Goodbye, Mr. Ross

Tonight Eddie got the boot on Top Design. Sort of a long time coming, if you ask me. I think he's gotten special treatment because of his resume (currently working for Martha Stewart) and not necessarily due to on-show performance. Tonight's room was disastrous but I think what really put it over the top for me were the two sections of granny lattice he put on the walls. I just don't think diagonal lattice has looked good since 1978.

Tonight's guest judge--Jeff Lewis, from Bravo's Flipping Out fame--said it best: "I think you're speaking to an older demographic...and when I say 'older,' I mean walkers, bed pans, and oxygen tanks." I don't know which was more gut-wrenching--hearing that painful (albeit accurate) assessment or watching Eddie smile and take it.

Lewis doesn't really have a flair for diplomacy but he makes one hell of a great judge, in my opinion. You could argue that he's pretentious because of his demand for luxury in the spaces he creates, but at least he's not caught up in the pretention of avant garde design. His spaces are simply elegant, chic and full of class. So when Margaret Russell calls him out for not liking Eddie's room just because Eddie's style is not Lewis' style, I think that's such a load of crap. I think you can appreciate the style of a room and still not want to live in it. When Margaret Russell looks at Eddie's room and implies that it is full of merit, it feels like the Emperor's New Clothes to me. As if only those who are "in the know" can see the potential genius and the rest of us plebes just aren't educated enough to get it.

For instance, I don't personally like the Shabby Chic style, yet the first time I walked into Rachel Ashwell's store at The Domain, I thought it was positively stunning. That doesn't mean I want to live in that type of environment, but I can at least say it was so well put together. I think that's all Lewis is looking for.

I would love to see them replace airhead Kelly Wearstler with Jeff Lewis on the judging panel. Wearstler's wardrobe antics are often so beyond ridiculous that they seem like a desperate attempt to hog attention. To be quite honest, I find it borderline depressing that someone that gorgeous thinks she has to put on some crazy getup to warrant attention. Contrast that with the quiet confidence of the rest of the panel and how can you not reach the same conclusion? It's one thing to be funky and show some personality and it's quite another thing to dress like a doofus. Jeb pointed out last week that she often looks like Charlize Theron's mentally-challenged character on Arrested Development. He is so right.

Chair of Happiness

If this chair doesn't make you smile, nothing will. I've had a natural high since Friday night, when I spied this floor sample at Crate & Barrel on sale for $699! I've been dying for this seating group ("Petrie"--you get extra points if you knew it's named after Rob & Laura Petrie from The Dick Van Dyke Show) and this particular special order fabric shot the original price from $899 straight up to nearly $1800. So I felt very victorious to have managed to snag it so cheap.

It's now the most coveted seat in the house. I love sitting in it too, but I'd rather sit across from it and gaze lovingly at it.

Oh, and those horrid mini-blinds in the background? Give me time...

My Favorite Side Tables

I'm on the hunt for end and side tables for my living room but so far haven't found just the right pieces within my budget. Here's a selection of the ones I've come across that I'm either still considering or wish would work:


I've wanted to place this table in a client's home for over a year now. The simple curves and wooden peg joinery make this table a timeless classic.


This ecclectic piece may still make it into my living room...still debating!


I love this silhouette and small scale...great for a little pop of glitz and glamour. At around $100, the price is super hot too!


Another table I've been lusting over for some time. I may flank my new sofa with a pair of these babies.


This is a recent find that I just luuuv. Still on my short list.


Although a bit more traditional than I normally go for, this table makes me smile. After all, it's a stack of polka dots! I'd order this in a heartbeat if my budget weren't so tight.


Don't you love the lines of this stunner? Since my seating is very retro, I'm sensitive to turning the living room into a mid-century set, which I think would happen if my tables feature the slightest twinge of that era...otherwise, this would be perfect.


I love the weight and graphic nature of this table. It haunts me, so who knows...maybe it'll turn up next to my new tangerine chair after all.

