How’s that for a title? Are you curious now?
Today’s post might get me in trouble, but I’m going there anyway. I do have a few pet peeves when it comes to decorating and since I’ve been learning some of these things myself, it’s only fitting that I share them with you. Believe me, I sure don’t have it all figured out, but I know I’ve gotten better over the years, even just since I’ve been blogging. There’s so much inspiration out there, it’s hard not to hone the creativity.
So, today we’re going to talk about what NOT to do in decorating.
- Stay away from Themes: Now, this one is wide open to interpretation, but for the most part, themes are a no-no and can really date your space. Of course, we’ve all fallen for fads and themes, myself included (I have bunnies in my house), but I’m trying really hard to learn those lessons and not get caught up in theme-y decor.
One of the biggest themes of the decade of the 2000’s is Tuscan, as I touched on back in January in this post about the Decade of Design. Now, let me just say, I absolutely LOVE Italy. I spent some time there 20 years ago and have never gotten over it. But, Italy is time worn for a reason. It’s really, really old and the patina that is all over that country just can’t be duplicated very easily.
Like this, this is a classic building in Italy. Beautiful, time-worn, gorgeous patina. See what I mean?
It seems that in the early 2000’s that everyone was jumping on the European bandwagon, particularly the Tuscan look. Faux finishes and stucco walls were everywhere, along with the earthy colors of Italy. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, I love it all. In fact, I love homes that are built in the Mediterranean style, they are gorgeous when well thought out architecture is put into a new home and added with integrity.
But, when Tuscan gets mass-produced in China, this is what you get:
Look familiar?
Yep, it’s all over the place. Sorry Kirklands, which is where I found almost all of these, don’t mean to knock them, but they aren’t the only culprits, you could duplicate this look at any number of retail establishments. And if you have this all over your house, I’m really not trying to step on your toes, just throwing some things out there to think about.
I beg you, my dear readers, don’t go there. 🙂
The reason I got onto this train of thought is this. I did a consultation recently here in the Birmingham area and the girl that I was helping had a TON of accessories. She just didn’t know what to do with them all. And she had really gone overboard with the Tuscan thing. I don’t think she would mind me mentioning this, since we talked about it at the time and she totally agreed that she was very tired of it all by now. And I know she had invested quite a bit of money into these pieces. So, I used some of what she had and we rearranged some walls and removed some things and moved some of her furniture around and I think she is on the right track now. She was really happy with it all when I left 4 hours later.
So, where am I going with this?
Well, for starters, I’d really like to encourage you when it comes time to buy things to hang on the wall, that you get out of the habit of mass-produced pieces and think about buying vintage or yardsale original art. I have very few things left that are mass produced on my walls (or in my house, for that matter) and my favorite items are those that cost me very little money, but they have a unique look since I found them while thrifting and I won’t see them in everyone else’s home.
Like this little original oil painting I found for $1 at a yardsale. I’ll tell you that these unique finds that you can scout out there are going to be so much more interesting in the long run than those mass-produced pieces of artworks. There’s just no comparison.
So, I hope this got you thinking about looking at your artwork in a different way. Get out there and see what you can find. I’m always excited when I spot some neat things when I’m out there and now I have a house full of original art.
(original oil picked up from an antiques store for $7)
It might not be priceless art, but it sure is to me and I’m finding that I love the original art much more than those framed pieces from retailers that I’ve picked up and eventually tire of.
In fact, I’ve gotten SO inspired recently that I’m planning a little overhaul in my living room. I’m getting a less formal rug than the needlepoint that is currently there, the tapestry is coming down and in its place will be a HUGE mirror (yet to be found) and on the other side of the room, I’ve done a gallery wall. I’ve already got lots of pieces to work with, but looking for more will be a lot of fun.
(Domino) LOVE this look! Stay tuned, I’ve finished my gallery wall and can’t wait to show you.
How do you like your art?
Are you an art snob and only hang the finest on your walls, or does mass produced rule (and maybe you’ve never even thought about it like this), or do you, like me like to scour the flea markets for one of a kind treasures?
Kristi says
Rhoda,
Thanks so much for your honesty!! I don’t have a lot of Tuscan type decor, but a bit, and it’s mostly Southern Living. Well, the house is always a WOP, so I will look forward to days when I have time to thrift and such to slowly replace the mass produces stuff. And I hate to admit it, but anything decorwise that says “Made in China” on the bottom, makes me cringe. I still buy it anyway sometimes.
Pam Fitz says
Hi Rhoda!
I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for being the brave one to come out and say it! Can’t wait to see your wall!
