S@H: OK, so where do you start when performing your own decor miracles?
JR: First we figure out how much bad taste there is in the room. One is extremely bad and 10 is fairly good. If the homeowners score under eight, we bully them into doing what we want. We do listen to what they need and like, but we'll overrule them. We scare because we care. Then we work with colour. We play detective to determine the right hues for the household. We'll poke into their wardrobes, go to their favourite restaurants and pore over postcards from their travel destinations to get inspired.
CM: But we use moderation. People who follow fashion can become fashion victims. You might find yourself inspired by a country or colour, but when you go overboard, your home starts to resemble Disneyland.
JR: We build the room layer by layer, but really, once you've stripped away dodgy carpet and lilac walls, you're halfway there.
S@H: And no peach.
CM and JR (together): No peach!
CM: And ditch the avocado, too -- unless you're making guacamole.
Decorating Dos
The How Not to Decorate duo, Scots Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, provide these tips for creating, in their own words, "rooms that won't make you gag."
Choose tasteful colours. Consult a colour wheel to determine complementary hues. Still in doubt? "We use a lot of antique cream," says Justin. "We also like chocolate brown and beige, mint green and white, toffee and burnt umber, and khaki and gold."
Ask yourself what one thing you can't afford to change. "Whether it's the fooring or the sofa, if you're stuck with it, base a plan around it," advises Colin. "People make the mistake of dreaming up decor schemes that clash with their burgundy broadloom."
Invest in staples. "Spend as much as you can on your sofa, dining table and bed," says Colin. "These items make or break a room."
Read more in Decorating & Design and Inside Design
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