Hi, finally on the mend. I think one more day and I will be back.I recognize this may be a hot-button topic, and I’m sure I’ll have my fair share of naysayers! But I believe in healthy discourse—and sometimes simply agreeing to disagree. I’m genuinely curious who else feels this way.
Years ago—and I’m talking maybe eight years ago and beyond—I used to go to designer show houses and leave absolutely dreaming. Those rooms stayed alive in my head for days. I’d go home completely inspired, immediately wanting to tweak something, move furniture around, rethink a room…it was the best kind of beautiful sensory overload. Sometimes it was the simplest things like adding a. new little container in my powder room to hold handle towels (an idea I browned from one such showcase).
The last truly great show house I remember visiting was probably eight or more years ago. I’ve been to several since, and I have to admit, I’m a little floored by the direction some of them have taken.I understand that design evolves. I know the newer blend of transitional design with a touch of funk has become incredibly popular. It doesn’t personally appeal to me, but when it’s done well, I can absolutely appreciate it and have seen it done well. But not always.
Now I am not only talking showcases, I am talking about furniture stores, interior design studios, retail design stores, shelter magazines (especially these) and even what is often portrayed as good design on social media….there has, in my opinion, been a huge tidal wave of change. I have been to many showrooms (furniture, fabrics, textiles) and have noticed huge shifts over the displays, the room types they show, etc…
But lately I’ve walked into some rooms and genuinely scratched my head. Some feel as though being different or unexpected has become more important than simply being beautiful. I saw one (which will remain unnamed but is a highly thought of show house) and there were several spaces that left me kind of speechless but one in particular that seriously, my little Phillip could have done a better job doing.
One such example is below. Tell me what I am missing (example below). Architecturally the space is interesting but explain the decor….please! For anyone who “gets it” I genuinely am open to hearing your perspective on this space.
And it makes me wonder- What happened to the classically beautiful show house room? The room layered with gorgeous fabrics, beautiful antiques, fabulous lighting, wonderful art, exquisite details and all the bells and whistles—the kind of room you never wanted to leave. I am not saying it has to be all about super layered rooms, but something cohesive, beautiful and elegant isn’t asking too much is it? I just dont know whats happened!
Surely that hasn’t gone out of style? Or has it? If it has then I have never wanted to be so “unstyish”!Maybe I’m in the minority, but I’d love to see a return to rooms that make us dream again, and I know I have to have company out there!
Curious what you think…has the world of what is considered good design and things like the old school designer show houses changed, or have I? OK your turn to weigh in, will be curious as to what you have to say. I am all ears…..
Just looked at photos of a magazine idea house last night and could not believe the “design” of the primary. It was terrible. And not because it wasn’t my style, it was just terrible design. So disappointing.
Gosh the first thing I noticed was the Elkhorns / Staghorns attached to the walls & wondered how on earth they water them ? Or are they fake ???
Yes I’m saying it …… that is one very ugly room …… & what is it’s purpose ?? Is it a Garden Room ? Usually that style of room would leave you with a soothed feeling …… quite honestly that room leaves me feeling in turmoil !!
Are the designers trying to push all buttons ? If so it is not working. In such a “ busy world “ take the homeowner back to a less frantic pace & try to achieve a place of calm . It is not being achieved in this space !!
I agree. I have noticed the same thing in design magazines. It seems it’s about being cool and not beautiful. I wonder how many people actually live that way.
It’s the same as the fashion shows….. nothing is wearable. Then you see all the people going to watch them dressed like it’s Halloween , cause it gets them attention. Some of the most famous interior designers started doing the same, they have a famous name so they make the most absurd rooms & it’s on the cover of a magazine with everyone fawning over it…. The Emperor’s New Clothes! …. maybe some kid will pipe up & say “Wow, that room is ugly!” & things will snap back! Maybe your grandson? 😂
Oh I completely agree with you !!! I’d immediately thought of Paris Fashion week too !!
Is all of this supposed to be a Shock Value ?? Because most of us are turning away from this absurdity !!! We neither want nor would wear the ridiculous clothes. Nor would we want a room like this in our homes. !! Back to beauty in our homes & our lives !!!!
I find so much of today’s design chaotic, reaching for more attention for being “funky” or “out of the box” rather than than good design. Perhaps following in the footsteps of fashion?
Good quality classic traditional old world styling will never go out for me. Perhaps for others it has. I like it and always will. The way life is everything that I was taught has been flip upside down and is thought of as pretentious and snobby. I’ve never been trendy and have no desire to be. I like what I like and they like what they like and we’ll just coexist.
I completely agree with you. It’s almost as though the “designers” compete to see who can be the most outrageous! A prime example in my area is a “showhouse” that is currently for sale. I won’t name names but it was done by a well known individual. If I were to purchase the house, everything and I mean everything would have to go and the entire inside of the house would have to be painted. I saw the pictures of the interior and was speechless, needless to say I didn’t bother to go, and no wonder it’s still on the market!
YES! I very rarely comment but had to today. It is out of control. My son and his wife hired a “designer” for their new NY apt. I almost gasped (not in a good way). I tried to buffer my real feelings but they knew. I felt they were robbed. On their own, they now realize how botched it was and are redoing some of what she did. So bad.
Nothing to defend on that picture btw. What are they thinking?
Totally agree with you 100% about the direction of design in general, house, clothes and otherwise. It is really bad out there, one reason your blog is a delight to read.
I absolutely agree with you! It seems they don’t even coordinate the rooms as a lovely entire home. Lately, each room is decorated so outlandishly different from all the others! I don’t buy the tickets any longer.
Tina, I totally agree with you. I used to have subscriptions to almost every design magazine and now I’m down to one! I’m in Florida and all the model condos and homes are cold and sterile. Gone are the beautiful fabrics and luscious trims. Now Homeworthy and instagram are my design sources . And I am out of control when it comes to beautiful and inspirational designer books .
When I studied ancient history, I read Aristotle’s definition of beauty and have always thought that it was perfect. He said that beauty could be objectively measured in (a.) harmonious elements and mathematical proportions, (b.) correct magnitude, being neither too small nor too huge for the eye to perceive, (c.) logical unity of form, coherence, and function, and (d.) the ability to produce pleasurable contemplation. The last photo shows a space that cannot be beautiful The eye searches desperately for delight and cannot rest. Evidently, we are to believe that we should be as enchanted with the ridiculous as the Emperor was with his New Clothes. Thank you for such enlightening commentary.
I absolutely agree with you. So many of the designs now deemed popular lack a cohesive “vibe”. Mixing various elements of design requires creativity and skill that unites each piece of the finished product.
