choose ye: does your ottoman have an empire?
I grew up with two parents who had an interest in design and art, and liked their surroundings to be “just so.”
Not in a snobby way or a pretentious way, mind you, but in that AHHHHH kind of way when you choose the right colours, the right shapes, the right lighting… and everything just WORKS.
Their cred? Well, my mom is a very gifted artist and designer who rewires Goodwill lamps and restores battered wing chairs bought at hotel auctions and slipcovers anything that stops moving long enough… and my dad is just really picky.
He’s more GQ than Architectural Digest — the ties the man owns! — but he can choose a chair he likes as well as anyone. And sit in it for hours BETTER than anyone.
Long enough to get slipcovered, actually. But just the once.
So: are you into creating an atmosphere, or do you just need something to sit on?
Is there an architectural or design style you prefer to surround yourself with, or do you just wish someone else would do it?
Or can you make do with a La-Z-Boy, a TV tray, and one of them lamps you touch and BAM it turns right on, Marge?
This Choose Ye will dig a little into your “environmental style”… and remember, as always, the point is not to go “maybe!” or “depends!” or “gosh, I don’t know!” The point is to make a choice.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to come to your house and take something away from you because you expressed a general (NOT LEGALLY BINDING) preference (it doesn’t need to be what you actually have now) in a comment on my blog.
At least not yet.
If I get bored enough, though… WATCH OUT.
I’M HIDING IN THE PANTRY WITH A SHARPENED GRANOLA BAR.
(Oat shiv?)
CHOOSE YE: DESIGN/DECOR/I LOVE LAMP EDITION
Floor lamps or table lamps or sconces? (note: not scones. everyone prefers a scone…)
Low lighting or major lighting (when there is no natural light)?
Window treatments or simple shades/rod and drape?
Big TV in the living room, or hidden away in a den or bedroom?
Photographs everywhere, or mostly just art?
Wood or metal?
Light woods or dark woods?
Chairs that recline or chairs that… well, they’re chairy
Smooshy couches or structured couches?
Indie furniture stores or big chains?
Tidy or cluttered?
FILL IN THE BLANK BONUS: Favourite room to decorate?
Living room off-limits, or that’s where your family hangs out?
Design-focused furniture or traditional, common shapes?
Big, bold prints or smaller patterns/prints?
Antique or modern?
Major colours or neutrals with a bit of colour?
Lots of different textures, or just a bit?
Great room/open concept or contained spaces?
Fragrance (candles, etc.) or none?
Get things decorated for you, or do it yourself?
Create an overall look right away, or build it over time?
Form or function, overall?
April 9th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I am the least qualified person in the world to answer this.
Table Lamps
Low Lighting
Simple treatments
Photographs and Photos as art
Big TVs everywhere! As art :)
Wood
Not light or dark…middle.
Recline
Smooshy
Which is cheaper?
Tidy
Man-Cave
Which is more comfortable?
Bold prints
Modern
Neutrals with a bit of color.
Different
Open
Yes, but matching scents.
I’ll decorate if someone else buys it.
Over time
Function.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:55 am
As the biggest design snob you know, I call bunk on some of these. But in the interest of maintaining the North-South peace accord, here goes:
Floor lamps are teh secsiness. Sconces wreak of 80’s excess.
Lighting that’s appropriate for the mood/task that’s occurring. Reading? Bright, but focused light. Getting the wuv on? Softer, gentler light.
Simple shades. Curtains give me the shakes.
The living room is for socializing AND relaxing. The TV shouldn’t be the visual focus of the room.
Art (which includes paintings, posters, AND photography)
Wood
Light woods. Imagine Scandinavian chairs. Like this http://is.gd/50T
In what room? The kitchen/dining room - chairy. Living room/den - chairs that recline, but NOT recliners. No La-Z-boys in my house!
Couches? No couches, I like structured SOFAs. ;)
Definitely indie stores.
Tidy.
Bonus time:
How can a room be living if you can’t hang out in it?
Design-focused shapes
Big, bold prints
Modern, definitely.
Neutrals - Whites, greys, browns, black - with color added.
Texture is good.
Openness.
Beeswax candles and the like are okay. Yankee Candle Co? No way.
Do it for myself. And others.
Build your space over time.
Function. No matter how pretty a piece/space is, it’s no good if it doesn’t work.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Floor lamps create great mid-level lighting.
Low lighting, generally. Except in the kitchen and bathroom.
Window shades!
I prefer televisions in dens, if you have that kind of space.
I’m not a big art on walls person. I like photos in frames, and minimal wall stuff. I do like mirrors, though. Lots of those.
Wood!
I like lighter woods, generally.
Chairy chairs!
Gradon, EITHER NAME WORKS. I LIKE A SEMI STRUCTURED COUCH.
Indie furniture stores — and you can get great staples at chains if you’re not a snob.:)
Tidy!
FILL IN THE BLANK BONUS: I like decorating bedrooms best.
Living rooms are for living, indeed.
Design-focused furniture that is aware of tradition.:)
Not a big prints girl. I like solids.
