Snakes on...

...the Living Room Wall!

When I saw this image in Harper's Bazaar last year, it immediately went into my file of "what the what?!" And every time I see it I am struck with the same sense of incredulity.

I'm sorry - I know she is über chic and owns an iconic fashion label and would be entirely unimpressed with my tiny townhouse with its "work in progress" decor. But I cannot imagine living with that wall! It's terrifying. And would be a real complication when inviting over friends with snake phobias...

What do you think? Sleek and urban or over the top and vulgar? Or something else?

Image via Harper's Bazaar

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.