The pug lady is Brigid Berlin, a now not-quite-elderly needlepoint- and pug-related item- mad woman whose apartment looks like the above.

She was a friend of Andy Warhol's and Edie Sedgwick's and at that time she painted with her breasts. There is a group photo where she is sitting with them topless (while everyone else is fully dressed) Hard for me to connect the two.

"Did I misquote when I referenced those layered pics as belonging to a woman??????
chijim, did you say this was a mans' rooms??????
No wonder there were so many masculine elements to it.

The pics above are of a man's apt.
____________________________________________________________
"Oh Jim please....a duke and duchess define style if they're any good at being a duke and duchess! Heck isn't that one of the perks of the job?"

The two(couple) I'm speaking of that aren't familiar, are The Duke and Duchess(aka Wallis Simpson)of Windsor who personified style, esp her.
She owned style back in the day!
I don't believe any D & D have come close--or have equaled too, w/style in recent history.
____________________________________________________________
"Since I've been posting here, I keep seeing mention of "the dog lady" or "the pug house" or some such thing. Does anyone have pics of that, or knows the story? It just sounds so fascinating and over the top, I have to see it.

In the above pics, what I find most distracting is that teal floral couch..."

Here's a couple of pics for those not familiar:

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If it weren't for all the little boxes and the pugs on the back of the sofa, those rooms aren't so bad. There's a lot of pattern but not that much stuff. I find the rooms with books above much worse.

I love the red wallpaper.

I would love to hear Gary and Elaine's take on layering!

Igloo, I layer like you do.

No one has come close to the two in many ways for many years Jim :). I'm not knocking them. It's my dream one day to own a piece of her collection. They were amazing in many many ways. But still, like the emperors invisible robes they would be less likely to hear complaints about plaids than my husbands golfing partner. And they did start a notch higher than the common man when it came to being icons of style.

Funny, after seeing the horror of layering in the previous two photos (it's not even layering...let's call a spade a spade, it's piling!) the nutty dog lady's joint almost seems minimalist lol.

It's hard for me to imagine living in any of the rooms chijim posted. But I sure would love to shop in them!

Add price tags and a couple of salespeople and they're ready for business.....

Yikes! Me thinks the man is a hoarder in Dukes's clothing, which in itself, gives him the 'excuse' to be so over-the-top. I would classify him as an organized hoarder, but a hoarder nevertheless, or maybe he refers to himself as an 'avid collector'? How can anyone even walk thru those rooms? ;o)

Igloo, still laughing here about your technique. Very funny.

As far as Wallis and her duke go, I suspect he would not be averse to dressing in a way that irritated her after several years-I remember seeing several truly outlandish outfits from time to time. Not sure that was the happiest of unions! Also, being on the small, thin side, he looked great in almost anything he wore. In fact, I think he usually looked better than she did.

I suppose the apartment cum showroom cum whatever might be sort of expected - in the way an artists's atelier might be complete with splotches of paints and stacks of canvasses, coffee cans of brushes and all smelling like paint thinner. I do think the example shown, though, is one more of clutter than layering and I'd not want much of his hodge podge to spill over into anything I'd hire him to decorate.

I could deal with the dog lady's house. Those vegetable lamps are to die for. The ceramic veggies are nice too, if not a bit reminiscent of Fitz & Floyd. Would have to auction off all the dog stuff, and I never wanted to see French Provincial again after my teen years.

Love the little vignette of life on the bedside step table, though: tube of cream, pill bottle, daily pill case, kleenex, pen & paper, and TV remote!

That wallpaper repeat in the door panel is brilliant. But I've got a house full of six panel doors that wallpaper would only serve to ruin. But to stretch a point, it does show one could create interest on a blank wall or stairway with a roll of wallpaper and some moulding.

I like this look. Actually my dh could pull it off!

Duke of W

I'm a bit surprised of some of the nasty things said about people that like the layered look after seeing the worse examples that can be found. I thought we were open to all different styles. Maybe you'd like us to decorate from the Pottery Barn Catalog?

I expect they could call a more spare decorating style lazy, cheap, and unimaginative. But that wouldn't be kind.

While the dog lady house is not some place I could live, I can understand how some like that. You can walk around. You can get to all parts of the room. The 1st pictures posted above are just hoarding. I'm even more convinced now that I see the dog lady pictures again.

Swiffer dusters are my best friend! I use them to dust the trophies and everything else in my house once a week. I do feel guilty for filling the landfill with them, but they save SO much time, I can't stop using them. I do use them a couple of times until they are dirty, so that is how I justify it in my head, lol.