Modern.
Neutrals with a bit of colour, definitely.
Lots of different textures.
Great room/open concept.
Fragrances that are NATURAL. Love lemongrass.
I would do it myself.
Build it over time.
Functionality is key.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:36 am
*Table Lamp
*Low lighting
*Simple shades
*Big TV in Living Room!
*Photographs
*Wood (tee hee)
*Dark woods
*Recline me baby!
*Smooshy couch for sure
*Indie stores
*Tidy!
*Fave Room: Living Room
*That’s where we hang!
*Traditional
*Big and Bold!
*Modern
*I love lots and lots of color
*just a bit (soft preferably)
*Open Concept!
*Candles
*Do it myself all the way. I’m too picky to let someone else do it.
*Build your look over time.
*Form.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Oooh, I just moved, and I’m decorating, so this is all Very Much On My Mind Right Now.
Floor lamps with a few table lamps for accents.
Low lighting when there is no natural light
Simple shades/rod and drape?
No TV
Art
Wood AND metal (seriously, that seems to be my thing)
Dark woods
COMFY chair, don’t care about the shape as much!
Smooshy couches
No furniture stores, or consignment only - actually buying almost everything from craigslist this time, used, whenever possible. It’s my personal little eco-challenge.
Cluttered but not by choice. I can’t help it. I decorate tidy but mess it up with pieces of paper and stuff.
Living room most fun to decorate.
It’s where I hang out but I spend more of my time in the computery officey space.
Design-focused furniture if I can.
Prints limited - like one image on a pillow, or rug. No repeating patterns, thus far.
Modern but I have this ONE old armoire that I love!
Major colours in some rooms, neutrals in others.
I love texture.
Contained spaces… just the way it is.
A few subtle fragrances… candles or flowers.
DIY decorating always.
I want to do it all right away but some of it has to happen over time.
Function, but it’s gotta have SOME form. Well, I don’t care if my knife rack matches my kitchen, but I care very much that my lamps go well in their various rooms, for example. I like things that make me smile when I see them.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
*Floor lamps
*Low lighting (I keep those white Christmas lights up all year round, and it adds great ambience to my living room). I have brighter lights that I do turn on when reading, cleaning, etc. but I like the atmosphere of low lights the best.
*Simple shades/rod and drape
*Big TV in the living room
*Photographs
*Wood
*Dark woods
*Chairs that… well, they’re chairy
*Smooshy couches
*Big chains (I’m an IKEA whore)
*Tidy
*FILL IN THE BLANK BONUS: My living room.
*Living room, that’s where your family hangs out
*Traditional, common shapes
*Big, bold prints
*Modern (I get my fill of antiques when I visit my parents’ house)
*Neutrals with a bit of colour
*Just a bit of texture
*Great room/open concept
*No fragrance
*Do it yourself
*Build it over time
*Function
April 9th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
yay! i love choose ye’s!
Table lamps
Low lighting - i actually prefer to watch TV in the dark.
Simple shades/rod and drape
Hidden away in a den or bedroom
Photographs everywhere!!!
Wood
Dark woods
Chairs that recline
Structured couches
Indie furniture stores
Tidy
FILL IN THE BLANK BONUS: Favourite room to decorate? don’t have one.
That’s where your family hangs out
Traditional, common shapes
Big, bold prints
Antique
Major colours
Lots of different textures
Great room/open concept
Fragrance
Do it yourself
Build it over time
Form
April 9th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Table lamps
major lighting (I MUST HAVE LIGHT!)
simple shades/rod and drape
Big TV in the living room
Photographs everywhere
Wood
Light woods
Chairs that recline (Comfy chairs, actually.)
Smooshy couches(I must be able to lie down comfortably on the couch)
Indie furniture stores
Tidy (It’s a goal, not necessarily a reality!)
Favourite room to decorate: Bedroom
that’s where my family hangs out
traditional, common shapes
Big, bold prints
modern
neutrals with a bit of colour
Lots of different textures
Great room/open concept
Fragrance
do it myself
build it over time
function, mostly!
April 9th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I like my place comfortable… with lots of books.
table lamps
Low lighting
simple shades/rod and drape
hidden away in a den (never in a bedroom!)
Photographs everywhere
Wood
Light woods or dark woods, oh either or…
chairs that… well, they’re chairy
structured couches
big chains (can’t afford indie)
Tidy
Favourite room to decorate? Living room
that’s where your family hangs out
traditional, common shapes
Big, bold prints
Antique
neutrals with a bit of colour
textures, or just a bit
Great room/open concept
Fragrance none
do it yourself (I don’t like it to look too designery)
build it over time
function, overall
April 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Floor lamps
Low lighting
Just blinds
Big TV in the living room
Mostly just art
Wood
Dark woods
Chairs that recline (not that I have any of those)
Structured couches
Indie furniture stores
Tidy
Love to decorate the kitchen
Living room where family hangs out
Design-focused furniture
No prints whatsoever
Antique
Major colours
Lots of different textures
Contained spaces
Fragrance
Do it yourself
Build it over time
Function
April 9th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Can you actually sharpen a granola bar?!
