But do you have them on every table pal? Or can I set down a cup of coffee somewhere?

I've just returned to a house I haven'three months or so...Dh says he cleaned...Amy want to compare dust collections? I walked across the library today and left foot prints on the dusty floor LOL

"I didn't mean to say or imply that the figures were cheap as in not worth much or cheaply priced. What I meant was the mere fact that there are so many of them cheapens them. In my opinion. It's just that when you have somethng really cool or unique, it's, well, cool and unique. When you have 200 of that item, no matter what their cost was, the coolness and uniqueness is diminished."

Here's how I view it, sometimes when you have collections of multiples that are displayed as a whole - that becomes the look-- as opposed to the individual piece or pieces like the shelves w/pugs in her bdrm.
That also the art of staging - to make them interesting.

You can use one painting on a wall or they can be stacked to the ceiling - one painting is viewed and appreciated individually and the stacked are first observed as a whole and the individuality is discovered later.

The other thing to notice, she keeps her collection with a consistent look i.e. $$$$, she's not mixing in lesser.

chijim, yup, that makes perfect sense. I gotcha. And I agree that the whole thing IS put together, meaning it's not haphazard or tossed about, it's clearly been thought out.

So what I'm saying is that the whole look just doesn't work for me. It's just overwhelming. There are other styles that I'm not a fan of as well, but the reason this one provoked me to voice my opinion is that I've just never seen anything quite like that before. I'm glad you posted it.

When I made that comment above about "less is more" I should have qualified it. I'm a "more is more" person in that I wouldn't be comfortable in a minimalist home. I have a lot of "stuff" in my house reflecting my own loves and personality. And although *I* like it all, I've sometimes wondered if it can be too much. Looking at these photos helped me not only to put it in perspective, but to appreciate what I do have and like as sort of "my style".

Very interesting discussion and ideas.

Igloo, I have lots of places to put down a coffee cup, or most especially a glass of wine. C'mon over!

I guess people like her need "stuff" to comfort them. I find the apartment suffocating.

My grandmother has been gone for some 60+ years. If she wanted a thousand pugs in her house, I could care less.
At that age, I don't think she should care about what decorating trends or styles are. Let her have what she loves. I would just be happy to visit her.

I'm speechless and a little dizzy! But who the heck am I to say, what makes people happy?

....Jane

I am trying to figure out why this type of collector/house annoys people. This isn't the Collyer brothers or some woman on Hoarders with a house full of trash. It could collect dust, but it apparently doesn't.

Its a comprehensive collection (just like people have comprehensive collections of fairy lamps, pewter porringers etc., that end up in auction houses when their estates are sold off). Is it her acquisitional power that bothers people? I don't think it matters that they are expensive pug dogs. It could be every Howdy Doody item ever produced.

So why the annoyance? Why the need to diagnose her with some kind of disorder or personality flaw such as she must be filling a void in her life? People are so ready to play amateur psychologist when it comes to extreme collectors, completionists or self-expressionists. I think a psychologist could spend an equal amount of time on the individual who worries about groups of three, and serial shops for accessories that need to match something exactly, and meet current "trends" without looking "dated".

"...people have comprehensive collections...that end up in auction houses..."

Yes, we are all mortal, "can't take it with us," & all of our stuff will be sold to the highest bidder, trashed, or inherited. Kind of sad, huh?

I think this has been a good discussion Palimsest, because we all need to work out what "stuff" means to each of us. How much are we willing or interested in investing to achieve any sort of look? Invest, in terms of money, time, energy, brain space, ect.? As I said above, there's no one right answer. Since this woman went to extremes, it probably prompts us to question our own values, to ask ourselves, "How far would I, could I, go with this?" Like most people here, I feel no need to judge, but her lifestyle provokes thought regarding my own choices.

Yes, a psychologist would probably regard both groups you describe (heavy-duty collectors & obsessive decorators) as problematic, as they would be seen as over-focused on trivial matters, perhaps at the expense of more substantial ones. Again, I think we need to define those terms for ourselves rather than let "experts" decide what is functional or "appropriate" imo.

Maybe this whole thread has stimulated self-discovery & exploration for many of the posters. This whole online experience introduces ways of being in the world. We may choose to try something on for size, or we may discard it.

Pal I first looked at the picture and knew it was a nutty old lady with some money...that's obvious, but I didn't dislike or judge the issue much aside from obviusly seeing it's a nutty old woman. That's not layering, it's piling, and I'm sorry but expensive crap or cheap crap, when you have a dozen stuffed dogs on your sofa you've got too much crap.