I totally agree with you. I’m an interior designer and some of the rooms that I see now in Upscale magazines or Designer showcase homes, are either bizarre or plain. I think the plain ones bother me the most. I get the concept of understated, as I work with clients that like a serene room. Serene and ,or, monochromatic does not have to be uninteresting.There should always be a nod to quality ,and always an element of surprise and interest.
I agree! The beautiful rooms we used to see are gone. In their place, bizarre, out there designs I have no desire to emulate. Bring back the dream rooms!
I am with you, styles are changing like this example and not for the better in my opinion. I love the pictures you post of beautiful rooms and homes, this looks like trying to live in a forest somewhere, with the mushroom people or maybe the tulip people. YUCK! This is why I love following you. I can’t afford the beautiful rooms you show but like you I can bring in lovely touches that make me love my home even more. Thank you for showing us what elegant truly is.
The last really beautiful showroom i have seen in a showhouse was the elegant showhouse bedroom done by Cathy Kincaid. I forget which one this gorgeous bedroom was in but it was totally beautiful The color theme was a delicate shade of Pink and i believe DrGourney did the wallpaper panels in an ancient type Indian print, Morrish furnishings mixed with a custom canopy mahogany bed and bed coverings.. This has to be one of the most relaxing and beautiful rooms i have ever seen and i have seem many by top designers and Architects over my 88 yrs in Design. I could not agree with you more what has happened to the world of Architecture and design.? I live in the third most affluent county in America and they tear down gorgeous old colonial homes and build hideous stark contemporary homes that are cold and they all look alike My educational background is Architecture and Interior Design from University of Michigan and in all my years in this field i have never seen such disrespect for the past. At times i cry when i see what is happening to our beautiful old homes here.. Gone forever,
Yes agree 100%. Magazines are the worst now. I canceled my subscriptions to ALL of them. Showcases, I don’t even bother. I went to Kips Bay last year, was in and out in literally 10 minutes.
I know I am not alone. I hear this all the time from like minded people. I love that you embrace traditional but with a bit of an updated flair. It is high style and very cohesive. I do not get these crazy colors and prints being used together. Who actuality really wants to live in that kind of space? Thy need to be studied!
I completely agree. The things I see in decor magazines, interior design blogs, photos of “show homes” leave me shaking my head. I could not spend even five minutes in those houses and rooms. Not everything has to be of Sotheby’s quality and I’m all for clever people who can transform discarded furniture and decor into something lovely, but these “up to the minute” jumbled monstrosities seem to reflections of a designer’s ego.
I love traditional design! I grew up in Tidewater Virginia; went to college here and still live here on beautiful Smith Mountain Lake! I inherited many pieces of dark wood furniture, sterling silver pieces, beautiful china etc. I love Williamsburg design and we visit there every year as my husband attended William and Mary. Fortunately living here in Virginia I can still enjoy this aesthetic. However I do notice when I go shopping so many of the beautiful stores are carrying less of this design. Even the design magazines show fewer traditional designs. I love seeing your posts every day to get my fix! Keep it coming!
You are not alone as far as I’m concerned.
I’m totally on the same page as you.
I am so tired of seeing #1 all houses being painted white with black trim that to me look like cookie cutterhomes.
Many are extremely pricey homes.
As far as interiors,again,I totally agree with you.
To me there’s nothing more beautiful than beautiful fabric,color definately enters into it as well.
Bottom line the example you show in your blog today is ridiculous.
Keep doing what you do–it’s the best as far as I’m concerned.
don’t know how you do all you do.
Feel well.
I could not agree with you more!!!! I have been going to design homes since I was a teen with my mom. I now take my adult daughter to design homes with me in Los Angeles. It is always a fun day with the boutique sales and luncheon but I completely agree that the beautiful design aspect is completely lost. My kitchen remodel was a complete copy of a gorgeous design house from 30 years ago. I still love my kitchen it is clean and classic. My love for neutrals and accessorized with blue and white ginger jars was inspired from a was from copying design house 15 years ago. I purchased most of my ginger jars and accessories from The Enchanted home. Fabric stores used to be layered with beautiful coordinating florals, checks and plaids. I walk away from design houses today with absolutely no inspiration. In my head I am completely reimagining redesigning the designers showcase.
What has happened to design beauty?? Magazines, showhouses, clothes, vehicles are SO ugly!!! I will always be a classic style icon! Hold on to what you already have because you can’t find better now!!! This era is saving me money….
your decorating taste is too bland and usually doesn’t have has any fine antiques in it. There doesn’t seem to be an interesting item, an item that maybe has been handed down. Basically your look is boring
You are so right. Everyone seems to want a house that came right out of a to-go box. No personality, no thought to personalizing. i have so many of my mother and grandmothers things that i love mixed with things we’ve purchased along . the way. Maybe I’m just a traditionalist but i love it that way.
I love beautiful rooms. An odd note doesn’t necessarily ruin a room for me, but a whole room? The room you show at the end of your post looks like a Hobbit Hole to my eye. Not for me!
Some designs seem like it’s more about shock value than anything else. They don’t look like anything that I would want to spend any time in – let alone welcome guests.
Tina, I am squarely in your “unstylish” camp! I also remember, as a young bride, going to showcase homes sponsored by our local Charity League every year, and being so enthralled and inspired by the design work displayed. It was fabulous. Some of those images live in my head to this day! That love and passion for classically designed and beautifully appointed spaces continues in my life to this very day. But I’d like to tell you a story. I am a North Carolinean. We made the world’s most beautiful furniture for generations. I used to go to the Hickory Design Center for a “beauty fix” of lovely things every few months, and get my batteries re-charged and my inspiration refreshed. A few years back I went. I walked into one of my favorite showrooms, looked around, and just stood there, stunned and broken hearted. Everywhere I looked I only saw grey, grey, and more grey. Nothing but generic, non-descript boring junk unworthy of even being called furnishings. A staffer came over and said, “Can I help you to find something today?” My reply was, “I am very much afraid you can’t. I don’t see anything here that even catches my attention, much less prompts me to make a purchase. What has happened to the furniture industry?” He lit up like a Christmas tree! He said, “Finally! Someone who realizes how far we have fallen! I have told colleagues here that if I have to decide with a customer on a color of one more pillow that is to be one more shade of grey, I’m quitting.! We are all so sick of this stage of the industry we are in, and yearn for the days of beautiful, exquisite case goods and glorious upholstered pieces! We get you, Ma’am!” We laughed, I felt vindication and some hope for the first time in a long time. He brought out a catalogue he kept under the desk for me to peruse- gorgeous case goods that were still being made, but sparingly. So Tina, this junk we’re seeing is, I hope and pray, going to burn itself out soon. Younger people are already starting to turn it around, and, I am told by my niece’s generation, they are searching for quality antiques with patina, and beautiful items of decor which bring presence and traditional style to a room. Thank goodness! So, I will “rail against that dark night”, and absolutely refuse to embrace design which I know from my own sensibilities is just junk- a product of some designer’s boredom. The pendulum IS going to swing back. (These rooms you have sprinkled into this post just make my heart sing!!!!) Thank you Tina, for sharing your voice with us on this. You are not alone. We are with you!!!!
