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There's been a lot of trying top make our house pretty recently, with not a lot of success. First we were trying to make it pretty to sell it (pretty, but no danger of being described as interesting) and now we're trying to make it pretty so that we will enjoy being trapped living here.
The problem is we're slobs. We also threw out almost everything when we thought we would be moving into a shoe box in London. Also we never really had many things we loved in the first place, just weird hand-me-downs and assorted crap that we seem to attract like magnets. We also have no money (hello giant roof bill) to buy things we do love. But mostly we're slobs. Which means our house will never look like Zoe's. Which makes me sad.
Of course I'm also hampered by N's allergy to (in no particular order and not exclusively) knick knacks, collections of knick knacks, collections of anything, Cath Kidston fabrics, chairs that look good but aren't "comfortable", typographic art work (he's dyslexic, they make his head hurt) and objects that suggest the 1970s. Or 60s.
He's not keen on the 50s either.
He does however let me keep the rabbit indoors and will cycle to asda for ginger beer when I NEED a Jamaican Mule. So I think I'll keep him.
*photos of Zoe's home by Zoe and via her blog, Conversation Pieces and The Seventy Tree.
* and you've seen her wedding to the super-sweet Neil, who doesn't have allergies to nice things, right?
Oh crap I am in love with the cake wallpaper in the kitchen and pretty sure my husband is as allergic to it as yours is. Oh wait are they hats? Anyways they're pink so.....you know.
ReplyDeleteOh and she's nice too. Damn her!
ReplyDeletethings i like and joe does not like: animal figurines and paintings; large, fancy rocks; loud plaid bedding
ReplyDeletethings joe likes and i do not like: chrome with black leather; fluted credenzas
things we both like: fat lava ceramics; german brutalist design; tree stumps.
it's rough going.
I feel you, sister. My husband refuses to have anything hanging on the wall that "doesn't look like something" so all the cool abstracts, typographic, and otherwise pretty art is out. I think he'd be happy with a still-life of some fruit, maybe.
ReplyDeleteP, darling, we have such a similar issue. We bought a house last year that is only 50% furnished. A) Furniture is 'spensive. B) The only thing we can agree on is the occasional creepy accesory (ie. skulls and weird old medical posters and the like).
ReplyDeleteWilliam despises fabric with PRINTS on it. We are quite limited.
Also, William is also dyslexic.
I'm allergic to knick knacks too.
ReplyDeleteYou boy and my boy NEED to meet. They would so be friends. Either that, or absolutely hate each other because they are so fucking identical.
ReplyDeleteh likes STUFF. i don't.
ReplyDeletebut we do agree on drawings of mustaches.
G only like things that were made between 1950 and 1970 with tube valves, metal strings and knobs and ALWAYS with bits missing. Items must also be incredibly heavy and attract lots of dust.
ReplyDeleteI used to like things, but now that I have to clean all the things, all the time, in order to feel like I have my shit together, I do not like things so much.
In fact I think I am becoming a minimalist, horror of horrors.
Pinterest is good for having things but not actually having them, I think it is why I waste most evenings looking at pictures of things.
I think my apt suffers from a case of tenants that are underemployed with no money, then overworked with no energy and finally so used to putting up with its shortcomings to even give a damn.
ReplyDeleteNice place huh! I love also your wallpapers.
ReplyDeleteMy Hubby came with to buy a new "coffee table" (hate that word) today.
ReplyDeleteConversation:
Me - It's beaten aluminium (enthusiasm overload)
Hubby - Is that why it's so expensive?
Me - actually I think it's very reasonably priced for something HANDCRAFTED.
Hubby - you mean hand BEATEN.
Yep - It's a challenge.
boys are so clueless about some things. no typography? how can a room be pretty without some good typography?
ReplyDeleteMy husband THINKS he dislikes things - like fabric with prints, and abstract art. But when I just went and recovered some chairs in a graphic print - he actually liked them. They come round.
ReplyDeleteThat house is gorgeous - I love the bobble rug!!!
And yes to downtomysoul - Pinterest is great for having things without having to dust - only the ones I really love after ages eventually make it into the house!
Damn. I was going to suggest a bit of Cath Kidston lino for your kitchen.
ReplyDeleteahaha James is exactly the same. he even uses the term 'knick knacks'. as in 'yuk, that's a knick knack, step away from the knick knack'. very sad. but then i realised that he too collected things (books, travel souvenirs, tools etc) and now he doesn't have a leg to stand on :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE her house.
ReplyDeleteIt's what I want when grow up. (I even think my husband would be down with it too)
I had to google that Jamaican Mule thing. Does it taste as good as it sounds? Definitely got to keep a guy that does that.
ReplyDeleteOne of my intial screens for significant other was a) I like his taste b) He lets me choose anyway.
ReplyDeletei LOVE THE MOUSTACHE KEY HOLDER!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is a damn fine house right there. I'm off to stalk her blog right now.
ReplyDeleteWe're also trying to prettify our house...just in time for a baby to arrive and us turn into giant slobs again with no time and no energy. Brilliant x
I'm with Nye.
ReplyDeleteBut, a play: Recently, a style type blogger visited our house.
Her: "It's impeccable, but odd." (Side note, I was flabbergasted and slightly disbelieving of the impeccable part, but we'll pretend.)
Me: Why odd?
Her: Well, your personal style is sort of boho, quirky, humorous. Your house is full of quirky things, but arranged in perfectly straight lines. It's like boho germanic. Does David do the arranging? Your meshing of styles is bazaar.
Me: I'm quirky, but I don't like clutter. But yes, David does some of the arranging.
...And a lot of the rejecting of trends. There will be no mustaches, collected knick-knacks or cute fabrics here. We're probably the better for it.