apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Ehh. It looks like all the bad/tacky parts of my grandmother's house thrown into one piece.

The sofa would definitely be a signature piece in a room with subtle or no pattern. It has a certain charm!

Yeah, whenever I'm imagining a set of something, it goes couch, deer head, deer head, deer, deer.

No chairs, tables, clocks, lamps, that would be insane!

I see this was posted before and since new pieces were added, let's post it again - this concept has some limited amount of charm, but let's be real, you prayed to your Keep Calm & Carry On poster and squeed triumphantly because you know AT readers are suckers for deer heads! Gotta catch them all, as it were. Could not let this go by.

The couch is disgusting--I'd rather have 10 zebra rugs. But I love the deer! Too funny.

Art installation not decor.

It is like someone vomited decoupage onto the couch.

Who cares - Another lazy post about nothing that pertains to our homes.

bepsf - apparently you found it important enough to make a comment. or do you just enjoy being a cantankerous bully? i'm growing very tired of your attitude.

This scares me.

That's a little over-reactive. bepsf has some of the most constructive un-Kool-Aid posts on this blog. Having a negative opinion, wait... aren't you the one who warned against Domino subscriptions being automatically transferred to Architectural Digest? I know some people love to love everything, but the thing is, name-calling someone a "cantankerous bully" for calling this post out on its pandering flavor is unjustified and hypocritical. Other posts are allowed to populate in full-blown, negative opinions when the subject is obviously provocative, intentionally provocative. Please, be reasonable, and try to be objective.

"Please, be reasonable, and try to be objective."

good advice that more people should take into consideration.

@bepsf - "Who cares - Another lazy post about nothing that pertains to our homes." you're a trolling hack. if you don't like it, fine, you don't have to like it. you don't even have to comment on it. but to sit there and be a pretentious prick, passing judgment calls on someone else's efforts is unwarranted.

you could have said that you didn't like it for your home. hell, you could have said "that's fucking ugly. I would never have that in my place." even that's ok.

the last time I checked, some people care to see this, some don't. and who are you to speak for others? is there some sort of AT union people can join? are you its elected representative? how much is membership? is there an annual fee?

oh wait...this site is free.

@KTG - you defend bepsf's opinion, from Aaron's opinion, by getting on your little soapbox after you've slobbed the knob/munched the carpet. but you totally miss the passive-aggressive snarky jab that bepsf makes at the author, insinuating that they are lazy.

if you're going to pass judgment, at least be reasonable and objective.

"bepsf has some of the most constructive un-Kool-Aid posts on this blog" if you feel the need to blow digital smoke up bepsf's ass, then do it in private over IM/chat room/email. I'm positive that I'm not the only one who doesn't want to see how much of a brown-nosing enabler you are.

the comment bepsf made was not constructive, nor was it even in the ballpark of edgy and "un-Kool-Aid". it was sophomoric at best.

so what you referenced became a moot point.

I'm still convinced K T G and bepsf are the same person.

And bepsf, this is a post about Maison et Objets, one of the biggest events in the world of decor. Since I doubt I will be lucky enough to get there any time soon, I welcome these vicarious glimpses, especially on trends (or continuations or reinventions of trend) that may or may not work its way into our homes.

I, for one, want to see the extremes (good, bad and ugly) going on out there, since inspiration is everywhere.

And K T G, how you get "pandering tone" from this post is beyond me.

I guess you didn't read my earlier post or have a problem with it? It's pretty much a repost with OMG deer heads, they'll love this! Inspiration can come from everywhere, but it seems to keep coming from the same shallow pool. There is a lot of everything out there, but then we risk not being able to bring you new deer heads. In essence, lazy, yes?

I'm not bepsf, but I like his comments usually. I like that someone has high standards and great ideas, and from what I can gather, fantastic taste, and doesn't just fall over themselves to say what a great idea everything is. I also understand being negative gets a nasty label, while at the same time observing the startling regularity with which articles are posted that invite harsh opinions from the regs. I think bepsf can be critical at times, it might wear on some people, but calling him a cantankerous bully out in the open comments is not something I would expect of an administrator of this blog. Dissent is ok, sarcasm is ok, not liking everything is ok. Gosh, some things are a disaster, it just seems some things are more popular to hate than others. Neither bepsf nor I hate everything either. I reiterate, I'm not friends to bepsf and probably embarrassing him, I just really enjoy his posts a lot and am shocked that he was flamed by an administrator of this blog, as well as the prevalent attitude that having unpopular opinions earns people nasty adjectives.

Does that sofa seem familiar to anyone else? I could swear someone (low-end) manufactured something really similar a few years back.

It's not my taste at all, but if you love it, there's a cheap version floating around.

i like to read all opinions, from those who are critical of a post and those who love it....

K T G: It's obvious you and bepsf share a common preference and taste. Would you be shocked to discover you're in the minority if we tallied the readership's preferences, background, subjective "taste"? Does that disqualify your opinion? Of course not. What is evident is that you, bepsf, and everyone else has an opinion about "good taste" or "good design". But perhaps what needs to be discussed here is the topic of "good manners", the process of disagreement with respect and civility for one another without having to resort to the most base of descriptions for another person's preferences, or mistakes for that matter. Sometimes it's most easy to imagine a minority of self-described "better than thou's" trying to police this site not because of a genuine desire to help AT, but because it makes them feel better to nitpick than provide aid in reaching our goals. It becomes old, tiring, and ultimately distracting when comments come down to "this post is stupid", "I hate this", "you suck" or whatever variation of the personal jab at any editor is left here. It's disheartening for everyone from the top down here at AT, because at the heart of the matter, the people I work with are the most positive and kind people I've ever teamed up with. Don't kill that, please, because you can with consistent mean-spirited comments against us and your fellow readers.