I could not agree more. Architecture, interior design, and furniture today all seem geared towards the lowest common denominator of aesthetic tastes. I peruse a lot of real estate websites, and one home I had been in years ago had a lot of character. It was a beautiful example of a sophisticated Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, house that was incredibly chic. A little careworn perhaps, but very sophisticated. I saw the aftermath of the renovation and found it transformed into a soulless grey nonentity. And new construction homes in my area all have the same horrific look (lots of black trim) and are listed at eye-popping prices. No one seems to have taste anymore. No one wants anything elevated.
The direction with many new designers, leaves me scratching my head too! I have seen an influx of what I refer to as “Grown up Dorms”! Unfortunately, “good taste” is lacking. There is very little that I would even consider emulating. I grew up in a high end furniture store in the DC area. So, I had been spoiled enjoying the finer things in life.
Oh my, I definitely resonate with all you said! When I see distasteful (borderline silly) designs I always think to myself that there is absolutely no way that particular designer would do that in their own homes. When I watch a HGTV show and the designer says “I want to do something fun and funky for them” I laugh out loud! I do think the tide is going to gradually change, we need to have beautiful designs back again! As for the showroom picture you gave as an example, I have no words, it’s just that awful!
I completely agree!! Show houses are becoming a disappointment not an inspiration. A couple of years ago the Kip’s Bat in Dallas had quite a few truly beautiful rooms but now I don’t even want to go.
Hi Tina,
I am in total agreement with this new trend towards decorating. I am traditional. I’m flexible a touch in a new direction, but not towards the bizarre. I have been touring “Show Houses” all around the country and have been so disappointed that I have stopped going I used to love Palm Beach, Charleston, Boston areas. Last year we went to Nashville and it was one of the best I have seen in years. Stunning! Let’s hope this is a trendsetter for things to come.
I am so relieved to read what I have been thinking for several years now ! What has happened to the beautiful fabrics, fringe and tassels , art work , handsome antiques ???? The design world is topsy turvy now. When all these rich and gorgeous furniture and fabrics and handmade rugs are combined it reeks of character ! It’s a lasting classic dream that you don’t want to leave ! I feel that the designers are in the back room laughing at the people that are spending a lot of money for cheap construction, imposter fabrics , art work that any preschooler could paint . It’s the “emperor has no clothes” !!!!’
What you are talking about is why I haven’t bought Vogue or any fashion magazine for years. I realize that the purpose of show houses and magazines are aspirational, but it has become novelty for novels sake…..Nothing I would want to live with or even inspiring….
Same here! Long ago (!) I would be overly excited to go to a home show! In the past, we bought so many items from a show and now? It’s a stretch to even want to attend. I am so thankful for all of the classic furniture/items I have and I am aware I cannot get them again.
I totally agree. I am a licensed and registered Interior Designer of 40 years. I am shocked at what shows up in magazines today. Wild colors put together in the same room—patterns that don’t work together, etc.
You’re right: design has become trendy and “different “ rather than aesthetically pleasing and livable. This is the reason that the only shelter magazine I now read is English Home. While I don’t necessarily love every house showcased, the interiors are reliably lovely, livable and in good taste. They show a respect for tradition that is largely absent in American home decor today.
Finally! I was afraid it was just me! I subscribe to many decorating magazines and have been shocked at the ghastly designs being foisted on us. Not at all anything I would choose to live with. I contemplate letting my subscriptions lapse. Sigh.
I think it depends where the showhouse is held. In the South and Midwest “beautiful” and more traditional rooms are still done. The best show house I EVER attended was last year in Nashville. It was simply spectacular!
I agree with you. I am of an age that doesn’t get today design. Where is the beauty? I’ve dropped my Veranda subscription after 15 years. It just doesn’t have any content I am interested in. I get more joy and serenity following your posts.
The room pictured looks like they had to use these separate pieces and dumped them all in one room. It’s a mess! No rhyme or decor reason! I would call it a leftover collection of things someone didn’t know what to do with them and chucked them in all together. Nothing cohesive at all! it’s hard to believe that this is what someone would spend time arranging!
I can’t believe it took you this long to address this! For the last few decades seeing some of the hideous “decor” in homes has had me scratching my head. First I couldn’t get over the color combinations that looked as if the color wheel threw up and then along with that was the hideous mix of textiles on some of the most bizarrely shaped furniture. I found this everywhere, in YouTube videos of homes,in books by my favorite designers, on TV shows and most disappointingly in what was one of my favorite magazines “Traditional” Home. Sometimes I wondered who was insane, me or them. On the other hand one time walking into Macy’s furniture store was jarring. I thought I was in a snowstorm. Every single sofa and chair was white and in the most hideous fabrics, Not one single PRETTY thing. All of them in cubist shapes, nothing of interest, all totally boring and soulless and lacking any element of creativity. I think I do see a move away from those trends, thankfully. Good for you for pointing it out!
I agree with you 100%. My husband and I have gone to Designer Showcases for 30 plus years here on Long Island mostly in the Hamptons. Probably the same ones you have been to. We always walked away with an idea or two. I remember one Showcase, that you designed the outdoor porch with blue and white, which was our favorite. We have not gone to a Showcase in years and we miss going. Back in the day there was one every year call Mansions & Millionaires (if I remember the name correctly). Got so many fabulous ideas from those. I am more traditional in design, but I am opened to other designs but as well. Lately the Showhouses are insane. This year they had one with table settings. Seriously!!
My preference has always leaned conventional — I’m willing to call it boring — so yes some of these spaces look hilarious to me. If it’s in an exhibit I might wonder what the decorator or artist is trying to accomplish. If it’s in someone’s home? “Oh, how fun (jarring elements) / restful (wow gray comes in this many tones, who knew?)! I hope you love it!” If it’s in a store? I don’t have to buy it. I got my curtains in the 1980s and still love them, the 1960s couch from my parents is threadbare and smells like dog but has great bones, our 1920s farmhouse table temporarily butted up with my mother-in-law’s formica one and covered with quilts seats my extended family. The aesthetic has a hard-won eccentricity that I’m happy to leave alone.
