ideas off me to your hearts content!

That the designer (I recognized her from her initials) would put your work behind schedule just to wait to hear from the previous designer is something that I would not countenance. Projects generally not only cost a lot more than predicted but also generally take much longer as various snags are encountered. Personally, and I mean no offense, I would rather have Anglophilia design my home (or Colefax and Fowler since they're in situ) because of the more homelike, relaxed vibrations they emit, but of course that is strictly a personal opinion. You seem to know exactly what you want and are confident that it will be delivered. I wish you the best of luck and it would be wonderful to see the end results here, should you ever wish to do that.

Abby, I'm so sorry to hear about your mother, but what a wonderful, and colorful, way to keep her spirit alive. My mother died recently and it pains me that she won't get to see the house we are building. I do have a number of my parents' things, from furniture to smalls (nothing signed and I don't think anything particularly valuable), but I do like the idea of having the things I grew up with, and also that meant a great deal to my parents, in my new home.

I think trading time with family for control over a project is more than fair. We have kids at similar stages, and I can see family time with all of us together slipping away. I am SO hoping this works out for you, Abby. The chance to follow along with a project of this caliber would be remarkable; though I know there's the chance that she and you might want/need to save the results for publication.

At this point, probably the best (only?!) thing to do is to practice patience : ) . Although I've never worked with a decorator, I'd perhaps start making lists at this point, room by room, of the various changes you want to make and items you need/want for each room. Based on what Anglophilia said, if you have chairs or sofas now that you find particularly comfortable, or if the rest of the family have particular preferences or pieces that the enjoy in your current home, make a note of the style/maker to pass along to the decorator. I think my biggest concern, though, given the nature of the considerable work you need -- to the floors and walls -- and the fact that you're not going to be onsite at all, would be to ensure that the greatest care will be taken to minimize dust EVERYWHERE. Everyone, from the decorator to her staff to the various trades and the cleaners will have to be doing their damnedest to minimize the mess.

Anglophilia, I agree with you about Smallbone. Somewhere I think I still have the wonderful early eighties foldout brochure. A world away from the enormous, and disappointing, recent catalogues. I'm able to find The English Home in the middle of nowhere at the nearest Walmart, if you can believe it. For the past year or so, though, as we're getting closer on finishing the new house, I've been holding off on buying magazines in favor of putting the money toward such things as my cobalt blue Bluestar and a proper greenhouse!

You have all been so kind and considerate toward me and my silly, though personally fraught, dilemma. Thank you so much.

I definitely was in the drooling over Smallbone club with Anglophilia and Becky! I loved those English magazines, the larger format tickled me pink for some reason.

Becky & Anglophilia, thank you for offering to speak with me outside the forum. I will check the settings on Houzz later and make sure I am available that way as well. Truly, I am grateful for your generosity toward me.

Becky, I am so sorry to hear you too have lost your mother. Please accept my condolences. Anything I say after these words on the subject will sound maudlin and over the top, so I'll refrain. But I know how awful it is- even for a fully grown woman- to lose her mother.

"At this point, probably the best (only?!) thing to do is to practice patience : ) . Although I've never worked with a decorator, I'd perhaps start making lists at this point, room by room, of the various changes you want to make and items you need/want for each room." Yes, yes, yes. You are right. That is my plan now that I have at least ONE person telling me it makes sense :-)

Ingrid, I understand your feelings about it sounding off to wait for a designer this way. That concern is what drove me to post here seeking advice and eventually venting quite a bit. Considering how long I have waited to have my dream house - DH and I just celebrated 22 years of marriage- I think I have to accept the possible delays in exchange for getting exactly what we want. I am reassured by Becky's take on the situation. Were Anglophilia located in London though, with relationships with all the tradespeople and suppliers, I would not hesitate to consider using her services.

I'm blushing!

I'm nowhere near embarrassed to admit that I would happily wait a crazy amount of time for Ben Pentreath, or Robert Kime, to work on my new house once it's finished. Heck, I'd be willing to wait a crazy amount of time just to have lunch with him!

Thank you for the kind words, Abby. Not at all maudlin or over the top, and very much appreciated.