I'm one of those people that likes looking at those layered pics Jim posted. :0) I thought the pug ladys pugs AND boxes made the place more interesting! wink

My DH told me the other day our house is just a series of walkways. He asked if I'd ever counted how many chairs we own? I asked which furniture he thought we should get rid of. He said none, just thought I'd point out that we don't need any more furniture. :0) lol

I like the layered look when it's done well. It needs to look classic like it developed over a long period of time. It's not just about displaying a collection of stuff. It's about showing your personality and your individuality in the stuff you display.
It says I'm not a follower I'm a leader. I don't need to have the latest and greatest trendy stuff in my home to make it pop. I'm different. I've got more to me than that. I'm beyond getting excited over trends. I can pick and choose what I like and display it breaking all the rules and it still comes off fabulous!

Nasty? What's been written that's nasty? Nasty might be saying I think people DO decorate from the Pottery Barn catalog. :-)

We've all got opinions/ideas on style and why we do whatever it is we do with what we like and have to work with. But an open forum is neither interesting nor informative - and moreover probably not even true - when everything everybody does is beautiful.

I guess the only nasty comments are mine? Honestly I spoke my opinion of the messes above but I didn't say go pottery barn. My homes are both about as far from pottery barn catalog as one can get without ummm going psycho layering :).

That said, knocking pottery barn is just as harsh. I have a few pottery barn pieces in my house and love how well they work. I don't want to carbon copy any catalog or magazine, but that does not mean they are all bad.

Lighten up :). It's paint and fabric not life and death!

"WEALTHY" hoarders, IMO. I like layering when it’s done correctly and tastefully. Which none of the above are! Hoarders, I say, Hoarders!

Well - I love the layered look.

As long as there is a empty chair, a lamp or six and a place to put down my martini -- all is well.

I love a place with stories, tales and histories.

I find the former Duke of Windsor could really cut a fine dash as a dresser. Whatever his personal form and foibles ... he could always carry the cut of his cloth.

With the exception of one hoarder (I've seen on TV) who saved the sticks that come in womens shoes, the tiny plastic bobby pins that come on some folded clothes, the little hooks attached to socks, and everything that came with everything-- all in separate boxes, labeled, most of the hoarding situations involved not throwing out used diapers, lost dentures, smashed mummified pets etc., and garbage.

This is not that. These people seem more like curators to me: there is a particular method to all of it.

Its interesting because I have the thread "Une Belle Laide" and the first time I heard that term was in reference to Wallis Simpson.

Hey, the duke is wearing my sofa!

"Its interesting because I have the thread "Une Belle Laide" and the first time I heard that term was in reference to Wallis Simpson."

I heard the term used in recent times for Sarah Jessica Parker and comedian Sandra Bernhard.

This has been a very entertaining thread, layering does incite passions. Thanks to gwbr54, deedee99, oceanna, loribee and luckygal for your comments about my layering attempts, I usually post pics without giving it much thought, but I debated over posting these, somehow close ups of layering seems highly personal to me. Anyway, thank you all for not hurling and for saying such nice things. deedee99, we love birds too, and live where we have a wide variety of species, including lots of migratory birds, I like the bird hutch the best of my attempts too. After I, ahem, dust a little in the LR, I'll post a pic of my bird layering vignette in there.

I also want to go shopping in any of those rooms, I love many of the items, there is some great stuff there and the rooms look like the coolest junque shops ever.

Anyone else going to post their layering? I would love to see some real life examples, cuz, IMO, whether you love the extreme layering or hate it, most folks don't have the kind of scratch it takes to create, maintain and live with that look.

sandyponder

I had another thought on layering. I work full time, in a so-called professional job, so I have to kind of dress up. I detest suits, and don't wear them cuz while I work in that kind of job, in my mind I'm a beach bum, or a ski bum, and not wearing suits is my stupid, little rebellion. Anyway, what I do wear is...lots of layers. I usually have on between 5 and 10 bracelets, dangley, jangley earrings, a necklace or two, a scarf or pashmina, funky printed sweaters, etc. You get the picture. I am tall and pretty big boned, so *in my mind* I carry it off OK, but, to others, I'm sure I resemble one of those pics above. Oh well, if they're going to snicker, at least it's not cuz I wear a drab grey suit every day.

sandyponder

I just have to comment on what mao_tse_mom posted. There is a definite negative vibe when someone posts layered pics. The one nice thing is that usually it is just when it is some anonymous persons pics, and not a member of GW.

