Good point, Fun. I remember that post but my recollection was that the HO didn't enjoy shopping at chain stores and preferred to "hunt" for her treasures at flea markets etc. I guess I didn't see that as a crime as I am almost the reverse of that. I'd rather bargain hunt online (going from website to website, looking for free shipping, tracking coupon codes etc.) than spend hours sifting through all kinds of crazy at flea markets. While I'd love to find ( and have found) some unique items at thrift shops etc., Sometimes I'd rather try to hunt for a bargain on a new item (and not have to paint, stain, refurbish, strip) a beat up piece I see at a garage sale that they are asking just as much for. However, I did understand the irritation of what the poster was pointing out. The article seemed a little (to me, at least) pretentious.

Tibbrix, I agree it can be touchy as a place we call home is such a personal space. I see comments all the time from people who think if there's no clutter from the kids and the dogs and rest of the family that that cannot possibly be a home ;-) I have a small family and no pets so I would have much less patience for that lifestyle. But, I have a friend with five kids and pets and I love visiting her home. I have a very contemporary home and hers is very country, quilty, comforting but I can appreciate the beauty in her home and how it really works for her lifestyle.

Tib, I don't think you started a war regarding top loaders vs front loaders. We all have opinions and what is great for me surely isn't for everyone. I love seeing all the comments even if they don't agree with my opinion. I often have to chuckle at how asking for our opinions confuses the OP as we all have such different takes on the same thing.

Well, I think if it had been someone's home from this forum, responses would have been quite different.

Now, this picture here shows something that I find strange, puzzling, definitely "not for me."

[Eclectic Family Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2104) by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Ian Stallings

I don't think that decorating that is very personal and/or fairly original meets the aesthetic needs of enough people to get published, so it is not often seen.

But I think people who frequent design forums are over exposed to ideas. I don't know how often I have had clients or someone who is not really into design has said "I saw this New thing" and it's something that's been around for years. ---Or how many times have GW posters in one region talked about replacing something with a "new" finish, and in some parts of the country that "new" finish is so "done" that it is now the "old finish"?

The house in Houzz may be very unique where that homeowner lives. I've never seen a house like that except in a magazine, myself, so it's not like it's commonplace.

Well, I think if it had been someone's home from this forum, responses would have been quite different.

^ I thought this same thing. If the photos had come from a poster on this board, I felt like others would have extolled the virtues and creativity of said poster. Which, if you're into psychology, it just makes this discussion all the more interesting ;-)

I find that the older I get, the more I crave functionality and comfort, both physical and mentally comforting.

Don't you think that the idea that we would compliment the positives more if it belonged to a member of this forum just means that we are polite to each other?

Don't you think that the idea that we would compliment the positives more if it belonged to a member of this forum just means that we are polite to each other?

Of course! And it's a good thing to be supportive of one another. But that doesn't address my original question of why some felt the featured home was uninspired, unoriginal, contrived, and trying too hard. That is the part I am actually interested in: when a group is being completely honest, with no social consequences, why would the featured home be considered "dull" as one poster put it?

I think trying too hard is like when someone is a fashion victim. This person might be a home decor victim. Of course she can decorate any way she likes and doesn't need anyone to come and critique it! But that doesn't mean we, being women or being human, won't want to give our maybe catty opinion of it. I'm happy she likes it, I'm sure she wouldn't like mine. That's okay.

I agree we would have been nicer if the pics were of a poster's home.

I didn't see your last post mmmbeer! I see I didn't answer your question!

Dear Mmmbeeer,
your post got me thinking. I used to enjoy GW...because folks came to share "their" decor and ask questions. Now it is a link fest and a BIG YAWN. So thanks for your post!

I totally agree where you said "I can't remember the last time I saw a home on a blog or Houzz or HGTV where any of the decor was truly unique and not inspired by others before it."