We're human beings. None of us claim nor advertise ourselves to be better than you, bepsf, or any of the people we highlight on AT. We most notably want to protect a positive atmosphere for people to explore design, new and old, ugly and beautiful, common and unique, high and low...all without belittling commentary that only seems to be benefit the person with self-satisfaction of making the other feel less.

The truth is I've personally always liked bepsf when they're being helpful. I wouldn't hesitate to say they know a lot...a lot more than myself in many categories of design, despite the fact I've been a designer my whole (short) life. But I also note that this format can create a system of disregard of other human being's feelings for the sake of being "right" or better. You're better than I? Wonderful...help me without the attitude. That's what makes our job so difficult and why I do what I do. I want to help, I want to learn, and I continue to do that without telling another person they suck or their ideas are lazy or that their decisions are poor. That's why perhaps we're asking the negative .25% of our readership to redirect their negativity with the filter of being part of the solution, not creating new problems.

I think if you look back at any editor here on AT, we've proven to be open minded and honest about our own mistakes, shortcomings, and strengths. When someone points a mistake we've made, we try to fix it. I read many of your comments and criticisms, and however painful or occasionally mean, I take it to heart. Ask yourself, how many people do that in your life that don't know you. Multiply that by the number of our team, and maybe you'll understand what is the core value of the people who work their best each day to produce content for AT.

I know for myself, that I have rarely made such a brief comment just to say something sucks. That butterfly blanket patrick likes, yes. That comment was "BARF", and I was later compelled to expand on that statement. I rarely have so few words to describe how much I like or don't like something, and probably too often, too many words. Analyzing things I like and don't like and why I like and don't like them is my amusement. Picking on people personally is something I try not to do. Picking on overdone or sloppy topics.... eh. I can't speak for bepsf, but it's obvious he loves design as much or more than anyone, and is knowledgeable beyond the amateur's grasp. Plus, I like his sarcasm.

I just took issue with Aaron's reaction. I think calling someone a cantankerous bully in front of everyone is not a smooth move. It doesn't balance with calling someone lazy. I appreciate a lot of things about this blog, but it does at times seem you are operating on a quantity over quality basis, and appealing to a core of people with repetitive topics, the deer heads, and when I commented about your post on bidets in Portugal. You vented a lot of frustration to me directly, ignoring another person's comment who also happened to notice it was yet another article on bidets. I think there are certain alienating factors at play, most notably that I mentioned, being snarky or rude or cranky seems to be welcomed when it's a popular opinion. This blog certainly doesn't have a rule against the negative and vocal opinion, and I'd say that's because some of what is posted is clearly set up for mockery and derision.

I wouldn't want to do what you do, but people give me a certain amount of grief, so don't think I sit here and don't take comments against the things I've said, and they are more personal. How dare I (or anyone else we were talking about) take a critical eye toward someTHING, then I am given a label on my personality. I am a little impatient over a couple things, and perceptive and analytical (to a fault?). I am agreed with often enough, whether I've said someTHING is good or I don't like it very much, so it all evens out for me.

What we have here is a small crowd who is fearful or critical of anything they have to dust, or that costs too dearly to even dream over, other fun people who don't take it too seriously, and some serious but fun people. I learn from all of them (not always what I want to learn, but still). What I get out of this personally is to see things and get ideas of what works and what doesn't work, a place to share those ideas with a bunch of people who don't care for a difference of opinion, and happily do whatever they want. That's great. What else I get is overexposure to a few tired and ridiculous themes, and it confuses me why they are so popular or perceived to be, and presented by the editorial staff of this blog. I can't take over the business (do not want!) and tell you what to write about, but comments are open and I use them sometimes. I'm not here to pick on people or hate everything, believe it or no.

I'm glad we had this discussion. I hope nobody's feelings were very hurt by any part of this incident.

The fact that you think "cantankerous bully" is such harsh criticism is hilarious.

When's the last time you contributed to a discussion rather than picked on someone's comment? You're not the sunniest egg in the carton yourself, you know.

You've been keeping me pretty busy so haven't had too much time to comment on anything else.

And, oh yeah, I was busting my butt getting ready for and then WINNING the Bloomingdale's Window Challenge. :P

That was a month ago. Your laurels are tired of you resting on them. I didn't vote for you! Ha ha. I didn't vote at all. To be honest, none of it seemed really impressive, and I heard you had to be there.

And again, wondering why you are following me always to take up a personal fight. Have something constructive to say about anything for once.

Because I have two hours to kill before a meeting. That, and, pretty much every time I read your comments, you piss me off. Even, as in this case, without your trying to do so. You are consistently negative, bitchy and dour.

When's your house tour?

Well, be pissed off, I have no interest in trying to stop you. Geez, you really like to pick on people. I've noticed that you get away with it, too, so how do you like the sofa and the deer heads?

I don't need to post a house tour, I already told myself what's wrong with the place! :P

I don't like the deer heads, so I just chose not to comment, let alone wail on the AT writers who are faced with needing to produce a never-ending stream of content for our education and amusement. You have most of the negativity covered, anyway, so I really didn't feel the need to add to it. Which is generally what I do when I don't like something... I keep my thoughts to myself.

Seeing something I don't like here, content-wise, doesn't spoil the experience. But when someone choses to *mostly* post about what they *don't* like, that does spoil the experience for me. And, no, it's not just you... but you are the best recent example.

If you'd like to keep up this discussion, follow the link on my profile... it will lead you to an email address where you can contact me directly.