I would like to conversate about something with you people. YOU. Yes, you. ALL of you. I know you are out there, I have a sitemeter that tells me so, and I really want to hear what you are thinking. Especially those of you who come by here and never say a peep in the comments-which is ok, by the way- but today I want to hear from you. The topic?
Trends in design.
I touched on it last week when I posted about Lonny publishing a bathroom that is unbelievably similar to the plans I had for my own guest bath, and if I should still paint my petitte pottyroom black or if that made me day old bread.
I decided to still paint it black, by the way. And am feeling good about it. Or I was.
Until I read in a few comment sections that some people felt like the black wall thing was over-er than a trucker hat. And I was all, “oh no I’m lame” again.
(Black Walls trend as blogged about by My Favorite and My Best)
This is not to say that I am normally so insecure about my taste/vision, I just don’t think I have ever been so plugged-in to design commentary when I decorated in the past. I love that blogging has introduced me to a network of people who care about The Pretty as much as I do, and I love the proliferation of opinions blogging incites. But sometimes I feel like being so exposed to design criticism gets into my head and it is harder to turn off the noise and really just DO ME. Which is silly because that is what this bloggywog is all about. It’s Follow YOUR Bliss…not anon 2:14′s…
(Antlers, blogged about by Crystal)
Manyway. It got me thinking about how before I was aware of the design blogosphere, and TRENDS in interior design, I just did what I liked. I never thought about how it veered from or adhered to what was going on in the overall world of decorating. I think I liked that better.
(Chintz? Trend predicted by The Decorista)
It’s kind of like how I stopped reading Perez Hilton because I was afraid that when Britney Spears and I do eventually become best friends, I would know all this gossip about her that I had read online and I would have to pretend like I didn’t know stuff about her that she hadn’t told me. I wanted cheetoes to be something we had in common for real, not because I read that she likes them and then decided to like them myself- so that our bestfriendship could develop organically.
(Arc Lamps, blogged about by Alaina)
Sometimes I wish I didn’t know what was COOL in design so that I could design organically.
(Turquoise, declared Pantone’s Color of 2010)
Because I remember when my Mom got this chair awhile back, and I thought it was the most ridiculous dumb looking stupid dumb thing I had ever seen and basically harassed her for years until the chair fell on hard times and went away.
And apparently it is a famous and important chair that a lot of other people think is WOW.
Which is great. Again, I love the difference of opinions and seeing things in a new way through other peoples perspective. But I wondered, would I have liked the chair more if I had known that the coolkids did?
And what is the relationship between trends and acceptance. Which is the egg and which is the chickadee?
(Yellow and Zig Zags, two trends blogged about by Elements of Style)
I am sure it varies person to person. Some people hate things just because they are popular.
Some people love them just because they are popular.
And some people just don’t care.
I can pretend I don’t care, but I am finding I do care about what is popular now that I know.
(Upcoming British trend predicted by HabChic)
I also find trends fascinating because of what they indicate about our shared experience. I remember on my first visit to the Bowery Hotel in New York last year LOVING the brass fixtures in the bathroom there and even thought about changing my whole design plan for our house to incorporate them.
And then I read recently that brass is considered to be one of the Hot New Trends in Design. I know that when I saw the Bowery brass I was not thinking, this is so hot right now. I was like, well dang, that looks rill good. And I guess during that same time lots and lots of other people were looking around and noticing brass in their environments and thinking, “yeah, I like that”. And then, trend! Why? How? Is it something in the water?
(This picture on MFAMB led Decorno to comment that girly blogger loving design might be too trendy at this point)
I really want to talk about this. Whatever you think/want to say, let me know. What are your favorite/least favorite design trends? Are you trend driven? Do you tend to gravitate towards things that are trendy, or are you one of those ornery types who hates things once they get popular?
Most importantly, once you are aware of trends/design commentary, how do you process the information that you take in, and still stay true to yourself?
I know that there are serious studies on the topic (word up Malcolm Gladwell). And I know the above mentioned big important blogs and newspapers have addressed this as well. Like the NYTimes article from 2007 that I just now read and is making me want to simultaneously throw away everything I own, and slap Deborah Needleman in the face for making me feel so uncool.
I am not dumb enough to think that I have just contributed to some Deep Thinking on the subject, I am a ridiculous person and this is a ridiculous blog so please don’t tell me how dumb I sound adding to the noise. I’m just spitballin’ here, and I wanna spitball with you fine folks as well.
