There seems to be within all of us an innate yearning to be lifted momentarily out of our own lives into the realm of charm and make believe.

If it looks right, it is right.

I started this career because I loved doing houses. I'd done three of my own and I couldn't keep on moving my family all the time, so I decided to decorate other people's homes and buildings.

Never look back, except for an occasional glance, look ahead and plan for the future. Success is not built on past laurels, but rather on a continuous activity. Keep busy searching out new ideas and, experimentally, keep ahead of the times, or at least up with them.

A vase of flowers or greens will bring even a dull hotel room to life in the most delightful way. The small amount of trouble or expense involved is honestly repaid in real decorative effect. If you find cut flowers too extravagant, stick to the greens. Laurel, rhododendron leaves, huckleberry or pine will all last many days, even weeks.

No room can be called perfect unless it has real comfort.

The finest thing about a hobby is that you can't do any pretending about it. You either like it or you don't.

Eating is really one of your indoor sports. You play three times a day, and it's well worth while to make the game as pleasant as possible.

This can be one of cheerfulness or gloom because color which is so inexpensive, is what does the trick. Not color alone but color plus imaginative lighting and cleverly grouping of the furniture. You say you have an old lobby that nothing much can be done with? Oh yes it can!

Of all the rooms in the house your bedroom is yours

Birds are so much wiser than we! A robin builds a nest for robins. A seagull builds a nest for seagulls. They don't copy each other - or build themselves nests as described in The Birds' Decorating Magazine.

You don't sell a commodity, you sell joy, gaiety, excitement. You aim at people's hearts, not their minds.

Salad is never more appetizing than when served in a large wooden bowl.

Too much of anything is the beginning of a mess.

Decorating in relation to hotels is really nothing more than planned showmanship or the art of attracting attention in a delightful way and thus creating an increased consumer acceptance. It gives the guest the feeling of anticipation, excitement, expectancy, delight, and pride in the management of his favorit hotel.

It is just as disastrous to have the wrong accessories in your room, as it is to wear sport shoes with an evening dress.

I always think out a problem as clearly as possible, and then act on it. My theory has always been to get started. The moment I get an idea I act upon it. If only people would act on more of their ideas, I am convinced they would lead more interesting lives.