Every couple of years, I make a wise decision to revisit what in a relatively short time has become a self-help classic. It is entitled The Four Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book. In this 140-pager, author Don Miguel Ruiz outlines four ideas that help put things in perspective in our modern world: 1. Be impeccable with your word.  2. Don’t take anything personally. 3. Don’t make assumptions, and 4.  Always do your best.It’s really good stuff, but got me wondering…how does this apply to the modern design world? Maybe we need a separate set of agreements that every diva, designer, decorator and devotee can live by. So, with a nod and a wink to Mr. Ruiz, I’ve taken the liberty of crafting one.

1. Your taste is impeccable. No one has a lock on what works. Okay, some things look horrid together—stop!, and we all make faux pas now and then, but this is no reason to tear down your dreams like yesterday’s drapes. Instead, get right back on that divan and dive in. If you need a little help, a professional is just a phone call away.

1. Take everything personally. It’s your space, your stuff, just the way you like it. Well, okay, a lot of that goes out the window when you’re sharing a home with partners, kids or pets. But still, you’re entitled to creature comforts of your own. And—see #1, above—no one can rob you of your outstanding design sensibility.

1. Don’t make substitutions. Why settle when you’ll regret it later? When you see something you like online, in a catalog or a store that you’re wild about, nab it right then and there, or, at the very least, Post-it^® or print out the details. Eventually this must-have will haunt your dreams and you’ll wake up at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat and want to know where to find it.

1. You deserve the best. Of course, “the best” is relative. (Weigh 1, 2 and 3 with net worth.) The most important thing is to love the way you live—down to the last itty-bitty detail.