Decorating Trends
 

I have been sitting here in this Ohio kitchen for the last 10 minutes or so debating which forum to use to start this thread. It is about decorating trends. It really is. I have titled the thread exactly right. It's the forum that I had to figure out.

I considered the "General Villages Discussion" forum because that is where most are facing those decorating dilemmas as they move into their new homes in TV. But then there are those TOTVers who are still tied to home base, but who find themselves involved in sort of a long distance romance with the world of TV. But some of those TOTVers might like to read about decorating, too. (I know I do.)

My goodness this place is getting to be quite huge. (Not my kitchen. Not TV. This website.) So anyway, after all the angst, I finally decided on "Non-Villages Discussion" so here goes:

I have just returned from a quick turnaround trip to Michigan. The trip was so short that I did not even have time to stalk the blueberries which is what I always try to do in Michigan at a certain time of year. (I may have been a little late for that anyway. I digress.)

Well, while I was there I was reading "The Detroit News" one morning and I became quite taken with a little supplement called "Homestyle" that was included that day. I brought it back with me and I am sitting here clutching it. An actual piece of newsprint. It has been awhile.

The featured article is called "Awash in Color: Outlook for Home Interiors is Bright."

It seems like the trend is to use splashes of gorgeous color in decorating. Sometimes more than splashes.

I try to resist trends in decorating. I keep having flashbacks to all those hours I spent raking that avocado shag carpeting in my first home. Even in those days, I could not quite venture into the orange shag, but I did so love my avocado. Both it and I were pretty daggone groovy.

But I gotta tellya, these beautiful new color trends are talking to me. So much so, in fact, that I absconded with the supplement to bring it back home.

These colors are bright and pure. And happy stuff. It makes me think about that old thing about skirt length and its correlation to the economy. (Wow! That one is sure out the window now. The shorter the skirt, the better the economy? Well, I don't think so anymore. At least not where the Teen Queens are concerned. I digress, again. Hey, gimme a break. I have been gone for a few days.)

Pop psychology, be it skirt length or whatever, can be a lot of fun. And now it looks like decorators are trying to cheer us up about something. And that is just plain OK with me.

So anyway, back to the "Detroit News" stuff. I found a website listed there that I think some of you may really like. You may already know about it, but Boomer is a bumpkin and she is in Cincinnati where everything happens 15 or 20 years later, according to my man Mark Twain.

Now, while I am quite sure that Stickley this stuff ain't, who cares? It is a trend. Maybe a little splash? Maybe a little yellow wicker table? Get that whole Shabby Chic thing going on.

Anyway, here's the link and I hope it helps somebody out there in TOTVland to get their feng shuied.

http://www.mainecottage.com/

Boomer, Back in Town

Re: Decorating Trends
 

I liked that website, they had some unique pieces. I love to use color on the walls in my decorating. My husband was a bit resistant at first, but now he is resigned to living in a colorful environment. I have a few pics here of our home in Plymouth...

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...amilyroom2.jpg

This is our family room. There is a large purple wall behind the couch.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...er1/office.jpg

This is my home office. You can see the yellow wall, and in the background is the large red wall that leads into my kitchen.

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Schuler....I love it!!

Boomer I loooooooooooved the site. They have people names for their furniture like IKEA. Do you or anyone you know have Billy shelves in your home?

I liked Norma in this site. BUT I would NOT choose Norma for a name for a granddaughter, but maybe a kitten.

I love the colors. I would be wilder with more painted furniture if Sweetie would just loosen up a tiny bit.

Re: Decorating Trends
 

ss,

"I like it. I love it. I want some more of it."

Wow! Lookin' good.

And. . .

gg,

In my head there lives an entire thing I wrote titled "Boomer Does IKEA." That was quite a trip. I finally plopped my poor tired behind down at one of those desks and began to write down stuff in a notebook I had in my purse. -- about the whole IKEA experience. I kept writing and writing. (Whatinthehellisthematterwithme?!)

Anyway, guess who got to go home with Boomer. "Billy!" Yep. It was Billy.

Now, I have to get out of here to go have lunch with someone I can actually see.

But I am so glad this website connection hit home in TV and elsewhere. I really liked it, too.

Boomer

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Thanks for starting this thread - it's so much fun to see and share ideas like this!
One of the reasons we fell in love with our home in TV (aside from the beautiful pond and golf view) was how the interior was painted. Believe it or not, the colors matched our furniture from home, so Mr. Travel was thrilled that he did not even have to paint one wall! I've attached some pictures below - I love that one wall in each room is painted a lively color and the other three are neutral. Just enough, and if you change your mind, you only need to paint one wall!