floor lamps.
mood lighting/dimmers
simple shades
tv in bedroom
Photographs everywhere
Wood
dark woods
Chairs that recline - all comfortable chairs that are horrible for my posture
structured couches - i refuse to drown in cushioning
wherever there’s good furniture
organized chaos
Favourite room to decorate? study
Living room off-limits, or that’s where your family hangs out? hang out
Design-focused furniture or traditional, common shapes? whatever i’m in the mood for
Big, bold prints or smaller patterns/prints? big bold prints
Antique or modern? antique sans mothball smell
Major colours or neutrals with a bit of colour? colours. louder the better
Lots of different textures, or just a bit? slightly
Great room/open concept or contained spaces? open rooms. slightly claustrophobic
Fragrance (candles, etc.) or none? smell of clean
Get things decorated for you, or do it yourself? DIY all the way
Create an overall look right away, or build it over time? over time. then it has character!
Form or function, overall? function. i tend to injure myself on forms.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Keep in mind this is coming from a guy that can’t tell the difference between the primer and the final coat:
Table lamps
Low lighting
Window treatments
Hidden away in a den
Mostly just art
Wood
Light woods
Chairy chairs, but there has to be a couch as well.
Smooshy couches
Undecided
Tidy!!!11!
Great room
Where everyone hangs out
Design-focused
Smaller patterns/prints
Modern
Neutrals with a bit of colour
A few textures
Open concept
Mild fragrances
DIY = FUBAR in my case
Build it over time
Function
April 9th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Floor lamps
major lighting
Window treatments
Big TV in the living room While remaining Hidden in
the ceiling
Photographs everywhere (artsy)
metal
dark woods
Chairs that recline
Smooshy couches
Indie furniture stores
Tidy
FILL IN THE BLANK BONUS: Favourite room to decorate?
Media Room
Living room off-limits, or that’s where your family hangs out?
That’s Where We Chill
Design-focused furniture or traditional, common shapes?
Design Focused
Big, bold prints or smaller patterns/prints?
Smaller
Antique or modern?
Modern
Major colours or neutrals with a bit of colour?
Major colors
Lots of different textures, or just a bit?
Different textures
Great room/open concept or contained spaces?
Open Concept
Fragrance (candles, etc.) or none?
none.
Get things decorated for you, or do it yourself?
DYI ALL THE WAY!
Create an overall look right away, or build it over time?
Right Away.
Form or function, overall?
Function while retaining Form
LOVE the blog Meg!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:39 am
FLOOR LAMPS
LOW LIGHTS
SIMPLE SHADES
BIG TV IN A DEN
PHOTOS
WOOD
LIGHT
CHAIRY
SMOOSHY
INDIE
TIDY
THE SMALLEST!
NOWHERE IS OFF LIMITS!
WHAT COMES NATURALLY
SMALL PRINTS BUT PREFER PHOTOS
ECLECTIC MIX
NUETRALS WITH A BIT
JUST A BIT
OPEN CONCEPT
CANDLES - BUT JUST LITTLE ONES
HOW BIG’S THE ROOM?
LET IT DEVELOP OVER TIME
THE KITCHEN’S MY STUDY! WHO CARES!
Nice to see you’re getting back to your old self.
April 10th, 2008 at 4:50 am
Floor lamps (though I do like a good sconce..)
Low lighting (focussed lighting rather than whole room…BAM….illumination)
Simple shades/rod and drape?
TV in the living room/den
Photographs everywhere
Wood
Light woods
chairs that… well, they’re chairy
Smooshy couches
Indie furniture stores
Cluttered
FILL IN THE BLANK BONUS: Favourite room to decorate?
(Umm….kitchen…send money?)
That’s where your family hangs out
Design-focused furniture
Big, bold prints
Modern
Neutrals with colour
Lots of different textures
Contained spaces
Fragrance…None
do it yourself (see send money comment)
Build over time.
Function.
April 12th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
table lamps
low lighting
simple shades/rod and drape
big TV in the living room
photographs everywhere
wood
dark woods
chairy chairs
smooshy
Indie furniture stores
tidy
living room
that’s where your family hangs out
traditional, common shapes
big, bold prints
modern
neutrals with a bit of colour
just a bit
great room/open concept
fragrance (candles, etc.)
do it yourself
create an overall look right away
function
April 14th, 2008 at 9:47 am
How did I miss this post!!
Floor lamps or table lamps (as long as it’s a lamp)
Low lighting
simple shades/rod and drape?
hidden away in a den (not the bedroom)
Photographs everywhere
Wood
dark woods
chairs that… well, they’re chairy
Smooshy couches
Indie furniture stores
Tidy
FILL IN THE BLANK BONUS:
Favourite room to decorate? common rooms
Living room is where your family hangs out
Design-focused furniture
Big, bold prints
Antique and modern
Major colours!
Lots of different textures
Great room/open concept
Fragrance (candles, etc.)
do it yourself
Create an overall look right away
Form before function, both are important