With my mind on my money and my money on my mind

Maxwell Ryan on Apartment Therapy started an amazing discussion today about high and low costs of furniture and how it ties into quality and longevity.

This post came at the right time--I thought about it all day today because I recently started work again for a past Retrograde peep who moved to the East Bay. "M" has a total budget of $2000 to add quite a few pieces (dining table, accent chairs and tables, lamps and more) and refresh her pre-war apartment. At Ye Olde Dayjobbe, our budgets for a single table lamp usually start around $2000.

Some of the comments at Apartment Therapy were in favor of investing money in "quality" pieces that they wanted to have for a long time. Others didn't think anything justified the price of designer pieces, handmade or otherwise. Me? I felt torn.

I've been having the same debate with myself ever since I got into this game. On the one hand, I've seen how something made by a craftsman can last for years and justify a $25,000 price tag for a sofa. But on the other hand, most of my friends (and I) could never--and would never--spend anything close to a fraction of that amount on a material possession; we'd rather have an experience or take a trip or invest in a home.

As I kept thinking about it, I realized I'm siding with the "I'd never spend that much on anything" camp. It hit me as I took my lunchtime stroll down the street:

I tend to treat home decorating like fashion. (As many of my female Retrograde peeps know, I often use fashion as an analogy for being able to furnish one's home--if you can dress yourself relatively well, then you can figure out how to decorate your space.) Looking in my own closet, the majority of my clothing is from mass market retailers like Zara and H&M. It's basically the only way I can stay on trend--I don't have the same paycheck as my bosses. But a small percentage of my closet is dedicated to vintage items and casual stuff. And once in a while I can splurge on APC jeans or something cool from Voyager. But for the most part, it's all kind of disposable fashion. I guess I personally believe in keeping that same ratio for home decorating and design.

Even this week's episode of Mr Selfridge on PBS touched on this--we should all be able to afford something well designed and fashionable. Thanks to designer partnerships with retailers like West Elm and Target, we can have on-trend furnishings and accessories that won't break the bank.

In the end, you've got to mix it up. My friends whose homes are filled with crazy thrift store gems are my design icons. Why? Because their homes don't feel precious or rarified. I'm not afraid to have fun. In fact, their homes foster that sense of fun, of coziness, of real life and adventures that we can relate to in a peer-like way. Billboard-scale movie poster you stole from a bus shelter in Paris? Check. Quirky tiled tables scored from the Salvation Army down the street? Check. DWR designer sofa you got on Craigslist from some dot-commer who had to move in a hurry? Check.

That's what I call a high-low recipe for an amazing home.

I got cat class and I got cat style...

I had a free day yesterday (no rehearsals, no obligations or appointments), so what did I do? I got some new jeans (I've been hunting for a really really light wash without any distressing or excessive whiskering), spied some '80s-style Vans-like slip on shoes, bought some vitamins, and I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO REARRANGING SOME ARTWORK.

I've been meaning to put up some more art for the past few months, but it involved rearranging and putting some other things away. In the end, I expanded my front room/office salon-style arrangement. By branching out horizontally, it actually made the room feel bigger.

Here's what I had before:

 

And here's how it looks expanded:

 

 

There's a real cat presence in the room, which we like--it reminds us of our little guy, who we still miss terribly.

Maybe I was washed out like a lip print on his shirt...

Whoa--it's been over two weeks since my last post! I've been busy, going back to acting for a show coming up in June, so that's taken up a lot of my free time. So for the next couple of months, I might just post things that catch my eye, rather than screeds or polemics.

Today I checked out the One Kings Lane sale for SF designer Antonio Martins. Some of the artwork he was selling was really cool. I thought it might be fun to do DIY takes on pieces like these, out of old posters or books:

 

Of course, I remember one of the coolest Apartment Therapy posts a little while ago about how to update thrift store art and had to show you this image:

 

I LOVE the dipped painting with eyes peeping over the top!

Fake Plastic Trees

Hey everyone, remember these large scraps of designer vinyl wallcovering I rescued from the office trash a while ago? (Red flip flop added to show scale.)

I went to Blick Art Supply, got some wooden stretcher bars, and got crafty at my cousin's place. This actually happened about a month ago, but it's Before and After time.

It's finally starting to feel like a home! I think the most fascinating part of this decoration process has been understaning my cousin's priorities, especially about artwork and wall decoration. It's true--some people don't think about art; it may not be that important to them. Ever. But once you get something up on those blank walls, you can see how a space can come to life.

