sounds great to me.

Where I used to live, about 25 years ago, I remember there was a decorator who kind of did just that. It was so helpful and amazing. I put all the decorative items on my dining room table, and she just put them around where she suggested they go. ..... I left everything as best I could as she suggested. Even in this house, whatever I could I have as she left it. (this was more for stuff on coffee tables and end tables in the formal living room,)

In any case, I am in, (after you get the west coast to your house, the east coast can come to mine in NJ).

Some people just have a knack.

LOL, Annie!

My sister lives in DC, and a Smithsonian curator lives in her building. My sister enlisted her help with decorating. Her condo is now a lovely jade green with Asian accents...much better than the college-dorm-room look she had before. :)

Donna

Awesome idea, I'd love it! I've never read a thread here that didn't make me think. Very wise people on GW. And so much inspiration. I find myself, when decorating, thinking of here, "Hmm, what would the ladies and gents on the board think of this?"

Annie, love it! We used to ranch, and I remember non-horse people coming for the first time ... to look at horses, watch us ride, etc. I always told them to pick up a poop rake and help me clean stalls, for the true experience. No one ever did. :D

Have your tour bus stop here, Annie. I know they want pines cones for their Holiday decorating projects, and I have millions! And if we time it right, I'll have plenty of free snow in my driveway. They can take all they want :D

Jenny, Having someone come through and give my house a makeover would be a dream. I bought this bank-owned (thrice!) fixer-upper about three years ago and am still working on it.

And when the willing participants with all the helpful ideas leave your place they can head up the coast to my house in Vancouver. Well, maybe not today as it's rather stormy.

I serve home baking.

There used to be a flower/gift shop in my town where the owners had exquisite taste. They would come to your house and shop what you had and give ideas for your decorating. They would be there an hour or more and the fee was I think a $100 purchase from their shop. It was a great deal.

That is absolutely a service I need! I have furniture I like, but I am terrible at the finishing touches/accessorizing! I actually thought I had hired someone, TWICE, to do this for me at an hourly rate - the first one forgot to call to tell me she was leaving permanently to live in Michigan with her mother, and the second one, after much enthusiasm on line, simply never called back! So my place still has furniture I like, and is still not accessorized/finished the way I would like. This reminds me that I'm going to research this again - I would think a stager (and there are many around here - I take their cards when I see a room I like) could do it.

I took a great decorating course that was given in my area about 30 years ago. It was offered by the Newcomers Club and was led by a well-known local decorator. I think there was a limit of about 10 enrollees. Each week we went a different home, and when it was your week, you chose the room you wanted to work on. Lots of great ideas from the decorator and the other people taking the course, and it was good having so many people to help move furniture, pictures, etc to try out the different ideas. You got fabric swatches and rug samples for the meeting if you were planning on buying new pieces. At the end of each session, we socialized with coffee and cake. Was a lot of fun, and I wish they still gave the course!

By the way blfenton, I'm just across the border in Bellingham.