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Travel! I love it. What a warm and welcoming home. The colors are so perfect for your furniture and................... I just ran my mouth in another thread that I didn't think I would like a resale because of someone else had painted and put their touch on it. This is certainly not the case with your lovely home Travel. It looks like this was your choice. I think one wall is a very good idea indeed.

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travel:

While I decided to stay completely neutral (that is, off-white) in my new TV home, my old place up north was color everywhere. I am, after three-plus years here, thinking about some color now. Several neighbors and friends have adopted what appears to be The Latest Thing: each wall in a room is a slightly different shade of the same basic color. I like that concept!

BTW, I assume that Your Cat enjoys the color pallette, so long as he/she has space to bask in the sunlight!

SWR

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Although I leave the decorating to the Mrs, those are some very nice colors there!!!

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I love these colors!!! Wouldn't they be perfect in one of the cottages at LSL???!!!

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sshuler1 and travel: Your use of colors is fabulous!!! (travel: We've actually seen yours and it looks better 'in person' than in the pics!)

When we first looked at what became our house in TV, my wife was very much put off by it (and she has a hard time visualizing): It had white ceiling, white walls, white carpeting, white kitchen cabinets, white countertop, and the sellers had virtually all white furniture! The living area of our NY home had been like that (not white furniture, though) until we lost the first floor in 'the flood of February 07,' when a heating pipe had frozen and burst in the kitchen and dumped thousands and thousands of gallons of water through the house while we were happily vacationing in Hawaii. (Picture the cartoon of opening the front door and having the water come pouring out with lots of items floating out with it....) After everything was rebuilt and we had to pick colors, I strongly urged historic colors, and since I do visualize well, my wife let me select with her agreement. It came out absolutely striking!

In TV we put our heads together and selected multiple colors in each room--three in the open room and two each in each of the three bedrooms (one of which is an office) and in each washroom, with the master bedroom coordinated with its washroom and the guest bath coordinated with the guest bedroom. We used one of the three colors from the open room in the hallway for contrast. We do all our own painting, and while it's not 'professional,' we are thrilled with the results. The change from all white is remarkable and we are both very pleased with it; now there is contrast not only with the white ceiling and carpeting, but the beautiful cabinetry with the cove moldings, the white vertical blinds on the lanai doors, and the white venetian blinds on the windows now stand out beautifully. Not exactly Florida colors, but we're really pleased with the result. If I had a clue how to upload pics into a posting, I'd put some up to share them and maybe offer others ideas (or the opportunity to cringe, whichever...)!

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Sidney and HB -
Post some pics when you can!

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For 30 years I have opted out of the decision making process of what color to paint the walls. What I did do for all those years were fill up the walls with pictures. That way no one ever really saw the walls.

In our three bathrooms one is painted a color my husband chose to match the tile and shower curtain. Looks good, in that room, I covered the walls with antique plates that had painted scenes on them -another bathroom has wonderful pictures from the historic pictures plus nudes and pictures we like and have no other space for, like wise with the last bathroom.

Kitchen - hubby wall papered and I covered the walls with old Native American baskets, all shapes, sizes, and I think I had a basket for every use known to man and woman. If I did not have a basket, on that wall I hung ribbon pictures, the last wall I could clutter had a showcase on it where I put all small items - usually Native American items.

Living room - we had oils that were of the vintage from Hudson River school of painting, than there were the snow scenes with old houses and the list goes on.

I guess you get the idea - no wall in the house, hallways included, were picture less.

When we moved to TV I agreed I would not cover the walls with pictures, but paint the walls. Even if you choose not to paint your walls - you have to see the names they give the colors. No, I will not give you a clue. I am not to sure if I helped choose the colors by the colors themselves or the names they gave the colors.

So now my hands are tied - no more pictures, but we did decide that what we would put on the walls here are pictures from our travels, artifacts and what ever else.

My personal feeling is make your home feel warm and welcoming to you and your family. That is the most important thing -since I have never been a trendy person, I am not starting now.

I have been very lucky in my life, I have never visited a home I did not like. I usually love what they did and want to copy it.

Boomer I am rambling.

I still have my smurfs along with other wonderful treasures.

HB

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Boomer - while you are looking for ideas - think about neon signs.

I have a wonderful one over where the coffee maker is, it is a large cup of coffee with the aroma sign. We use it as a night light, it is my favorite thing in our home TV.