Sound good?
Ok…GO!
I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below!
I think a black bathroom would look amazing (it will be a shiny black, right?). If you love it then it will not matter if it’s “in” or “on trend.” Black seems to be timeless anyway. It really comes down to the accessories you use and how you “stage” it. I see two scenerios for this bathroom…rich traditional or bold contemporary. For the “rich traditional” I would use softer lines on the faucet, towel rings etc.; use thick gilt frames with oil on canvas paintings; stack some books on the back of the toilet with a black &white staffordshire dog sitting on top. Or…for “bold contemporary” have some stronger lines on the faucets/towel rings, etc.; use simple white frames w/ simple modern art, have white towels with a greek key in a bold color…like orange! Well, that’s my two cents but I am confident you will love your bathroom…simply because it is yours!!!! Have fun decorating.
oh its such a tough one. of course we should all do what we love, but consciously and unconsciously we are influenced by media. It’s the exact same thing with fashion. Except switching from skinny jeans to wide legged pants is a much smaller investment than switching from cowhide rugs, ikat everything, and bar carts to… Whatever is HOT next.
Oh and I don’t think black will ever be over. But what do I know…
I’m happy you went with the black bathroom after all – because YOU like it. You touch on so many emotions (well, more like emoticons considering we’re discussing design trends, not oil spills and what not) that I share.
Like you, I enjoyed design well before I knew what a blog was, but since discovering blogs, I too have become much more self conscious about what I deem “good.” I trust my taste, but just fear some of the judgment from the designerati (as IF they read MLHP!).
I can’t even tell you how much thought I put into wondering how my readers would respond to the reveal of the room I designed for a friend – I was terrified there would be a plethora of generic, “looks great” comments – or worse, radio silence.
As for how I process the trends – I think I simply become more aware of them – I see them where I may not before. There are some things deemed “over,” but if I like them, think they’ll stand the test of time, I say F-it – it fits me and my style.
I don’t really care for people who purposely go against trend just for the sake of being “anti,” but then again, many of them make a living finding the next “it” thing, so if that’s their gig, I get it.
I’m still wading through a lot of self-discovery when it comes to design style. One day I like muted neutrals, other days, I’m all about color, but I feel I’m true to myself throughout it all, so I’m cool with being “uncool.”
you do what you want, love what you build and build what you love!
I think about this alot, especially in terms of our freshly opened home furnishings and antique store. Ive always had this funny thought about the concept of the things you bring in to your home..on the one hand, I think its really important to shape an environment in a way that has some sort of dialogue. It’s the same with most things that you can represent visually, like art. And on the other, I feel like we are all like the good old Octopus who travels around the sea floor collecting things that are shiny to put in their homes. We love shiny things. [read:diamonds] But I think with fashion and design influence, you just have to figure out your style and then use all the images as inspiration for ideas you may not otherwise have thought of. You can tell when something gets you going, and you should just go with it. Specifically with the black room, I think it’s tricky because it’s daring. It has to be perfect, and it seems like it would might make your room seem small which isn’t something people really like to do, But, I think it could look amazing. Really clean, and contemporary but if you added some neat little objets or paintings, they would stand out so well. Take a bit of the non-traditional and safen it up with something everyone likes. Just balance right? Plus, it’s just paint, you can always paint over it. Apologies for the novel I just wrote.
I think great anything comes from original thinkers and not from followers. The really great ones set the trends for others to follow. Decorating adds a twist because you have to live with your decisions for a fairly long time compared to clothes. If you did not like black, would you paint your bathroom black to be trendy? If you loved black, would you not use it because it wasn’t trendy?
What you like is the most important thing and you have excellent taste. Go with your gut and what you like.
Okay, yeah trends come and go — but your bathroom will be a CLASSIC with it’s timeless Subway tile that to me scream Chicago (not NYC)! Plus, is not design about what you personally like and how you put it together?! You are your own trend and love what you love!
Stumbling upon the design blogosphere opened me up to so many design possibilities it made my head spin. Before, I knew what I liked and didn’t when I saw it, but I didn’t know which direction to go in. For example, when my husband and I got married and I moved in to his pre-marriage bachelor pad he basically told me to have fun and do what ever I wanted to the house. I though that was so awesome, but I no idea what to do. Design blogs gave me so many ideas, both trendy and not. I still have strong reactions to what I like and don’t like once I see it, and after a while I’ve realized that the spaces I like tend to have the same vibe. So I say, whether its considered trendy at the time or not, if you love it, go for it! It’s your home, you have to live in it, you should love it to pieces!! Design blogs are awesome places to see what’s new and to find inspiration when you don’t have any idea where to go with a space.