I think you just have to learn to accept it mao_tse_mom. :) IMHO anyway. While I choose to skip posts like the one ttodd has going on the farmhouse style because it evokes strong negative feelings for me, not everyone is that way, and the layered look forwhatever reason seems to be an extreme that brings out the negativity in those that don't appreciate it. It is sort of like some unwritten rule that if we don't "know" the person the pics are fair game for any comments.

Sandyponder, it is interesting you mention the way you dress. When I am paying attention and have time in the morning I usually dress in layers too.

I love your pics and appreciate you sharing. I feel like I have to get the basics down in my rooms before I can move on to layering. I hope to get there someday!

sandyponder -- were we separated at birth?!? I am a bracelet / earring / necklace kind o' gal. I'm not tall and not big boned (although I am presently plump, esp. in my tummy and rear) and I think I carry it off GREAT! You know what helps us carry it off, regardless of size? Confidence and comfort. My favorite shoes this season have been hot pink patent knee-high boots (from Boden). I think they make perfect sense! The footwear du jour 'round here is Uggs, which I'm sure are comfy but are not going to cut it for me.

So I accept your challenge and here is our *very* layered powder room.

So I'm being a bit silly because clearly it's also doubling as diaper-changing station -- all of that stuff was in the laundry room but because of the newly laid tiles and my painting everything was moved out. So now it's cozy. Ahem. I love in the mornings as I'm dressing my youngest in there (on the table) and my older son comes in to use the toilet -- we are a sharing family!

I appreciate both mao's comments and your response, boop, because I felt the first few responses to this thread were definitely on the negative (in a personal way) side. While we all see plenty which is not our style, not our taste, for which we don't care, it's not useful to write that. There was someone here once a few years ago who bashed my taste and I thought "screw her." My taste rocks! But then I saw some pics of her interior and I thought it was, uh, tasteless, so it all made sense. But I didn't write that to her as she needn't've written that to me. It's not helpful, not supportive.

I am MAD for the layering look, even if it borders on dangerous. It's a pain to clean but I don't care. Bring it on!

Oh, and for some reason it both confounds me yet also makes perfect sense that that apt belongs to Brigid Berlin Polk. I only knew her from my mother's Scavullo on Beauty book over which I pored as a little girl. Holy cow the makeover Way Bandy did on her was insane!

No snickering here sandy. I posted my scarves! When I post a pic that is as personal as my home (or scarves), I hope no one is snickering too.

OT sandy.....
52 species have visited our feeders and yard over the years!

In general, I think negativity comes out in *any* thread that has as its topic something out of the norm, or middle of the road. I have seen more amateur psychology than I can enumerate practiced on people who do do/practice/decorate in the following:

People who intensely collect.

People who layer.

People who are minimalists.

People who don't keep anything.

People who search for plain white toilet paper and paper towels and color coordinated shampoo.

People who love wallpaper.

People who love granite. People who hate it.

People who love stainless. People who hate it.

People who love wall to wall carpet.

People who have OTR microwaves or don't believe in range hoods. People who have hood that can suck a baseball through a garden hose.

People who think you can cook on a Hotpoint. People who think you need a Lacanche.

Unless you like a typical style of decor, in a typical kind of house with a typical amount of things...someone is not going to like it, and there are going to be a few people that are actually "threatened" or "offended" by it. That's just the way it is.

My LR - can't find the non-Xmas pic for the otherside of the room.
As you can see--I layer.
Jim

I think there is a very big difference between Jim's rooms and the 1st rooms posted above. While Jim's rooms are not my style or how I want my rooms to look, I think they are beautiful. I can appreciate the talent that goes into creating them. They do not in any way make me think hoarder. The original pictures above are different. They are filled wall to wall with stuff everywhere including piled on the floor so that you cannot even get to anything behind them. That to me is not decorating. It's just gathering a bunch of stuff (in this case expensive stuff) and piling it up. There is an art to Jim's rooms. I do not think they are comparable.

I scanned this in earlier today to share with friends--it was from a book that's nearly 20 yrs old.

Cherubs, Chinoiserie and Cheetah. How lush is that? And a touch of antler decor too!

Now that's a layered room I could live in.

That is wonderful. Looks like a room in the "hunting lodge" of a British Lord.

It all fits, right down to the glass and chrome(?) and antler table. Leather bound books, Old Masters, tapestry... what's not to love in that example?

ditto, jillinnj.

i also don't view lots of wall hangings in the same way as i view piles and piles of stuff covering every square inch of table and floor space!

i have got to say, i thoroughly enjoy reading all the differing opinions here...would be pretty boring to me if everyone agreed!!!!! ugh!

