Historical houses open to the public and houses on home tours can also provide ideas. Unfortunately, many historical houses are more museum-like than liveable, so keep that in mind when touring their marbled halls. Your own house should be a haven for relaxation, not a place where guests are afraid to sit on the chairs.

Magazines
"Magazines help our clients understand a great room as a whole, to see how rhythm has been created," says Brooke Huttig of Kemble Interiors in Palm Beach. "We encourage our clients to climb into bed with numerous magazines and to tear out images they love as well as things they don't." Keep a scrapbook of the rooms you love best, and note what it is you like about each.

As you look through magazines, notice which colors draw you in. Many of us have a signature color we look good in and wear often, but this doesn't always translate well to your living room. If you have a penchant for wearing green, but all your favorite rooms are in shades of blue, then recognize that what will work in your home is not always what you would choose to wear. Your rooms should reflect your personal style, but they don't have to be all in shades of the signature color you are known for wearing.

Working with a Designer
Your decorator can be your best friend when it comes to creating a home that reflects your personality, dreams, and interests. A designer can take your design fantasies and turn them into reality. Be honest about what you want, and need, and be sure to give your decorator plenty of information to go on. If you have kept a scrapbook of favorite rooms from design magazines, this will be invaluable. "A worn, torn, and ravaged magazine page can communicate more than perhaps an hour of conversation," says Mimi McMakin of Kemble Interiors. Mimi and her partner Brooke Huttig also stress that it's important to give your designer lots of support and freedom. "Then we are more inclined towards brilliance!"

The End Result
Creating rooms with personality is an ongoing process, and it should always reflect where you are currently in your life. "I think that my home reflects my peaceful state of mind," says Carol Barden. "When people walk through the door, they tell me that my home feels calming and peaceful. I am in a very good place right now, and I think my home reflects that." If your home pleases you and makes guests feel comfortable, then that is really all the personality your rooms ever need.

Sources:

Brooke Huttig and Mimi McMakin
Kemble Interiors
294 Hibiscus Ave.
Palm Beach, FL 33480
561/659-5556