off to college, empty nesters may fall in love all over again—with their own homes. Many are enjoying their new- found privacy more than they ever imagined they would, and quite a few want to redecorate so that their home looks up to date and reflects their new interests. At this stage in their lives, they are more confident about how they would like their surroundings to look, but no longer want to spend their precious time trying to make it happen by themselves. Empty nesters have the luxury of choosing furnishingsfor their intrinsic beauty and not simply for their durability. “Most often, they want to remain in their homeandsolicit the expertise of an interior decorator to redesign spaces that are more becoming to the changed situation,” said the couple’s decorator at INTERIORSby Decorating Den. Clients have asked the decorator to convert barely used living rooms into home offices or newly vacated bedrooms into morefitting guest rooms. “But more often than not, they ask for help with decorating the most neglected room in a house— the master bedroom,” said the decorator. After ignoring their bedroom for almost 20 years, two of her clients decided it was high time to reward themselves with the modern romantic retreat they had always longed for. With that in mind, the decora- tor developed a palette of black, beige, brown and ivory, which she oe a) < A free consultation by a decorat- ing professional can help you decide on redecorating style, budget and objectives. then pumped up with shotsof red. To make the room more serene, she painted the entire space in the same color. Replacing the old shade above the bed with an arched wood shutter, fitted with adjustable slats, allowed natural lightto fill the space. Elegant red silk draperies mounted high on the wall drew the eye up to the vaulted ceiling. Touches of faux animal skins ramped upthe “cool” quotient. “Now myclients can’t wait to get home at the end of the day,” said the couple’s decorator. “What the decorator created for them was a sublime atmosphere for falling in love all over again.” INTERIORS by Decorating Den has more than 500 decorators in the U.S. and Canada. For more than 35 years, its decorators have helped clients make informed decorating decisions and have dealt with all the time-consuming details. For information about a free consultation, visit www.Decorat ingDen.com.
