Marlene Mrochek doesn’t think the best decorating ideas come from magazines or designer showhouses.
She thinks they come from inside us.
In Mrochek’s view, decorating a home isn’t about buying the exact furniture and accessories in the store display or painting your walls Martha Stewart’s favorite color. It’s about feeling comfortable and surrounding yourself with things you enjoy, arranged in a way that’s harmonious and functional. It’s not a matter of copying other people’s ideas, but rather using them for inspiration and developing your own style.
It’s an ability any of us can develop, she said.
Mrochek, an interior decorating consultant from Hudson, Ohio, coaches do-it-yourself decorators through her Creative Gatherings decorating club. Now she’s also sharing her wisdom with others through her new, self-published book, “Home for Body & Soul: Decorating From the Inside Out.”
“Decorating a home is more than just the items you put out there,” Mrochek said. It’s a matter of reflecting your personality and interests and appealing to your own sense of beauty.
Mrochek doesn’t think that has to be complicated or expensive. She recalls in the book how her mother used evergreens as curtain tie-backs and artfully displayed branches and tall grasses she’d gathered.
Decorating, she says, is a matter of understanding the basic principles of function, atmosphere and balance, then applying them in a way that satisfies you–not your neighbor, not your mother. Once you understand the basics, developing a decorating style is a matter of opening your eyes and mind.
She encourages her students to keep a file of photos, swatches and other inspirations, but she cautions against trying to imitate a look. Rather, she encourages people to be more aware of their surroundings, to observe rather than judge and to try to pinpoint a reason when they do react strongly to a color, style or other decorating aspect.
Then, she recommends, just let that information digest for a while. Eventually you’ll find yourself coming up with ideas that interpret those inspirations in your own ways.
If the idea of putting your own stamp on a room really makes you nervous, though, Mrochek recommends starting with a private part of the house, such as your bedroom.
Even taking a small step toward achieving your decorating dreams is empowering, Mrochek said. “It gives us new freedom,” she added. “It gives us a boldness.”
———-
Marlene Mrochek’s “Home for Body & Soul: Decorating From the Inside Out” ($10.50, plus shipping) can be ordered by calling 330-650-6101.