I am so sick sick sick of Houzz and Craigslist. If I wanted to go there I would go there. Some people (you know who you are, have little to offer other than links to somewhere I find a total bore).

Enjoy that Ikea lamp...and yay for you!! I have a cat table from my childhood that is so strange and hideous it would blow your mind. I would not bother to share it here today because it is not "trendy" or "fancy". It's just cool.

I am originally from the Midwest, and that is where the cat table came from, so maybe we have some form of appreciation for things well made that can't be bought or seen on Houzz!

Thanks for asking if anyone care to elaborate. I am jumping from my little soapbox now. Stay warm and be well Mmmbeeer, you made my day :)

I actually get the fashion victim analogy--that's probably the response I can relate to best. I guess I cut the HO some slack on her trendy tendencies as design is (if I remember from the article correctly) her chosen profession. I actually found it tasteful, minus the target practice board and I imagined in her line of work she probably gets discounts and previews of trendy items before the rest of us. I have a feeling her decor is probably updated a lot. In short, to follow along with your fashion analogy (which I loved, BTW), I didn't see her as goth or emo or gangsta or too specific in any way. It was a neutral, classic, but still contemporary (IMO) fashion statement.

Enjoy that Ikea lamp...and yay for you!! I have a cat table from my childhood that is so strange and hideous it would blow your mind. I would not bother to share it here today because it is not "trendy" or "fancy". It's just cool.

I am originally from the Midwest, and that is where the cat table came from, so maybe we have some form of appreciation for things well made that can't be bought or seen on Houzz!

Thanks for asking if anyone care to elaborate. I am jumping from my little soapbox now. Stay warm and be well Mmmbeeer, you made my day :)

Well, you made mine too! And who tantalizes a whole message board with a "strange AND hideous" cat table and won't share a link?? Lol. I hope you're happy that I was just about to turn in for the night and now I'm all Nancy Drew about the mystery of the crazy cat table! Sounds like a conversation piece to me!

There is also the element that she is trying too hard to be stylish and not comfortable. They don't have to be exclusive or difficult.

I think anyone who posts on a blog or Houzz should expect a wide range of comments and not take anything personally.

Here it is...I love this silly thing:

sasafras, that's not a silly thing. I love it too. That's the kind of personality-filled interesting item I watch for!

It makes me smile big time. How many tables do that? Very cool.

Tibbrix, I wasn't chastising anyone. I was just trying to explain why I thought responses to the referenced house were what they were.

Fun2BHere, I guess an example of how the written word can be misinterpreted!

First of all, to each his/her own. I personally couldn't relate to the home at all. I find the neutrality of it lovely and always refreshing as opposed to loud colors, but beyond that, I find it disconnected. The homeowner has infused country, traditional, industrial, kitschy, whimsical, modern, rustic, cottage-y, and if I look hard enough, could probably find a French country detail. I love a home with an eclectic vibe, but it can usually be achieved with 3 to 4 various decorating styles, but the idea of 7 or more makes me think someone is trying way too hard to be in what is perceived as the 'decorating loop' and is influenced by way too many decorating catalogs.

It may seem pretentious and contrived to us, and our opinions are just that. I've seen homes that are decorated to the nines with over-priced furniture, window treatments, landscaping, and a lavish pool. IMO, even more pretentious and contrived.

Love that table! Also the name...crazy cat table! Talk about being unique and enjoying something most have never seen before.

For my decor, I do fall into the trap sometimes of looking for approval in that if others like it, it must be okay then. But only sometimes. And that comes from looking at sites like houzz and forums like GW. I think I have decor overload on my brain when making a decorating decision. I suspect a lot of that comes from the expense. If I make a wrong decision, I'll have to live with it anyways. Lol.

But I do appreciate the opinions of this forum.

Nosoccermom...I love that room! I would change a few things but the color scheme appeals to me.

