Seduce me

Moll Anderson wants to seduce you.

Then, she wants you to seduce others. And she's happy to teach you how.

Anderson, a noted interior designer and lifestyle expert, shares her ideas for creating a personal sanctuary in her new book, "The Seductive Home."

"Seduction is not a bad word. Seduction is about drawing you in," she said. "I love the title (of the book). It came to me before I even wrote one word."

Anderson said the idea behind the book's title was to get people's attention and show them how they could seduce their families back home.

"I want children to learn what a home is supposed to be. Home is the most important place, regardless of where you are at in style. You want it to be the place where you want to get back to.''

"The Seductive Home" is Anderson's second book. Her first, "Change Your Home, Change Your Life," offers more step-by-step and detailed instructions for decorating. While there are plenty of pointers -- and even a few recipes -- in her newest work, Anderson said it is more of a coffee table book, offering artistic photographs of her homes to present ideas of what can be done.

"This literally came out of what I had gone through, what I was doing all along. I didn't think of putting a name to it. It was just what I did, what I've done all my life. Even when I was broke, there was such a vibe. I had a cozy home."

Because Anderson and her husband, Charlie Anderson, "both run 180 mph all the time," she said she found herself creating little places to escape throughout their homes. "I want to create a space where we could just wake up and have a cup of coffee together."

The idea, she said, was to make "more of a happening," a beautiful place where they could connect with each other and reaffirm their relationship on a regular basis.

"And you don't have to have a lot of money to make a happening," she said.

For example, Anderson created a Moroccan-themed space on the spur of the moment by throwing one of her pink scarves over the table for a romantic dinner for two. Fine china and fresh flowers helped complete the space.

"It's all about presentation, not necessarily about cooking for hours," she said. "In this book I used Lean Cuisine in one picture, a bowl of Heart to Heart cereal and bean soup in others. Even with a card table, you can make it look pretty."

Anderson said with the help of candles, flowers and music, she created rooms that friends and visitors would call romantic and appealing. She calls it "sensory scaping."

"It's more about all the senses and a way of thinking. Like landscaping, sensory scaping creates a space so that all of your senses just go crazy from the minute you walk in the door. That's what creates seduction."

Anderson said creating a mood and sensory scape in your home is similar to preparing to go out. Starting with a bubble bath and continuing with getting dressed, putting on makeup, perfume and jewelry, you create a mood.

She said the key to creating a seductive space is to know what it is that draws you in. She suggests thinking about your favorite restaurant and what makes you go back.

"You can re-create your honeymoon with a couple of umbrellas, some daiquiris and putting some music by Jimmy Buffett on. Get some new sheets for your bed. Make it sumptuous."

It doesn't have to be a special occasion to make someone feel special, she said. "Buy some cuter sweats or put on silk pajamas instead of sweats. Sometimes all it takes is just to look like you cared that that person came home."

Her tips build upon the five must-haves she outlined in her first book. They are paint, lighting, music, flowers and fabric.

Although decorating is Anderson's second career -- she is an Emmy-winning entertainment reporter -- she said it is something she has done all her life, even though she wasn't aware of it. Admitting that she used to create slipcovers for her Barbie's sofas, Anderson said it was an "ah-ha" moment while watching Oprah Winfrey that prompted her to take a $10 an hour job at a furniture store and focus on design.

Her son had gone off to college and she had just moved to Nashville, hoping to make a name for herself as a musician. Instead, during that episode on life makeovers, Anderson pulled out all of her photographs and realized the thread that bound them all together were before and after shots of rooms and homes she had decorated for herself and friends.

"Was I meant to be a designer or what? Everything happens for a reason, every life experience taught me why home is so important."

Anderson said she has an innate ability to understand scale. "I just naturally can look at space and know if something will fit."

From there, all the pieces fell into place. A chance meeting with the owners of a television company to decorate their home and appear on a special show resulted in more jobs, including many with stars from the world of sports.

Since then, Anderson has shared her design and lifestyle inspiration on ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today Show," as well as "Dr. Phil Show" and "The Doctors." Anderson has served as both host and designer for shows such as E! Style Network's "Look for Less: Home Edition," HGTV's "Hot Trends in Outdoor Entertaining" and Turner South's "Southern Home by Design."

She also writes a monthly column for Nashville Lifestyles Magazine and has been featured in InStyle, Cosmopolitan and other magazines.

Anderson will be in Las Vegas Saturday afternoon to sign copies of her book at Neiman Marcus.