If it helps, I painted my office bathroom black even though most people thought I was crazy. My husband however was totally for it after I showed him a few pictures and promised him it would be “totally and completely awesome”. I still love it, it’s fabulous, none of our friends have it or have the guts to do it. Carpe Diem my friend!!
I went through my closet a couple of weeks ago and realized how horrible some of the things I own are, all purchased because they were trendy. Hello, sweater cropped right below the boobs with a tacky tie in the middle? I am not a ballerina. Why did I ever think you were good looking?? Just think how much money we waste buying and doing things that are “in style” that we never would have otherwise!
Black is ALWAYS in. AND, you can easily change your theme with the trends or on any whim of yours, because black is so versatile. It’s all in the accessories. Bottom line is, just do what you want and you will love it!
Thanks everyone for your comments so far…keep ‘em coming! I just wanted to clarify: This is not so much a discussion about me not knowing what to do in the bathroom, I am doing the black walls and I am happy with it and can’t wait to see how it comes out…This is more about trends in general, and how you filter all of the information you get through blogs/mags etc. and still stay true to yourself.
i think all of these trend points are valid. are we seeing too much black on walls? yes. we ARE. we are SEEING too many black walls. so much so that i am re-painting my bathroom from black to white. super white. white white. snow white. when something gets in my head to change i am 150 percent head in balls out changing it like yesterday.
BUT baileybliss….i have lived with this black wall for 2+ years. and i can’t take it anymore.
but i loved it. and i think if you have never had a black wall or 4 you should go for it. i def think it’s a new classic, like gray or the ever classic white. walls are meant to be painted and/or papered and as frequently as time and money allow. i say go for it. its just paint and a relatively easy fix should you hate it or tire of it.
but i am sure you will love it.
i think the bottom line here is that we are tired of seeing SO MUCH OF IT in every issue of lonny. it’s like a great song. too much air time takes away its fabulousness.
your bathroom is going to be beautiful.
OH! and maybe for fixtures and accessories try thinking outside the box…no fucking gallery walls or paintings of old seafaring mean with beards.
Great post. This happens to me quite a bit. When we first moved into our house almost three years ago I painted my living room dark brown right away. I loved it and wanted to do it and didn’t care that everyone told me no.
Well now dark brown rooms are a dime a dozen and some may say that they are “over”. I toyed with the idea of repainting just to stick with trends, but then realized that I truly loved the space and the color and that’s all that matters.
I think that when design is done right it is timeless and we each other all have our own takes on things so they are going to look a little bit different.
I have a black bathroom as well and I love it! I painted it when the trend for black walls started, but I never second guessed it. It makes me happy and if in a couple of months I hate it then I’ll repaint.
Because we are design obsessed we know about what’s in/out etc, but to everyday people who just know when things are pretty or not pretty they won’t judge and/or know if it is too trendy or not.
I think you should just do what makes you happy.
Oh when I first read that you were doing your guest bath room inspired by Lonny I was just thrilled, that was my favourite room in the whole issue. I’d love to see how it looks once you’re done!!!!
But don’t let me pressure you – sometimes it’s hard to pick when there are so many fantastic ideas out there – ultimately I think you should go with the one that everytime you look at the photo just says ‘yes!’ to you!
(I vote black walls
)
Personal style is what sets you apart as a designer, yes it’s important to know what the trends are, but what will make your spaces stand out is how you interpret those trends and choose how to use (or not use) them in the spaces you create. I don’t believe in following a trend for trend’s sake. As with fashion if we blindly follow trends and whatever’s in just because it’s what everyone else is doing we won’t end up with a unique or original look at all, we’ll look like catwalk clones (and probably very ill-fitted, uncomfortable ones, because how many of us have Miranda Kerr’s frame?).
The same logic follows for interior design. Create a space based on what’s trendy and what’s in and sure, depending on your talents as a designer, you may end up with a harmonious look and a nice space, but does it fit the person the space is made for? Will it stand THEIR test of time, i.e will they have fond memories in the space and in two years time are they still going to love the black wall or will they be pining for something that makes them feel a different way (btw I love black walls and I can’t wait until I own rather than rent)?