A few more thoughts:

Can you remember anything about how your mother approached starting a project with a new client? I was thinking that might help you, or give you some comfort, channelling her that way : ) .

Will you be doing any shopping for the new house on your travels?

Goodness, yes, I know how my mother began projects- measurements and a furniture plan. My natural proclivity is to choose fabric and colors as a starting point- but no- without my mother to fall back on- I know better. My husband has drawn out each room and I have cut out furniture to scale that I move around like in a doll house (I am not a Luddite- really- but somehow I like playing with bits of paper instead of CAD.)

And yes, I plan on shopping for the house on my trip. I am especially keen on finding contemporary (nothing too crazy modern though) Asian art. I love Asian art in general and think it will be a nice counterpoint to a more traditional house.

Abby, in regard to your comment of wanting to acquire Asian art, I wanted to alert you to the fact that a great deal of art now found in Asian countries, and especially China, is unfortunately fake. This is true most certainly with regard to porcelain, where the majority is fake, but I'm sure it also extends to other forms of art. There are a few galleries/shops where you can find genuine items, but they will be extremely expensive. I collect antique Chinese porcelain, and that area is a minefield unless you are really knowledgeable. If you're only concerned about decorative items then there should be no problem. Ironically, most genuine items can be found in the U.S or Europe. England has some great shops with genuine items, such as Robert McPherson and Brian Page, and there are quite a few others.

Ingrid, that's great advice about Chinese porcelain. I am looking for art specifically though. Things along this line- though it may be too modern for my DH and offspring:

Oh, no, I just went to the websites Ingrid mentioned for Chinese porcelain. What beautiful porcelain- what fantastic resources- what a deep rabbit hole to fall into. Love it all.

That's funny, I did the same thing! Then I started searching for 12-13 century Chinese porcelain bowls because I just couldn't stop admiring the white and celadon. Rabbit hole is a perfect word for it, especially for me since I can barely keep my kids from breaking my cereal bowls, so I'm not exactly in the market for beautiful antique bowls right now! I can dream, though.

For more of a rabbit hole, I think it's the Robert McPherson website that has a page that has a good listing of reference books to learn more. Great advice, Ingrid.

That's a beautiful painting, Abby. It doesn't seem too modern to me (I'm not a fan of overly abstract art). It's not by Feng Feng, is it? It reminds me of some of his, which I love. You can see them here.

Using an Interior Designer was one of the best experiences!!! She treated us so well, she was knowledgeable, creative, and incredibly talented. It was worth every penny. Our room NEVER would have looked so good without her expertise.

Elizabeth- ah yes- the days of children breaking plates- I kept the shards from all the breakage in the crazy hope that I would turn them into a fantastic mosaic pattern! Ha! As they say when you have young children, the days are long, but the years are short.

Becky, wow- I love Feng Feng! The artist I showed was Chen Xinmao. And sadly, yes, my family all think he is too abstract!

Sabbath, thanks for the encouragement. I am so glad you had a fantastic experience. Care to share some pics?

That is lovely sabbath! The colors, the mix of seating, the scale and the art. It takes a lot of talent to make a room elegant, inviting, warm and classic all at the same time. I can see why you are so pleased with your designer. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

We didn't have a huge budget, our designer understood. My husband surprised our disigner with the rug. He has a way with surprises as it's not perfect, and wouldn't have been her first choice I am sure, but we are happy. We wanted clean, tranquil and pretty with not to many paterns. I actually prefer almost no pattern but she talked me into a few and I am happy for that.

Every single thing in the room is new except the drapes, I bought them from a boutique hotel that was going out of business for $40. We spent around 10k on everything and I feel as though that's a great price for what we got. That included her fees. I would have loved to have had the budget to get very high end one of a kind pieces, but I am happy and feel blessed to have what I have.

Abby, I keep forgetting to write to keep us posted on your project, especially if you hear from your designer getting the all-clear.

Although really, I pretty much figure that once you buy something, it's yours and you can do with it what you want!

And have a wonderful trip!