Cheap Art

I bought this $35 reproduction tablecloth several years ago and converted it into an art piece by stretching it on a canvas frame. You can turn fabric and other vintage finds into art the same way, for very little money. Ikea sells 19 3/4" square stretchers or you can pick up blank art canvases at any craft store and cover them with the fabric of your choice. For a custom size or oversized piece, head to Miller Blueprint. They sell parts to make your own stretcher and they're easy to put together.

Restore vs. Refinish

Now that we've moved and I'm no longer hogging the dining area with my office, we have room for my grandparents' mid-century dining table and chairs. The set has been hanging out at my mom's house for several years, so when I drove to Tulsa to pick it up this weekend, I was bummed to discover I was in for a refinishing project.

The tabletop had several rings and scratched areas...typical wear and tear for a piece of its age. I just hadn't really thought about the possibility of work.

I knew if I set up the table in the dining room, I would never get around to refinishing it, so I headed to McCoy's this morning to get all the supplies.

Dreaded it.

Then I noticed this stuff:



No sanding? No refinishing? Just wipe this stuff on and done? Although it seemed too good to be true, I decided to give it a try...and it worked like a charm! Check it out:

BEFORE


AFTER


All I did was apply it with some super fine steel wool, then wiped it off with a rag. The tabletop came out so great I went ahead and did all the table legs and the chairs. The whole set looks amazing...my grandma would be so proud. I am psyched.

Whether you call it laziness or "effective time management," I highly recommend this stuff if you have similarly damaged goods.

Best of Austin, Baby!

The Austin Chronicle Readers Poll is out today and I'm so excited to blab that Room Fu has won Best Contractor/Home Service for the second year in a row--YEA!! Actually, we've tied with Handychicks, but hey, double the fun, right?

I got the call Monday and was so excited...have kept a lid on it until I was able to read it in black and white. Check it out here!

R.I.P. Home Magazine

The publishing world has dealt another blow for shelter mags. I received my October '08 issue of Home Magazine today (slow getting here due to my address change), accompanied by a letter telling me this would be their last issue. Coming in its place? Woman's Day. Hardly comparable, if you ask me.

First, House Beautiful bit the dust...but I could deal with that because I was never rabid for it. Then Blueprint disappeared before my back issues had even started collecting dust. That was a huge letdown, because I loved Blueprint. Home has been one of my favorite magazines for years, so I'm starting to feel a bit like a queen without a country.

So help me gawd, if they shutter Domino or ReadyMade, I will be forced to exact some sort of vengeance. A girl can only take so much.

West Elm in San Antonio!

Recently discovered that West Elm has opened a new store in San Antonio, which is reason enough to make a trek to Alamo City.

There will really be some celebrating if/when they come to Austin, but at least this will be closer than driving to Houston. I've heard rumors of them going into The Domain or the 2nd Street District. If you have scoop on the subject, do share!

Craigslist Finds

Things I wish I had a place for:



This pair of vintage couches are so chic and so cheap, you would still come out ahead of the game after the cost of rehabbing them.



Paint this dresser a slick black and it'll look so mod!


Would love to put this in Phoebe's room but I'm looking for a chair, not a chaise.

Ideas for Doctors' Offices

I spent the better part of the day going from one doctor's office to another today--a total of three, which has to be some kind of record. First stop, the opthamologist, where I discovered the floaters I've gotten recently are just another sign of aging. Then I headed over to the Academy of Oriental Medicine, for an acupuncture treatment (my back went out over the weekend). Last on the list was my GP, to load up on antibiotics to combat what started out as the flu and is now bronchitis. Add to this list an appt. last Wednesday and another one this Wednesday for other stuff, which will certainly get me flagged as a hypochondriac to my insurance company.

After spending time in three different medical environments in one day, I've come up with a list of simple modifications that would help make the experience a little easier for patients:



Install a patient communications system similar to automated phone ques. If a nurse tells me "the doctor will be with you in about 10-15 minutes," I'm going to assume I've been forgotten if I'm still sitting there with my thumb up my butt 30 minutes later. Which is going to tick me off. Who wants to feel like a dolt? Instead, it would be reassuring to hear, "there are two patients ahead of you. Your wait time will be approximately XX minutes." This will also help me determine whether or not I have time enough to read the People Magazine cover story or if I need to stick to Picks & Pans.

