apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

too bad Thom Filiccia dress my nest'd that Hello Kitty! chick. Though there are probably a legion just like her.

oh dear god that pictured room looks like the set of the flinstones movie!

Is this going to be called "How does my space look?"

Lileks.com has a series on a motel in Wisconsin that has decor like this picture:

http://www.lileks.com/institute/motel/index.html

Couldn't sleep in here. I'd be waiting for the ceiling to cave in.

I instantly thought of House on a Rock in Wisconsin...

I have a wacky cousin who lives in a 2000 SF castle circa 1997 complete with turrets and a hot tub and decorated in a halloween theme. She has fake fur couches - my mother helped her upholster them - and a lot of egyptian touches. I would nominate her but she is also a practicing witch and I do not want a curse upon me. Live and let live! That grotto bedroom photo made me think of her. All they need is a succulent garden wall to replace their silk vines!

There was a B & B I stayed in with a teddy bear theme - they had over 2,000 teddy bears, plus wallpaper, napkins, light fixtures etc. etc. I wish I could nominate it but it was in Canada and I think the decoratoring owners have sold it and taken their bears with them. They served a great breakfast though.

HaHa is that cave bedroom from the Madonna Inn? People PAY big money to rent that room! I would nominate them!

Nay, I believe it is the Madonna Inn:

http://www.madonnainn.com/tour/137.asp

What an obnoxious idea for a show. Britain's "Honey, I Ruined the House" is the same idea, but at least the homeowners ASKED for the help. This is just for busybody neighbors who think everyone should have a beige couch.

WIIIIIIIIIILLLLLMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I once stayed in a B&B where each room had dozens of examples of the owner's wife's creepy doll collection. All those eyes staring - *Shudder*. Plus the owner was some sort of nutjob who actually told me (a woman) that the US all went to hell in a handbasket when women got the vote - it addled our pretty little minds when all we should have been concentrating on was cooking and housework. I was thrilled when they went out of business.

Can we get a house tour of Kimberlina's cousin's place?

"Secretly nominate"? "Confront"? Vile.

Viva "unique interior design style". Anyone else can mind their own sodding business.

Actually, I have a friend who has decorated her apartment in Disney collectibles. Mickey Mouse is her favorite and walking into her bedroom is almost like walking into a Disney Store. She might be interested in being on t.v., however I don't think she'd take too kindly to having her place "redone." She's quite happy with her look.

I should add that she is not a small child but a grown adult.

Can we nominate folks who's place looks like an IKEA showroom?

Yes, the Gobbler Resort that jrochest links to is the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw that first picture, but here's the thing: I'm kind of sorry I never got to visit the place in person. Sure it was garish (when it wasn't just sad) but remmeber, this was the 7Os, and the hell if the joint didn't have some kind of wonderful style. At any rate (and the matter of housekeeping aside) I'd rather spend a night in a memorable--though wacky--place like that than in another monochromatic, underfurnished 'spa' room in some would-be-trendy hotel.

But we're talking about houses, not hotels, and when it comes to our own personal spaces, all bets are off. I find the idea of someone taking it upon himself to "confront" another about his decorating choices--and on TV, no less--far more offensive than I do shag carpet on the ceiling.

I find the premise of the show disturbing, or maybe I'm just reacting to the choice of the Madonna Inn to exemplify something bad. Does the whole world need to be carbon copies of Dwell magazine spreads? Do people really want a taste-Nazi telling them what to do with their own homes? There's nothing wrong with inspiring someone who has no ideas or helping someone with bad execution get closer to what they're trying for. But telling someone with definite ideas and possibly amazing execution that their ideas aren't valid is awful. The world is a cooler place for places like the Madonna Inn.

My guess is they're just going for cheap drama, because I can't imagine anyone would like to be 'confronted' about their personal taste - and who could blame em.

I agree with magnaverde. Down with television taste interventions and confrontations.

It's nobody's business how another person chooses to decorate their home. We need to be free to express ourselves personally no matter what that means. If somebody wants to do their house in early teddy bear, well so what?

