Most people’s first apartments had floors lined with raw oatmeal, a repurposed Twister mat for a bed, and a shower head that intermittently drizzled viscous, jet-black fluid and liquid police sirens. Now that you have the pad of your dreams, pick up some pad padding with today's Groupon: for $75, you get a two-hour home-design and accessory consultation, plus $30 toward purchases, from Home Accents, Etc… (a $230 value). Consultations take place in-home within 40 miles of either Home Accents, Etc…'s two area locations.

With more than 30 years of interior-design experience, Home Accents, Etc… founder Jennifer Fardaei offers advice on both simple and sizable home-design projects, from color selection and seasonal room revamps to master interior-design planning. During a two-hour design consultation, Jennifer will sashay through sitting rooms and walk on walls, helping homeowners define a personal sense of style and establish a timeline for the home's short-term and long-term stylistic goals.

Get advice on space planning, color consultation, or furniture selection, and then apply newly acquired stylistic know-how to peruse a wealth of Home Accents, Etc…'s accent furniture and accessories. Choosing from a collection of traditional, Old-World, and hand-painted furnishings, homeowners can bedeck bedrooms with an accent chest or console ($295–$495), or fill dark, damp basements with a bright and bubbly lamp to lighten the mood for an upcoming séance ($89–$139).