It’s important for designer’s to trust their own judgment – incorporate trends where appropriate, but follow your gut instinct and build spaces that reflect your (and the clients’) style – that’s what your talent is and that’s what you’re paid to do, right?
I am quite new to this whole blog world and this is definitely one of the issues that I’ve been thinking about lately. After spending more time on the internet and finding fabulous blogs [like yours!] I definitely feel that this changed the way I think about design, not that I really thought about it much before. Sure, I still like what I like, but now I am privy to a whole mess of ideas I would’ve never seen before and I feel like I’m more self-conscious about what is “in” or “cool”.
I am currently in the process of redecorating my bedroom and I know that this is in direct correlation with seeing design inspiration from blogs and magazines. Granted I am happy to have something new, but I am also worried that I will hate it in a year just because it is *trendy* and inevitably something else will be popular. All in all, I figure I’m only doing this for myself and, even if it is trendy, I’m okay with that because it brings me joy to be surrounded by The Pretty, as you say.
Also, [as if this comment couldn't get any longer] I am not a fan of being a contrarian. It’s not an actual opinion to not like something just because everyone else likes it. That’s just being difficult.
Bailey- my friend actually told me about your blog she moved to Chicago and was told about it by someone (you know that crazy six degrees of separation stuff). We are going to start a blog, I recently moved to Dallas, so I might email you more about getting set-up if you don’t mind. ANYWAYS, I recently visited a friend here and she had a black bathroom that was really great. It was that “trendy” feel without being too trendy that you didn’t feel like you were in a house. I am going to reach out to her for a picture. I will send your way when/if I get it. In the mean time, I say do it:)
design is an art, so technically there is no right or wrong. growing up i thought it was boring that my mother kept everything very traditional in the 80s while all my friends houses had all this bada$$ contemporary miami vice type stuff. well, you can only guess who still has their beautiful traditional pieces today. it’s all subjective. for instance, i was skeptical about lanterns, my style is very monochromatic, modern, yet comfortable; i kept seeing all these sleek, white lanterns, i loved them, but just wasn’t sure they would fit. so i picked some up at homegoods, put them out, moved them around, and by the end of the week, they just didn’t stick, so i brought them back. it can be trying at times, but a lot of design is testing things out and seeing if they stick. you also have to remember that a lot of people can’t even begin to comprehend the elements of design…they just look at the overall aesthetic and not individual pieces that make up the look, so they’ll have no clue if anything is “in or out”. (i love antlers by the way. so quirky and unexpected!)
I love this kind of conversation. First of all, I have no design background, and I’ve only recently gotten interested in design blogs and magazines (before that it was weddings, and next it will be something else). So don’t shoot me if you don’t like what I have to say.
2 years ago, I didn’t have a clue about design trends. Actually, I thought Pottery Barn was the end-all-be-all of interior design. Sort of embarrassed about that now… Then I got addicted to Apartment Therapy, which fascinated me because I realized there was so much to know about design and decor, and I love to learn.
So I read voraciously, and was suddenly searching Craigslist for Mid-century Modern. It was all over AT, so I must like it. Then I realized I didn’t like it. At all. I’m not sure if I was just so inundated with MCM design pics that I thought it was cool because all the cool kids were doing it, or if I really did like it and just got sick of it because I saw too much. I’m not sure, but I lean toward the former.
The other thing I realized about AT was that 1/2 the comments are just people bitching about a trend that’s done. When I started reading, they wouldn’t shut up about the Keep Calm posters. Then there were all these tirades about color-coded bookcases, antlers, and glossy white furniture. Finally I gave up trying to be cool. I like glossy white furniture and color-coded bookcases. Sue me.
So I guess I’m not a snob about design trends. But I am in other parts of my life. I was obsessed with Harry Potter because my aunt gave my little brother the first one right when it came out, before everyone was reading them. Otherwise I never would have given my wizard friend a chance. Same with Malcolm Gladwell. Love him. But I probably wouldn’t if I hadn’t been hooked before every blogger started referencing him. Sorry Stephanie Meyers, you didn’t get in fast enough.
I don’t jump on all design trends though. I’m not sold on the whole turquiose thing. That kitchen is yuck-o. I do like the chairs, however. They remind me of another trend I’ve been obsessed with lately: those bamboo dining room chairs that are in at least one featured home of pretty much every design mag I’ve read. They’re clearly trendy in that way, but the trend hasn’t trickled down to those of us normal people.
