Decorating thoughts and comments

[ironrite]

Nope, no clutter. Two working adults, and don't have the time to deal with a lot of fussy stuff. We do use our kitchen. That was formerly remodeled with white cabinets and white formica. I need to repaint the cabinets though, they're in good shape, but could use a freshing up. Right now my major project is a redo of the backyard. Old cedars had died, so that too is going low water use and low maintenance.

The fireplace is slump block and though looks white is actually a neutral tan and wasn't painted. The walls light tan with white baseboards. Eventually there may be some area rugs.

I've gotten comments on the room ranging from "Oh, that's the room we don't sit in." To "How very Pottery Barn." Actually nothing in there came from Pottery Barn. And those comments were from my family! LOL

 

[drmitch]

Modern design

Nice bright living room Iornrite! Shows you put a lot of thought into what you were doing. Everyone has there own style but sometimes figuring it out is frustrating. Especially these days we want to transform a room into Shangrila overnight! Really nice collections of furniture are usually aquired over time and give a room an air of having seen it all. My home ( built in the 50`s) has small but comfortrable rooms. The living room is about 15 by 18 which is plenty for me but when I go to any of the local furniture stores the sofas and chairs they have are so big I would have to tear out a wall just to get them in. I`ve always loved the Victorian style, and the furniture is smaller so thats what I went with. Its took a long time to accumulate my peices but I love every peice and theres a story behind each one. Makes a much more interesting home although new peices will work there way in also. Do what you like, take your time, enjoy your home!

 

[veg-o-matic]

Kevin--

Wellsir, I agree with almost everything you say. I do take issue with your aversion to Leroy Nieman prints. In an MCM house, this would be completely appropriate.
As long as you know what you're doing.
This is a big deal. I've always said that bad taste is okay as long as you know what you're doing. It's the unintentional display of bad taste that's unforgivable.
Absolutely, positively, unforgivable. No trial, no jury. Just a firing squad.
Here's an example:
You put Precious Moments figurines on display because they're cute.
Ready, aim, fire.
Conversely:
You put Precious Moments figurines out just to hear the gasps of horror from your friends.
That's Entertainment.

veg, the Ultimate Arbiter of Good Taste

 

[dalangdon]

Headache House

I once went to an estate sale in a house that was so poorly decorated that it made both my estate sale buddy and I kind of queasy.

The house had brownish green shag EVERYWHERE, even on the basement floor, and the whole place smelled like cigarette smoke and mildew, being covered over by Glade.

The kitchen had pepto-pink counters, purple walls, and mirror strips in the dining alcove.

The furniture was that really heavy, overwrought sort of spanishy stuff from the 70's, with the big pouffy drapes, and they had a huge collection of velvet tapestries and "starving artist" sofa art. And loads of ugly figurines.

And GUNS! Loads of guns, and they were selling them at the estate sale, which seemed odd to me.

We had split up when we went in the house (which was our modus operandi) and met up outside. The house had given both of us a headache and queasy feeling. We actually went home and skipped the rest of the sales that day.

 

[tolivac]

I collect guns-but selling those at an estate sale without a license may make the local BATF agents queasy and want to check things out!!If you have a large collection of them-best to let a licensed dealer handle that for you.Could save you a felony jail sentence!The licensed dealer would have to handle sales such as handguns and Class 3 firearms-machine guns.I do know some collectors that collect class 3 firearms.It is an involved hobby with the BATF.

 

[veg-o-matic]

Ah, yes,,,

"Meditteranean" style. One of the bigger booboos of the 70s--and there were plenty of 'em.

Yeah, there was a time we made fun of the whole limed oak/Danish Modern/Eames era stuff. And 30 years ago, who'd have thought anyone would collect (and appreciate) vintage appliances?

The difference here is that blonde/Danish/Eames may have gone out of favor, but it never went out of style. That Meditteranean stuff was ugly then, it's ugly now, and time isn't going to change that any.

veg

 

[westytoploader]

OY!!! While many things from the 60's--70's are cool in my opinion, the Mediterranean and French Provincial furniture were U-G-L-Y!!! Now I'd never have anything like that!

My '83 Zenith is the Colonial style, in case anyone might be scratching their head..."Wait...don't you HAVE a Mediterranean console?? LOL

--Austin

 

[ironrite]

It's Baaack...

Am looking for a new bedroom set. Also checking out antique shops and the like if I can find a nice quality vintage set that would work with my kingsize bed. One of those overstuffed ones.

At Bassett, there is a new interpretation of the Mediterranean look. At a local discount furniture store, a knock off of a Bernhardt set, also in Mediterranean, complete with faux wrought iron trim and a sort of a limed oak finish. At our local Macys, another Bernhart set, very hodge podge in design. The dresser looks old Colonial, the night stands 1960's stereo cabinets and the bed Tommy Bahama. It's just scary to see what is out there

 

[veg-o-matic]

Don't look now...

But shag rug is back, too.

Perish forbid.

veg

 

[Kevinpreston3]

Bedroom set pains....

We looked forever for a king headboard that looked right. Finally got an ultra-rare Heywood Wakefield king headboard...they only made it for like 2 years.

Problem with it is it still sits two low....they didn't have super padded mattresses back then!!!!

 

[westytoploader]

Oh no...my sister actually had one of those "new" purple looped shag rugs! Talk about a pain in the a**...those loops were so high I couldn't vacuum it with the brushroll connected or else the vacuum would try to eat it...had to vacuum "straight-suction" instead, which really didn't do anything. It looked pretty gnarly when we threw that ugly thing out!!

 

[veg-o-matic]

Heywood Wakefield!

Oooooooooh!

 

[drmitch]

Heywood who?

I found this nice curly maple dresser at a yardsale for $2. Its from the late 60s. My dad gets mixed up on Heywood Wakefield and Frank Loyd Wright and calls it a Derwood Kirby! Ha Ha!

 

[Kevinpreston3]

Very nice....

I will have to post a pic of that headboard!