Chijim, I think your room is lovely too. I particularly like the deer head with wreath.
And the room you posted, I like that too except for the cherubs (are there people who really like cherubs anymore?). I don't put that room in the same category as the book room. The 20 year old room has order and functionality. And there's not that much stuff at all, just some pattern. The sofa has room for people.

Thanks for posting pics, rmkitchen and chijim, I love them both of your rooms and plan to study same for tips and techniques. And you just might be right about being SAB, rmkitchen, I love bodem, and hot pink boots sound right up my alley. I have a pair of cherry red patent leather clogs that I wear a lot, and right now I am stalking several pairs of patterned Dansko clogs (I don't do pumps or FMN shoes, it's clogs, boots, sneakers or sandals for me), so I guess I am just a layerer in every part of my life.

And maybe today I really will dust my LR so I can post more pics. Yesterday we played outside in the snow.

sandyponder

chijim, your rooms are fascinating and lovely.

(are there people who really like cherubs anymore?)
For me, depends on the cherub!

Like......

Double like.....

No like.....

deedee99--Tks,

I can't say I'm the biggest fan of cherubs either, I like some antique ones--but that pair was so inexpensive that I couldn't refrain.

I think I got them for $35.(free ship too)from either Horchow or NM during a before or after Christmas, take an add'l off of clearance sale and freeship.
I believe orig--the pair was $200.

The last pics (gold room and jims) actually are appealing because there is still functioning room. You can sit on the sofa without having to move 400 pillows and the tables appear to have enough room for coffee or a glass of wine.

I don't dislike stacked art...in fact, given I'm in a Victorian now I actually need to learn to stack with the skill Jim has. I must admit that while I'm very cofortable with decorating in general, including layering with in reason, stacked art challenges me. I currently have over a dozen pieces tucked around on the floor in the parlor because I am not sure how to place them lol.

Jim.....why is there a price tag on the center pillow? Is your sofa channeling Minnie pearl? :op

igloo - Well when stacking, it helps if art relates in theme in some way, and, if all the frames relate too--all of mine have gold, from all to a thin band.

I painted a couple of the frames gold myself to unify--orig white-washed pine... from late 80's/early 90's period.

"Jim.....why is there a price tag on the center pillow? Is your sofa channeling Minnie pearl?"

LOL - I had just received the pillow from My3Dogs(who posts here and you all love her cottage & style...as do I) as a gift--she also sells her crafts, hence, the tag.
She does professional looking, quality work, BTW,

It was literally out the pkg--and I wanted to send her a pic of it in my LR--The cats were checking it out as well
BTW - it has two sides.

I painted the fowl picture frame gold, and you can see the other side of the pillow.

Thank you for the tip Jim...I may have to lay them all out and let people pick the grouping apart here :) They are all scooner ships (our original home owner was into shipping)

I started the collection after purchasing a large tin lithograph shipping company advertising piece. It does have gold and tortise shell on the frame. The other day I found some fabulous deep eastlake frames at a thrift store (silly people who gave them away) which I'm adding more ship pics in..they also have gold and tortise shell or similar faux graining. I have a few others in misc frames...I may have to change some out to keep the gold going (which would echo the gold ceiling and of course they feel appropriate for a victorian space anyhoo).

Then I have several plates which are also ships that I was thinking of having framed verses hanging them on their own. Anyhoo, that's another subject :) But your fabulous walls reminded me of it.

Funny too...because we've discussed doing "dogs" in the library. My husband looked at the pics of your room and said "that's what we want to accomplish right?" :)

I love the pillow :) it's fabulous! But I might even love your kitties more LOL

So back to topic...tell the truth, was the collection (art on the walls) something you just threw together or is that years worth of collecting? They have such an effortless look, but I'm guessing that there was a lot of effort or time involved in gathering such a great collection.

So how important is strong, good architecture to pulling off the layered look?

And does the stuff have to have a certain amount of quality to it? None of the examples above look like there's much bric a brac from the Salvation Army store. There are some expensive picture frames in the pictures too, even if the art might be repro.

I would say that *most of the stuff has to have a certain amount of quality to it, yes.

I am not sure the architecture has to be great: a couple of the examples look like NYC apartments that have a decent proportion to the rooms but not a lot of detailing.

I think, though, that the room itself has to be a container. I don't see this in an open plan surburban house where rooms spill into other rooms and upper floors look down on lowers. I think the room itself has to be the first "box" into which the contents go.

