I am looking for a book I borrowed about five years ago from the
Hawaii State Library system.  It may or may not be out of print, but I
can no longer find it at the library.  It was written by a former
countess from Eastern Europe.  After political changes forced her to
flee, she had fewer resources and could not furnish her surroundings
in the manner she was accustomed to.  She eventually taught herself
interior decoration on a budget, with found materials, recycling, and
scavenging. She would reupholster herself and hang walls with fabric
on sale.  This book was a how to, sharing the knowledge she had put
together over the years.

I know that this is not the book you are looking for but it sounds
like to plot to "Alias Jane Smith--Interior Decorator" by Clarence
Budington Kelland.
She ends up in a blackmailing ring.

Might just be "Affordable Splendour" by Diana Phipps.
G@@gle on "Arrordable Splendour" "Diana Phipps" and see if it rings a bell.

It is the book "Affordable Splendour" by Diana Phipps. It seems that
she is also the Countesss Sternberg.
There's something about her history at:
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/57455
The bok isn't currently in print but g@@gling on the author and title
will throw up some sources for secondhand copies.
I'm not a researcher, so this is a freebie. Let us know if it is helpful.

Incidentally, my search strategy was to search on the author and
title. I've read the book and had a (surprisingly) accurate memory of
these.

You might try these out of print (amazon, ebay, abebooks, Barnes and
Noble) dealers:
              
   Title:  Diana Phipps's Affordable Splendor: An Ingenious Guide to
Decorating Elegantly, Inexpensively and Doing Most of It Yourself (1st
Vintage Books ed)
Author:  Diana Phipps   
ISBN:  0394721748  
Publisher:  Vintage Books USA  Date published:  1983-11-01  


Good Luck.

Thank you so much, this was amazing!  I am very grateful for these
comments and was able to find the book.  Thank you very much.  The
internet is wonderful and I hope to be able to answer someone else's
questions on google answers. =)

It's a pleasure. Thanks for telling us that we were of help.

You are looking for the book 'Affordable Splendor" by Diana Phipps. 
Her mother was Countess Cecilia Sternberg who was displaced during
World War II and came to America where she had to start her life over.
 She wrote an autobiography titled "The Journey" which documented her
amazing life.
Countess Sternberg did indeed have to struggle to survive.  Her
daughter Diana married into American society and did many interior
designs for Vogue magazine. She later wrote her book on decorating.