Then I read the links on her and it's obvious she's the paris hilton maybe even the lindsey lohen is a better description... of the 60's perhaps even nuttier though. She's so focused on possessions she's lost it. Read her words...the doctor didn't take her scarf off to administer her dope, she specifically had to be sure we knew it was a hermes scarf that was removed. She painted while doped up with her breasts and knew andy worhol so she's a free spirit. It helps to have money.

If my sister with no money went to an art show and painted with her breasts while higher than a kite....she'd just be a nut. This is what happens to the paris hilton's of the world when they get old. They just get old and sad and have a lot of stuff. Cuz stuff is all they ever had. I don't feel anything bad sadness at a life wasted and a bit of disdain that we're to appreciate it because a rich gal wasted her life verses a poor one.

I could afford to have hundreds of pugs....I choose instead to love people and life verses trying to find stuff to fill the holes.

My opinions are strong when I'm tired...but I'll probably feel this way tomorrow. She's just sad, and that's unfortunate :(

Sigh.... I just don't like it when people are dismissed as "a nutty old woman." Or anyone is dismissed in that way. It is dehumanizing. I'm not here to psychoanalyze her, but anyone can see her life is much more complex than that. My attitude probably comes from working many years in the health care field and finding that when you sit down and really listen to people, and try to imagine their lives as they have experienced them, many of them are not so nutty after all. Aspects of those people that we regard as nutty, are better explained as defenses or maladaptions against dysfuntional conditions in their lives. Kind of like a soldier coming off the front lines diving under the table at a restaurant at a loud noise. Or people who grew up in the Depression and keeping their extremely frugal habits, even in the midst of plenty.

But it's just an apartment with pug pillows. OK, a lot of pug pillows. And we don't really know what all her stuff means to her. Pugs are very loving towards people and they have faces that are similar to babies, so they seem to elicit the cute and protective response in people. I got a pug after my last kid left the nest. Is there a meaning to that? I tell myself I got the pug to keep my other dog company...

There are many people who lead lives that have aspects to them that I think are unhealthy. But I can still appreciate other things about them. Pablo Picasso comes to mind. Or Tiger Woods...

Anyway, the apartment seems to have struck a nerve in some people. I too am puzzled about it. I thought the apartment would be enjoyable to view, especially in an era where people like me who don't trend toward the modern, but like the layering, and the visual richness of things somethimes feel left out. Perhaps it is time to drop the thread.

barb, I'm glad you asked Jim to bring it over. I find it fascinating, and could spend days there looking at her collections and hearing the stories behind each item.

Of course some people don't find it appealing, and they feel it's cluttered. OTOH, some people find lofty 2 - 3 story foyers where people ask 'Where do I stop the paint color?' unappealing.

It takes all kinds to make a world, and I agree, barb, for us to say that she needs to get rid of x% to be the (our?) norm doesn't seem quite right.

I love what Pal and lynn have observed. Even though the woman isn't a member of this board, it just doesn't seem right (IMO only) for us who will never know her or be invited to her home to question her mental health, or where we'd set a cup of coffee.

I don't mean to point fingers at anyone, just pulling random points from above posts. I'd feel so sorry if the home owner stumbled across this board and read some of the pronouncements of her. If she is happy, isn't that the point? Make your home enjoyable for you?

Looking again at the photos, there's plenty of space. Lots of room to move around or for coffee cups. Perhaps more pattern than stuff, really. More arty than nutty IMO. I'm impressed with the order in which everything has been arranged. Some people enjoy the visual stimulation & are good at creating it. Wish I could do that.

Interesting for sure; receptionist at the Factory Project, what tales she could tell. She has a fabulous space and has fun with her stuff, I can only agree with that. Pie in the sky, I might read her book, I'll look it up and see.

thanks for posting this, I keep forgetting to check out the NYSD , even though I have it bookmarked.

Aside from original art, I'm not obsessed wth anything I'd like to collect for a lifetime but the pug collection made me smile, it's so friendly looking and joyful.

"I wonder what it would look like if half the items were removed." Stinky-gardener

"If about 50% of the stuff were cleared, I would feel comfortable hanging out there." Sueb20

My3dogs, I hardly think either of these remarks indicate that we think she "needs" to do anything, much less conform to some norm. Indeed, I think we were both clearly speaking for ourselves, our own needs & preferences. Somehow, that's being construed by some as "judgemental" or otherwise harsh or unkind. Interesting.

