From the comments section of yesterday’s post about the DIY Draper chests:
I have a question for you…
I am currently redecorating my living room and dining room. I decided to go with a 70’s British bachelor pad inspired look. Sort of a well traveled look with some Kuba cloths and other ethnic textiles for art. Lots of navy and gray.
Then I looked at this Draper project and realized I am still in love with Hollywood Regency. I am not too far into things to make the switch. It’s just that things like x-benches, Chiang Mai (love and have been holding onto a piece for a while now), chevron, painted furniture, and so on…seem so done now.
Are we too exposed to design? I love my blogs, especially yours (very honest unabashed flattery), but are we over-exposing ourselves (Keep Calm Carry On)? This is something I have been wondering about for a while now. It seems like once I finally get to taking on a project (making ikat drapes now), it starts to seem cliche.
Do you think we are moving too fast with interiors, or do you think we are moving in the right direction where anything goes. Sort of like fashion, you can still wear your skinny jeans or flares. When you start a new project do you agonize over doing something new, or do you just go with what you love at the time even if the idea has been seen?
House Beautiful
Just two days ago I was brainstorming with my mom an idea for my apartment when I nixed the project we were discussing because I felt like it had already been done on blogs or in magazines. I think we both realized how silly that sounded as soon as I said it. Why wouldn’t I do what I really love for my space regardless of whether or not a version has been done before?
I feel like it’s especially tricky as a blogger. If I put up a picture of campaign dressers (which I love), I’ll usually get one or two anon commenters talking about how campaigners are so over and so boring to them. And here’s the tricky part – we look to blogs and magazines for inspiration, for fresh looks, so I can understand in a way why the commenters are annoyed. They’re saying – “Yup! Got it. We know campaigners are/were cool. But what’s next?”
NYT
Are we oversaturated with design trends as bloggers and blog readers? Totally. I have hundreds of blogs in my Reader and sometimes I feel like I’m seeing the same thing over and over again. So I’m there with you.
But I also think it’s easy to forget that most people in the world don’t read design blogs. Most people don’t really know about ikat or suzanis or lacquer or lucite the way we all do. It’s crazy to think that someone is discovering a Keep Calm poster for the first time today!
A neighbor stopped by my house a few months ago, noticed my ikat skirted console table and said – “I love your decorating style…but what is that funky fabric on your console table? Crazy!”
And then just a few weeks ago I was meeting with a client here in the city, who reads my blog and who is a blogger herself, and she told me how much she loves ikat but feels like she can’t have it in her home – like it’s too expected now or something.
NYT
Are we decorating for ourselves or for our design-conscious friends (or blog readers)? Every time I feel like some of the sparkle of decorating is wearing off, I realize it’s because I’m over-thinking it or worrying too much about what other people will or won’t like. Unfortunately I think that comes with the territory as a design blogger. Still, don’t let yourself fall into that trap. If one in a thousand visitors thinks your decor is dated because you love your Chiang Mai pillows and the Keep Calm poster, don’t sweat it. Guaranteed the other 999 will wonder where you got them.
Maybe it’s time we take a collective chill pill about decorating and see it all for what it is and should be – a fun way to express yourself and your style.
What do you say?
PS Have you been watching Portlandia? Shell art is OVER! Seems so appropriate for this post.
PPS All the Miles Redd images above feature ikat chairs, which I love and think I might go ahead and do in my house, even though they have been done before. :)
Jenny – Shell art is over, but maybe if you put a bird on it it will be cool again ;) Great post!! I mull over design stuff, too but know that I will ALWAYS love campaign, ikat, and chiang mai dragon fabric. I'd rather my home be a pair of comfy jeans then whatever Lady Gaga is wearing this week.
Great post! I have been reading design blogs for years and finally started one of my own, mainly to share things I like and not so much to keep up with the trends. I put a "Keep Calm" poster in my nursery because I needed a pop of color and it is actually appropriate. (When you're baby has just vomited all over you after you changed three diapers in a row at 3 am while your husband sleeps soundly in the next room, it is perfect advice). I felt so self conscious posting it on my blog, but literally every person who comes to my house to see my nursery singles it out as something they love! So now I don't worry about it. If anybody cares enough about my little poster in my little nursery than I'm flattered they're taking the time to notice. Like Joy Behar says, "so what? who cares?"
