Change is worth it.

Change - that word has so much power. It can be a very exciting word or it can be the scariest word in the English language. It's easy to stay in what you are used to. But how do you know when it's time to change or what you are supposed to change. Too often people don't change until the pain of staying the same is worse than the pain of taking on something new.

In interior design, I deal with the emotions of change all the time. Sometimes there's apprehension as to how it's going to look, or is it right. Then there's the inevitable mess before it gets pretty and so much money has been spent but there's construction and there can be worry as to if they made the right decisions.

But then it's all done and it's beautiful. You love it! It was worth all the pain and angst.

My life has been full of extremes lately....a couple friends have recently had kids and they made the change from couple to family. Pregnancy and childbirth not much different from what I described above. Birth is painful and messy but then there's this beautiful innocent baby with a whole future in front of it. On the other hand I have been emptying a house for a client. The lady who lives in the house is now in a convalescent home. Her life in this home is gone and a new one has arrived. Finding homes for all her stuff: furniture, pictures, china, silver, vases, treasured pieces of crystal and other accessories. This was somebody's life and then it was over. I had to throw out a wedding dress - that was difficult. I never met the lady but here was a beautiful wedding dress, never preserved, fabric falling apart and yet a sense of sadness when throwing it away. Her husband had died awhile ago but throwing away the dress felt like throwing away a marriage. Diplomas, discharge papers, certificates of achievement, all important at one time and now useless. Years of memories only important to people who no longer exist.

Change - yes, my job is very intimate and full of change and I help you to face the emotions that go along with that. If the emotions of facing the memories are too much for you as in the case above, I can face them for you. Separate the important from the unnecessary. It's hard to face the memories. Sometimes you just need to clean the slate and recreate your life. One of my clients called this coming out of her cocoon. The worm has to fight to get out of the cocoon, but without the fight, it doesn't have the strength to fly.

With the right guide, change can be good, it doesn't have to be scary. Most designers will say they are part psychologist. I even had a client hire me instead of a psychologist. Yes, we do help you face your memories, and whatever demons are keeping you from moving forward. It's amazing what changing your house can do to improve your life. We do help you on many levels. I have helped widows move on, newlyweds create a home that fits BOTH of them, executives create a peaceful haven, created more romantic bedrooms and much much more. Yes, what we do as designers is amazing, not just visually, not just practically. We affect the whole person. I love to see the impact of good design on my clients. They are always pleasantly surprised. I am not, I knew that feeling was coming. For me, it's like the doctor handing the baby to mom for the first time. Welcome to your change, welcome to the next stage of your life. Enjoy.