On one hand, it isn't stretching to "diagnose" her because she herself is the one who describes herself as obsessive, addicted, compulsive. But she sees herself that way, which means she *isn't* nutty. If she were insane, she wouldn't see herself accurately. (Does that distinction make sense?)

Everything in her life seems to be done to excess, or to what the norm considers excess. That's mostly okay. Her apartment is spectacularly done ... I can't imagine living among all that, but to each her own. It's quite beautiful.

And her bedroom is subdued, the closet is unbelievable tidy. (I like how they photographed the unmade bed. Reality!) You might look in my closet and think *I* am nutty, you know? And my soaking tub, which is full of ... junk. Ironing I haven't gotten to, beach stuff I haven't totally unpacked since last August, and so on. My public spaces look tidy, but stay out of my closet and bathroom!

The great thing about having a house with soooo much stuff is there's not someplace that the eye can fall and concentrate on. I looked at these photos 3 or 4 times and never noticed the unmade bed until I read a previous post. I think its great if your into having ALOT of stuff. Its a bit busy for my taste....Its over-the-top busy for my taste. That being said, so is alot of stuff in decorating magazines. I still find them enjoyable. Also, its kind of refreshing to see a home were every room isnt painted some shade of tan / beige / yellow (like mine).

The great thing about having a house with soooo much stuff is there's not someplace that the eye can fall and concentrate on. I looked at these photos 3 or 4 times and never noticed the unmade bed until I read a previous post. I think its great if your into having ALOT of stuff. Its a bit busy for my taste....Its over-the-top busy for my taste. That being said, so is alot of stuff in decorating magazines. I still find them enjoyable. Also, its kind of refreshing to see a home were every room isnt painted some shade of tan / beige / yellow (like mine).

Barb5 - Thanks for posting this fascinating story. I so agree with your comments. But no need to drop the thread! It's a great one!

I don't agree that she is just like Paris Hilton. PH gives every indication of not being intelligent. Brigid Berlin is quite intelligent. She simply was not in control of her self-acknowledged OCD in her younger years. Now her outlet is her stunning apartment, which she has crammed with pretty and well-organized things. Although I couldn't live there - few could - I would love to visit and "have the tour" and have coffee with her and just listen to her talk - because oh, does she have stories to tell.

I ordered the documentary about her, Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story, from Netflix and can't wait to get it. From the reviews, it is sad, a sort of Grey Gardens but about a neatnik. It doesn't appear to me, though, that her life is sad now.

In case some posters haven't noticed, this story is posted from a website about New York society. Following the links, you find a plethora of photo-shoots and interviews about other apartments and their owners in NYC. But no one else has a place like BB!

I just love this and find it to be completely stimulating in a good way. Of course that's because it lines up with my taste and I see so much to appreciate. I can imagine a cold, dreary day in NYC where the the sky is grey, the buildings are grey, the sidewalks are grey, and then you step into this colorful happy world. All these photos make me smile....

I like this space! This is exactly the look I want, or at least I would in a vacation spot--- sort of crazy but at the same time cozy and elegant. HOWEVER, as I was looking at all the photos, I found that I automatically "took out" all of the pug items mentally and admired the wallpaper, upholstery, etc.

I do think it is a refreshing change from the sterile rooms you usually see. ITA with begoniagirl . . .it is a colorful, happy world.

I did enjoy looking at ALL the stuff....but.....

On one hand, it isn't stretching to "diagnose" her because she herself is the one who describes herself as obsessive, addicted, compulsive. But she sees herself that way, which means she *isn't* nutty. If she were insane, she wouldn't see herself accurately. (Does that distinction make sense?)

Of course.

It's a basic version of a Catch-22.

This is one of my favorite rooms.

When I posted it, some of the comments were along the likes of tacky and over the top . It's a Michael S. Smith design, utilizing some of its owners possessions.

I realize that the decorating pendulum quite often swings in an extreme manner. Think physics, ie "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction". Maybe after all of the brighter colors, accent walls, etc, we were due for the pared down and grey Scando schemes. Personally, I couldn't get out of bed in the morning if I had to live in a house that was decorated in such a lifeless manner but I don't make disparaging remarks about them (present comments excepted).

? is...why does it seem acceptable to knock personality and not the bland design ethic? Is it just because one is in vogue?

Fascinating!! Truly mesmerizing. Layers of personality and interests.