I agree a 100gazillion%!
I have restarted my front room for 3 years now…it's never been finished because the ideas of this very post. I finally had this same epiphany a couple weeks ago while watching Nanny McPhee. I love color but always felt like my house looked like a circus show- but while watching that movie I thought- "who cares if it looks like a circus, it's My circus!" So inspired by the bright decor and quirky style of Nanny McPhee, I'm moving forward and nothings going to stop me this time.
Thanks for the inspiration to do what I love!
Excellent post.
I'm sure someone has already said this but I think we live in a time of overexposure. We are constantly inundated with information. Not only that, but we are continually given other people's opinions on blogs and websites. Sometimes that can make it difficult to tease out your own thoughts, likes and even dislikes. I say, go for what feels good and what makes you happy and comfy in your own home. Take inspiration from others, but don't let that dissuade you from something you truly want.
Perfect post. Using what you love and what speaks to you is always going to be in style. It goes for clothes and fashion. Personal style trumps everything.
I was feeling the same way last night. We bought an older home that needs a complete update. I had to make myself walk away from the computer last night after hours of researching styles. I feel like I'm not taking the time to just sit in this house and let it speak to me.
Super post, Jenny! "Be true, design for you" is my mantra. Go 'head with your ikat chairs!!
Super post, Jenny! "Be true, design for you" is my mantra. Go 'head with your ikat chairs!!
Great post Jenny!
I constantly am wondering this. I love love love blogs (seriously one of the highlights of my day) but I do feel like I've lost a bit of myself by being flooded with the constant stampede of images. I've noticed it most in decorating for myself. I have a hard time executing any idea because I feel like I want a little bit of everything and cannot commit to one vision. With clients it's not as hard because like you said, they often are seeing these beautiful fabrics or design elements for the first time (which, by the way, we loved them for a reason at first! They are beautiful and will continue to be for a while).
Also, I feel pressure as a design blogger to constantly change things up and keep things fresh, but let's be honest, even though I pride myself on budget friendly alternatives and DIY replications, it still adds up!
Glad to see other people feel the same way! But I guess overexposure is a good problem to have for us design crazy bloggers!
Great post!
You got me rolling on the floor laughing about the shellart is over, hilarious.
It´s true, I am in love with Hollywood regency, wich in Europe is hard to find. So over here i am original, but I guess for all you deco bloggers out there you have seen it a thousand times already.
At least that might be the confirmation we are reading the right blogs, we are all people with kind of the same taste, living miles apart.
That´s a great connection.
Absolutely loved your post–just had the same discussion with a friend several weeks ago, and we both decided to: KEEP CALM And CARRY ON. By the way, I enjoy your campaign chest posts–it's what makes your blog unique–or any blog for that matter–discussing/posting what you love–please keep it coming–
Okay, I LOVE this post!! My perspective is totally different as a SAHM with just a private family blog. However…I read lots of design blogs (love yours!!) and I definitely find LOTS of things that I like (chevron/ikat) and things I don't (birds/shabby chic). And yes, it is everywhere on every blog. But you are so right!! None of my friends even know what chevron or ikat is!! I just bought a black and white 8×11 chevron rug and was a little hesitant because I didn't want it to be so cliche. I also put a Keep Calm poster in my baby girls nursery (that has horizontal stripes, no less) but everybody that comes over can't believe how amazing everything looks! They always say "I never would have thought to do that!" or "I never would have thought that would go" but it looks great! So yes, the VAST majority of people don't read blogs. And even if it is repetitive, I love to read what's in and how to pull it off!