It is about 2 feet wide and l 1/2 feet high.

Back to work I go.

HB

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Boomer,

I raked avocado shag too! What were we thinking?

Re: Decorating Trends
 

I had the orange shag in a bedroom and an avocado rug in the lr. Also had a blue one.

Forgot all about my raking days. ;D

HB

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What about the hippie beads in the doorways...HB I have a feeling you had those, too!
I'm thinking of ordering the ones below with the Grateful Dead dancing bears to match the window sticker on my Mini Cooper!

http://www.aromasunlimited.com/image...ncingbears.jpg

only kidding (don't want to be known as a Dead Head decorator in TV)

Re: Decorating Trends
 

But did you have a Peacock Chair? Remember the rattan with the big round back on it. I loved that chair. And guess what. In the Spring issue of Oprah's At Home magazine, on p. 22, there is a one-page article about the Peacock Chair in Pop Culture.

The article has little pictures of famous people in their Peacock Chairs. Fay Wray in 1930. Morticia of the Addams Family in 1964. Kennedy women pictured at the Cape Cod compound in 1979. (Rose is sitting in the chair.) Mr Roarke on Fantasy Island in the late 70's. (Tattoo is standing beside the chair.) It was Charlene's desk chair in Designing Women in the mid-80's.

And, it was indeed, Boomer's chair in the 70's.

Shag carpeting. Shag haircut (my favorite ever) and bell bottom hip-huggers to wear while raking that carpeting. Groovy Boomer. I can get that haircut again. And I can probably find a new Peacock Chair. But I am afraid those pants are history.

Do you realize how nutty it sounds to tell our grandchildren that we raked our carpeting.

Oh my gosh. Just tried to post. Red sign. Looked down. Travel has posted her hippie beads hanging in her doorway. You know, I have a dream of having "Ina-Gadda-Da-Vida" as my cell ring. No. Not the whole thing. Just "Bawmp-Bah-Bawmpa-Bah-Bawmp-Bah-Bawmp-Bah!" (How'd I do with that? Are you translating OK?) Try singing that one for the kid working at the Verizon store. I don't think he has ever quite been the same.

Boomer

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Boomer you brought back a flood of wonderful memories that I had forgotten. Thank you.

I no longer remember the name of the Hawiian restaurant in NYC that we took our parents to for their 25th wedding anniversary.

Each one sat in a chair just as you described. I don't recall them being called Peacock chairs though. They were a very popular item indeed.

Thanks for the memories.

HB

Re: Decorating Trends
 

I loved those peacock chairs! And the wicker basket chairs that hung from a hook in the ceiling.
A funny side story - when I met Mr. Travel 10 years ago he had been a bachelor for about 25 years. I think his late wife had bought the curtains he had hanging in his living room - upside down, hung from the hem (but clean!)
He also had 'mylar' wallpaper in his bathroom, and 'guy paneling' (maintenance free, of course) in almost every other room, with his travel posters thumbtacked to the paneling
:o
However, he did vacuum and clean regularly, and even had the living room painted (Pepto Bismol pink) just before we met. How can you resist a guy with such decorating taste?

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Travel, I've seen your home and it's beautiful. SS I love you pictures! Ours is lots of earth tones, but I did use Paprika (I think it's called???) As my bright color, and lots of copper around, including my kitchen set. Copper chairs with a glass table. I love bright colors. Yes, they send off a very positive energy. I'm so glad they are all back in fashion. Still plan to paint one or two accent walls.

Boomer: I sent for that catalogue. It looks great! Thanks for the post. :bigthumbsup:

Re: Decorating Trends
 

I guess Im really really old! When we bought in TV I furnished the only way I knew how. 1800's victorian country. I do love this style but do I need to get with the times and come up to date with say., tropical?? Suggestions?
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...8/P1010071.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...8/P1010074.jpg

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Nonie, I love Victorian. I love your home here.

HB

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Thanks HB, I just feel so OLD!

Re: Decorating Trends
 

I get a lot of ideas in decorating from the television HGTV; love that program.

Boomer, this program also seems to incorporate bold one-wall paint which results in some beautiful settings. I particularly love to see how they actually build so many unique furniture pieces, lamps, etc. and pick up bargains in used-furniture stores and makes magic out of it all to such beauty.

Great forum, gal; what a vivid and ubiquitous imagination you have!!