She is a *stylist* which I think explains a lot. She looks at things with a view to how they would look through a camera lens or as a vignette. I had a friend who was a stylist for a furniture store that had all sorts of accessory vignettes at home, too. The design wasn't neccessarily that strong, but it looked interesting. But an open hutch door hung with antique textiles and pyramids of balls of yarn, string and moss are interesting to look at for a while, but not really practical for every day living.

I think it's okay that she is using her house as a style lab of sorts, but this may be why the ideas seem over-worked.

But isn't it the same with hair stylists? Very few of the stylists I see in the neighborhood salons have "normal" (for lack of a better word) haircuts or colors. Very few personal stylists I see wear classic sophisticated clothes. They are always trying something different (not necessarily totally original, just different meaning not the same as last month) and switching things around, and that may be what this house is about.

OMG, I have to respond to this :-)

Tribbix wrote: Mistake on my part, but someone responded by using explanation points and writing, "She wants a sink that doesn't scratch!" I was expecting a "you moron" at the end! Lol. But, I suspect the person who wrote it was chuckling rather than mocking( I hope so, anyway!).

That was me - and I was chuckling both yesterday and today. :-) (Next time, I think i'll write "I think you might want to reconsider your recommendation of soapstone for a sink. Please note that the OP specifically stated she wants a sink that does not scratch. I is my understanding that soapstone does scratch quite a bit" LOL!

"overexposure" and "fashion [home dec] victim"-- to me that's saying it all.

It's not a bad home--it's not ugly or anything, just dull. To me--just like I find many professionally decorated homes dull, with no "life" to them. Pretty to look at; au courant, but not much reflective of a homeowner's personality. I think a few of these very trendy touches would be great--just not all at once.

I don't find GW a link fest or a yawn at all. I see many people (including me) posting questions, asking for comments, and getting help.

This post was edited by Violet.West on Thu, Feb 20, 14 at 12:26

I'm no trendy decor person, but I do love looking at home design and especially on this forum where people are working out their decor dilemmas and ideas. I love the process and seeing the great ideas others come up with as solutions for each other.

However, that particular house looked to me as if the stylist had shopped Target and Home Goods, which I am not above doing, by the way, for things that had finally filtered to mass market. If it had been shown in BHG as "look what you can do on a strict budget" I'd have had a different reaction than seeing it being presented as innovative and original on Houzz.

sassafras, you made MY day with your post. I totally agree about some people here overposting - things that are just links they find interesting; sometimes I think they just like seeing their screen name at the top. Sometimes one poster would have 3 threads going and start another, and I don't mean people who are trying to decorate their homes (which I love seeing here). So thanks for saying what I've been thinking for a long time and couldn't articulate. Sometimes I almost just post "why don't you start a blog, instead of using HD for your own personal space and any excuse to show the same tired pics of your house, over and over and over?" Whew! Rant over! (But I do love me some bad Craigslist threads).

And, I am really glad that people here are mostly very kind in their critiques to other members.

Mmm- you asked:
why some felt the featured home was uninspired, unoriginal, contrived, and trying too hard. That is the part I am actually interested in: when a group is being completely honest, with no social consequences, why would the featured home be considered "dull" as one poster put it?

I am firmly in the camp of viewing the house as contrived. For the last 5-6 years a beaten up old typewriter has been featured on blogs and magazines as a cute part of some vignette in some photo spread. (if the typewriter was a family memento, or the homeowner were a typesetter, font creator, novelist or the like then it would be more acceptable to me). She decided to feature a bus sign, sure hers is a bit more " original" from an ARTIST, no less! Oh and she has to get at least 50 points of "culture cred" because it's British! Route signs were sold in pottery bar what 6 years ago? rH before that? And in the 90s the really cool broke kids were reusing signs and trash. She stenciled numbers on an old dresser' why? Is she in an art studio or campaign expedition where she might need to tell someone "get the xyz in drawer 2". Nope! It's a family home. She did it because anthropolgie sells something similar and has for atleast the last 4 years, I believe. Bird on a wire is another popular trend around the blogosphere. Same with the cake stand as a way to artfully stage a vignette. Why does she have the shooting target? Is that really art? Or just another hipster contrived ironical kind of thing? I don't think there is one original or unique to her personality thing in that home. I think the picture of the eifel tower would easily be switched with a picture of a taco stand in tijuana if suddenly "having an affinity" for tijuana carries cache in a way that makes one seem sophisticated artistic and traveled.