The room decor that reflects the vibrant personality with all of its quirks and ties to pop culture history.

And the subsequent discussion too.

A true eccentric. Unique soul.

Thanks for sharing! :)

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

"? is...why does it seem acceptable to knock personality and not the bland design ethic? Is it just because one is in vogue?"

Well one is obviously out of control to live that way with collections...said with a bit of snark.
To be free of things is deemed more pure and living at a higher level, you get more joy out of being free and of not being slaves to objects that require maintenance--you've evolved.

What I find interesting too is, that a person that likes abundance and not meaning hoarding, etc, but organized collections, they can appreciate the minimalist look, but the minimalist absolutely goes bonkers in a room like the one's above.
It all kind of reminds me of dog and cat lovers - some dog only lovers seem to absolutely hate cats and voice it vociferously--but, I don't think I've ever heard a person who loves cats do the same unless maybe their cat was killed by a dog...it's just dogs aren't for them, different strokes for different folks.
For the record - I have each.
Another thought, replace the pug pillows, etc, with tons of books--and we've all seen rooms filled with books spilling from & on every surface-- people wouldn't comment on the room's look because they're deemed intellectual living like that i.e. okay--they don't have personality issues.

palimpsest....now you have me intrigued. Can you post a picture of your 70 candlesticks on a table. I personally love organized clutter...or whatever term you give it. That sounds like something I would do.

I have quite a bit of work left to do in my Tiki Lounge, but when it gets picture ready, I am sure peeps will be running for the hills when they see that.

I would love to visit the pug house, think it looks like a museum. The dusting would be a problem...looks like it would be a full time job.

Gave me a headache just looking at it. Can't imagine living in it!

and they have faces that are similar to babies

I've known a few pugs and have never thought that. ;)

How interesting and to be candid horrifying (to me, a purely subjective reaction in no way intended as an objective observation of the style of the room).

My gratitude to igloochic for acknowledging the inherent class issues at play. To me the fact that the collection's theme is pugs makes it pure kitsch (if it is was originally intended as ironic the volume has long overcome the irony). Whether the individual pieces come from Sotheby's or Walmart doesn't elevate the facile nature of the organizing principle (dogs are cute!) of the collection itself. To each her\his own.

Didn't she make all the needlepoint stuff? And paint much of the art?

Pal the room you posted above is lovely. It's a truely well layered room that one can also live in functionally. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I'm fairly certain that many of us could spend the night there without going bonkers. One can set down a wine glass or cup of coffee in that room. There is great visual stimulation but not so much that one can't enjoy the stimulation by allowing their eyes to focus on different aspects of the decor, verses being pugged to death from every angle.

Obviously not many folks read the second link posted about BB. She's a woman who lead a life of excess. And she continues to do so. Fine that's ok...but if this was a collection of pepsi bottles people would be horrified at the clutter. If she didn't have to remove her hermes scarf to take her drugs she'd be just another drug abuser...but she's rick, so the pugs and drugs are of great interest. I guess thats what bothers me about it. I'll admit to having never been a great admirer of the woman and perhaps that lends itself to my opinion, but honestly, I don't think my feelings for the woman are entirely directing my brain to look at that home and say "yuck".

Jim I'm not a woman who lives a minimal lifestyle LOL I don't hate cats or dogs or clutter. I live in a victorian for gads sake. I have collections, but not to the exclusion of relationships. I make room in my collections for coffee and wine because the collections I really want to spend time with aren't the stuff...it's the people who one finds on the way along the path of life. I opened this thread with the thought of how great it was going to be to see a fun quirky item used in decor. I am not a minimalist in any way and enjoy whimsey beyond where many would stop :) But not to the point that my collections or my whimsey pushes room for people out of my home or life.

If I learned anything from this thread it was that we have to be very careful to raise our children in such a way that they aren't able to induldge their wants to such an extent that they don't become productive members of society. I get a clear picture here that a trust fund and an unlimited budget does not a good child make.

I hope when my child is old he and maybe a she someday will have room for a friend to share coffee or wine in their home with others and not be surrounded with stuff.