I don't want Thom Filiccia or any other design star telling me anything about my personal decorating taste. If I wanted their opinion I'd hire an interior designer.

I don't like that "What not to wear" either. Who on earth except for other NYC fashionistas wants to look like a NYC fashionista? I don't. I don't care one bit how THEY want to dress and I'll thank them to just ignore me if I don't dress cool enough for them. It wouldn't fit my lifestyle or who I am. That show infuriated me for the way it nitpicked people to death, and this show would do the same.

What a rude show idea. Just because the picture up top freaks me out, doesn't mean the people who live there don't COMPLETELY love living in a cave. (literally or figuratively) Anyone who is nominated for this show should seriously question their relationship with the person who nominated them.

That ceiling rocks!

I think the only instance it would be okay to nominate someone for this kind of show is if they do have a horrific room and have specifically expressed the desire to have a professionally designer change it completely. Then you're doing them a favor.

Otherwise, television interventions for the amusement of others are mean.

I might hate a lot of ideas but I wouldn't tell someone they couldn't love it if they wanted to. Help people who are unhappy and misdirected and uncertain, who welcome input, but kindly do not fuck with the different drummers.

For the record, I chose the Madonna Inn picture as a space that's themed but not inherently bad. I have paid to stay in one of the 'rock wall' rooms for kitsch value and just because I love stuff that is over the top. That being said, i don't think I'd want to have my own bedroom look like that.

I don't personally know anyone with enough time/energy to really do up a place like this. It really takes commitmentm dontcha think?

"That ceiling rocks!"

LMAO superflyguy

Can we nominate folks who's place looks like an IKEA showroom?
posted by bepsf on 2008-06-25 18:15:33

oh bepsf - i think i would be nominated for sure then!!!
ugh i am an ikea addict

Friends redecorating for friends can be a lot of drama! I just helped a friend renovate and stage her place for sale. And by "helped", I mean I worked my butt off for a week and she complained about everything the whole time. I want my own tv show!

My grandmother's place used to be a prime candidate for this. She once mentioned at a family gathering that she loved Holstein cows (the black & white cows) and so EVERYONE started buying her cow-themed gifts - b&w cow salt & pepper shakers, napkin holders, pot holders, towels, rugs, pillows, knick-knacks, clocks, lamps - etc., etc.!

My grandmother has great taste, but the problem is, she's very worried about offending people and she's BLIND. So her place started to look like the National Dairy Association's headquarters. I finally had the courage to tell my mother that is was ridiculous and that I was certain that if my grandmother could see it, she'd be pissed.

The cow motif has now been heavily edited down to a few cute, fun pieces that add some character and personality and my grandmother has told me that she appreciated my speaking up.

All that being said, I love my family and friends and would never subject them to this kind of show's embarrassment/harassment technique

The difference being, she didn't surround herself with cow motif, it was brought on by others somewhat accidentally (and who hasn't been in a similar position?) and made her unhappy, and although you skipped mentioning it, it sounds like you checked in with your grandmother to make sure you weren't doing it just for yourself.

I found myself at a 7-11 a few months ago, and a couple about 50-60 years old had to stop in the middle of their purchase to contemplate a stuffed bear that wore a kilt and played music, which they decided to buy, because she just can't pass up a bear. Sure, I rolled my eyes, because SLURPEE!, but I didn't go over their house and dictate that her motif was ridiculous. My mother's house is the same way (not bears). I have to say I would suggest against most of her choices, but I don't help her make any decisions unless she asks for advice.

I kind of have the idea that people are grown-ups and know what makes them happy. Padding the home with delight is a natural instinct. Confusion may arise with fear or indecision or a preference that's inflexible to the current trends, but you relent to someone pushy who thinks they know what you should have. "Doing what you like" can be paralyzing for people who are raised to be uncertain or unassertive, or possibly too lazy to undo something after they see how it looks when they realize it's awful. (I'm convinced a lot of fear of color is actually the result of choosing a shade that turned out to be quite wrong and high-tailing it back to white for safety out of ignorance).

