apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I took the quiz again since I moved. Not a whole lot has changed, but I answered everything quickly and with much more certainty this time around.

My quiz answers are here: http://colorandlife.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-home-new-interview.html

I have not taken the quiz.

What I have done is gotten down on the floor with a hard brush and Watkins all-purpouse cleaer and scrubbed the baseboards in my master bathroom, kitchen and 1/3 of the living room.

Tomorrows task: finish living room and tackle guest bath. Talley Ho!!

I'm still trying to figure out what my deep passion for Battlestar Galactica says about my design style. Gray and Blue color palate? Vintage? Oblique angles?

My boyfriend and I each took the quiz seperately. Our answers are surprisingly similar and other things differ. It's going to be interesting curing our home together with both opinions to take into consideration!

Am I the only dork who's terrified? Home matters so much to me, and somehow things have gotten woefully out of hand around here... I fear that the only answers I'm going to find will be along the lines of, "YOU HAVE FAILED!" and "YOU NEED A LOT MORE MONEY THAN YOU HAVE!" (which, somewhat coincidentally, is next to none.). Anyway, my answers to the quiz will shortly be posted here.

• Actress: Fernanda Montenegro
• Actor: Peter O'Toole
• Artist: Armando Reverón, Egon Schiele, Friedensreich Hundertwasser
• Writer: Kafka, Camus, Auster, Lorca, García Márquez, Nabokov, Bulgakov
• Music: Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso, Gustav Mahler, David Byrne
• Restaurant: Antica (A local Mediterranean trattoria)
• Automobile: Bikes!
• Television Show: The kids in the hall
• Clothing Designer/Store: Vivienne Westwood

How would you describe your style?
• Childish / Sexy

Where have you lived?
• Born: Venezuela
• Grew Up: Venezuela, Ecuador
• As An Adult: UK, USA, Venezuela

Whom do you consider a role model?
• My dad

What three adjectives describe the qualities that you admire in this person?
• Enlightened, powerful, hilarious

What is the problem with your home?
• Too-much-stuff!

If your home could speak, what would it say is the problem?
• "No need for so many things"

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your home?
• Work

Eight weeks from now, when this project is done, if friends came to visit, how would you like them to describe your home?
• Empty! I mean, minimal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30440849@N06/2927053750/?eOrig=2848214439

Actress: Susan Sarandon
Actor: That guy in Merlin and Jurassic Park
Artist: Susan Sturgill
Writer: Mark Twain
Music: John Williams, Andreas Vollenweider, The Jazzmasters, The Rippingtons
Restaurant: Cafe Brioso
Automobile: 63 Ford Falcon
Television Show: Babylon 5
Clothing Designer/Store: Don't have one

How would you describe your style?
A blend of shabby chic, oriental, and minimalist

Where have you lived?
USA

Whom do you consider a role model?
My Dad and Mom

What three adjectives describe the qualities that you admire in this person?
Intelligent, honest, affectionate

What is the problem with your home?
A basement full of stuff I should get rid of

If your home could speak, what would it say is the problem?
"There's too much clutter in my basement."

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your home?
Just relax and enjoy

Eight weeks from now, when this project is done, if friends came to visit, how would you like them to describe your home?
Lovely and inviting and full of sunshine.

What do you do if you didn't grow up in a normal household (my parents values are quite different from those of typical American households) so some of these questions are difficult to answer?

We didn't watch many movies growing up, so I don't really know actors/actresses. My dad was a photographer, so other than his pictures or interesting decor, there was no art in our house...so I don't know any artists' names.

I know nothing about cars. (That's just me.)

And I definitely am clueless about designers. I don't pay attention to stuff like that...just whether I like the item or not.

What do I do?!

lurker2209: it means you tend to cut corners.
*rimshot*

I'm so ready to get started. I've uploaded the start of my style tray to flickr, as well as a few very embarrassing 'before' pictures. I'm mainly curing my tiny guesthouse, so it will be an efficient and inspiring work space.