Sorry for the rant, but you did ask.

As for GW I wish Pal would come back and hold court again. I enjoy reading his exploration of certain architecture styles or decorating. Researching old threads It seems GW used to be have more frequent discussion of general theory. I love a WWYD post as sometimes I can take away design principles etc but I do miss the more thought provoking general threads as well.

Also I do wish people gave more constructive comments to reveal threads. Yes dome are truly flawless and gush worthy others still could benefit from a discerning eye. However reveals are like ugly babies around here, I guess?

This post was edited by NashvilleBuild42 on Thu, Feb 20, 14 at 13:56

Oly- so if some honestly feels that a poster should consider a different pillow or moving the furniture around and says so is that unkind? Is the only "kind" thing to do is to be effusive or say nothing at all?

I think constructive critical comments can be made without attacking someone or their hard work, iykwim

you know, forums are funny old things -- you just can't force them in a direction you want them to go, or control other posters' habits.

Just as in life, you get out what you put in. I certainly don't mind the "look at my new xxxx" posts, or the "what do you think about this house" posts. If you can't post a decorating squee on a decorating forum, where can you?

okeydokey.

sjhockeyfan,

Glad you caught this. Here's the ugly truth: I am a dummy, at least I was in that instance. I did not know that soapstone scratches, only that I really like soapstone sinks, so I was way wrong in suggesting it.

Next time, "Soapstone scratches badly! Bops Tibbrix on the head" will do!

Always great to learn something new too!

I posted on the other thread today and am reposting here. It's cool that people don't like the look ... nothing wrong with that whatsoever. But it's not true that she talks about how original her stuff is. She is attempting to decorate on a dime. And if you read through her blog, many of her finds have a personal, family story behind them and have been collected over time.

---

It sounds like some here are mistaking the person who wrote the Houzz article, Sarah Greenman, for the designer and HO, Dana Pugh.

Because of this thread, I started following Dana's blog "Tattered Style" and she seems anything but pretentious. I've read many of her posts, and not once has she claimed she's come up with a look or concept. She just appears to be having fun! She's a junker and flea market frequenter who gets her hands dirty with salvage and repurpsing. I've found her blog to be filled with lots of treasures.

Here's a link to her first post in 2011:

Here is a link that might be useful: Dana Pugh's first post on her Tattered Style blog

Violet- I don't mind any threads. I merely miss some other content that has gone missing.

Tell us what you really think, Nashvillebuild! :) You forgot to mention the coffee table on wheels, though.

I enjoyed your rant.

Nancy true or the chairs in that room. IIRC they are all highly featured as covetable items on blogs and magazines. I guess I should just be relieved to see no Union Jacks or keep calm and carry on?

Sorry for the typos in previous post. I'm waiting for an appt and on the iPad.

Possibly one reason some of us saw that house as contrived, etc. is that we look at a lot of decor pics online and it seems there are sooo many supposedly trendy and 'unique' vintage items that are seen all over blogland, Houzz, and Pinterest. I know I often wonder what decor accents might be considered really unique. The ones that used to be are so overused that they are now quite boring.

I have to admit that I like many of these ubiquitous items and have a few in my house. I have managed to avoid the British route sign as well as Keep Calm and Carry On altho when I first saw those years ago I thought they were interesting but they are now so overused as to be quite ho-hum.