That last photo? The lamp looks like it’s trying to pull us back to its home planet, so no thank you. It might make an adorable keychain, though.
I feel like these homes have gone the way of all the young “Influencers” on social media. They’re hoping to be provocative more than anything else. I hope this is only a phase and runs its course.
The photos you posted excluding the last are just stunning……I could move into any of those rooms.
It’s hard to find stores that sell such beautiful furniture and accessories now, so happy I bought what I did when I had the chance
Tina, I hate to say it but beauty in the general is going away. Look at any new building erected since WWII it’s absolutely heartless, no soul, no beauty. Design in general, no heart, no soul, no beauty. I hope and pray it makes a comeback. 💕
I agree with you. I’m sure plenty of people raved about that room but would never do it in their own home. It’s The Emperor has new Clothes. We should trust our own eyes and have the courage to speak the truth, even when everyone else is going along with a lie! Your honesty is refreshing.
This new trend, “Le Chateau Weird,” has made its way into the mainstream but looks very juvenile to me.
Quite a few comments mention subscription cancelation. Quiet displeasure means loss of revenue and I think it’s well-deserved.
Even Bunny Funkhouser, “that young man in open-toes sandals”, from Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, managed to pull off a gorgeous traditional design for Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. Maybe today’s new designers consider themselves “revolutionary,” but they will never be tastemakers.
Thank you! I agree totally and was beginning to think I was alone out there in the design world. I, too, have cancelled all my
magazine subscriptions, and I hate grey walls! I hope beautiful design returns soon!
Tina, I agree with you. I absolutely swooned looking at the beautiful rooms you pictured. I look forward to seeing the colors and swatches you use in your own homes. There will always be a market for gorgeous, tastefully designed homes.
I completely agree with you on this evolution of “design.” There are so few magazines (with the exception of Flower Magazine) that I even care to browse. Viewing beautiful design was always such a joy for me. Today, I hardly related to what I see. I kept thinking that it was just me so I am very comforted by your similar viewpoint. Love your posts!!
I completely agree with you, Tina. These magazines and show homes are ridiculous. It’s almost like years ago when every magazine featured “contemporary” design with black and white color schemes, chrome and ultra modern furniture. Then everything became shades of grey and neutrals only. To me, grey is not a color. I need tasteful, traditional style furniture. Who would be comfortable living in the room you showed? Absurd. I grew up on the magazine “Colonial Homes” (still own many copies) and yearn for the days when tasteful decor reigned (yes, even when Victorian was popular, just needed it in less extreme doses). I will never succumb to buying these furnishings that are comical and cold.
Tina, I totally agree!
A friend of mine who is a decorator had to redo a country club because the designers they first hired made the rooms too contemporary.
Tina you have beautiful taste. That is why we love your blog. I have a small home with traditional furnishings mixed with antiques and silver. I have dark furniture. I love the silky feeling when I clean my silver. People who visit my home always tell me how comfortable and cozy they feel. I have interesting art pieces around on tables for eyes to enjoy. The Mayo Clinic in our town just redid the concours entry level. All white, hard surfaces. It used to be inviting with the piano player inviting you in. Now it looks like my father’s embalming room. It looks like your audience totally agrees with you as do I. Thank you for the first rooms on display. So soothing.
I absolutely agree with you! We are looking to buy our forever home and have been shocked by how few “traditional “ homes are out there. I’m talking multi-million dollar estates that have been “scraped” and replaced by modern properties that all look like “fire stations”. It breaks my heart.
I love these comments !! I personally have a mix of antiques , Restoration Hardware, English Silver and Pennsylvania Impressionist ART to name a few ! I kept wondering why every time I see “Designer “ blog or magazine spread, they all have the same wallpaper, draperies , fabrics and sofa and chair styles ….AND NO LAMPS!!! My husband and I read in our large Family Room and have Library Lights for us and I count 4 lamps, and picture lights over the paintings ! It is very cozy even though it’s 2 stories high!! Just my 2 cents !!
I agree! I go to the San Francisco Decorator showcase each year, and now there are only 1 or 2 rooms that pique my interest – most of them are so “far out” that I just move quickly through!
Agreed! I used to look forward to going to see Kips Bay and some local Shophouses and left happy and inspired. I’m not that motivated to go anymore. I am happy to make a donation, but not that interested in the current point of view.
I guess I see things the same way you do. I can’t explain that sample room any more than you can! I love all of the classic rooms you shared! Thanks, Chloe
I am in total agreement that for the most part, America’s design world has turned upside down. It’s all boring, ugly and looks alike. The designer are 90 % over the top crazy. Bring back the beautiful rooms in timeless, good taste, please!
Wow! You struck a nerve here! Look at all of the comments… I intend to read every one of them, too! But meantime, that last picture looks like the kind of nightmare I have when I can’t get upstairs in a house because the stairs don’t work right. Though those stairs in the picture look like they work, they are extremely ugly and unfortunately the centerpiece of the room ~ after that even uglier gigantic green light. WHAT ON EARTH?? I haven’t looked at home magazines lately since I stopped all of my subscriptions but now I’m glad I saved most of my back issues of French Country Living and Veranda, etc so I can continue dreaming of rooms styled in good taste. Good grief, I had NO IDEA!!!
The joke is on us. Maybe it is put out there so we can and will appreciate the traditional, classy interiors going forward.
Moving forward, bankruptcy in retail furniture is on the rise if they plan to sell this stuff. I could not come home to this style or design in my home. Yikes.! It seems everything has to fail in order to rise above.
Continue to follow your own expectations, keep the bar high! Be a leader not a follower, be true to yourself.
Make your home a home not a jungle gym.
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Hi, finally on the mend. I think one more day and I will be back.I recognize this may be a hot-button topic, and I’m sure I’ll have my fair share of naysayers! But I believe in healthy discourse—and sometimes simply agreeing to disagree. I’m genuinely curious who else feels this way.
Years ago—and I’m talking maybe eight years ago and beyond—I used to go to designer show houses and leave absolutely dreaming. Those rooms stayed alive in my head for days. I’d go home completely inspired, immediately wanting to tweak something, move furniture around, rethink a room…it was the best kind of beautiful sensory overload. Sometimes it was the simplest things like adding a. new little container in my powder room to hold handle towels (an idea I browned from one such showcase).
