It takes maturity and self-control not to succumb to the
nervousness that sets in when you realize people are
coming over and your house is nowhere near ready for
a formal viewing. Chanting a mantra at this time helps,
perhaps something along the lines of: ���A home���s soulfulness is achieved over time, not in a three-day shopping
blitz. Ommmmm.��� The key thing is not to panic. Use
your innate gift for set decorating to distract the eye and
camouflage any trouble spots. (This is called ���Pulling a
Beverley���). Flickering candlelight, artfully placed flowers,
hypnotic music and a creative cocktail will aid you in
this, and when your guests eventually realize they���re dining on the floor, just gaily strike a pose and exclaim, ���It���s
Bright Young Things Night!��� **
In the end, although the trials and tribulations of other
people���s decorating quandaries may not directly impinge
on my life, they certainly make me feel more emotionally
connected to them. Call me a softie, but it consoles me
enormously to imagine that while I bemoan the fact that
I desperately need two more dining chairs, somewhere
in a villa far, far away a gazillionaire has just received
shipment on a Knole sofa that needs to be sawed in half
in order to fit through the door. H
**Possible alternate themes could include dinner in the backyard (���Splendor
in the Grass Night���), in front of the television (���Night of a Thousand Stars!���) or
standing in the kitchen (���Downstairs at
Downton Night���).
HYLAND