That is really helpful information to share, sabbath. Interior designers don't advertise their costs particularly well- I understand the difficulties of doing so- but for us on our end it's so nice to have an idea of what is possible at what price point. Thank you so much for putting that point of information out there.

Becky, I will definitely let you know how things turn out. I have a call scheduled for Friday. I am guardedly optimistic.

Thank you everyone for helping me through this!

It's shocking how fast the cost rises on projects. I had the opportunity to buy the furniture at cost plus 20% which is VERY good; however, the accessories, lamps, chandelier, art and coffee table I didn't want to compromise on. I painted the room, and refinished one of the antique side tables next to the sofa myself in an effort to keep the cost down, had all those factors not come into play I can't imagine what the cost would have been. I wish more people would share the cost of their projects, it's fascinating to me.

I'll add my guarded optimism, and crossed fingers too just for good measure, to yours for Friday, Abby!

sabbath, I agree. I have no idea at all about decorator/designer fees. And I'd be interested in being able to compare the fees of a more "everyday" type of designer like sabbath's to the one Abby is considering. Maybe once your project is finished, Abby, you could share a ballpark figure, if that wouldn't be too intrusive or nosy.

I live in rural western Canada and am far beyond the realm of designers and decorators. I don't know of any local decorators or designers whose style and taste I like, and I've been horribly (!) consistent in my own tastes for the past 30 years or so. At the very least for the new house I'm considering some to the trade fabrics and a few custom pieces, including lamp shades, which is already more than I've ever bought before, or what anyone in our area has ever done. This is one of the reasons that Gardenweb, and various decorators' and designers' blogs and Instagrams have been so helpful over the years. It's been an amazing education.

When I first got my resale number and opened trade accounts, I lived in LA. In LA, many, many people have access to the Pacific Design Center, so most designers worked on a cost/net plus 20% basis - or did 34 years ago! That is what I have always done and still do. I am sure to give copies of all invoices to the client so she knows what I paid for things. Of course, sales tax and shipping are always extra.

When I moved to KY 32 years ago, I found out pretty quickly that a few local designers were horrified at my billing practices and one tried to get my accounts pulled with a couple of showroom. Thankfully, they did not do this. Why were they upset? Because they were DOUBLING net with their clients and never showing then an invoice. These day, most of the local big names TRIPLE net and then cry about a lack of business. With to-the-trade prices on fabrics starting at around $100 @ yd net, one can see why people are reluctant to get into redecorating. Very few people (especially husbands!) are willing to pay $300 @ yrd and UP for fabric. A typical window needs about 9-12 yards of fabric. That's nearly $3000 for the fabric for just one window! Plus lining, interlining, trim and labor. It's no wonder so few people use curtains these days!

I have friends who are designers in other cities and they mostly do cost plus 20%. If the client wants them to shop for her for accessories etc, they typically charge an hourly fee - anywhere from $200-500 an hour, depending on how prestigious the designer is.

I am talking about high end design work here - the kind one sees in shelter magazines. I know of designers who will not take a commission with a budget of less than $100,000 PER ROOM, assuming the client already has some furniture and antiques/paintings etc. No I do NOT do that level of design! But I have friends who do.

I have no idea how designers work in the UK. I do know that fabrics and papers that in the US are to-the-trade only can be purchased at retail by anyone who walks in the door, so I feel sure they aren't doing the double/triple net routine. I cannot buy at trade prices in the UK due to the company's licensing agreements with US companies to carry their lines. What a friend and I did for years, was work with a design firm on Walton St who would give us a discount on retail and order the goods for us and deliver them to our hotel - great service! Of course, no VAT, either. They were still less expensive than trade price in the US. With the pound so low against the dollar right now, they would be very attractively priced. Of course, I'd have the expense of a trip to London to get these - not economical unless buying a LOT of things as I was in the past. There is nothing that needs replacing in my house these days except one chair in the LR and I can't find the right chair or the right fabric so likely what is there will stay. That's one good thing about classic, timeless decorating - it lasts for a LONG time! If I weren't a designer, I could never afford the fabric I have used, and remember - I've been working on this house now for 32 years. It was NOT done all at once!