And I took the quiz:

Actress: Emma Thompson, Judy Dench
Actor: Colin Firth, Vincent D'Onofrio
Artist: John Singer Sargent, William Morris
Writer: David Mitchell, Anne Perry, Jane Austin
Music: The White Stripes, Cary Judd (my little brother!), The Cars, Yann Tiersen
Restaurant: Cafe Seville-Spanish Tapas!
Automobile: VW Beetle
Television Show: Battlestar Galactica, BBC Costume Dramas
Clothing Designer/Store: Target, Gap, Old Navy, my sewing machine

How would you describe your style?
Flea Market, Feminine, Comfortable

Where have you lived?
Ventura County, San Diego, Utah, Alexandria, VA, Netherlands, Belgium, Frankfurt, Germany

Whom do you consider a role model?
My grandmothers

What three adjectives describe the qualities that you admire in this person?
Gracious, cheerful, Domestic Goddesses!

What is the problem with your home?
Too much junk, not condusive to my creative goals

If your home could speak, what would it say is the problem?
I'm a disorganized mess!

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your home?
Create-I like to sew, quilt, and make handbound books

Eight weeks from now, when this project is done, if friends came to visit, how would you like them to describe your home?
Fresh and comfortable, clean and efficient

My husband and I took the quiz separately, and compared answers. On the "Apartment" section, we not only had almost exactly the same answers... they were usually in the same order.

Which would be great, if our answers weren't "cluttered", "inefficient", and "unfinished."

And would be even better if those answers weren't absolutely true. We have our work cut out for us.....

My goal is to do this cure on a 1/8 scale, because I live in a gorgeous mid-century two-storey house, but it's already decorated. So, my room and bathroom are the only ones to tackle. I suppose this is a blessing (less money spending, less time stressing) and a curse (not as fun!). Hopefully this will help me get my taste and spatial and financial reality in check...

The Interview
Favorite...
• Actress: Anna Karina
• Actor: Peter Sellers
• Artist: Renee Magritte
• Writer: T.S. Elliott, Joan Didion, Joyce Carol Oates, Denis Johnson, Jeffrey Eugenedies, Jorge Louis Borges
• Music: The Beatles, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jesus & Mary Chain
• Restaurant: Lou, Lucky Devil, Figaro, Cafe Stella
• Automobile: Mini Cooper, Aston Martin
• Television Show: Pushing Daisies, Mad Men
• Clothing Designer/Store: Marc Jacobs, Madison Marcus, Elegant Mess, MAS, Lucy Finch

How would you describe your style?
• '60s new-wave with modern moxie

Where have you lived?
• Born: Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
• Grew Up: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
• As An Adult: London, England / Los Angeles, CA

Whom do you consider a role model?
• My Mom

What three adjectives describe the qualities that you admire in this person?
• Compassionate, understanding, determined

What is the problem with your home?
• I only have one room to decorate my own!

If your home could speak, what would it say is the problem?
• "You have too many ideas, but don't execute enough of them... slacker."

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your home?
• Use it for working

Eight weeks from now, when this project is done, if friends came to visit, how would you like them to describe your home?
• Fun, clever, chic, and sophisticated

Actress: Diane Keaton
Actor: Johnny Depp
Artist: Too many to name
Writer: Capote
Music: Astrud Gilberto, The Eagles
Restaurant: La Cave
Automobile: 63 Lincoln Continental convertible with suicide doors.
Television Show: Gossip Girl
Clothing Designer/Store: Curve on Robertson

How would you describe your style?
Ava Gardner's Hawaiian hideaway.

Where have you lived?
Newport Beach, Los Angeles and NYC

Whom do you consider a role model?
my mom.

What three adjectives describe the qualities that you admire in these person?
Honest, loving and hysterical

What is the problem with your home?
Unfinished projects and a slew of messy drawers and closets.

If your home could speak, what would it say is the problem?
"Why am I fabulous but still unfinished?"

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your home?
Sex.

Eight weeks from now, when this project is done, if friends came to visit, how would you like them to describe your home?
Your house looks so fantastic, I bet you are getting a lot of action.