I find it unfortunate that interesting items do became so overused that I not longer want to use them. However, I've decided that I will likely wait for another 5 or 10 years to use some of them when they will be really 'dated' and likely also very inexpensive! I must start a list of such items! I've always loved that little aluminum pedestal side table so must put that on the list.

I like when people post links so hope no one stops doing that. For those who don't like that type of post it's easy enough to NOT click the link! I've found a lot of useful info by clicking links but if it's not something I like I just unclick! So easy.

IMO it's really crucial that one develop a 'thick skin' when reading or posting on forums. There will always be someone who thinks differently and may even seem rude. Sometimes I think rudeness may be in the eye of the beholder and not how the words were meant. Even when people are deliberately and obviously rude I don't have to let it affect me. I learn a lot from OP's opinions, comments, and links.

Sasafras, your little cat table is one of those totally unique items that makes a house interesting. If I had seen it in a yard sale it would be mine! LOL However, since it's likely the only one in our universe it's something I couldn't have found.

Jujubean, thanks for the link to Dana's blog, I missed that in the other link.

Jujubean71, thanks for the link.

luckygal, I agree with what you are saying. And I don't think there's any need to be super unique in your decorating, or that a person needs to own every cliched item in the book either.

or I should say, I personally wouldn't want to own every cliched item in the book.

I love your cat table, thanks for sharing it !!

I think there is overuse of certain items, but every decor uses the trends in a different way, for me it's how it's all put together that counts, the total look of a finished room/house, in detail, that's what I like to see.

When I look at featured homes, I want to see a total package, totally finished, not a work in progress or a room that needs to be purged.

Nashvillebuild I agree totally...people ask for help here and other people give great feedback and suggestions, but mostly in a kind, yet honest way. I wasn't suggesting at all that being kind meant not being honest. And I think people are just as kind to the modest or budget inquiries as they are to the high end posters, many of whom have decorating problems lots of us will only ever dream about! But it's fun to dream!

Jujubean, thank you for the clarification about the blogger's presence on Houzz. It changes how I view things about her house.

I admit I looked at the house the other day and immediately passed it off, I don't think I even finished it. It did seem contrived and lacking of any real character to me. I tend to avoid trends, and she had every one imaginable thrown in there. When I see someone's house or space I expect to get a feel for that person, their personality, interests and what's important to them, that house felt empty to me. I felt as if I was looking at a RH spread.

On the other hand, at least these people are trying. In my life, "real people's" homes are seldom decorated as nicely as that, overly trendy or no.

I guess in way that's why I just didn't get it, it seemed like she was trying too hard. I'm not trying to find fault with her, to each their own. I was just trying to explain to Mmmb why some people may have not enjoyed the house as much as others, because I was one of those people.

so if some honestly feels that a poster should consider a different pillow or moving the furniture around and says so is that unkind? Is the only "kind" thing to do is to be effusive or say nothing at all?

I think it depends. If the comment is "maybe try a different pillow" or "I think that chair should be moved to the corner," that's great. Easy and cheap to fix, or at least, to experiment with to see if you agree with the person offering suggestions. If the comment for the reveal is more in the spirit of, "your new, expensive leather couch is all wrong for the room room" or something that calls into question some substantial recent, irreversible purchases-- unless the OP asks for the specific feedback, I think it's potentially hurtful. A reveal is generally when the work is done or close to done and the purchases have been made. At that point, I do think saying nothing is better than making a negative comment, unless the person is expressing doubts and sincerely asking for opinions.

I have to say I agree with Violet - IRL most people's homes don't look picture perfect. More people live in a "before" than an "after". :) But I love all the comments on GW - both the positive and the negative. The comments that really help teach me about design in general are always the more "critical" ones. I'm amazed at how much I don't know! So thank you to the people who have the nerve to go out on a limb with their comments.

I agree with sas95.

When someone posts a reveal, unless they specifically ask for feedback, I don't think it is appropriate to be critical. Usually I think people post reveals here as a way of thanking the people who helped them. And being critical of the finished product isn't usually very helpful, nor does it encourage people to post more reveals in the future.