High end interior design is every expensive. The fabrics and wallpapers are expensive, the labor to fabricate well, is expensive, truly high quality upholstery is expensive, painting, building cabinets are, too. But when people pay multiple millions for houses, they want them to be as lovely on the inside as the outside and are prepared to pay $1,00,000 and up to achieve this. Not for us mere mortals...

Thank you, Anglo for helping make the interior design process more clear. Once my engagement letter is signed, I will gladly let everyone know what the parameters are. The one thing I know for sure so far is that there is a substantial design fee to be paid before any work commences. How the work is then billed between the shopping, installing and comissioning of tradespeople is all a question mark for me still.

Thank you, sabbath and Anglo, for your long posts. And thanks, Abby, for wanting to share the process with us. It's been a very informative evening!

I'm passionate about interior design and have in the past subscribed to so many shelter magazines that I was finally offered a hefty designer's discount on the order price even though I'm not an interior designer! I know that even ten years ago top designers had the $100,000 a room rule and I'm surprised it hasn't gone up. I have a feeling that it really is only a starting point. That seems pretty comical to me when I sit here contemplating my rooms! On the other hand, there is something intensely personal about rooms put together with love and passion by your own hand. That is not a reflection on you, Abby, since your hands would have to be very long indeed to reach across the pond, as I think the English sometimes call the Atlantic Ocean.

Forgive me for being off-topic, but I wonder if you, Anglophilia, could be persuaded to devote a post to your decorating style in your own home, about which I'm intensely curious. I don't know if you would consider doing so, but it would furnish great inspiration for anglophiles like me, and I'm sure there are quite a few of us here. I know that I've seen some of your rooms here, but to see it all put together in one thread would be amazing. I've had the same wish about others' homes here who have great decorating style, but I think modesty is a strong deterrent, since one doesn't want to seem to be boasting about one's decorating ability. On the other hand I think it deprives us of a valuable learning tool. It's something that I hope you would consider doing, and perhaps that will inspire others to follow suit.

I'd be glad to, ingrid. Just need to take some pictures and find time to write. I love my house and it's been a 32 yr project that i ALMOST finished! I'm still trying to get the bead board ceiling up in the sun room so it may be a week or so before I have everything ready to photograph.

Anglo- I would love to see that too!

Seconding ingrid's request, please!

Oops -- I forgot to hit send immediately so didn't see sabbath's comment. Make that thirding!

Oh, please, anglo, it would be fantastic to hear about your design philosophy. I realize it could be a lot of work, considering the amount of time and effort and heart that went into your house. You could break it down into tiny pieces for us- one picture at a time- every week or so. Aside from your aesthetic, you have a strong point of view, which makes for great reading.

Anglo- Your home is very beautiful! I love it! Not everyone has family heirlooms, or great pieces to bring to the table when starting, I am glad that you did. I love the yellow, it brings a smile to my face.

Thank you so much, Anglophilia, for sharing part of your lovely home and for the in-depth tutorial! What a beautiful, lively, cozy, and comfortable room.

What you wrote gives me a great deal of encouragement that even on my own I've been learning, and also putting to good use what I've been learning : ) . And I've bookmarked your post just to be sure!

I agree so much about larger windows. In our current house, one of the biggest and best changes we've made has been to add large windows where none existed before, and to replace existing windows with larger ones. Not only does the house look better, but it's better for my husband and me as we came to the age where we started needing reading glasses -- more light, more light!

Anglophilia, your post is much better than anything written in shelter magazines. Learning about how your house has evolved- seeing your living room from different angles- understanding the process of how you can update and maintain furniture through generations- these are all invaluable lessons. Your point about the importance of training your eye makes so much sense. We are bombarded with images of the fashionable so much, it's easy to lose sight of what is classic. Thank you for being so generous with your time and talent.

One last thing that I have missed learning about all these year is the importance of making windows bigger. All my friends add windows and French doors everywhere in their houses gushing on and on about the light. Every house I see in my area has banks of giant windows. I like light. I also like art and art needs walls. Bigger windows are the answer! I had no idea. The proportions of your windows add so much elegance to the room, plus you get the added light and still have walls! Genius. I missed that lesson. Thank you, again!

