By letting it go!

By forgetting this vaguely pleasing dream, this evidence of our smug
vanity, and making ourselves ready for a new ideal.

By considering the body of material from which it is good sense to
choose when we have a house to decorate.

By studying the development of the modern house, its romantic tradition
and architectural history.

By taking upon ourselves the duty of self-taught lessons of sincerity
and common sense, and suitability.

By learning what is meant by color and form and line, harmony and
contrast and proportion.

When we are on familiar terms with our tools, and feel our vague ideas
clearing into definite inspiration, then we are ready to talk about
ideals. We are fit to approach the full art of home-making.

We take it for granted that every woman is interested in houses--that
she either has a house in course of construction, or dreams of having
one, or has had a house long enough wrong to wish it right. And we take
it for granted that this American home is always the woman's home: a man
may build and decorate a beautiful house, but it remains for a woman to
make a home of it for him. It is the personality of the mistress that
the home expresses. Men are forever guests in our homes, no matter how
much happiness they may find there.