.....barb

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Nonie,

I think you would probably really like one of my favorite pieces of furniture. It is a knockdown wardrobe or armoire or whatever they are called. It's walnut. The doors are burl. I went to antique stores on a mission to find one of these. It is not quite 8 feet high. Mr. Boomer made shelves for the side that did not have them. I guess the Victorians must have hung up their clothes on that side. The best thing about this is the knockdown part. I think it is 5 pieces, might be 7, can't remember, maybe 3. Anyway, easy to carry into the house and set up. I guess the Victorians had to think about their stairs with all the turns.

Why did I search for it?

It is the very best piece of office furniture I have ever seen. It stands there, just looking all gorgeous. Whoever did the refinishing did a great job. So there it stands. Just minding its own business. Looking like it knows all kinds of stuff from more than a hundred years ago.

My antique knockdown wardrobe, armoire, whatever makes me look organized. No junk all over the desk. But then when I open those burl walnut double doors, there is all my stuff. Books. Papers. Files. Office supplies. Works in Progress. This thing can hide lots of secrets. Just like those Victorians did.

Boomer

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Boomer, It sounds beautiful as well as functional. Now why didnt I ever get one of those?

Would you consider using it in TV?

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Nonie,

Absolutely. If the room space will handle it. These things pick up so much storage, you can't believe it. The height of the walnut knockdown fits a standard 8-foot ceiling. Just barely, but it works. The width is 55 inches.

In my family room I stash stuff in a smaller wardrobe. It's oak. It's like those pressback oak chairs, maybe the 1920's, not sure. That one is not a knockdown, but it is not hard to handle. There is nothing imposing about it. It is 77 inches high and 44 inches wide. It has double doors, too, with one of those pressed oak designs on the doors. It is a lot more casual than my walnut baby. There is room on top of the oak one for the locomotive, the caboose, and 3 cars in-between of Mr. Boomer's childhood Lionel to have a place.

Those old wardrobes can do the trick for a place to hide stuff. I like the oak one. But the walnut one, the big one. That one is my favorite.

I learned a little about antiques at a fairly young age. I like to tuck them in, here and there. One time there was a silly lady who was visiting my house. She looked around, spotted the antiques, and said, "Why do you want that old furniture around? You don't know who it's belonged to or where it has been." That was one of those lines that my sister and I have repeated for years when we go antiquing. I guess you could say we make a little fun of that silly lady. But, oh well, she's probably out there somewhere making fun of me.

I have heard that the weird actor Billy Bob Thorton is afraid of antiques and has to move from any hotel room that has them. And I don't think I want Billy Bob Thorton to visit me. So it works out.

I think decorating really boils down to whatever fengs your shui.

Boomer

Re: Decorating Trends
 

OMG! Horror of horrors......................Shag rugs.
I raked a Spiegel Special............gold and orange. What were they (we) thinking? I see that they are making a comeback. Should we post the warnings?

Love this thread!

Shirleevee

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Nonie, you are a spring chicken in my eyes. Hubby took a language immersion course and I waited for him at the local college. I was more than three times the age of the kids going past me.

I just felt so old watching all of these "babies" go by.

I think one of the reasons I like the Victorian era - I am young on a comparison basis. I also like the workmanship like in BBB's furniture.

I like trying to figure out where all the secret compartments are.

HB

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Kathie what are you looking for on ebay?

I think you will create a wonderful home, looking forward to seeing it.

Have fun making is your home.

HB

Re: Decorating Trends
 

HB ~ You and Sidney are so young in spirit I can never imagine you feeling old! Now stop that kind of thinking, or I'll give you a time out!

PS - that goes for you, too, Nonie

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Travel. Lights are going off!! Do you have a Mini Cooper and cats and did you sit next to me at Whiskeys????

Re: Decorating Trends
 

We have a red Mini Cooper, cats, Grateful Dead sticker on our car and I believe we did sit next to you at Whiskeys! Let's get together again, Gracie...but not at Dominics, please ::)

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Boomer,

You forgot to mention the macrame plant hangers. I had one for years, and finally got rid of it about 10 years ago. Now I am starting to see patterns for them showing up in my crochet magazines. It has to do with all this retro decorating that is coming back in style. We decorate strickly for comfort. My husband is 6'4", which severely limits our choices in furnishings because he dwarfs most typical pieces. (or I'm afraid he will break them in less than 6 months) So I guess you could say that my home is furnished in eclectic giant. Nonie, your decorating style should be whatever makes your house feel like home to you. Your pictures look like your furnishings are very pretty, and it looks comfortable and homey. Don't change a thing if this makes you feel relaxed and recharged. I don't think we need to change our home decor every time we change our hairstyle. Let the length of our skirt hems be dictated by the changing wave of fashion, but leave me my comfort in my home.