Let's update our doctorly color palette, shall we? I understand that lavender--as ubiquitous a color in doctors' offices as I've ever seen--is a calming color, but can we combine it with chocolate and white instead of white and gray? Lavender + white + gray = clinical. Clinical environments make you anxious, right? On the other hand, lavender + white + chocolate = sophisticated, modern, relaxing.



A good designer (meaning me) can help you select other soothing palettes of contemporary shades.

How about a bit of soundproofing between exam rooms? I don't want a neighboring restaurant patron to hear me discuss the latest movie I've seen...I sure don't want the patient next door to hear private conversations between me and medical staff! Too few doctors' offices take this precaution. I realize A/C vents are a big part of this problem, but strategically-placed white noise machines would do the trick for very little money.

I promise not to rob you if you'll please stop expecting me to. That whole glassed-in receptionist box has Got. To. Go. If your other patients are that scary, I'd like a bullet-proof box too, thank you. Besides, these areas just end up becoming a repository for an endless stream of "please do this or that" signs. Which, ummm, are never read.

One last $5 fix: an over-the-door hook and a hanger or two in each exam room will allow me to hang up my clothing instead of piling it on your dismal visitor's chair. And gawd forbid I have my three-year old in tow...who, in an effort to entertain herself and others, may elect to wave a certain garment like a surrender flag for the doctors. Even if I'm alone in the exam room, I feel compelled to fold everything neatly--like I'm working at the Gap--as if a lack of tidiness will reveal some sort of character flaw to the medical team. Do I really need to run this gauntlet each and every visit?

***

I know, I haven't even addressed the biggest design faux pas, like 80s burlap-wrapped waiting room chairs that you can't sit on wearing shorts unless you love skin burns...there's plenty of that too, but these other improvements are what I want first.

Now if only I could charge a co-pay for every doctor's office to take my sage advice...

A Most Unexpected Diatribe Regarding Shower Curtain Rings

Design is in the details, right? So bear with me while I rant about shower curtain rings for a moment...only in the interest of saving you the hassle I currently face.

I have a steadfast rule about shower curtain rings. I hate the C- or S-hook varieties:



...because if you try to actually move the curtain back and forth, several hooks get knocked off the rail. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but a daily annoyance for sure. So I've outlawed C- and S-hooks in my own home...and never recommend them to clients.

Also on the no-fly list? Those great-looking hotel-style rings with the little roller balls:



If you've ever used them, you know they make a heinous fingernails-down-the-chalkboard grating metal noise when you move them back and forth. I like their look but I won't suffer on a daily basis for it.

So what does that leave me? Generally speaking, that leaves plain metal O's and the cheapo plastic variety, which always reminds me of John Candy in Plains, Trains and Automobiles. Or these:



...but since I've never worked at Enron ($65!), they're a bit out of my price range.

And then I found perfection. These amazing Simply Shabby Chic bling rings (from Target)--ideal for Phoebe's princess-y bathroom.



Or so I thought.

Brought them home and popped them through the curtain. Beautiful. Can already hear her squealing with delight. Started to add the liner and...d'oh! The rings don't fit through the grommet holes on my standard shower liner!

So I thought, "this must mean there are a variety of grommet sizes on shower curtain liners and I just need to trade mine for one with bigger holes." And ummm...there appears to be no such animal.

Seriously? No one tested whether or not these puppies would make it through a standard shower liner? For shame.

I did a little research online and discovered that people who've snapped up shower curtains such as the one below--meant to hang so that the rod fits through the oversized grommets like a window curtain--also run into the same problem.



One online poster advised someone else to buy a grommet kit in a larger size and replace the existing grommets on their liner. I just refuse to buy a kit to retrofit a liner (and all subsequent liners I'll need during the lifetime of these rings)...that's ridiculous.

But it's hard to go back to the non-bling farm, now that I've seen how awesome these rings are with Phoebe's shower curtain. I don't want the hassle of making something similar. So I'm going to have a go at removing one of the jeweled pieces on each ring. Hopefully that'll be enough to stick through the liner and snap the rings shut.

There's nothing Simply Chic about that!