At the same time, I was telling my husband just the other day (after having him pick up an ugly antique headboard from Craigslist and telling him I am painting it canary yellow….he's a trooper) that I DON'T CARE what anybody thinks anymore! I am doing what I love from here on out. I am the one who has to live with it and PAY for it. Even if it is not what everybody else likes/does, I am gonna rock it. We are young and fun, and I want my home to reflect that. For a while it looked like everybody else's house (tan walls, dark wood matching furniture), because I thought that is what you had to do.
I also decided the same thing with my clothes. I am not big into the Anthro look that everybody has going on, and I decided that that's OKAY! It was a great revelatory experience and shopping for clothes and home stuff is so much more FUN now!! The way it should be…
I completely agree with you. It's kind of a double edged sword. If people look to blogs to find things that are quirky and new, then surely that's entirely subjective. Everyone doesn't discover everything at the same time, and just because a reader may have heard of something before a blogger posts about it, doesn't make it old hat or over.
And as for having things that you see on blogs in your home, then go for it, it's your house, you don't live with other design bloggers or critics (though some people may do).
Great discussion, Jenny!
Sometimes, especially when I'm decorating my own home, I need to remind myself to "step away from the blog". There are so many cool things out there in the blogosphere and my first instinct is "I want that!", but if I really sit and think about it, that thing may be cool and fresh and novel, but it really doesn't reflect me.
The blogs that resonate with me and stay in my memory are those that present original ideas and really showcase the particular style of the blogger. Yours is at the top of that list. The ones that only recycle everyone's work and present pretty pictures… well, I could do with less of those and try and keep them out of my reader. They're like dimsum lunch – good for a while but an hour later, you're hungry again!
So are we overexposed to design? To bad/unoriginal/uninspiring design blogs – I say yes. To creative/layered/unique/inspirational blogs – no way. Bring them on!
I think we may be over-thinking overexposure.
Do what you like and don't worry about whether or not it's too trendy or on too many blogs. Who cares. If you like it, that's all that matters.
Amen, sister! I especially feel this way since I am not a designer- just a sahm who loves design blogs- so when I see something on a blog like yours- it's usually the first time I'm seeing it. By the time I get around to incorporating the idea into my own home, the trend is so "over" (that sketch was hilarious!). However, like you said, when friends come over, it's all new to them- so much so that sometimes they don't get it and might even find it a little weird! I just go with colors and items that make me happy!
Absolutely not. We can never be exposed to too much "good" design when there is so much "bad" design we are forced to look at everyday. At the Alt Summit Conference Swiss Miss showed images of designed garbage bags in Switzerland—showing Swiss love for design as a culture. I wish our culture here in the US encouraged good design as well. So, bring on the good design! PLEASE!!!
Wow, so many comments! Clearly a great post and topic. I agree – we ARE overexposed. A similar issue was raised on Curbly recently and I'm having the same reaction:
1. We do NOT realize that the majority of the people out there have not seen the same pictures we are seeing everyday. Like Lauren at 6:21, I had this problem with my wedding planning too, but discovere that normal people aren't going to weddings every weekend so everything was still unique to them; normal people aren't consuming mass amounts of design blogs as we are.
2. Also like Lauren, I think the negativity that surrounds certain blogs gets so old so fast and I'm tired of whiny/critical blogs and commenters. That trend is so done.
3. I agree that we look to blogs/magazines to dictate what's upcoming, but trends didn't change this quickly when we were just a magazine era. Blogs should be a place to look to for new inspiration, but I don't think that means we should abandon trends in a month because we've seen too many pictures of one thing. I just think it's so wasteful and sad of us to be expecting to abandon beautiful ideas that quickly because we've hit a saturation point faster than we used to.
Loved your post, Jenny! Thanks for the reality check!
I know I am just going to echo the masses when I say great post and may be we are overexposed, I think it is due to the fact that there are sooo many design blogs out there, so we, the reader, have so many places to get inspiration from. There used to be only a few home decor/interior design magazines out there, where people could get ideas, now there are thousands of blogs or "e-magazines" like Rue out there. I really don't believe that every interior shot you see is one that was done last week, and will be switched out the following week to keep up with the trends changing. It's just not possible or a very responsible thing to do. I agree decorating your own house should be based on what you love and reflect your own personality and taste!!!