The last truly great show house I remember visiting was probably eight or more years ago. I’ve been to several since, and I have to admit, I’m a little floored by the direction some of them have taken.I understand that design evolves. I know the newer blend of transitional design with a touch of funk has become incredibly popular. It doesn’t personally appeal to me, but when it’s done well, I can absolutely appreciate it and have seen it done well. But not always.
Now I am not only talking showcases, I am talking about furniture stores, interior design studios, retail design stores, shelter magazines (especially these) and even what is often portrayed as good design on social media….there has, in my opinion, been a huge tidal wave of change. I have been to many showrooms (furniture, fabrics, textiles) and have noticed huge shifts over the displays, the room types they show, etc…
But lately I’ve walked into some rooms and genuinely scratched my head. Some feel as though being different or unexpected has become more important than simply being beautiful. I saw one (which will remain unnamed but is a highly thought of show house) and there were several spaces that left me kind of speechless but one in particular that seriously, my little Phillip could have done a better job doing.
One such example is below. Tell me what I am missing (example below). Architecturally the space is interesting but explain the decor….please! For anyone who “gets it” I genuinely am open to hearing your perspective on this space.
And it makes me wonder- What happened to the classically beautiful show house room? The room layered with gorgeous fabrics, beautiful antiques, fabulous lighting, wonderful art, exquisite details and all the bells and whistles—the kind of room you never wanted to leave. I am not saying it has to be all about super layered rooms, but something cohesive, beautiful and elegant isn’t asking too much is it? I just dont know whats happened!
______________________________________________________
Surely that hasn’t gone out of style? Or has it? If it has then I have never wanted to be so “unstyish”!Maybe I’m in the minority, but I’d love to see a return to rooms that make us dream again, and I know I have to have company out there!
Curious what you think…has the world of what is considered good design and things like the old school designer show houses changed, or have I? OK your turn to weigh in, will be curious as to what you have to say. I am all ears…..
Thanks for stopping in, until next time…..
Just looked at photos of a magazine idea house last night and could not believe the “design” of the primary. It was terrible. And not because it wasn’t my style, it was just terrible design. So disappointing.
Gosh the first thing I noticed was the Elkhorns / Staghorns attached to the walls & wondered how on earth they water them ? Or are they fake ???
Yes I’m saying it …… that is one very ugly room …… & what is it’s purpose ?? Is it a Garden Room ? Usually that style of room would leave you with a soothed feeling …… quite honestly that room leaves me feeling in turmoil !!
Are the designers trying to push all buttons ? If so it is not working. In such a “ busy world “ take the homeowner back to a less frantic pace & try to achieve a place of calm . It is not being achieved in this space !!
I totally agree with you
I am all about timeless / traditional/ classic design
I agree. I have noticed the same thing in design magazines. It seems it’s about being cool and not beautiful. I wonder how many people actually live that way.
It’s the same as the fashion shows….. nothing is wearable. Then you see all the people going to watch them dressed like it’s Halloween , cause it gets them attention. Some of the most famous interior designers started doing the same, they have a famous name so they make the most absurd rooms & it’s on the cover of a magazine with everyone fawning over it…. The Emperor’s New Clothes! …. maybe some kid will pipe up & say “Wow, that room is ugly!” & things will snap back! Maybe your grandson? 😂
Love it 😍 !!! So true , well said !!
Oh I completely agree with you !!! I’d immediately thought of Paris Fashion week too !!
Is all of this supposed to be a Shock Value ?? Because most of us are turning away from this absurdity !!! We neither want nor would wear the ridiculous clothes. Nor would we want a room like this in our homes. !! Back to beauty in our homes & our lives !!!!
🎯
I completely agree with you. Love timeless, traditional, design. Thank you for always sharing beautiful spaces with us.
It’s epidemic…I’ve cancelled many of my subscriptions…it’s ridiculously inappropriate, imo. Thanks for publishing!!! franki
I find so much of today’s design chaotic, reaching for more attention for being “funky” or “out of the box” rather than than good design. Perhaps following in the footsteps of fashion?
Good quality classic traditional old world styling will never go out for me. Perhaps for others it has. I like it and always will. The way life is everything that I was taught has been flip upside down and is thought of as pretentious and snobby. I’ve never been trendy and have no desire to be. I like what I like and they like what they like and we’ll just coexist.
I completely agree with you. It’s almost as though the “designers” compete to see who can be the most outrageous! A prime example in my area is a “showhouse” that is currently for sale. I won’t name names but it was done by a well known individual. If I were to purchase the house, everything and I mean everything would have to go and the entire inside of the house would have to be painted. I saw the pictures of the interior and was speechless, needless to say I didn’t bother to go, and no wonder it’s still on the market!
YES! I very rarely comment but had to today. It is out of control. My son and his wife hired a “designer” for their new NY apt. I almost gasped (not in a good way). I tried to buffer my real feelings but they knew. I felt they were robbed. On their own, they now realize how botched it was and are redoing some of what she did. So bad.
Nothing to defend on that picture btw. What are they thinking?
Totally agree with you 100% about the direction of design in general, house, clothes and otherwise. It is really bad out there, one reason your blog is a delight to read.
I absolutely agree with you! It seems they don’t even coordinate the rooms as a lovely entire home. Lately, each room is decorated so outlandishly different from all the others! I don’t buy the tickets any longer.
Tina, I totally agree with you. I used to have subscriptions to almost every design magazine and now I’m down to one! I’m in Florida and all the model condos and homes are cold and sterile. Gone are the beautiful fabrics and luscious trims. Now Homeworthy and instagram are my design sources . And I am out of control when it comes to beautiful and inspirational designer books .
When I studied ancient history, I read Aristotle’s definition of beauty and have always thought that it was perfect. He said that beauty could be objectively measured in (a.) harmonious elements and mathematical proportions, (b.) correct magnitude, being neither too small nor too huge for the eye to perceive, (c.) logical unity of form, coherence, and function, and (d.) the ability to produce pleasurable contemplation. The last photo shows a space that cannot be beautiful The eye searches desperately for delight and cannot rest. Evidently, we are to believe that we should be as enchanted with the ridiculous as the Emperor was with his New Clothes. Thank you for such enlightening commentary.
I absolutely agree with you. So many of the designs now deemed popular lack a cohesive “vibe”. Mixing various elements of design requires creativity and skill that unites each piece of the finished product.