Oh, and one more thing about trends. Someone commented yesterday about thinking outside the box when you decorate your bathroom. I’m all for lateral thinking in everyday life, but I caution you against doing something just because it isn’t done. I HATE it when designers do that. Usually it looks like shit. One of my very first House Beautifuls raved about this Bunny Williams room (http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/bunny-williams-design?click=main_sr). Hate. It’s not trendy, but it’s hideous. They made this big deal about how she put in that red IKEA chair. Hid.e.ous. I also remember this dining room with unifinished dining room chairs in another HB. Also not a trend. Also ugly and stupid.
Sorry for writing a novel. Can’t wait to see your finished bathroom. And you house in general. And maybe your client’s house too?
K, Kitten – I’ve been giving your bathroom a great deal of thought. If pretty is what you are going for, forgo trend and scrap black walls. Here’s why… remember when chocolate brown was the new “everything”? I decided to paint my Beacon Hill (cue, size of postage stamp) living room a lovely shade of chocolate. Thought it would be amazing with creamy couch, ceramic lamps and fuzzy area rug. Guess what? It sucked up every drop of natural light as well as artificial light. Sooo painfully dark all.the.time. You’ll have to light up that bathroom like a christmas tree to be able to see yourself in the mirror. A little food for thought; many years ago about 10 of my dearest friends and I rented an awesome 15th century villa in Tuscany. We would take turns cooking for each other and dine under a grapevine-laced arbor overlooking a working vineyard. On the night my friend and I hosted dinner we walked into town and purchased pastries that were wrapped in the most beautiful paper on the planet. The color was a soft, muted coraly/pinky with gold lettering. So pretty I kept the paper, brought it home and had paint made to match. Painted a very small, windowless batheroom the exact same color and gilded the mile-high ceilings with gold. The effect: my skin glowed like a dewy teenager who just got laid. Didn’t matter if I just woke from an alcohol-induced coma, that pinky/coraly bathroom was just about the kindest thing I could have done for myself. Personally, I think you should stick with “The Pretty” and scrap the trend. The only people who will be impressed with trend are your bloggity-blogger friends me thinks.
Just one girl’s opinion…
I so desperately want to be an interior designer when I grow up! I’ve always fascinated about working with women named Bunny and Pepper who have unlimited budgets and let my mind run free. But that’s obviously never going to be my reality (as I sit here in my awfully boring grey cubbie at my awfully boring ad agency job). So I love reading about new design trends and reflecting on how drastically they change from one designer to the next. Design is perspective and no two people are alike. I personally love the turquoise kitchen but the hubs would kill me. And let’s not even think about what Mother would say about it. (However, I would love to know what my grandmother would say to your black bathroom. Each room of her house is painted a different shade of the boringest of creams.)
I think there’s a wealth of knowledge to be gained from bloggies like you and gems like Elle Decor and trends seem to go away as quickly as they came. Which is why my house will always be a work in progress!
Keep doing what makes you happy and I’ll keep living vicariously through you!
i’ve been having the same internal dialogue so thank you for making it public. like you, i want to say that i don’t care what the consensus is on my over-the-knee boots or the ikat pillows i’ve been lusting after but the truth is we wouldn’t subscribe or contribute to blogworld if we didn’t give two hoots. here are my thoughts:
first of all, there are few things i hate more than the naysayers who stop by blogs only to say something is “overdone.” with regard to decorno’s comment on mfamb, my reaction will forever be as follows: if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all. oops, is that expression overdone as well? it’s one thing to be critical/funny/sarcastic/snarky and quite another to dismiss someone’s stylistic choices as “a polyvore mash-up of every blogger’s wet dream.” i’d rather be trendy than tacky — and such a comment is infinitely tacky in my book. (for the record, decorno later apologized for the nasty tone of her comment, a move i very much respect.)
next, if a lot of people emulate certain trends, do they not occasionally progress from being merely au courant to total stand-by status? there are some regretful trends that might never take on that tried-and-true quality (shoulder pads, for one) and others that you’d simply never find in my own closet (e.g. the recent resurgence of denim-on-denim) but that other people can totally rock. how many people who love lucite and subway tile will it take for us to stop calling them trends and admit that they’re completely worthy design staples? should we move on from ikat and suzani since they seem to have had their fifteen minutes (er, months) of fame or could we venture to say that their prevalence in design media marks a general market shift toward a more global aesthetic?
i find that even when i don’t love a particular room i can always pick up on a thing or two that i do like (commenters angie and rachel made similar points on the mfamb post). i think there’s a big drop-off between “too trendy” and “bad design” and, even when i know a trend isn’t for me, i can almost always find something about the designer’s work worth admiring. and if i feel i can’t comment on a single redeeming quality? you can bet your behind i don’t comment at all.