I think the furniture that the collections are displayed upon are important for their surface. If you notice, most of these collections are not lined up in curio cabinets or shallow book cases. There is an intimacy with the collection in that it is right there.

I *don't think that everything needs to be high quality or have provenance:

Among my mother's collection of artisan signed and made, Tiffany, and "collectible" paperweights are a couple real cheapies, including one that my sister bought at GC Murphy when she was a teenager. For a while there was a plate displayed next to her ginger jars. I won that at the carnival in the ring toss. (the colors looked good together).

Among the stuff that I sometimes display I have a tape measure with a boy"s picture on it, a plastic figurine of a girl with a ski pole, a big bisque doll's leg that I found on the sidewalk, a headless doll also from sidewalk. A Howdie Doodie nightlight with a hole burnt through it, a Darth Vader carrying case, deers hooves made into hooks, obviously plastic "coral" and various and sundry other pieces of real junk.

None of these things get the place of honor like the candlestick collection or the bronze pieces or the Keanes, but they sometimes end up on bookshelves or on piles of piles of books where they create dialogs (or something) with each other.

From igloochic: "so I'll just explain how I manage a layered room with little to no effort..."

Yeah, I'm late to this thread, but your post just cracked me up so much I had to give you props for making me laugh so early in the morning :-D

You may enjoy these pics w/a variety of looks.

Joan River's CT house kitchen,

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This pic is from the March 2011 issue of AD

Some others from various places:

To me, a layered look is lots of groupings with lots of textures. For example, I love the idea of several blankets on my bed looking all warm and cozy. Some of the pictures above are a bit much for me, but I do like the idea of pictures on most open spaces, and groupings with color and texture throughout. I probably like more what would be considered a "staged" look. The great thing about decorating though is that everybody likes something different. If your room is clean, only has stuff that you love, and makes you calm, then go with it. Some people are calmed by neutral walls, minimal furniture, straight lines, while others prefer colored walls, lots of pillows on the couches, and displaying collections.

I like the 2nd. and 4th. pictures. Joan Rivers kitchen is a mess as far as I'm concerned. Large portraits and stuff going up to the ceiling. OMG, that's just a bit too much for my eye.

I love beautiful pieces, call them layered or collections. I personally don't want to pick up more than 2 items when I'm dusting an end table. That's why I love my curio cabinet. I don't want things on the floor except rugs, large decorative vases or my pets feet. I hate to see books of any kind on the floor doing whatever. I hate floor clutter, period. A couple of people actually mentioned lamps and blinds in some of those rooms and I chuckled because I didn't even see those items. All I saw was layers and layers of clutter, expensive it may be, but clutter still the same. If you want to live in clutter, God bless you. I won't be to visit because clutter actually makes me nervous and uncomfortable. To each is own.

nostalgic, I think I'm in your camp, I'm more into planned layering as opposed to bringing in stuff and layering it on top of other things. I believe in rotating things so when they are out they get the attention they deserve and are not competing with other "stuff." I think anything on display should be purposeful and have a presence, not just take up space. Speaking of my3dog, I adore her style of decor. Her house is perfect in every respect as far as I'm concerned.

How did I miss the rest of the thread???

Thanks so much for the info and pics of the "pug lady." I actually kind of like her rooms, but that bedroom with the giant pug painting would make me cry. I was bitten by a pug once upon a time, and don't revere them.

Jim, your room is divine! And that kitten in the middle is VERY adorable! I have the shorter, fatter twin to your black and white kitty sitting right here with me.

Pal, you nailed it. Anything too far left or right of center can sure generate a buzz around here.

I'm hesitant to show any pics of the room I'm working on now. It's primarily going to be for the storage and display of a doll collection, but will end up being layered with all sorts of other collections and mementos. I just got the shelves up yesterday, and have been sitting in there looking at the blankness of it all, imagining the possiblities and what direction it's all going to go. I imagine that i'll just start unpacking boxes, and see where the inertia takes me.

That room is going to be just for me. From prior comments from "friends and family" I'm tempted to put a lock on the door. Can we see the room? No, you can't. I'm excited to see the things I love, collect, restore, treasure all over every flat surface I can manage. There are parts of the house that *need* empty spaces minimal decor and white paper towels. but this isn't one of them.

Yummy pix!

I had been following along- this is a very instructive thread and enjoyable as well.
Chijim, I think your rooms are layering perfection and the way you decorate them for Christmas just adds another beautiful layer of the season.Worthy of a house tour.

Very very fun!