I completely agree. Now I find myself discontinuing some magazines or flipping through them first to see if they are worth buying. I’m
I totally agree with you. I’m an interior designer and some of the rooms that I see now in Upscale magazines or Designer showcase homes, are either bizarre or plain. I think the plain ones bother me the most. I get the concept of understated, as I work with clients that like a serene room. Serene and ,or, monochromatic does not have to be uninteresting.There should always be a nod to quality ,and always an element of surprise and interest.
I agree! The beautiful rooms we used to see are gone. In their place, bizarre, out there designs I have no desire to emulate. Bring back the dream rooms!
I am with you, styles are changing like this example and not for the better in my opinion. I love the pictures you post of beautiful rooms and homes, this looks like trying to live in a forest somewhere, with the mushroom people or maybe the tulip people. YUCK! This is why I love following you. I can’t afford the beautiful rooms you show but like you I can bring in lovely touches that make me love my home even more. Thank you for showing us what elegant truly is.
The last really beautiful showroom i have seen in a showhouse was the elegant showhouse bedroom done by Cathy Kincaid. I forget which one this gorgeous bedroom was in but it was totally beautiful The color theme was a delicate shade of Pink and i believe DrGourney did the wallpaper panels in an ancient type Indian print, Morrish furnishings mixed with a custom canopy mahogany bed and bed coverings.. This has to be one of the most relaxing and beautiful rooms i have ever seen and i have seem many by top designers and Architects over my 88 yrs in Design. I could not agree with you more what has happened to the world of Architecture and design.? I live in the third most affluent county in America and they tear down gorgeous old colonial homes and build hideous stark contemporary homes that are cold and they all look alike My educational background is Architecture and Interior Design from University of Michigan and in all my years in this field i have never seen such disrespect for the past. At times i cry when i see what is happening to our beautiful old homes here.. Gone forever,
Yes agree 100%. Magazines are the worst now. I canceled my subscriptions to ALL of them. Showcases, I don’t even bother. I went to Kips Bay last year, was in and out in literally 10 minutes.
I know I am not alone. I hear this all the time from like minded people. I love that you embrace traditional but with a bit of an updated flair. It is high style and very cohesive. I do not get these crazy colors and prints being used together. Who actuality really wants to live in that kind of space? Thy need to be studied!
Agree agree …Classic …guess shock value is what it has become. Saw the example you pictured …strange nightmare room
I completely agree. The things I see in decor magazines, interior design blogs, photos of “show homes” leave me shaking my head. I could not spend even five minutes in those houses and rooms. Not everything has to be of Sotheby’s quality and I’m all for clever people who can transform discarded furniture and decor into something lovely, but these “up to the minute” jumbled monstrosities seem to reflections of a designer’s ego.
I love traditional design! I grew up in Tidewater Virginia; went to college here and still live here on beautiful Smith Mountain Lake! I inherited many pieces of dark wood furniture, sterling silver pieces, beautiful china etc. I love Williamsburg design and we visit there every year as my husband attended William and Mary. Fortunately living here in Virginia I can still enjoy this aesthetic. However I do notice when I go shopping so many of the beautiful stores are carrying less of this design. Even the design magazines show fewer traditional designs. I love seeing your posts every day to get my fix! Keep it coming!
You are not alone as far as I’m concerned.
I’m totally on the same page as you.
I am so tired of seeing #1 all houses being painted white with black trim that to me look like cookie cutterhomes.
Many are extremely pricey homes.
As far as interiors,again,I totally agree with you.
To me there’s nothing more beautiful than beautiful fabric,color definately enters into it as well.
Bottom line the example you show in your blog today is ridiculous.
Keep doing what you do–it’s the best as far as I’m concerned.
don’t know how you do all you do.
Feel well.
I could not agree with you more!!!! I have been going to design homes since I was a teen with my mom. I now take my adult daughter to design homes with me in Los Angeles. It is always a fun day with the boutique sales and luncheon but I completely agree that the beautiful design aspect is completely lost. My kitchen remodel was a complete copy of a gorgeous design house from 30 years ago. I still love my kitchen it is clean and classic. My love for neutrals and accessorized with blue and white ginger jars was inspired from a was from copying design house 15 years ago. I purchased most of my ginger jars and accessories from The Enchanted home. Fabric stores used to be layered with beautiful coordinating florals, checks and plaids. I walk away from design houses today with absolutely no inspiration. In my head I am completely reimagining redesigning the designers showcase.
What has happened to design beauty?? Magazines, showhouses, clothes, vehicles are SO ugly!!! I will always be a classic style icon! Hold on to what you already have because you can’t find better now!!! This era is saving me money….
your decorating taste is too bland and usually doesn’t have has any fine antiques in it. There doesn’t seem to be an interesting item, an item that maybe has been handed down. Basically your look is boring
You are so right. Everyone seems to want a house that came right out of a to-go box. No personality, no thought to personalizing. i have so many of my mother and grandmothers things that i love mixed with things we’ve purchased along . the way. Maybe I’m just a traditionalist but i love it that way.
I love beautiful rooms. An odd note doesn’t necessarily ruin a room for me, but a whole room? The room you show at the end of your post looks like a Hobbit Hole to my eye. Not for me!
Some designs seem like it’s more about shock value than anything else. They don’t look like anything that I would want to spend any time in – let alone welcome guests.
Tina, I am squarely in your “unstylish” camp! I also remember, as a young bride, going to showcase homes sponsored by our local Charity League every year, and being so enthralled and inspired by the design work displayed. It was fabulous. Some of those images live in my head to this day! That love and passion for classically designed and beautifully appointed spaces continues in my life to this very day. But I’d like to tell you a story. I am a North Carolinean. We made the world’s most beautiful furniture for generations. I used to go to the Hickory Design Center for a “beauty fix” of lovely things every few months, and get my batteries re-charged and my inspiration refreshed. A few years back I went. I walked into one of my favorite showrooms, looked around, and just stood there, stunned and broken hearted. Everywhere I looked I only saw grey, grey, and more grey. Nothing but generic, non-descript boring junk unworthy of even being called furnishings. A staffer came over and said, “Can I help you to find something today?” My reply was, “I am very much afraid you can’t. I don’t see anything here that even catches my attention, much less prompts me to make a purchase. What has happened to the furniture industry?” He lit up like a Christmas tree! He said, “Finally! Someone who realizes how far we have fallen! I have told colleagues here that if I have to decide with a customer on a color of one more pillow that is to be one more shade of grey, I’m quitting.! We are all so sick of this stage of the industry we are in, and yearn for the days of beautiful, exquisite case goods and glorious upholstered pieces! We get you, Ma’am!” We laughed, I felt vindication and some hope for the first time in a long time. He brought out a catalogue he kept under the desk for me to peruse- gorgeous case goods that were still being made, but sparingly. So Tina, this junk we’re seeing is, I hope and pray, going to burn itself out soon. Younger people are already starting to turn it around, and, I am told by my niece’s generation, they are searching for quality antiques with patina, and beautiful items of decor which bring presence and traditional style to a room. Thank goodness! So, I will “rail against that dark night”, and absolutely refuse to embrace design which I know from my own sensibilities is just junk- a product of some designer’s boredom. The pendulum IS going to swing back. (These rooms you have sprinkled into this post just make my heart sing!!!!) Thank you Tina, for sharing your voice with us on this. You are not alone. We are with you!!!!
