coarsetalk's Profile

P.S. What you really need in there are two or three Memphis-inspired, Ettore Sottsass-influenced items ... A Fiorucci-style poster? Oh to hell with it, let's just hang a bunch of Nagel chicks.

I love it!

I'm very curious what might have been done without painting over the wood.

Oh but it WOULD be "a pleasure spending the afternoon with Paul in his bright and airy little apartment." Sigh.

There's a sense of fun which hints at a sense of humor underneath, but giggles are carefully edited away ... I wonder about those pieces which lingered here a month or two before Andrew shook his head & said, No this one has to go too ...It's VERY EIGHTIES without even the slightest nod to mid-century kitsch worship. As each slide passes, I expect to see a tongue-in-cheek Nagel print, or a Memphis/Sottsass-inspired piece for contrast.

Movie posters & mirrors!!! Pin-up gallery in a party parlor? CLUTCH THE PEARLS!!! I know how he's living in THERE: BLUES & BARBECUE! Straight from the pit.

THREE THINGS would SAVE this apartment from looking (as Skylark1992 puts it) "like Urban Outfitter and IKEA catalogs exploded on their walls":

1. MORE SOPHISTICATED & ADVENTUROUS TEXTILES & PATTERNS. The bedding, upholstery & shower curtain represent the MOST GENERIC & YES, JUVENILE PATTERNS we see at K-MART, WalMart, Target, et al. Skylark is too generous in suggesting this apartment represents an Urban Outfitter aesthetic. UO carries wonderful textiles which would IMPROVE this interior. However, I wouldn't stop at UO ... Rather, I would recommend getting more adventurous with authentic VINTAGE textiles: Consider some crocheted pieces, maybe a boldly textured afghan, or a wild quilt.

2. MORE VINTAGE (or NEW & ADVENTUROUS) PIECES IN GENERAL!!! The green glass candle holders above the bed shed much light on this apartment's problem: Jules & Tyler have a fantastic eye for color & arrangement -- and they're true to their aesthetic, but their choices lack adventure & sophistication. Shame on you for emphasizing those boring little green glass candle holders! You could have done much better, and you KNOW it. Also, in a space where the Favorite Element is a "weathered wood window frame ... made into a mirror", the photo frames should show more originality. Again, looks like we stopped by Target really fast to pick up some frames ...

3. If "Shabby Chic" lacks a grunge heart, it FAILS every time. Jules & Tyler need to GET OVER THEIR BIGGEST EMBARRASSMENT & celebrate their funky kitchen floor. We knew this was a rental; you didn't have to apologize for it. Instead, why don't you sell those boring dining chairs at a good consignment place &/or trade them in for a glam set of vynil-upholstered kitchenette chairs, with maybe a Spirit of '76 pattern on them? And don't accuse me of suggesting that you go all retro.

You're very talented & you've arranged everything beautifully. Very successful use of bold colors. You do NOT lack sophistication. The apartment does NOT look juvenile.

The trouble is that BOLD COLORS ALONE DO NOT SHOW ORIGINALITY OR ADVENTURE. Rather, bold colors have a way of requiring originality & adventure from the patterns & furnishings they highlight.

HOUSE TOUR! HOUSE TOUR! HOUSE TOUR! Simplicity and a refreshing lack of emphasis on Mid Century Modern make this place easy to admire.

Wow, can't wait until I've purchased that sectional to banish montreal mouth vomit from my place. Dig your BEDDING! Where did you find it?

Jealous.

My criticism can be vicious ... and I LOVE your place. You've demonstrated that faithfully maintaining a strong background of black, white and silver with a lot of red accents still leaves room for other great colors. It's a lesson heavily emphasized in the '80s, and a message ahead of its time now that most interiors are almost as drenched in bold colors as they were in the '70s, if not more so.

I am especially fond of your taste in art.