Makes me think (with my various collections and bizarre decorating sense) when I die, they will say...well we knew she was different...but WHOA!!! did you see her house!!!
===========================================
Obviously the value of dogs remains high in some people's lives. Another example is this article that was in the news today.
{{gwi:1624192}}
A dog collar that once belonged to Charles Dickens was sold at Bonhams New York's 28th dog art sale last month and went for well above its pre-auction estimates of $4,000-$6,000. The collar, made of leather and brass and inscribed with Dickens' name (and address?), sold for $11,590. Although the final price was more than twice what was expected it's not completely without precedent: last year an ivory and gold toothpick that once belonged to Dickens went for $9,150. Dickens was known for being fond of dogs and this collar certainly looks well-worn.

I've already said way too much...& no one gives a tootsie what I think anyway, but Chijim, when you said, "To be free of things is deemed more pure and living at a higher level... and of not being slaves to objects that require maintenance--you've evolved," you struck a chord. I think you're onto something there, & something I've been guilty of myself. I probably have at times, had something of a bias in that direction.

There was a time when only people who had lots of stuff walked around feeling smug & superior, but now living with less can be worn as a badge of honor to the point where arrogance results as well.

Both conspicuous consumption and militant minimalism are distancing behaviors. Both suggest that they make a person "better than." One asserts, "I'm better than you because I can afford every thing under the sun. Look at my discretionary income & weep!" While the other declares, "I'm better than you because I can live with less. I must be smarter, more spiritual, more substantial a person than you pathetic shopaholics." Either stance is sorely misguided and finds at their centerpiece a self defined by things, be it the abundance of or lack of them.

Anyway, I think I hear what you're saying. You made an important point, & made it well.

Huh. Maybe there's something wrong with me, but the more I study the photos, the less I find the decor to be over the top. In certain ways, it reminds me of my own house. Not that I have the same types or sheer volume of collectibles as Ms. Berlin, but the "filled to the brim" concept does apply to my living space. I don't find it suffocating or scream-inducing, nor do I "need" to surround myself with things in order to be complete -- it's just a decor preference that adds an element of loveliness to my life. And what's wrong with that?

Now conversely - this place bother the s*** out of me... and I like the many sum of its parts!

Go figure?

Jim

Brook Duchin's Apt

{{gwi:1624193}}

LOL! Well, that's just an explosion of stuff with absolutely no cohesion. Insects and horses and cats and melons and dead ducks and cows and horses and parrots - and that's in the kitchen alone!

There's not enough money in the world to get me to sit there all alone at night watching a scary movie. :)

The place is just creepy.

I don't see crazy old lady in that last one....I see bad decorator LOL

We don't have as many pictures to look at, but I just see a place with wall paper that really looks bad with the furniture heh heh Maybe if we were able to see more we'd see obsessive compulsive but as a whole it looks like cool stuff ruined by bad decor to me :)

Wow, that place makes me dizzy. I'm trying to decide where I could sit and relax with a book... I'd have to clear away a bunch of pillows just to sit down.

Definitely not my style (what's with photographing the cigarette butts?!) but then again she'd probably find my house way too plain and unadorned. To each her own.

Another thought, replace the pug pillows, etc, with tons of books--and we've all seen rooms filled with books spilling from & on every surface-- people wouldn't comment on the room's look because they're deemed intellectual living like that i.e. okay--they don't have personality issues.

Yep.

Those posts on books are really popcorn grabbers. People go so far as to pity the home owners who are lacking stacks of reading materials as if they are intellectually challenged. Some, also, base their opinions of those who have welcomed them into their homes by the number of books they display.

We have literally 1,000s of books. Almost all of them are stored in the basement. The design of our house is not conducive to their display. I have two side-by-side cases in my office where I like to keep my travel books, some pottery, etc.

When I see those shrines to intellect, I'm always wondering if there's a paperback Da Vinci Code hidden behind the hardcover Foucault's Pendulum. :)

I just picture my kids running through that house, just once! Just one little romp! Ha!

I'll take my real fuzzy pug over all those stuffies, any day.

She's a determined collector that's for sure.

Was there a real dog in any of the shots? I was never good at Where's Waldo?

this thread, and others that show anything outside the norm.

Unless you are in the center of the middle of the middle class, you owe someone an apology.

If you bring up anything about behaviors and the context of class: if you exclude anyone above the poverty line, you are elitist. If you include someone above someone else's arbitrary cutoff between middle and upper classes--you are insulting everyone's intelligence.

If you have too many collections, you have a psychological disorder, if you accumulate very little, you are an elitist aesthete.

No one accumulates for the joy of creating, or surrounding oneself with the creations of others: rather, they are creating an altar to their acquisitional power. Or, if its books--a shrine to their intellect.

