apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love her "Design No-No's"

Furniture Sets of Any Kind
Dinettes
Flourescent Lighting (I"m sure she doesn't mean CFL's?)
Floral Sofas and Area Rugs that are Too Small

Since when does having a white carpet make a room party friendly?

Whoa, maybe If I lived in Miami... The "3 week old pea soup green" and "bad contemporary lighting fixture blue" killed it for me. Not sure what Pantone chips she was looking at...

It's all fun and games until someone spills their merlot on that white carpet....

One more no-no: matchy-matchy to the extreme!

I think everyone of her design no-nos (except maybe the "too-small rug", which just has to move to a different context to be "just right") can actually be gorgeous if done correctly.

Bedroom sets with matching dressers and night stands are often a nice look -- especially if mixed up with some other pieces. (You need SOME coordination in a room, and a few pieces that are designed to go together may not be haute design, but they can be a pleasant and attractive, if safe, solution.) I really like my Asian style headboard, dresser, and night stand (used as a side table by a Barcelona chair). The actual nightstands are Shaker but with Asian style hardware. The look is eclectic and you barely notice the "set" among the furnishings.

A dinette in a 50's retro kitchen are to many people the ultimate in "cool".

Flourescent lighting in work areas like laundry rooms or other spaces not intended for entertaining are useful and low energy -- I like the fixtures that hold looped tubes... I would agree that they don't add much to "decor", usually, although we have a small flourescent fixture in a hallway that looks just like any incandescent fixture would...

A carved wooden framed sofa with a cabbage rose chintz can be very Victorian and look stunning in a feminine room.

I do think, referring to the photo leading this thread, that we all need to go out and buy water bottles that match our decor, though, or else change our decor to match our favorite bottled water. Those blue bottles on the bar just MAKE the room! ;^)

I'll never understand putting large plants/flowers/twigs/sticks/branches/etc in the middle of a seating area...

Nothing says "Hi, I don't want to see you" like dead foliage blocking your view of someone you're trying to share a conversation with.

I hate this room! Reminds me of hotel we booked once for spring break in puerto vallarta...gross, looks cheap and polyester-y

Something about this color scheme looks cheap. There is no richness to the textures or colors.

does anybody have an idea where that light fixture is from?

Like hell that's an entertainment room! Where's the Nintento?

(Hi, geek girl calling in!)

bright color, I like it

Kitchen Building

Reminds me of that 1970's style of decorating where the walls, carpet, and upholstery would all be the same horrifically colored/patterned fabric.

Yuck.

Too matchy matchy.