November Decorating Tips by Barbara Jennings

I just returned from a vacation trip to Japan and while I enjoyed the opportunity to get away, there just is nothing quite as enjoyable as getting back to the United States of America. Japan is such a crowded place (I was in Tokyo), and I instantly find myself missing all of the green lawns of our homes in sunny California.  One thing that has always been curious to me about Japanese decorating is the almost complete lack of color in the interiors, yet the bombardment of color on the exteriors - to the point of being completely useless.

Every where you look outside, there are neon colors blazing away in a non-stop visual attack for your attention. Yet inside the offices and homes, one is hard pressed to find any colors at all except very bland neutrals, and sometimes a combination of very dark blue and white.  

I always come away feeling so thankful for the attention to interior design techniques and color choices that we have in the US, which, in my humble opinion, are definite factors in making life more pleasant.

So with that said, this month's focus will be on color and getting us ready for the upcoming holidays and the entertaining we all will be asked to do or participate in. We'll also deal with getting our homes better organized, along with some other assorted tips of various subjects.