If you belonged to the underground avant garde scene of the 1960s, took drugs, and painted with anything other than a brush, you owe us a big apology especially if you were rich. If you were poor and uneducated, maybe you didnt know any better.

These are reasons you will rarely, if ever, see pictures of my own house; and very little of the work I do for other people unless it is really middle of the road. I am quite happy to give advice but don't feel the need for my personal belongings to be subject to analysis.

I studied it again and find that there isn't nearly as much stuff as I first thought. There is a great deal of pattern, however, and that makes the eye think the place is overwhelming but I think the overwhelming parts are the tables of collections. Plenty of aisle space and not that much on the floors. The bedroom was ok to me except for the dated curtains.
The only part that I really found "over the top" were the pugs on top of the sofa.

Oakelyok! Good heavens, how did I miss your post earlier? You made me laugh darling, what a relief! This thread, while quite interesting, has been getting "seriouser & seriouser." I know... I can be the most serious student of all! Surely I have little lines permanently etched between my brows from reading these posts. Yes it's interesting, so I keep coming back, but still...Oak, thanks for some levity!

Can we just agree to disagree? Can we like different things & still like & support one another? Can we lighten up a little?

It's obvious to me that Ms. Berlin is a modern-day Victorian, as she seems to have adopted the decor of the eccentric era. The wealthy of that era thought it only appropriate to 'show their good taste by accumulation' by using the philosophy, 'if a little is good, a lot must be better'.

It was a romantic era of gathering artistic and nostalgic furnishings and accessories from any era of the past and combining them in a personal, eclectic manner. Organized clutter is a comforting, individual statement, particularly when each item has some significance or meaning to us. It resulted in rooms that were over-decorated, over-stuffed, but sometimes very beautiful.

We may think of it as an abundance of junk, wealth-gone-crazy, or even a sickness, but i'm seeing a woman who is 'lost in love' for a particular creature, and finds pleasure in being surrounded by reminders of it's very existence. ;o)

Or, Palimpsest, as more simply and less antagonistically written by that great philosopher Ricky Nelson:

You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself.

Garden Party 1972

I just wish they would have made the bed.

Not to be too analytical but having read about her life IMO it's a wonder she's alive at all or not living in a padded room. My own fairly adventurous life looks like a yawn in comparison. This woman is a survivor.

I find there is much to like in this home and think it would be very interesting to have a conversation with a person who decorates like this. I don't think because she decorates in this way she is necessarily lonely, extremely dysfunctional, or any of the other labels mentioned.

I think we are living in a strange time of home decor and consumerism. Mass-produced things that cost too much are valued as long as the current style is not violated. Seems there is a line that should not be crossed. I can't wait to see how some people are decorating 20 years from now.

In examining the pics closely I was amazed to see the the wall shelf in her bedroom appears to be old, dented, and repainted none to skillfully. Lovely old piece which many probably wouldn't appreciate. I think these rooms are less "decorated" than collected. We all speak of trying for the "collected" look - well, this is one person's version. It looks well-loved, comfortable, endlessly fascinating, and welcoming to me.

BTW for the person who wondered about the German Shepherd, the caption on the pic says that a pug mother did not survive the birth so the Shepherd raised them. Takes a caring owner to facilitate that.

Her talent for needlepoint is also amazing. Not too many would needlepoint an entire rug.

Another thot I had when reading here is that lots of shoes are OK but lots of pugs or tschotschkes are not. ;-) What's the difference?

Pal, I'd love to see your candlesticks, the most I ever do is about 6 on a tray! I'd hate to be thot a minimalist, better find more! :-D

Has she really *decorated* or is it just an abundance of things she loves....that's the question! I think I would find the apartment very fascinating, sort of like a mini-museum, but I like a 'slightly' over-abundance of things, personally. I'm not one for 'vanilla pudding' rooms, or homes that are too contrived, which Ms. Berlin's rooms certainly are not.

Parma42, love that room!! I have a fixation w/using many different prints together, as they seem to add a coziness that isn't felt in a room where everything is solid. It's a very personal thing, and I guess i'm on the more-is-better team. ;o)

I keep going back to look at the decor, and I see wonderful elements every time; that very very high back chair, in yellow and blue plaid, also the greek key tile in the bathroom.

I would so remove all that wallpaper and paint all the walls white, the collections would shrink in half the size visually. But it wouldn't be as
charming and cozy. And it wouldn't be Berlin's appartment.

The NYSD interviews don't stage the photo shoots, hence the unmade beds.