When Bad Things Happen to Good Rooms: The Tree

Whenever I see a picture of a room I like, I immediately look up the designer and check out their portfolio. And just like anyone else, I love some of it, appreciate some of it and don't care for the some of it. But I rarely find myself so confused that I have to check the url address several times to make sure that I didn't accidentally click over to a Wiccan decor site....


Um...what?!

Now - why would anyone go and do that to a perfectly lovely living space?

The furniture looks so welcoming. I want to curl up on that sofa with a book and a steaming mug of tea. Or sit around with some friends and a good bottle of wine. The colors are a tad more neutral than I prefer, but that actually adds to the feeling of serenity this quiet corner of a room has to offer.

The tree though... It's is a game changer. I looks like it might uproot and walk across the room. Or maybe a little gnome will scramble out of a hidden door to shake his fist and demand that you turn down the music.

I wonder if it holds some personal significance for the owner. Some sentimental value?

Do they add a new "charm" to the tree with every big trip or event?

Does the tree have a name?

And if they celebrate Christmas, do they even bother dragging in an evergreen? Seems like they could just drape some garlands and call it a day.

My questions about that tree are endless. But I will in fact end with this disclaimer:

I wholeheartedly believe in staying true to your own decor aesthetic and not giving a flying WTF about what anyone else has to say about it. Including me. If you want to fly your freak flag high, then I salute you...as I sputter incredulously over the bat sh*t crazy tree growing out of your living room floor. And yes - you are more than welcome to come over to my place and laugh at the little old lady nicknack collections I love so much. To each his own, my friend...to each his own.




Image via Kishani Perera where wonderfully creative talent reigns and inexplicable weirdness only makes this single appearance.

When Strange Things Happen to Normal Rooms

Recently a space was featured on The Decorista that made me think.

I know! These are the things that keep me up at night...

Anyway she was charmed by this home because of its quirky personality and use of color. Two decor perspectives that we wholeheartedly embrace.

Whether it's to our liking or not, we can't dispute the quality of a well thought out space that expresses the owner's unique style. This image displays a fun, youthful and somewhat irreverent arrangement that works.


But while I find THIS image just as aesthetically pleasing (if not more so) for its use of color and textiles, it simultaneously perplexes me:


At first glance, it's fine. But upon closer inspection, there are two elements that are kind of bizarre. First - the low chairs that are paired with that table.

They're like beach chairs and convey a sense of casual comfort. But what happens when you decide to take a seat? Do you have a beverage in hand? Where do you put it in between sips? On the table which now offers a surface area at eye level? I'd probably just use the floor. So why bother with the table?

Well the answer to that seems obvious. It's less of a table than a pedestal employed to display a large ceramic zebra.

That zebra has been haunting my dreams.

In all fairness, the table also features a lamp and what appears to be a stack of decorative books. But the zebra is the real star of this stage. The proportions are just wacky.

I'm all for fun accessories and art. But when it comes to ceramic wildlife, a good rule of thumb is to keep the percentage of surface area used at less than a quarter. Otherwise, the animal takes on a somewhat larger than life quality. And you never want an accessory to look like it could leap off a table and canter down the hallway.

So as appealing as this cozy corner may initially appear, it has some serious problems when it comes to functionality.

Sometimes designers can get so caught up in concepts and whimsy that they forget about the people using the space and their potential preference for not looking up a ceramic zebra's nostrils while retrieving a cocktail positioned somewhere behind their left ear.

A cautionary tale indeed.

Fantasy Fest Week 2010 - Adults & Their Significant Others

There’s nothing like Fantasy Fest to bring couples together in a common cause… exposing your woman to a world of grateful admirers.





Seems like everyone gets into the act. Even respectable CEO guys…


Unfortunately, it looks like Mrs. Kiss didn’t get the memo…


Creativity was also alive and well on the couple’s front…





Although for the life of me, I can’t figure out the connection between BP and pink flamingos…


Some relationships didn’t seem long for the world…


While others seemed to be made in heaven…


And then, of course, there was the occasional ménage a trois (or is that ménage a weird?).


Finally, I leave you with a couple of close couple friends.

Fantasy Fest Week 2010 - Painting the Town...

That’s Captain Morgan. He’s kinda like “our leader”. A former pirate, he now spends most of his time selling rum and hanging out with a choice selection of wenches…




Duval Street is ground zero for this multi-cultural event featuring everything from folks who want to be seen to those who simply want to be obscene…





We even have Captain Morgan wannabes…


Hey, a fella can dream, can’t he?

Local businesses were also there to put their best feet (or other body parts) forward…




Advertising everything from real estate…


…to a great place to get a drink…


Even businesses going out of business got into the swing of things…


Folks of all ages were out to flaunt a little pazazz…




As were proponents of higher education…



And people of unfathomable purpose…



And then, of course, you get your share of spoilsports.



On the other hand, maybe there’s something to be said for their point of view.

Our Style According to Those in the Know...

Since we respect Elle Decor and since they named 25 designers as the best in the industry for 2010, we read all the room descriptions very carefully to see how we, as designers and as a shop measure up. Here's a list of our favorite descriptive phrases and how they relate (or not) to Style Key West:

1. "...posh-trad..."
Not so much. We're grounded in traditional but far too simple to be posh.

2. "...Francophile flash..."
Don't think so. We're more whimsical than flashy.

3. "...tawny masculinity..."
Um...sounds very sexy, but, no, not us.

4. "...suave and swank..."
Very Vegas--definitely too slick for us.

5. "...70's funk, 40's Hollywood..."
Nope and nope.

6. "...a cheeky spin on tradition inspired by the saucy elan of American design of the 1930's..."
This really sounds like fun, but I'm afraid it doesn't describe us.

7. "...fanciful wild-child interiors..."
No. We're known for colorful but serene.

8. "...quiet style with legs..."
Maybe--but what does it mean?

9. "...global glam..."
Don't think so.

10. "...masculine rigor..."
No.

11. "...headspinning, high-energy chic..."
It's exhausting just to read.

12. "...high-low aesthetic..."
Not sure what that is.

13. "...Euro-chic crossed with Southern charm..."
Now here's a possibility. Both Caroline and I are half Italian and half Southern. I lived in France for a year, and she grew up in the South. So I think that qualifies.

14. "...cocktail-ready interiors that sparkle, shimmer, shine and seduce..."
This is absolutely perfect for some Key Westers, just not us.

15. "...Cheerful worldly boho-chic spaces saturated with color and whimsy..."
Sounds fabulous but doesn't describe Style Key West. It is, however, a perfect description our friends' Michael and Meredith's shop Besame Mucho on Petronia Street.



16. "...history energized with a dollop of swagger..."
Nope, we don't have any swagger, not even a dollop.

Well, there it is, and unfortunately we don't measure up very well to the decorista-speak of today's good design. We did, however, find one recurring word that we definitely live up to: PANACHE. In fact, that word describes Style Key West really well.

Yes, we have style, color, energy, whimsy--Cottage style with panache!