I love to cook, and I love to host, so no kitchen and dining room setup (or complete lack ... “Once you cover the random pieces of furniture, no one knows what’s under them,” she says.

Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. It's easy to see the appeal of dining out: good food, nice ambiance and someone else has to do the dishes. But all that delicious convenience can be expensive.

For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, ...