Sabbath, I inherited no "family heirlooms ", simply lots of upholstered furniture over the years. None was expensive when it was purchased - just basic well built upholstered furniture. The antiques we bought as we didn't have to buy sofas and chairs! Young people often turn up their nose at granny's sofa, but while it might be ugly, it also might have a great frame and be a good candidate for re-styling and re-upholstery. Few people would have taken that hideous Herculon sofa, but look at it now?

Anglo - I love your sofa! It's gorgeous.

I love Anglophilia's post so much (and the room as well). The home reflects you, your life..it is your life, to some degree. I also believe a similar philosophy. It's not being shallow, trying to create a pretty room. It's the same inner thing that pushes us to explore the world around us, and to find the connections with what's out there, besides us ourselves. That's what we're born and wired to do. You can go many different ways about it-but that's what eventually makes us happy. Including many things in life, and the pretty rooms too..

I love to read how the rooms are born and evolve..I like when the designer, or the homeowner, or the renter, doesn't matter, explains the history, the thought process, and what and why his things mean for him. The home is the people living there. They give life to the home; then the home starts giving back.

I must say-I enjoy this whole thread tremendously.

I wanted to say something very similar to april, but she said it so much better! Everything you said, Anglophilia, resonated with me because in my own more stumbling way I've tried to follow some of those same lines of reasoning. Your wallpaper, which warms and lights up the whole room so beautifully, is so very English. Interestingly that color is not repeated much at all and still it seems just right, as does the Chinese rug with its more open, less busy pattern than other Orientals. The lovely painting of your daughter creates a dramatic focal point of the room and gives it added distinction. I've always loved English interiors most becase they're at once sophisticated and rich-looking but also comfortable and cozy. Having priceless antiques and beautiful paintings certainly helps to achieve that look, which makes it difficult for the less fortunate of us to pull of, but you've managed it beautifully. In my case I realized that having a collection of colorful antique Chinese porcelain demanded a more quiet background. One's individual tastes and needs should always guide how a room is furnished and decorated. That way it becomes your own.

Thank you, Anglophilia, for taking the time to share your life's work. I felt like I was in 'your class' listening to you speak about a subject dear to your heart. Your rooms are beautiful and I could visualize almost everything while I read along. I wish every young person starting out could read what you just wrote. It would take so much fear and anxiety away from the process of furnishing a home. Well, for some anyway. I wish I could have read it a long time ago.

Your statement "...this time of year, one sees ferns, hosta an astilbe right in a wide bed right in front of the window. It's important to tie ones garden to the inside of ones house" rang true with me especially. I love my gardens and the outdoors and try to make sure this happens in my home.

Ingrid, you are so right! Having a serious collection of Chinese porcelain is like having serious jewelry - both need a simple background. Just look at how Queen Elizabeth dresses - simple lines, solid colors, but incredible jewelry (the Cullinan Diamond!). And Chinese porcelain always looks it's best massed out.

The English have a gift for making an enormous room in a Stately Home feel comfortable and welcoming. They are my inspiration.

Anglo, I finally noticed the tobacco leaf plates on your mantel and I believe one in the bookcase. Are these Chinese or the Mottahedeh version? The latest thought of some experts on these is that these are passion flowers and their leaves rather than tobacco plants. You have a very nice assortment of porcelain, which unfortunately I couldn't see very well.

Ingrid, they are 19th century English reproductions (might be Flight Barr - can't remember) of the 18th century Chinese pattern. Tobacco Leaf and Jabberwocky are my two favorite porcelain patterns, and of course, both are quite rare and when found, quite expensive. I own no Jabberwocky!

I found the three plates (the one in the bookcase is the more valuable and is actually a soup plate) at an antique and floral shop near the LA Design Center literally the day the movers were loading the truck - also a mirror that is in my DR. My husband had a fit - our stuff barely all fit on the van and I was out buying more! No regrets, though!

I adore the colors in the Tobacco Leaf pattern - lots of colors to pull from when decorating or when doing flowers for the mantle!