WDYT of this B&A?

[tarheels]

purestylehome.blogspot.com/2013/06/our-clients-home-before-after.html

I can't tell if my meh take on this house is from Pinterest overload or if it really is just meh. The house feels soulless to me - just like it's any blogger's living room with no real personality to it. I'm beginning to feel that this style is the new generic, like a matching furniture suite. Have I just been spending too much time on Pinterest? WDYT?

[alf17]

It's nice. Nothing I would bookmark to look at later.

[TBM]

It really is just meh.

[munkii]

I like some of the elements/pieces of the after, but everything together really is just meh.

What I'm noticing a lot lately is that people are using a lot of achromatic colors schemes and calling it fresh (overall house, in particular the hearth room). Fresh to me isn't colorless shades of beige. At least she threw in some color, but it's not much. Yes, it feels kind of lifeless, but I think she must have picked up on that since she added a vase with green leaves in almost all the pictures.

[tarheels]

Jun 21, 2013 8:23:56 GMT -5 munkii said:

What I'm noticing a lot lately is that people are using a lot of achromatic colors schemes and calling it fresh.

I'm getting heartily sick of the random pop of color that doesn't relate to anything. I'm on my phone and colors aren't super true, but the paint looks like it has tinges of mint to it and those marigold curtains look awful next to it IMO. I think I'd be so excited to see someone use a real color scheme, one that carefully repeats actual colors through textiles and accents, that I'd be knocked off my feet no matter if I cared for the particular colors or not.

[thewop]

Meh. Feels cluttered.

[pitterwoo]

I enjoy seeing the treatment of small spaces. While she doesn't use much color and it could use more, I do like her choices of shape and texture. I think because of some of that texture she does "plain" rooms pretty well. I like a simpler room without a lot of do-dads and look-at-mes so there's a lot about it that's appealing to me. At least as a good foundation.

[countthestars]

I hate the cabinets. They're like, two different colors but not different enough and I don't think they "go" with the countertops. Otherwise fine but boring.

[emoflamingo]

Too. Much. Furniture. There is no way that a) they have small grandchildren with all that white and b) you can use that first room. For real.

[kaylie]

Jun 21, 2013 8:54:33 GMT -5 countthestars said:

I hate the cabinets. They're like, two different colors but not different enough and I don't think they "go" with the countertops. Otherwise fine but boring.

Yeah, I'm not a fan either. I like more contrast.

[ktzmoh]

Overall, very blah to me. I think it must be very hard to achieve a really inspired look that feels alive and warm when you hire someone to basically pick everything out and put it together. It always just looks like a showroom or something - no soul. These are people that have grown children - surely they must have half a life time of collected objects that are meaningful to them. I would prefer a designer to give input and assistance in bringing things together so they feel cohesive, but to wipe away everything not incorporate anything with history seems so strange, and maybe that's why it feels cold?

That said, I'm head over heals in love with that giant tree illustration. I reeeeeally want it for my family room. I found it online, but it's an art house that doesn't sell to the public. I need to find a designer to buy it for me!

[Deleted]

Meh. It's all right. It's real life in the been there done that sense, I"ll give it that.
It's just so white and impersonal. Where's the pretty and fun?
I hate that sofa. It looks like those Aztec patterns from the 90s to me.
I also hate how they chopped that kitchen up with 3 different paint colors.

[munkii]

Jun 21, 2013 9:05:18 GMT -5 ktzmoh said:

Overall, very blah to me. I think it must be very hard to achieve a really inspired look that feels alive and warm when you hire someone to basically pick everything out and put it together. It always just looks like a showroom or something - no soul. These are people that have grown children - surely they must have half a life time of collected objects that are meaningful to them. I would prefer a designer to give input and assistance in bringing things together so they feel cohesive, but to wipe away everything not incorporate anything with history seems so strange, and maybe that's why it feels cold?

That said, I'm head over heals in love with that giant tree illustration. I reeeeeally want it for my family room. I found it online, but it's an art house that doesn't sell to the public. I need to find a designer to buy it for me!