I could not agree more. Architecture, interior design, and furniture today all seem geared towards the lowest common denominator of aesthetic tastes. I peruse a lot of real estate websites, and one home I had been in years ago had a lot of character. It was a beautiful example of a sophisticated Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, house that was incredibly chic. A little careworn perhaps, but very sophisticated. I saw the aftermath of the renovation and found it transformed into a soulless grey nonentity. And new construction homes in my area all have the same horrific look (lots of black trim) and are listed at eye-popping prices. No one seems to have taste anymore. No one wants anything elevated.
Woke designers seek attention. Classic design gets attention.
The direction with many new designers, leaves me scratching my head too! I have seen an influx of what I refer to as “Grown up Dorms”! Unfortunately, “good taste” is lacking. There is very little that I would even consider emulating. I grew up in a high end furniture store in the DC area. So, I had been spoiled enjoying the finer things in life.
Oh my, I definitely resonate with all you said! When I see distasteful (borderline silly) designs I always think to myself that there is absolutely no way that particular designer would do that in their own homes. When I watch a HGTV show and the designer says “I want to do something fun and funky for them” I laugh out loud! I do think the tide is going to gradually change, we need to have beautiful designs back again! As for the showroom picture you gave as an example, I have no words, it’s just that awful!
I completely agree!! Show houses are becoming a disappointment not an inspiration. A couple of years ago the Kip’s Bat in Dallas had quite a few truly beautiful rooms but now I don’t even want to go.
Good taste and Good style NEVER goes out of style!
Hi Tina,
I am in total agreement with this new trend towards decorating. I am traditional. I’m flexible a touch in a new direction, but not towards the bizarre. I have been touring “Show Houses” all around the country and have been so disappointed that I have stopped going I used to love Palm Beach, Charleston, Boston areas. Last year we went to Nashville and it was one of the best I have seen in years. Stunning! Let’s hope this is a trendsetter for things to come.
I am so relieved to read what I have been thinking for several years now ! What has happened to the beautiful fabrics, fringe and tassels , art work , handsome antiques ???? The design world is topsy turvy now. When all these rich and gorgeous furniture and fabrics and handmade rugs are combined it reeks of character ! It’s a lasting classic dream that you don’t want to leave ! I feel that the designers are in the back room laughing at the people that are spending a lot of money for cheap construction, imposter fabrics , art work that any preschooler could paint . It’s the “emperor has no clothes” !!!!’
What you are talking about is why I haven’t bought Vogue or any fashion magazine for years. I realize that the purpose of show houses and magazines are aspirational, but it has become novelty for novels sake…..Nothing I would want to live with or even inspiring….
Same here! Long ago (!) I would be overly excited to go to a home show! In the past, we bought so many items from a show and now? It’s a stretch to even want to attend. I am so thankful for all of the classic furniture/items I have and I am aware I cannot get them again.
I totally agree. I am a licensed and registered Interior Designer of 40 years. I am shocked at what shows up in magazines today. Wild colors put together in the same room—patterns that don’t work together, etc.
You’re right: design has become trendy and “different “ rather than aesthetically pleasing and livable. This is the reason that the only shelter magazine I now read is English Home. While I don’t necessarily love every house showcased, the interiors are reliably lovely, livable and in good taste. They show a respect for tradition that is largely absent in American home decor today.
I agree! I have subscribed to English Home for years.
Finally! I was afraid it was just me! I subscribe to many decorating magazines and have been shocked at the ghastly designs being foisted on us. Not at all anything I would choose to live with. I contemplate letting my subscriptions lapse. Sigh.
I’m in total agreement with you!
I think it depends where the showhouse is held. In the South and Midwest “beautiful” and more traditional rooms are still done. The best show house I EVER attended was last year in Nashville. It was simply spectacular!
I agree with you completely, and I have had some of the same thoughts that you expressed!
I agree with you. I am of an age that doesn’t get today design. Where is the beauty? I’ve dropped my Veranda subscription after 15 years. It just doesn’t have any content I am interested in. I get more joy and serenity following your posts.
The room pictured looks like they had to use these separate pieces and dumped them all in one room. It’s a mess! No rhyme or decor reason! I would call it a leftover collection of things someone didn’t know what to do with them and chucked them in all together. Nothing cohesive at all! it’s hard to believe that this is what someone would spend time arranging!
I can’t believe it took you this long to address this! For the last few decades seeing some of the hideous “decor” in homes has had me scratching my head. First I couldn’t get over the color combinations that looked as if the color wheel threw up and then along with that was the hideous mix of textiles on some of the most bizarrely shaped furniture. I found this everywhere, in YouTube videos of homes,in books by my favorite designers, on TV shows and most disappointingly in what was one of my favorite magazines “Traditional” Home. Sometimes I wondered who was insane, me or them. On the other hand one time walking into Macy’s furniture store was jarring. I thought I was in a snowstorm. Every single sofa and chair was white and in the most hideous fabrics, Not one single PRETTY thing. All of them in cubist shapes, nothing of interest, all totally boring and soulless and lacking any element of creativity. I think I do see a move away from those trends, thankfully. Good for you for pointing it out!
Ditto your sentiments completely
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!!! I don’t get it; I don’t like it; AND I’d question hiring a designer who did something like this.
I agree with you 100%. My husband and I have gone to Designer Showcases for 30 plus years here on Long Island mostly in the Hamptons. Probably the same ones you have been to. We always walked away with an idea or two. I remember one Showcase, that you designed the outdoor porch with blue and white, which was our favorite. We have not gone to a Showcase in years and we miss going. Back in the day there was one every year call Mansions & Millionaires (if I remember the name correctly). Got so many fabulous ideas from those. I am more traditional in design, but I am opened to other designs but as well. Lately the Showhouses are insane. This year they had one with table settings. Seriously!!