This is just the reality of the world we live in. Information comes at as fast and constantly. If you're plugged in, you are overexposed to so many things. The issue is really what a persons motivations are. I know that really anything we do is always a little bit about other people reacting favorably but we just have to keep that in check. Otherwise the creativity (the best part!) gets all blocked up. I guess I'm saying that in this day and age one has to make an effort to stay connected to the pure personal joy that our creative passions (in this case, interiors) bring us. I mean…it's not like we are going to stop using the internet!
I second everything you've said here! Its easy to get stuck in this kind of mentality, but if one is focusing on being a genuine and timeless version of themself, the anxiety of being current and on-trend fades away…and design is so much more enjoyable. This issue is so much bigger than design. Design is just one way its manifest.
I'm a design blog reader and I'm no longer in my 20's or 30's and yes, most things are recycled. Done differently but recycled none the less. As a reader, I love a design blog that shows some creativity and fun whether it's Ikat or Suzani as long as it reflects that bloggers personality. My pet peeve is when you see something and you can almost check off the list, chevron, check. Ghost chair, check. It's like they had a shopping list of trends and ran out and bought them all and just stuck them in the house with no rhyme or reason. And fwiw, I will always love that first Miles Redd room.
Great design does not go out of style; only trends do.
I think everyone needs to go with what they love. You can't possibly keep up with changing out furniture as much as your wardrobe. It would cost a small fortune. I think everything is overexposed these days, but in the end you have to love it and not care what everyone else thinks.
Such a great post! I agree, we who read design blogs are exposed to a lot of the same things that might be overdone. I just painted a chalkboard wall in my kithen (that is so over in blogland) but I really like it and most of my friends think its unusual!
Great post! It's so good to remember to make our house what we love, not what other people love. Thanks for the reminder!
We're definitely overexposed. I've adopted an "I don't care" attitude. I decorate with what I love (and what my clients love, if it's their home), and blog about it. If people like it, great! If they don't, oh well. You can't please all the people all the time.
And as far as things being "out" and "in"…again, I don't care.
I was reading a post on Design Sponge the other day about an episode of Portlandia where they put birds on everything. The post was basically stating that birds are overdone and "out". Well, maybe so, but I still love them, and I'm not going to let others dictate to me what's "in" and "out". I have two birds painted on my kitchen wall, and for a split second after reading that DS post, I felt almost ashamed. That's stupid!!! I happen to LOVE my little birds!!!
So, I decorate my own home to please myself, I decorate my clients' homes to please them, and to heck with what others think.
Excellent post! There's another side to this issue that I grapple with regularly – do I like the Draper chest because I find it appealing and special, and I appreciate its history and origins? Or, do I like it because it is a DRAPER chest? Personally, before seeing them in the blogosphere, I doubt I would have given Draper chests a second look. Same goes for campaign furniture, and probably countless other "trends" or "labels."
Whatever the trend is – I find that the more I see it, the more I like it. Is it because these items are incorporated in beautiful spaces? Am I noticing how unique or special they are? Or, am I essentially conditioning myself to notice/like them because my favorite bloggers tell me they are "in"? Or perhaps, am I justifiably assigning a greater value to an object after learning that it has some kind of history or pedigree?
Abstract art is a great analogy. Objectively, Jackson Pollock's work may be pleasing to the eye… but, I would assume that most people's first instinct is to question why a painting that could have been done by a 5-year old is so special and valuable? And yet, it is.
I do think that I am capable of discriminating, and am able to separate trends from my own personal tastes. But, I also think it's ok to allow myself to value something in a new way after being educated about it or simply being influenced by the way others have used it.
I would have to agree about things being saturated, overexposed but at the end of the day, something about that style makes you happy.. and that's exactly what it's all about. You want to be surrounded by things that make you comfortable and proud. AMEN.
;)
Jenny YOU ROCK.
I love this post! As an interior designer myself, I deal with this with my clients all the time. I always tell my clients to buy what they love. Thanks for posting!
