Actually, you can afford a decorator!

In this time of tightened spending and heightened anxiety, coming home to a feeling of peace is more important than ever. Harmony at home depends mostly, of course, on who you live with and how you live together, but the rooms you live in and how you feel in them also matter.

I never thought that I would work with a decorator. A social worker, I married a man who had once lived in a tree house and we had two children together. Decorating for me has always been about flea markets and yard sales. It isn't something I'm complaining about -- it's actually a passion. Unfortunately, being financially "limited" isn't the only problem for me when it comes to home decor. I have an additional problem. I am among those missing the decorating gene.

On Saturday, I worked with Rachelle Goodfriend, of Goodfriend Design Group, who was recently featured in San Francisco magazine . A designer, who also happens to be a psychotherapist, Rachelle gave me a glimpse of just what a decorator has to offer even if you're working on a small budget.