My preference has always leaned conventional — I’m willing to call it boring — so yes some of these spaces look hilarious to me. If it’s in an exhibit I might wonder what the decorator or artist is trying to accomplish. If it’s in someone’s home? “Oh, how fun (jarring elements) / restful (wow gray comes in this many tones, who knew?)! I hope you love it!” If it’s in a store? I don’t have to buy it. I got my curtains in the 1980s and still love them, the 1960s couch from my parents is threadbare and smells like dog but has great bones, our 1920s farmhouse table temporarily butted up with my mother-in-law’s formica one and covered with quilts seats my extended family. The aesthetic has a hard-won eccentricity that I’m happy to leave alone.
That last photo? The lamp looks like it’s trying to pull us back to its home planet, so no thank you. It might make an adorable keychain, though.
I agree with you. The room you showed doesn’t even look comfortable let alone beautiful.
Totally agree with you
Oh certainly this is from a movie set. It looks like a dungeon from The Hobbit house. Some people have poor taste.
I feel like these homes have gone the way of all the young “Influencers” on social media. They’re hoping to be provocative more than anything else. I hope this is only a phase and runs its course.
The photos you posted excluding the last are just stunning……I could move into any of those rooms.
It’s hard to find stores that sell such beautiful furniture and accessories now, so happy I bought what I did when I had the chance
Agree with you 100% — everything you said!
Tina, I hate to say it but beauty in the general is going away. Look at any new building erected since WWII it’s absolutely heartless, no soul, no beauty. Design in general, no heart, no soul, no beauty. I hope and pray it makes a comeback. 💕
I agree with you. I’m sure plenty of people raved about that room but would never do it in their own home. It’s The Emperor has new Clothes. We should trust our own eyes and have the courage to speak the truth, even when everyone else is going along with a lie! Your honesty is refreshing.
This new trend, “Le Chateau Weird,” has made its way into the mainstream but looks very juvenile to me.
Quite a few comments mention subscription cancelation. Quiet displeasure means loss of revenue and I think it’s well-deserved.
Even Bunny Funkhouser, “that young man in open-toes sandals”, from Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, managed to pull off a gorgeous traditional design for Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. Maybe today’s new designers consider themselves “revolutionary,” but they will never be tastemakers.
Thank you! I agree totally and was beginning to think I was alone out there in the design world. I, too, have cancelled all my
magazine subscriptions, and I hate grey walls! I hope beautiful design returns soon!
I love Show houses. Particularly Kips Bay but I agree there’s way too much over the top. Missing Pretty
Tina, I agree with you. I absolutely swooned looking at the beautiful rooms you pictured. I look forward to seeing the colors and swatches you use in your own homes. There will always be a market for gorgeous, tastefully designed homes.
I completely agree with you on this evolution of “design.” There are so few magazines (with the exception of Flower Magazine) that I even care to browse. Viewing beautiful design was always such a joy for me. Today, I hardly related to what I see. I kept thinking that it was just me so I am very comforted by your similar viewpoint. Love your posts!!
I completely agree with you, Tina. These magazines and show homes are ridiculous. It’s almost like years ago when every magazine featured “contemporary” design with black and white color schemes, chrome and ultra modern furniture. Then everything became shades of grey and neutrals only. To me, grey is not a color. I need tasteful, traditional style furniture. Who would be comfortable living in the room you showed? Absurd. I grew up on the magazine “Colonial Homes” (still own many copies) and yearn for the days when tasteful decor reigned (yes, even when Victorian was popular, just needed it in less extreme doses). I will never succumb to buying these furnishings that are comical and cold.
Tina, I totally agree!
A friend of mine who is a decorator had to redo a country club because the designers they first hired made the rooms too contemporary.
Tina you have beautiful taste. That is why we love your blog. I have a small home with traditional furnishings mixed with antiques and silver. I have dark furniture. I love the silky feeling when I clean my silver. People who visit my home always tell me how comfortable and cozy they feel. I have interesting art pieces around on tables for eyes to enjoy. The Mayo Clinic in our town just redid the concours entry level. All white, hard surfaces. It used to be inviting with the piano player inviting you in. Now it looks like my father’s embalming room. It looks like your audience totally agrees with you as do I. Thank you for the first rooms on display. So soothing.
I love classical design. It never goes out of style!
I absolutely agree with you! We are looking to buy our forever home and have been shocked by how few “traditional “ homes are out there. I’m talking multi-million dollar estates that have been “scraped” and replaced by modern properties that all look like “fire stations”. It breaks my heart.
I love these comments !! I personally have a mix of antiques , Restoration Hardware, English Silver and Pennsylvania Impressionist ART to name a few ! I kept wondering why every time I see “Designer “ blog or magazine spread, they all have the same wallpaper, draperies , fabrics and sofa and chair styles ….AND NO LAMPS!!! My husband and I read in our large Family Room and have Library Lights for us and I count 4 lamps, and picture lights over the paintings ! It is very cozy even though it’s 2 stories high!! Just my 2 cents !!
I agree! I go to the San Francisco Decorator showcase each year, and now there are only 1 or 2 rooms that pique my interest – most of them are so “far out” that I just move quickly through!
Agreed! I used to look forward to going to see Kips Bay and some local Shophouses and left happy and inspired. I’m not that motivated to go anymore. I am happy to make a donation, but not that interested in the current point of view.
I guess I see things the same way you do. I can’t explain that sample room any more than you can! I love all of the classic rooms you shared! Thanks, Chloe
I am in total agreement that for the most part, America’s design world has turned upside down. It’s all boring, ugly and looks alike. The designer are 90 % over the top crazy. Bring back the beautiful rooms in timeless, good taste, please!
Wow! You struck a nerve here! Look at all of the comments… I intend to read every one of them, too! But meantime, that last picture looks like the kind of nightmare I have when I can’t get upstairs in a house because the stairs don’t work right. Though those stairs in the picture look like they work, they are extremely ugly and unfortunately the centerpiece of the room ~ after that even uglier gigantic green light. WHAT ON EARTH?? I haven’t looked at home magazines lately since I stopped all of my subscriptions but now I’m glad I saved most of my back issues of French Country Living and Veranda, etc so I can continue dreaming of rooms styled in good taste. Good grief, I had NO IDEA!!!
The joke is on us. Maybe it is put out there so we can and will appreciate the traditional, classy interiors going forward.
Moving forward, bankruptcy in retail furniture is on the rise if they plan to sell this stuff. I could not come home to this style or design in my home. Yikes.! It seems everything has to fail in order to rise above.
Continue to follow your own expectations, keep the bar high! Be a leader not a follower, be true to yourself.
Make your home a home not a jungle gym.