I usually don't comment, but I do the same thing alot!!! I always come back to, do what you love. I always get great ideas off of blogs, but I never copy and always put my own twist on things. I LOVE ikat, I think even 10 years from now I will LOVE ikat. So I go with it. And the things that are more trendy I try not spend a lot of money so I can get rid of them with no guilt.
Great question….you know, before reading design blogs I thought you were supposed to decorate your home a neutral way and then change the pillows every now and again! Seriously.
I've been so inspired to use my own style and adapt things I see on blogs to support it that I love my home 10x more than before.
I live in Utah, Jenny. Every other home is decorated with burgundy, green, gold and rod iron. If I see one more abstract flower painting with those colors from TJ Maxx I am going to scream. (: Not really, but THAT is getting old to me.
I'm not a design blogger, but an avid design blog follower and I can safely say that I am almost always inspired when I look at your blog
No matter what step you take you're chancing a land mine somewhere. The only safe bet is to love what you love.
We bought our first home a year ago, and I was overwhelmed and fascinated by all the inspiration I found on blogs (I did your roman shade tutorial to spruce up my bare windows, and I still smile and love 'em everyday). To me, your blog saved me some serious moolah$, and gave me a chance to dream big and to experiment and to find something that works for me! Thanks again!!
I LOVE this post so much that I am going to leave a blog comment for the first time! I am not a designer or a blogger but I am what I call "an appreciator" and often rely on blogs for ideas for my home. I agonize over decisions because I know that I will only get around to finishing a particular project once and will rarely revisit it… because it takes me so long to pick out a paint color or fabric, it is inevitable that once I do, I will see something on a blog that leaves me with a twinge of remorse because it's no longer the latest and greatest. I understand the need for bloggers to move on and find the next big thing to attract readers to their sites, and I love the dazzling array of new and exciting ideas, but at the same time, it makes my mind spin and I wish it would slow down for the sake of slow/non-designer readers like me. It can be intimidating. But I certainly wouldn't give up reading them for the world, so I guess I shouldn't complain, huh?! I do have to say that I LOVE reading your blog, Jenny, and like Katy, it is the first one I open up every day and use your favorite reads section as a jumping point to catch up on other blogs. You have fabulous taste and wonderful ideas! I had some ikat drapes made for my living room last year after seeing your skirted table, and I am still in love with them… i guess that just goes to show that I'm happiest when I do what I like instead of trying to keep up!
LOVE "Shell art is OVER" video!
I feel relieved reading this post -very "thank God I'm not the only one." I'll have to read all the responses when I'm not busy (aka: at work).
I've recently been paralyzed on decor decisions and was sure I was the only one.
The reality is that at the very root of it, ALL art is subjective, much if not all of it has been done in some iteration before, and it has all cycled through from hip to passe many times over. The good news is, this liberates you to stop worrying about that and just go with what you love! Yes we look to design blogs for introduction to concepts new to us, but somewhere deep within we know what we are instinctually drawn to (our individual "taste" or "style", which is a kind of magical alchemy that should never be cast aside) and what we may be stimulated by but don't need to emulate in our own design. Design is so multifaceted and many-layered…even within a particular genre like Hollywood Regency there are so many variations on the theme…that if we hold true to our own taste, our designs will sort themselves out and we won't all end up with carbon copy rooms. When I have made the mistake of jumping on the bandwagon with a design trend I didn't love at that root level, I inevitably tired of it way too soon. Billy Baldwin said it best: Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style.
You know, I've been feeling the same way. I'm trying to figure out how to design my space and I just keep coming back to simple, white, clean, Scandanavian design. While it has been done, it still feels fresh. I think design style goes in cycles and right now I'm back to basics.
thank you for bringing this up in such a simple, well-worded way! after I had a little House Tour posted of my apartment, I was instantly overwhelmed with this feeling of "okay, it's time to redesign everything!"
or when someone sees my apartment for the first time, they go nuts, and I'm all "oh, really, it's not that great…" I just go through waves of being 'over it' and loving it at the same time.
blah blah blah…we should do what we love and hopefully what we love is timeless…
You are spot on…it's a trend, its very easy to diy & reproduce. The overexposure is driving it into the ground. But it's these times where educated designers & those with a natural eye for scale, color, proportion, function etc will rise to the top and develop the next trend we'll overindulge in.
