One of my favorite things to do for a client occurs at the end of the project, when the work is completed and the floors are swept clean. The walls are painted and the draperies are hung. The various trades have packed up their tools and moved on to the next project. It is quiet and everything is brand new – polished and gleaming. Now I get to Refine. Add the final sparkle. I bring in the area rugs and the furniture and start to place them. I love this part and I get into the zone, making things orderly and right again. I tug and pull until the furniture looks right, feels right, sits right. I look at the layout I have created from several various angles then pull and tug again. Once everything is perfectly placed, I bring out all of the accessories. I selectively fill the breakfronts, shelves and cabinets with books, crystal and porcelain pieces. I love to mix in found objects like seashells, feathers and rocks – anything unusual and beautiful that catches my eye. Tabletops get candles, bowls and boxes. Attractive and engaging books are placed where one can casually flip through them. Then a small area, previously overlooked, beckons me and suddenly all the furniture and lamps and embellishments gravitate towards each other effortlessly. The little area takes on new importance – a bit of magic has occurred and a charming little vignette has been created!