Alexandra Stoddard

“I get all dressed up in fuchsia, looking like a clown, and show pretty pictures to people.”

“Make your physical surroundings as beautiful as possible.”

“We choose how enthusiastically we live our time alive.”

“You can sometimes avoid costly mistakes. Paint a corner of the room a certain color to see how the light affects it. Or buy just one yard of an expensive fabric to see how you like it in your room.”

“You're not going to be dreary on the inside if you're not dreary on the outside.”

“Your past is something you cannot change. You can't live it; it's dead.”

“I feel very strongly we are spiritual beings in a physical body, and we should make our surroundings as beautiful and soulful as possible.”

“Put a picture of yourself as a child in view somewhere, to remind yourself to be playful.”

“Unhappy people make me feel like I've done something wrong.”

“I find that through all my work, I really get to see and feel energy, health and vitality between people and their surroundings and how they interact with each other.”

“I don't want to go anywhere; I don't want to leave anybody behind. Happiness is right here, right now, in this world, in this room. I am happiest wherever it is that I am.”

“Feeling at home with ourselves and being able to create a spirit of place that nourishes us physically, emotionally and spiritually is a goal worthy of our highest priority.”

“I want to listen to Beethoven and Mozart. I want to read the best minds. I want to live with uplifting art. I don't want to live a grubby life.”

“Style really comes down to what makes you feel good.”

“Be mindful of the very moment you are living. Start exactly this second. You don't wait until the children get out of the house or when the sun comes out. Create something better.”

“My grandfather was a Methodist preacher, and my father was an unsuccessful businessman. We didn't have status or wealth.”

“When I'm the happiest, my desk is not neat. It has lots of pens and the books I love. It gets messy when I'm in the flow. So many houses are so neat.”

“I'm an interior designer from the soul. It's not about just putting things in a room. It's much deeper and broader. It's about self-discovery.”

“I urge readers to experience things that they love and give up things that are not working.”

“If we could make our house a home, and then make it a sanctuary, I think we could truly find paradise on Earth.”