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Post a Warning! Post a Warning! Didn't we all rake a shag at one time or another! (Or is it shag a rake! :o) 1rnfl

Re: Decorating Trends
 

OK Girls,

I am trying to work in the yard and I just came back in and now I am all sidetracked by this thread again.

Chels, thank you so much for reminding me to order the catalog from the link in the first post. I got so carried away with all the flashbacks and the fenging and shuiing that I almost forgot to order it.

Macrame plant hangers!!! I had forgotten those. And did you ever have a print on the wall of those kids with those huge eyes? What were we thinking?! And wallpaper with prints so big, you could camouflage yourself in them. We once put some up upside down and could not even tell.

And who remembers that tacky :edit: Mediterranean :edit:? The plastic fake carvings on the doors. I left that stuff back a long time ago. The first husband got to keep it.

I just have to ask this and then I will go back outside before I really get embarrassed. But I just have to know. Did any of you ever entertain guests while wearing one of those hostess outfits? The flowing pants. The big sleeves to dip in all the food. Those enormous hoop earrings. In possession of the perfect frozen daiquiri recipe to serve with those cocktail weenies. (still love them, btw)

(IwillrunlikehellnowbecauseIknowIam probablytheonlyone!)

Boomer Stewart

Re: Decorating Trends
 

Boomer,

The prints of the girls with the hugh eyes were called Keane (sp)....I had two......OMG! wet-look wallpaper. Mine had yellow, orange and red poppies on a kitchen wall. After a month, I would get a headache looking at that wallpaper.

Shirleevee

Re: Decorating Trends
 

I am truly enjoying walking down memory lane with all of you. ;D ;D ;D :bigthumbsup: :bigthumbsup: :bigthumbsup: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

My hubby macramed plant hangers for me, one even had a socket in it - so that I could light up my favorite plant, he also did an owl.

I still have some of the pieces he made. He also made me beautiful jewelry which I still wear.

S-in-law had wall paper hung upside down and I do not remember when finally someone realized it.

The wonderful painting with the children with big eyes - never thought they would go out of style. I liked them.

And Boomer I just took it for granted that this is the way you work in your garden and that is why the hibiscus is thriving -"I just have to ask this and then I will go back outside before I really get embarrassed. But I just have to know. Did any of you ever entertain guests while wearing one of those hostess outfits? The flowing pants. The big sleeves to dip in all the food. Those enormous hoop earrings. In possession of the perfect frozen daiquiri recipe to serve with those cocktail weenies. (still love them, btw)"

Isn't this why you bought the Victorian Armoire to put this outfit in. ;)

HB

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I have got to stop looking at this thread every time I come back in the house. But it is too much fun. And I can see those 70's homes of ours just like it was yesterday.

Shirleevee,

You and I shared the same ever so exquisite taste in wallpaper. I have a picture of my daughter sitting at the kitchen table in front of said wallpaper and truly, at first glance, you really don't see her immediately.

HB,

Those owls! I had forgotten all about those owls! And HB, a socket so you could light your favorite plant! I think you just may be winning the groovy award for this entire thread.

And thank you HB for letting me know that there were others out there in the 70's hanging that hideous wallpaper upside down and not knowing the difference.

And thank you also for reminding me about my hibiscus. You know, maybe that whole hostess ensemble, or whatever that thing was, might just do the trick. I am trying to remember what kind of shoes I wore with it though. For some reason I am thinking? --none. I don't know why.

Aw, c'mon. Surely I was not the only one wearing one of those getups when I had very special company back in the 70's. Not every time. But sometimes.

Sometimes I was more hip and served Sangria and beer, instead of those frozen daiqueris, and that Lipton Dried Onion Soup in sour cream chip dip and chips on my very special chip and dip plate.

A Sangria story:

A few weeks ago, I had a little get-together. (No, I did not wear the lovely hostess ensemb.) Anyway, one of our longtime, good friends said to me, "Hey, Boomer, ya know ya been servin' us Sangria since the 70's."

"And how's that been workin' for ya, Bobbo?" I said.

"Good, Boomer, good."

Well, I think I am hijacking again and I really must move forward with my life. For a little while anyway. Maybe next time I come back in here, I will actually talk about decorating trends and stop reliving my hostess outfit. I would not bet the farm though. ;)

Boomer Stewart