I usually don't see much criticism of reveals though.

Sas--I am so happy you posted your crazy cat table! Ain't nobody gonna complain that that sucker is over exposed, "so last year", or dull ;-) It was nothing like I expected--it was a lot more funky!

Ugh, I had to go to stupid work today and would have rather been reading this forum! I had the same overall feeling as JuJu--that was exactly my take on reading the article and I can't wait to check out the link! Thanks for taking the time to post that. So many interesting perspectives...

The original post got me to thinking about my own home (and even my dollhouses, which I have because I love decor. Lol) I looked around my home and found very few things that seemed "original". My home is contemporary and fairly neutral (after having some unexpected moves due to job changes, I've learned to embrace the neutral look for any "just in case we would have to move again" scenarios) and there are definitely some parallels between my home and the one featured. I also have no children living at home or pets so we have very little clutter. It just made me wonder if my friends walk away from my home and say to themselves, "She's trying just a little to hard..." Lol. The part that I loved was the irony that this was supposed to showcase a neutral home and it still seemed to irritate a certain percentage of people ;-) I really enjoyed reading the responses--glad so many of you took the time to weigh in.

Looking back at the thread and Mmmbeer's conclusion, I see where the editorial spin may have influenced people's comments. I did not read the text when I viewed the original link; my only reaction was to the oddity of putting a shooting target in your DR. I can see, somewhat, where people may react to the quotations in the article as well (see "large department stores" comment). There was a disconnect between the prose and quotations and the heavy use of major retailer items for the main pieces -- that one quotation was not very self aware.

Sas95 thanks for your last post (and what a smile that table brought to my face!). I think that you summed it up perfectly, for me, about a reveal and asking, or NOT asking, for help or specific feedback.

It's funny that we mention having a 'thick skin' when you post a thread but that thick skin goes both ways. If I say 'thanks but no thanks, I like it just the way that it is and I didn't ask for suggestions of change', well then, the person that offered me unsolicited advice should have thick skin too.

I changed my username after having been a GW member for 10 yrs or so and due to changes in my life have posted MUCH less frequently on GW over the yrs since changing my that name.

W/in the first few months of changing my username I got hammered by a more recent GW member because I posted links to décor related things and upcoming TV shows. I simply did not have time to post lengthier stuff but wanted to remain a part of GW as much as possible. I posted those links because I knew specifically that lots of other GWer's were very interested in those specific things. It was fairly ugly and clearly a case of open mouth, insert foot as many GWer's came to my defense that I was not some 'Spammer'.

When I posted another project that I completed another member actually responded in the strangest way that they'd done and posted something similar weeks prior and nobody responded to their post. It was really uncomfortable for some members of which one finally posted in good spirit to sooth the other over that maybe I was inspired by the other. In fact I was not nor had I ever seen the other but what I appreciated was the GW member who had the sensitivity and common sense to try and appease the slighted member who went off in a huff.

Look, I may post infrequently and post my reveals & projects more so than for help but hey, some folks here have helped me or have been interested in my projects for some time. And I post to threads that I can offer specific advice to when I am on. Sometimes there are a many, sometimes none that I can contribute to. And I've dreamt out loud on GW for ages and some of those dreams are finally coming to fruition so, yeah, I'm gonna post about them and it sounds like a fair amount of folks are going to potentially find that self-serving. That's ok. So many have been helpful and supportive during that time urging me to go for it.

So 14yrs of being a member here and having had seeing it on both ends:

1: Being a very regular poster and posting often.

and

2: Not being a regular and posting here and there in spurts.

You do get treated differently.

But whatever. I love decorating so, so very much that I won't ever stop posting here to some extent. Just make sure to not be slighted if I directly respond to unsolicited 'what I should change' advice.

Now, I really need to find the link to the house on Houzz that started...