[Boomer]

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

[sschuler1]

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...



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



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.

[graciegirl]

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.

[Boomer]

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

[travelstiles]

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!

[graciegirl]

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.

[swrinfla]

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

[JohnN]

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

[Cassie325]

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

[Sidney Lanier]

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...)!

[travelstiles]

Sidney and HB -
Post some pics when you can!

[Hyacinth Bucket]

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

[Hyacinth Bucket]

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

[jojo]

Boomer,

I raked avocado shag too! What were we thinking?

[Hyacinth Bucket]

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