Just as you said, I constantly find myself being bored… bored with the blogs I read… bored with the same news over and over. More bored when I look at my "New Post" page and realize that there is nothing new under the sun… my blog will knowingly and unknowingly mimic something I've seen (and often times things I haven't seen yet, but will!) I get inundated with images and ideas… but then I'll meet my friend at the ATL airport for a weekend trip, her toting along new DVF luggage her mother-in-law just bought her. I'll comment on her good taste, and she doesn't even know who it is! We live in a design/blog bubble, which I notice all the more when I'm forced to talk to someone about the stock market and we both realize we know everything about one thing.
Honestly, I think it's called "being a professional." The really funny juxtaposition is me and my husband, a professional baseball player. Our common interests are each other, and food. :)
Loved this post. Yes, it bothers me that trends are moving with the speed of light and we are so quick to throw them out after we've seen 3 people on random blogs around the country mention them. It's funny to think these are people we most likely don't even actually know or will cross paths with. They aren't coming to our homes. That's sad.
This is the thought that came to me. Jackie O. kept her own style, no matter what, through all the years. Yes I'm sure she was impacted by designers and trends to some degree, but her wedding photos look at lovely today as they did the day they were taken. This is a woman who was wearing wide leg "slacks" and big sunglasses when everyone else was wearing leggings and tiny, rectangle eyewear.
She founds things she loved and made them hers, she owned her look regardless of what everyone else was doing. She didn't throw things out the minute someone else wasn't doing it or had already done it. I think when we own our own look we can mix & mingle trends and it will still look great, will age well and we'll be happy. What else matters.
I think we'd all be happier staying off the competitive, trendy design hamster wheel and doing what we love. When we really look around we should be so grateful for all we have. It's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else has or seems to be able to afford. Having a home (safe shelter) of any sort is a great privilege and being able to own a few things you really love and enjoy is more than many people have ever really had. It does not need to be totally redecorate every year. :)
amen jenny! we should do what we love, and we will be happy with our space. if others don't like it, so what – they're not living there.
i'm sure there are as many blogs out there loving on french country or scandinavian design. i think the reason some feel over-exposed is that we read and look at what we're most drawn to – sometimes too much. we may need to take a step back from time to time to refresh, and realize that what you (or anyone) are doing is unique.
I absolutely LOVE your blog! You have amazing style that inspires so many of my own decorating ideas! I say keep with what you LOVE!
This post got me thinking about The Keep Calm & Carry On poster that everybody has, but no one will admit to. I wrote a little blurb about in on my blog here http://belclairehouse.blogspot.com/2011/02/in-defense-of-keep-calm-and-carry-on.html if anyone's interested. I'm pretty sure I'm securing my spot with the mutants at table 13 ;)
I could not agree more. I enjoy seeing new trends and ideas, but in my own home my budget can't afford me to change styles with every whim. It's too much pressure and somewhat wasteful. I don't want to spend all of my time consumed with keeping my house current. I'd rather pick what I like and what can survive my husband and children and go on with life. A few years later, I'll do it again :)
Yes! Bloggers are over exposed and we need to realize that when it comes it decorating are house to throwing a party to doing a craft project. If you love it, do it. Don't worry about if it's been done too much. Remember that we're such a small percentage of people out there and most people will think that idea that "is so overused" is actually brilliant.
OMG I was discussing this same thing with my designer just yesterday after choosing a beautiful ikat for my two wing backs! That is a big purchase, is ikat over I asked? But then I thought, who cares? No one I know even knows what ikat is and other than being jaded by reading a dozen design blogs for the last year I wouldn't know what it is either! Great post, you are right on the money. Go with what you love and don't let anyone ruin it for you :)