Fabulous! (to be read like the Orbit commercial lady):
Who better to spit ball with than someone who named her own blog: The Zhush….
I have very mixed emotions about trends… clearly so do all these commenters so you must have hit a nerve girlie… I usually love things exactly 12 minutes before they hit the supertrendmega status and show up in Ballard, Pottery Barn and everywhere else. Not the “first adopter” but a close second. I will be so proud of my new (fill in the blank) that I got at some out the way never heard of place, only for a friend to come over and say, I love that! Is that from Pottery Barn, I just saw it in their catalog…its frustrating, but the other end of that spectrum is really “following your bliss” like the brass faucets. You have an instant reaction and love them. Then go for it….you can make yourself crazy, as I often do, wondering if my home is going to look so dated ten years from now. If we fill our homes with stuff we really love, how can we truly go wrong?
I am not reading the comments before I write this, because I want to just give my reaction.
I love this post – it really brings up a lot of what I have been thinking over the past year. I am about to hit the 3 year mark of blogging, and I absolutely love the design blogs – but do realize that they expose me to trends and thoughts that I never would have seen before, and influence me in many ways that are subtle but important. I never would have known the color of the year or trends in rugs or fabrics or whatever before the blogs. In some ways, I try to be very aware of what is a trend while making decisions – like the proliferation of gray in the design world. Would I have thought about a gray color scheme if I hadn’t been influenced by picture after picture in the blogs? I don’t think one magazine article on a gray scheme would have influenced me in the same way.
I am in the process of building a house, and working with a great designer and architect. My designer purposely does not read the blogs, because she does not want to be influenced by all of the chatter out there. She has her inspiration files, but most of the images are from books and magazines. She also has a vast body of work to draw upon, and lots of experience.
My designer and architect know of my desire for classic and timeless – and there are some things that we are doing that might be considered trendy, but they are things that I have always loved (herringbone floors, light colored floors, steel windows). We haven’t gotten too into the interiors, but have already declared that we are not doing Belgian!
Sorry this is getting so long, but it is definitely something I think about. I also think there is a great side to being so aware of the trends – it has helped me avoid some, it has helped me scrutinize what is out there and be more aware of what I like, what is a trend, what is a classic. Ultimately, even things that are classic will go in and out of vogue, so I have decided not to worry too much about it and just go with what really speaks to me.
PS – at our design meeting today, the team declared that they were thinking about unlaquered brass for the house (door knobs, handles, and such). Not sure if I am on board, but appreciated reading about your perspective on brass!
Very interesting! So now I’m wondering where do I fit in? I have no design background either, I just like pretty things. I would like to say that I try to avoid things that I think are trendy….like the grain sack pillows. BUT I love the union jack stuff. Makes me want to listen to The Clash. So is trendy ok if I like it? When I first saw the Keep Calm and Carry On poster I had to have it. Bought one and hung it up. Loved it. That had to be over a year ago. Took it down last month because they’re everywhere.
I don’t know, its weird …. its like I don’t want some things once those things are everywhere.
But then I’m like the zhush….I love things exactly 4 months “before they hit the supertrendmega status” Exactly 6 months ago I painted my hall bathroom a deep gray. And what color am I seeing everywhere now? Gray. How does this happen? I would like to think I’m just really cool and a trendsetter, but I think it’s more like that scene in The Devil Wears Prada, when they’re dressing the model for a photo shoot and can’t decide between two almost identical belts. Anne Hathaway snorts about it and Meryl Streep gives her a once over about the color of her sweater….basically saying she may think she picked out that shade of blue but it was actually from someone’s collection two years ago and it showed up in 8 more collections then filtered down to the department stores and now you’ve dug it out of the clearance bin at Casual Corner………….
I don’t know. I’m guessing that 2 years ago some runway model was wearing a gray suit and carrying a union jack bag so now I’ve got a gray bathroom and want a union jack pillow.
Mackenzie – I didn’t really apologize for my comment. If you re-read my initial comment, it was fair and balanced, and I even indicated my appreciation for the room being well-executed. Once can maintain a critical point of view without bashing on something. And that’s what I did.