Living with restrictions like roommates (or cohabitation) or families (spouses, children and/or parents/parents-in-law), and landlords, not to mention less money than you'd like to have to throw around, can inhibit people who would ordinarily dare. Not having the means or adequate space to go as overboard as you want is an equally pressing idea for a tv spectacle. Help me live inside a Victorian era lace-covered dollhouse dome as I was meant to! or I love frogs, and I love cats, but my collection is kind of a mess to display, and I can't find cat&frog wallpaper, PLEASE HELP!

You know, nominating people for these kinds of things is really awful. I agree the room is hideous but the creator probably loves it... they made it what it is. I would really appreciate a makeover show where the contestants know they have gone too far and ask for help.
We may despise the room, but we don't have to live in it.

Yes, but reality TV isn't about making people happy: it's about making TV.

I've got to say that "What not to wear", especially the UK version, is beneficial: lots of people get stuck with a look that's too young or too hippy or too biker (or too BEIGE) and it's helpful to know how to translate what you want into what you can pull off. And other people have to look at your 'style choices'. This isn't the case with decor.

50 year old women in tube tops in the office: an offence to the eyeballs. 50 year old women who decorate their apartment with teddybears in kilts: their own bloody business.

No sense in stifling individuality, even if it does go overboard.

The posted requirements:

a do-it-yourselfer who copies everything in magazines
a homeowner who is obsessed with a motif
an over-the-top decorator who thinks more is better

Isn't that just about everyone here? Really? There are reviews and images taken from magazines on this site, and everyone seems to want to know where a certain item comes from because ...they want it for themselves. Is that not copying?

And does that include catalogs? Not just IKEA. But DWR. Or the rest of the usually touted sources here.

Obsessed with motif? Does MidC count? How about Hollywood Regency? Let's look at the definition:



Main Entry:
mo·tif Listen to the pronunciation of motif
Pronunciation:
\mō-ˈtēf\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
French, motive, motif, from Middle French — more at motive
Date:
1848

1: a usually recurring salient thematic element (as in the arts); especially : a dominant idea or central theme2: a single or repeated design or color
— mo·tif·ic Listen to the pronunciation of motific \-ˈtÄ“-fik, -ˈti-\ adjective

That certainly qualifies many of the rooms or homes shown here.

And as far as over the top decorators, well, we've seen some house tours and small cool homes and we just had a blurb on Jonathon Alder.

But there is no doubt that the folks who present their homes in the house tours and in the small cool contest absolutely LOVE their spaces.

It doesn't matter if *I* don't like it. It's not my place. I don't have to live there. I can say that I don't like it. That's fine. I can even say WHY I don't like it. That should also be fine.

But deciding that this or that person's place needs an overhaul...that's not my decision.

One reason I don't watch TV is because of the "reality" shows. And what happens if the nominated person gets a makeover from someone they don't like...see that Jonathon Alder blurb again.

I do not want bright green and bright yellow in my place. I don't care who makes it. Or who promotes it. Too bright for me:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/news/happy-chic-home-contest-jonathan-adler-point-click-home-054525

I like blacks, browns, beiges, off-whites, whites, grays, rusts, golds. Just right for me:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/architectural/eric-garcettis-green-echo-park-home-054571

Most all of Janel collection items would work for me:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/scavenger/modern-times-scavenger-warm-rustic-living-room-054302
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/scavenger/wright-now-scavenger-fifties-wood-white-rec-room-045229

Now, if it was Janel doing my place...

And I would love to have blinding colors outside in a colorful flower garden.
http://www.indoorsoutdoors.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=887

"Reality" shows depend on the lowest common denominators of human nature---meanness, pettiness, spitefulness, and the display of token emotional freaks (I'm thinking right now of HGTV's contestant Michael Stribling, whom they obviously kept on board for a while to display his disfunction). This new series is based on the same despicable premises, with the added agenda of destroying the magical worlds of real originals and eccentrics. What fun!

While I agree with everyone else that it would be horrible to do this to someone and disrespect their choices, I would totally watch this show.

I had dinner at the Gobbler once, and that place was awesome!

Well it's kind of the same premise as "What Not to Wear", and the people on that show are usually pissed at first but grateful by the end.