WP article on budget decorating
Susan Ezell
7 years ago
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Susan Ezell
7 years agoRelated Discussions
'Something's Gotta Give' Article
Comments (12)I found it fun to read how she graded them, and I agreed with all of it ; it made me pay attention to the details I had missed. She did state that the grading was in accordance to how close the house came in it's duplication of the inspiration. I just spent 30 minutes reading and I have to go golfing, I'll go back to this blog tomorrow morning for sure. The quality of the pictures are amazing and so inspiring. thanks for posting that, it's a gem....See MoreA Designers Advice--article in local newspaper
Comments (25)fllwfan: think your wife will be pleasantly surprised that the need for her talents is always going to be there. While there are many talented DIYers out there, there is an equal number who can't (for a variety of reasons including lack of time, ability, desire, etc) and shouldn't be DIYers (for a variety of reasons including lack of ability, etc. etc.). And even those with a good eye, good color sense, good grasp of design principles oftentimes do need help in pulling it all together. And your wife will have resources available only to the trade - many times that's where the "I'll know it when I see it" items are to be found. I'm a DIYer myself insofar as choosing my paints and doing my own painting, but I'll be using outside help for draperies and appropriately sized furniture. I don't need validation and, for the most part, trust my own skill and instincts. But there are times when paying someone for their expertise can be a bargain in the long run. I spend a lot of time lurking here and on the Landscape Design forum - there's an almost strange disconnect between the amount of attention (and money) paid to detail in a home's interior versus the exterior. The several thousand spent on a sofa is one thing, but spending the same amount for a good landscape design enhancing the entire property would be unthinkable....See MoreThe Heirloom Challenge (article link)
Comments (34)I have a ton of furniture that used to belong to my grandparents and my parents. I am going to be letting go of the dining set, for practical reasons. I am NOT painting anything I am keeping -- this style of furniture for one will look rather bad painted, and I am more into wood than painted stuff anyway. But it is interesting as I prepare to downsize and move -- what I am interested in retaining. I never felt that I had to have a style... People would say that all their furnishings were Ethan Allen, or Ikea -- and I'd just look around me and see the function. Hand me downs, tag sales, pine furniture I finished myself... (I did know the presswood stuff was very suboptimal from the get go, but it fit the early budget.) Frugality (or maybe just cheapness) has kept me from designing entirely to my own taste, and will probably continue to do so -- but on some level I'm happy with most of these heirlooms -- the dining set actually less so because it isn't really practical for my needs... and I have the sturdy, hardy kitchen table my parents once used, and if it does indeed have a leaf or two down there in the basement or garage, it is golden... at least for a few more years. Seemingly, I'm better at doing style for the rooms themselves in my future home (and here). I have a handle on preferred colors and fixture style... We'll see.....See MoreDesign trends for 2021 - according to WSJ article
Comments (41)While I generally agree with the 'decorate for what you love' crowd, some trends and styles always seem simply unrealistic or suboptimal, so I wouldn't ever consider them for my own home. That includes the ubiquitous barn door. The first time I saw one used as an interior decor option I rolled my eyes. They simply don't make much sense: as a door they fail to completely close off an opening so that alone is a huge thumbs down. Especially for a bathroom (ahem) or a bedroom, makes no sense. Not to mention the design closes off a large area on the wall which can no longer be used since the barn door will need to push over onto that portion so again, less utility. Same with open shelving in the kitchen. Many/most people don't live a life in which a minimal amount of tasteful monochromatic matched pieces can be styled on a shelf. Then let's get to the utility: open shelves not only look cluttered but things can easily fall off and break. Everything on open shelves is susceptible to kitchen grease, dust etc so that's certainly less useful. Moving on to outdoor showers-unless you live in the subtropics how useless is the opportunity to stand outside shivering for most of the year while you shower?!?! Who in their right mind will even want to do that? And even in the subtropics take it from me, you probably aren't going to enjoy your shower while dodging cockroaches (they love moist warm areas), lizards etc. Once again, simply not useful in real life. Sure some people may like having a place to rinse off after gardening etc but really how large a group is that? While not wedded to a non-aesthetic aesthetic, putting stuff in your home decor that looks good but either creates more work or simply doesn't work well makes no sense to me and never has....See Morenosoccermom
7 years agoFun2BHere
7 years agoaprilneverends
7 years agoSusan Ezell
7 years agol pinkmountain
6 years ago
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