Let Nature Take Its Course
 Corey Grant Tippin believes in the decorating magic of found feathers, leaves, and coral. "They're available to everybody and they're so beautiful that they style themselves. It's gratifying just to toss them in a bowl and then set it on a table." Tippin is also a big fan of houseplants: They require little maintenance and, as with the large lantana topiaries he put in the Glassmans' home , "their woolly, wild forms add earthiness."

If It Feels Good, Do It
 Many people think that picture-hanging is a science only decorators understand, but Tippin says it's more a matter of intuition—and not becoming paralyzed by insecurity. The idea to hang art below the sconces in the Glassmans' living and dining rooms "came to me in my sleep," he admits. "If it feels good proportionally, then just go with it. Art is something that can always be changed. You don't have too be too serious about it."

Bring In Beautiful
Books "If there is one thing I would suggest collecting, it's books," says Tippin, who as a boy loved to pore over the hefty volumes his parents kept in their living room. In addition to their educational and recreational value, books are also psychologically revealing accessories, Tippin says, and have the added benefit of sparking lively conversations when guests arrive and inevitably make a beeline to check out your bookshelves.

Strike A Sexy Balance
 A surefire way to make certain everyone feels comfortable in a room is to blend objects that appeal to both sexes. In the Glassmans' house , Tippin balanced the softly rounded French furniture, "which I think of as being feminine," with "masculine—bolder, more linear—accessories."

See how Corey transformed the rest of the Glassmans' home.
From the Fall 2007 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine