Abstractionist's Profile

While I don't think the fixation on decorating necessarily reflects self-esteem issues, I do believe all the attention to home decor says something about the increasing instability of our lives. I believe that we pay so much attention to decorating because it is the one area of our lives in which we feel some control. So we may have lost a job, we may not be able to afford healthcare, we may not know how long our contract work or freelance position will last or how we are going to afford to put our kids through college, but we know, at least, that we can have fresh flowers on the table or a set of matching dish towels or a clean and clutter-free environment. I myself spend more of my time making my home environment nice, precisely because I feel I have so little control over life outside my door. I have heard other people say exactly the same thing.

Fun! It's a relief to see something different. I am among the many here who have grown tired of the stereotypical MCM white-walled look. It's great to see someone who moves to the beat of his own drum instead of following design convention.

I'd say that if your kitchen is open to the dining or living room and you want marble precisely because it's "dressier," than you probably SHOULD NOT go with marble. Over time, it's going to look dingy and not so dressy anymore, which might be fine for a farmhouse kitchen, but you might not want to be looking at that all the time from the dining or living room. I would consider something like caeserstone or silestone instead.

I would go with a tribal Persian rug --- a Hamedan or Shiraz. The room is pretty classic, so a Persian would seem is in keeping with your sensibility. It will also not conflict with any art you may choose to put up in the future. They are amazingly resistant to dirt and wear and tear if you happen to have pets. They also will age much better than some rugs out there with contemporary patterns.

I love kilim pillows. I think they have a way of making a space feel more lived in. They also nicely soften up the feel of modern decor that might otherwise seem a little sterile.

Beautiful house but it does make me long for a little bit of punch somewhere --- namely maybe some beautiful tribal persian rugs to add a little color and classicism without interfering with the minimalist vibe....

I love Sweden. Last time I was there, there was so much to take in visually. I find their design sense in public spaces to be far more sophisticated than what you see in the U.S.

This looks nice. I think I would have tried to work with the old cabinet color, though, while changing the floors, countertops, backsplash, lighting and wall color. I'm starting to suffer from white cabinet fatigue (a sure sign that a trend has begun to peak) and I'm craving kitchens with a little color and coziness these days. But anyway, still a nice job.

I have a black shedding lab mix dog. My solution was a dark red patterned tribal persian rug, which has been absolutely great! It shows no hair, no dirt, is completely resistant to vomit and cat scratching, as well as dog hair. I think the key is a pattern with vibrant but darker colors. For the couch, we opted for a leather couch which is in kind of an olive-pear green. The dog doesn't get on the couch, but if he did it would be a piece of cake to clean. In your case, with gray walls, I think a black leather couch and vibrant oriental rug would look fabulous and would be quite pet friendly.

I agree that this is truly only a problem for design-blog readers and design professionals. Most other folks buy a table from their nearest furniture store, a big beige couch, and that's it. They aren't constantly changing their stuff because 1) they can't afford to, and 2) they don't see the need. So you have to keep this in perspective that this is only a problem for a tiny segment of the population. As for the design blog readers, I don't think it's necessarily bad to follow a trend if you really like it. I think it's up to individuals to ponder what effect they may be having on the environment in following certain design trends (particularly when it requires disposing of something that is perfectly functional only in the name of style) and to ask themselves if they are slavishly trying to stay "up-to-date" or whether they are developing their own look that is not so dependent on the latest fashion. As for myself, I was tempted to paint my oak kitchen cabinets white a few years back, but have resisted the urge because I decided I was only following a fashion. My cabinets are in great shape and are of good quality. So painting seemed like a gratuitous and unnecessary nod to fashion born of reading too many design blogs!