There are situations where people start from scratch; however, I would say that is not the norm. Designers are trained to give input to help creative cohesiveness--cohesiveness through existing pieces, lifestyle, interests, etc. My professors regularly stress the importance of getting to know the client in order to meet the best needs between form and function for that person's life; they also regularly stress that if you're in this to design for you and not the client, this is probably the wrong field for you. 

[ktzmoh]

Jun 21, 2013 9:21:16 GMT -5 munkii said:

Jun 21, 2013 9:05:18 GMT -5 ktzmoh said:

Overall, very blah to me. I think it must be very hard to achieve a really inspired look that feels alive and warm when you hire someone to basically pick everything out and put it together. It always just looks like a showroom or something - no soul. These are people that have grown children - surely they must have half a life time of collected objects that are meaningful to them. I would prefer a designer to give input and assistance in bringing things together so they feel cohesive, but to wipe away everything not incorporate anything with history seems so strange, and maybe that's why it feels cold?

That said, I'm head over heals in love with that giant tree illustration. I reeeeeally want it for my family room. I found it online, but it's an art house that doesn't sell to the public. I need to find a designer to buy it for me!

There are situations where people start from scratch; however, I would say that is not the norm. Designers are trained to give input to help creative cohesiveness--cohesiveness through existing pieces, lifestyle, interests, etc. My professors regularly stress the importance of getting to know the client in order to meet the best needs between form and function for that person's life; they also regularly stress that if you're in this to design for you and not the client, this is probably the wrong field for you. 

This makes total sense. Maybe these people just wanted to wipe the slate clean. I guess I just see the blog designers and the TV machine designers frequently starting from scratch with everything uber styled and all new - maybe that's not reflective of more normal designer relationships. Maybe i need a designer LOL!

[teeah22]

I can't get over the idea of having to watch TV on those uncomfortable looking chairs.

[mrs.jacinthe]

I hate the cabinets. Hate them. With a passion.

Honestly, I didn't like them before, either, but why are they gray and beige and white and wood and ICK?

[Deleted]

Call me lazy, but when I watch TV I require something comfy and cozy that allows me to lounge.

I try to extend the same courtesy to my guests. I couldn't imagine being all "hey, let's watch the game, just sit down on this fancy white wingback chair and bring some buffalo wings."

Just no.

[starlily]

NMS at all.

[mrslch]

I hate those wing chairs. Who wants to watch tv like that? The rest of the house is blah.

[Deleted]

Definitely not feeling that look. It does look very blogger-esque.

[TBM]

So these people are professional decorators/designers?

Just because you call yourself that and charge for your services doesn't mean that you are good at it.

[bunnymendelbaum]

I can't get over the cords coming out THE TOP of the glass lamp. WTF?

[sjh722]

It's very blah.

That kitchen is an abomination. Yuck.

[Deleted]

Jun 21, 2013 13:16:41 GMT -5 bunnymendelbaum said:

I can't get over the cords coming out THE TOP of the glass lamp. WTF?

I didn't even notice that! WTF is right.

Even my thrifty,  hippie mother puts the cord down through the middle of her homemade lamps. 

And when the hippies have better design sense, well...

[kitty]

NMS but I love the tree print!

[teeah22]

Jun 21, 2013 16:57:07 GMT -5 FormerlyRR said:

Jun 21, 2013 10:50:54 GMT -5 teeah22 said:

I can't get over the idea of having to watch TV on those uncomfortable looking chairs.

And even you must admit, that one is ridiculously high. The tv could have been lower and the electronics off to the side. 

LOL!  I didn't even notice that but yes, that's absurdly high.  Maybe it doesn't matter as much if you're sitting primly in a wingback chair to watch it?  More neck support?

[stephm0188]

I hate it. There's no warmth, no personality, nothing that tells me about who lives there.

[Deleted]

Jun 21, 2013 13:03:57 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Here, this blog has some examples of some mixed elements rooms that I think are gorgeous.

leeannthornton.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html

Maybe this couple was trying to work a little bit with what they already had, but a lot of the stuff in that blog looks like it's new and man, that's a shame that they spent (probably a ton of) money on those rooms.

Oooh, I love this. I want her to come and redo everything in my house, lol.

[katie4253]

It is fine, but boring and doesn't look inviting at all. I like a more homey feeling.