Confessions of a compulsive decorator!

Here's my confession - I am secretly addicted to looking up design and decorating sites, constantly seeking tips to make my home better! I just can't help myself. It's chronic. The Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) website is my design bible and I check it every single week. I also regularly visit House Beautiful and Elle Decor.

Every time my husband walks in on me browsing through these sites, he gets extremely nervous. I can see an alarmed "now what does she want to do?" running through his head. But to be fair to myself, I must point out that I never go for any elaborate, expensive changes. Just little things here and there that end up making a big difference.

The addiction began when we were waiting for the builder to hand over our Thane apartment. It was a very long, agonising wait. I spent all those months planning, researching and dredging the Net for ideas. And I think my hubby will be the first to admit that it paid off. When we finally moved in a year ago, it was to a home that we absolutely adored. The little touches made a huge difference. I owe BHG a lot. It showed me ways to make the ceilings appear higher and, consequently, the rooms larger. My kitchen was more organised. The best idea was the installation of an appliance garage close to an electrical point. It keeps the appliances handy, yet out of sight. BHG also taught me how to control clutter and plan closets. I can't say I've conquered clutter for good (that's an almost impossible task with two growing kids in the house), but things are much better than they were a couple of years ago.

And even though my home is complete, I still visit these sites. I can't get enough of tips on the use of colour and textures; ways to make cool rooms feel warm and welcoming; tricks to make a tiny room appear larger. One never knows when one might need them, right? ;)