stresszen

27May09

I had lunch with a former client today. I couldn’t stop the negative stories from leaping out of my mouth when I wasn’t gobbling giant chunks of Korean BBQ.

After the mister got home from work, he reported some breaking news about our MIA stoner broker who emailed from Vienna today about the appraisal on our apartment coming in 20k below the amount we’re in contract to sell this bitch. He’s in Europe because he loves to flake out on me when the real estate shit hits the fan.

I’m stressed out.

I decided to do something that I haven’t done for a long time.

With a big fat frown, I looked at some pretty pictures…and started to rip them apart.

Editorial design images are 99% rehashed versions of the same formula. White on white, rainbows of beige, throw pillows strangling sofas like ivy on a brick wall.

My husband, who is smart enough to know that I need my space in my current fragile state, was uncharacteristically neutral in his response. “Yes, but they’re very talented designers.”

(very talented hacks)

I felt better. I even went as far as finding images that were fresh. An exercise to draw out the positive in my funky state. Even though most of the people who read this blog don’t search me out to see what ICFF just regurgitated into the lap of the design world…some of whom “refuse to participate in this recession“, I’m doing this, so back off. (I know it’s bad when I want to punch someone in the nuts not only because they have none, but also because I otherwise quite enjoy their musings and passings around of other people’s musings on design.)

But honestly, you refuse? Really.

Let’s move on.

This is what I found, all via desire to inspire.

Great balance of material and contrast. Light+dark+bleached knotty wood with the draw of color in the distance. The cool circular hardware for the door pulls is amazing. Apparently this space was with styled with Ikea mixed up with higher priced stuff. Feeling my blood pressure round down.

Again with the round handles. Love that. So it’s more white on white crime, but the photograph is perfect. Spatial. The actual house is probably not as interesting as what the photograph promises to unfold if you walk through the first set of doors.

Except for the Jonathan Adler throw pillows, which annoy me just slightly less than the prospect of trying to sell this apartment all over again, the wall collage is impressive. I’m brown and blue with envy.

Life does not really look like this. Nevertheless, it’s gorgeous. The dresser’s feet are genius – they throw off the precision of the perfect grid of drawers with their painstakingly centered rectangular pulls.

So that’s it. I feel better.

Goodnight.

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