Q Describe your home.

A It's warm and eclectic. I don't know if it has a specific style. It's just filled with stuff I like.

Q You've made a name for yourself as a bargain hunter. What's the best deal in your house?

A Gosh, almost everything's a bargain in my house.

Q Where do you shop?

A Anyplace where there's a clearance sign, you'll find me. My favorite places are TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Mudd Lake Furniture (they have great sales), Opitz Outlet, the Great Estate Home and Garden.

Q Is there one item you splurged on?

A Oh, I bought this expensive cashmere throw -- and my dog ate a hole in the middle! I did manage to salvage it by turning it into a pillow. But that was my one luxury item.

Q Are you uncomfortable with luxury?

A Oh, no. I have great thread-count sheets but they come from Tuesday Morning.

Q You've spent more than a decade remaking rooms. Which of the rooms in your house have been on TV?

A Only the porch and the girls' bathroom. But I've done and redone every room in the house.

Q What's your favorite room?

A My kitchen. We just had it redone and now it's a place where we all can hang out.

Q You didn't do it yourself?

A No. I do odds and ends, painting and all that crap. I don't do major renovation.

Q Do you have a least favorite room?

A The laundry room. It's got cement block walls and a bare lightbulb with a string pull. I wouldn't dare to show it to you.

Q Where do you eat?

A We stand at the bar in the kitchen. Even when I make a nice meal, we tend to stand and eat. The dining room table is used for storage.

Q Do you entertain in the dining room?

A If it can't be casual, we don't do it. People drop over on the spur of the moment, and we rip open a bag of chips and see what's in the fridge. I don't like to plan. I like serendipity.

Q If these walls could talk, what would they say?

A I know what I'd say to them: Thanks for giving us this great, grounded hug for all these years. I adore the life we've lived here. Thanks for being home.

Q How will you celebrate the holidays?

A We'll spend some quiet time with my stoic Swedish family and then do Joe's half-German, half-Lebanese family. It's as loud as a Rolling Stones concert. My favorite part is just sitting here with the four of us and talking about the year. It's the only time we stop and say, 'It's been a good year.'

Q You've already filmed your last "Decorating Cents." How does it feel to not be in front of a camera?

A It's a relief. You're constantly being judged by your appearance on TV. I'd be thinking "Do I have enough lipstick on?" while I was rolling paint on a wall.

Q What are you doing now?

A I've got a show on FM 107 called "Get Real, Girls." It's about connecting at the broken places. We talk about aging, keeping up with the Joneses, living intentionally. I'm also trying to develop some TV shows on energy work and alternative healing.

Q Wow. That's a 180 from home design. Why the change?

A I wanted to find a way to be optimistic. Design is a very judgmental industry. It's about designers saying 'This is good, this is bad.' We're telling people their houses have to be perfect. What's wrong with a little reality?

Q Your last show is scheduled to air in May. Is this goodbye or will we still see your smiling face?

A I'll probably be in reruns forever.

Connie Nelson • 612-673-7087