They say a music critic has to figure out what he thinks of the music, form options, and write about those opinions. Now we all like music but have a hard time describing what we like about it, and an impossible time actually making music we like.

Now the prospects for us by ourselves are pretty bleak. Most of us can walk into a room and instinctively think is nice, or very nice, or extraordinary, or terrible. We might not like that picture, that chair, that arrangement. More likely, we just can put our finger on it.

The designer is the total package. It may be instinct, training, experience or a combination. Not only can they spot what's wrong, they can set it right. They know that there are 10,000 ways to do it wrong, and yet, 10,000 ways to do it right.

So, G.S. arrived to our praise and applause and went to work.

I'll skip many details and launch into furniture arranging. We split our sectional into a couch and love seat and turned the whole setup 45 degrees. We even rotated the dining table 45 degrees. We put a comforter on the floor to guesstimate rug size. Quite a bit more happened, every inch and every degree mattered. Finally we slept on it, dreaming of a new couch and a love seat, or maybe two love seats.

The LR goes angled

Dining room too.

On the next visit we split the "love seat" into two side chairs and put our marble table / lamp between them. That was even better. Now we're looking forward to a couch and two side chairs.

We decided we also need to replace our wicker side chair with another small chair upholstered just on the seat and back. Yes's it's for seating but it's also a place to put some Wow fabric to consolidate the look.

G.S. has a sense of the look but we don't. We won't get the look until it's all there.

We moved the oriental screen (my mom's) in front of the quilt. We'll hang it where the quilt is now, not flat but with the folds and put a narrow table underneath. I must make a confession. When another designer suggested something similar, I went ballistic. To Nanette: I probably knew in my heart you were right. I definitely know now.

The quilt will retire, we'll hang the screen with the folds, and we'll put a narrow table (or something) underneath.

A few more notes:

• Replace old track lights (we have just 3) with more modern ones.
• Neither of our offices show well.
• Our pink bedroom is dated. (It's peach, darn it and in good shape.
• We need to move the round table into the bedroom and pretend is a writing table. The round table is my desk now!
• The kitchen needs a rug.
• The foyer needs a rug and something important on the facing wall. Remember we moved the screen that was there into the big room. G.S. suggests an indoor wall mounted fountain for about $400.
• We need a few pictures around the porch window. Where our little calendar is now and particularly the wall at the stair landing.
• Our guest bath paint job with floral wall paper on the ceiling and trellis effect is still wonderful. I agree. we need something on the walls.
• Pink tile isn't with it any more.
• The small bathrooms are OK but need paint or wall paper.
• The kids rooms need some de clutter. Well they need major de cluttering.
• Remove the stuff from the refrigerator.
• Need "something" at the kitchen window.
• Need something tall is at the corner of the breakfast bar. In layman's terms: a pyramid of fruit. it gives the eye something between the living room and the kitchen cabinets.
• Lighting is a big deal. Old folks like us need more light to read and to make the furnishings look good.
• Move the organ out of the hall to the back porch (and much further another day). I did this/
• The mail box is rusty and leaning. I knew that.
• Outdoor uplight for the birch. A strong one.
• Remove basketball goal.
• Remove dead dogwood
• Put a $200 cedar in the middle of the cirlce

JoAnn's list

• Lamps for sofa table, table top, console fee, thick glass shelves for "the thing," one side glass for "the thing."
• Rug for kitchen 5x7.
• Rug for living room 8x10.
• Pictures for around porch window
• Tiered tray - kitchen counter
• 2 bar stools with backs. Must be painted.
• Fountain for entrance.
• Rug for entrance could be the same shape as the ceiling.

Did I mention the ceiling?
G.S. wants a less boring cathedral ceiling. The verde gris fan/lamp is still OK. And we need a spiffier spot.

Boring ceiling, dated spotlight

Ceiling Beams - yes. Faux beams with a bluish ceiling instead - yes. Faux beams would capture some of the color of the faux stones around the fireplace.