In her case, she knew what she didn't like--insects, animals, technical or overly bold abstracts. So we stuck with something kind of safe and agreeable--lots of florals. The pixelated, vinyl mosaic scraps from Elitis were perfect and became the first step to turning her house into a feminine, glam retreat.

More updates--and better photos--soon!

I love LA (we love it!)

Just got back from a little weekend getaway in Los Angeles. We stayed at the Chamberlain in West Hollywood and stopped by some nearby showrooms and shops I actually use for Ye Olde Dayjobbe. It was fun to finally put a face to a name.

The Chamberlain was apparently designed by a former Kelly Wearstler staffer and it shows--I personally loved the eclectic mix of dark/glam/masculine/feminine. And the pattern on pattern--totally fearless. Basically everything I'm not allowed to do at Ye Olde Dayjobbe.

The lesson: Go crazy...you might just like it!

Getting crazy with the Cheese Whiz...

Been busy lately with some acting endeavors and making some quality time with my partner. Also celebrated my birthday last week, so that was an excuse to not post anything ;-)

Anyhow, I get this DIY newsletter from BHG every week, and even most of their posts lean towards this blue-green color combo that I can't condone, they do have some interesting ideas every so often.

I like this update on '70s string art. In black and white, it actually reads more chic than crafty. There were a lot of other cool ideas in the same article. Just keep in mind SCALE--how many big pieces of art do you really have in your home? Make something this week that's at LEAST 36" x 48". No matter the size of your home, you need a few large scale pieces (for height, drama, scale, etc.)

 

Anyhow, more updates soon. Taking a day off soon so I can finally get crafty on my own place!

Where is my love?

Last week I had a chance to process things after the death of my cat and make some sense of the house. The entire house was in a state of upheaval, and to make matters worse my partner had to leave town for business. So each day after work I moved things around and made some progress here and there.

Community Thrift came by to take away our old black leather sofa (a reminder of my partner's bachelor days) as well as our old drop-leaf dining table, which we haven't used in over a year. We got a more useful dining table from our friends at Modern Past in Glen Park and decided to turn our Living Room into a Library/Dining/Work space instead.

But most importantly, I re-potted some plants that a friend had sent us after our cat Chino's death. It was a very sweet arrangement of peace lily, azalea, ivy, and some other pretty yellow flower. I was surprised that they were actual plants in the arrangement and not just cut flowers. This way, we'd have something living to help us remember our little guy.

I re-used some pots I had lying around the back sunroom and split up the arrangement. I put the pink azaleas in the Front Room/Office:

And then I put the lily/ivy arrangement to one side of the mantel, where I also placed a succulent arrangement that had some special meaning:

I had planted this arrangement of succulents years ago and watched as they grew. I always thought each one represented each of us in our little family: me, my partner, and our little guy. But the smallest plant died last year, coincidentally around the time of our cat's cancer diagnosis. In an effort to challenge the fates, I took another tiny succulent from our back garden to ensure that Chino's little plant avatar would continue to live in the arrangement. As the months went on, I surprised to see Chino's plant sprout something new and grow toward the light:

When this little antenna sprouted up and over the side of the pot, I thought maybe there was a chance he'd beat the cancer. Now it serves as a little symbol of hope and perseverance. Along with the new plants we've received, it really feels like Chino's spirit continues to live in patches of sun around the house.

I was able to move the new dining table into the center of the room and heaped more books on top of it. Now it's a place to read, eat, put our shoes, and even spread out to work. And if need be, two leaves extend from the table to seat up to eight people. I'm glad we made the change. I just wish our little guy could have enjoyed it.

 

Now the Front Room needs some updating. I got some new frames for some artwork recently, mostly for some little drawings I did years ago for our wedding invitations. I really liked the linen mats--they're so much warmer than standard white. I think I'll put them up in the Front Room this week when I have time.

         

I also got this shadowbox frame for another little sketch from years ago. It went up on the mantel next to Chino's ashes and paw print.

Lots of rearranging and changes around the house. At least there's more space in our back sunroom now that we donated our old furniture. (We kept our great orange lacquer nesting tables, but now they're stored away in the back room.) With so much going on, I felt like the clear nesting tables would work better to show off our crazy collection of cat and owl items.

More updates next week, as I continue rearranging. Any thoughts or ideas from readers out there?