Mom on the Run says
I finally found a designer (after 4 or 5 attempts) that is on the same page and we’ve had a lot of discussions about wall art. I know I tend to be drawn to the same kinds of things over and over, but it has to mean something to me. For some reason I have always liked doors, keys, etc (the key collection started with being a Kappa, truth be told). So no matter where it comes from, it has to mean something to me. I just rehung something in my den, a large photograph I bought at an art fair of a weathered door in Paris that cost the earth, and on either side I have two prints I got at Garden Ridge….but they are terrific because they are doors and steps in Eze….and I’ve climbed those steps in Eze. Some of my other favorites are 18th c. French Maps that I found at the Classy Flea for $12 each (I don’t think they knew what they had) that I had framed, a watercolor print of the approach at Windsor Castle and a couple of calligraphy pieces. Another big trend that makes me crazy is the wine stuff. I have a butler’s pantry with all our wine stuff, but instead of buying the cheesy prints, we have two big framed maps of Sonoma and Napa with the winery labels surrounding the map. And seriously, this always happens to me…if I like something, spend a lot of time looking for it and get it on the walls, in about two years I will see that “theme” in Kirkland’s or Bed Bath and Beyond, etc. I guess I need to start using my soothsayer skills to make some money. You would not believe my story about trying to find a piece of art with a lighthouse that we’d visited in Nantucket back in the early 1990’s, how long it took to find the perfect print that was B&W then painted like those old photos from the 1960’s, ordering, framing, etc. and then seeing it three or 4 years later in BB&B. Didn’t mean to write a book, but this is a subject that really hits a nerve with me!
Maggie says
I am with you on this one. I don’t want to walk into someone else’s house and find the same stuff in their homes. I like to be original. My favorite things are the one of a kind pieces. Great post!
Barbara says
I try to have only things that I have picked up while traveling or that have some meaning for me. Prints, sketches, photographs, framed mementos…something that really “speaks” to me. I’ll fill in with mirrors, etc. I try not to have
art for art’s sake on the walls. I can’t understand a home that is furnished with suites of matching furniture and sofa-sized art that matches the drapes.
Nouveau Stitch says
Can we talk about…Paris? And the “French” look? How come when I spent weeks in Paris last fall I never saw one “bistro” sign…anywhere? Gah!
helen says
I love the hunt and find.. I love real wood frames on my pictures….I love country…seasonal….and real art….all of mine are loved right from the yard sale, antique store or flea market
Jennifer says
Hi there, Rhoda!
I LOVE THIS POST!!!
I am of the same mind as you on this one. I despise prints and have 98% original pieces. I do have a few plates here and there on the wall but most all of the actual “art” is original work. I have some snobby stuff and some stuff I found for a song while thrifting. I like that. We inherited a couple of expensive pieces from my husband’s grandparents and we’ve been given some very nice paintings but the one that I purchased personally that I will just go into the room to look at is in my dining room. I bought a hand drawn and painted dragonfly at the Rockport Art Festival. (Which is where I get a bunch of my stuff each year). I paid several hundred dollars for it. BUT, I saw it one year and decided it was too expensive and it was back the next year. So, I HAD to have it. IT screamed “BUY ME!” so I obliged…
I do have a print in my bedroom that we found in a trunk belonging to my husband’s grandfather. But, it belonged to him and dates back to the 1800’s. And I have a print in my half bath of a little boy caught in the hen house. That belonged to my dad and was a page from a calendar from Smith Brother’s grocery, which was run by my Grandfather and his brothers in the 1940’s, in a tiny South Texas town called George West. (Everyone thought the little boy looked like my Dad as a child) I thought these pieces were worthy of my wallspace.
Thanks for another great post.
Jennifer
Have a super day!
connie says
A timely and thoughtful post, Rhoda. I agree with you and also Beth who mentioned scale in selecting art. I would also like to add that original art will add a depth and richness to your house that you will never tire of. Original art does not have to be bought at a yard sale. If fact, much of it is not really good. However, there are so many wonderful artists out there, and they sell their work quite reasonable ly. Why
not support artists at art fairs, glleries, and the internet? I practically give mine away on eBay, and although they are small, a wide frame will give them presence. Gallery prices are much higher, but most will let you pay on time, and a good gallery will give invaluable help and information.
Anita says
What a great post!! I am personally a lover of all things vintage and though I do have a few accessories here and there from Big Lots, etc., I mostly use things we have acquired on our travels around the world, family heirlooms, or things I have gotten from ebay, thrifting, etc. I do like to mix things up a bit, though. Looking around, every piece of wall art is either a family heirloom or part of a collection of Mort Kunstler s/n prints I love. Even the rugs are all antique Persian or Turkish which I picked out myself in Turkey. Interesting post!!
Sabrina Persico says
Totally agree with you on this! Great post topic!
I once had a family say that my husband and I were into “that clean and modern” look! Which isn’t true at all….although I do think that’s a great look…just not us. We’re more traditional/comfortable, but clean too. The reason they said this is that we didn’t have loads of things on the walls at the time. We were just married. We hadn’t accumulated much “stuff”.
Over the years, our walls have become more and more filled…with stuff WE LOVE! Its almost all original and unique and we gets lots of comments…usually nice ones! 😉 I feel the need to decorate with things that have meaning, come from family or dear friends and are just really funky and unique. That’s what makes a home…surrounding yourself with that cozy warm feeling.
Pat@Back Porch Musings says
Wonderful post, Rhoda. Once again you put into words, my thoughts.
I like prints from original watercolors as well as original watercolors.
I like posters, when done right, as in our St James Winery poster, actually American Gothic done as a label/poster. It was the label of a wine, that is a favorite of ours, so it has some meaning for us and definitely not in most homes.LOL And the price was right. When the label was retired the poster was free with a case of wine. I wonder how many people had the poster matted and framed!
I’m trying to think of what we have here that is mass produced…ah the bird prints from PB. Those work and there is a little theme going there. I hope it’s not overdone.
I didn’t really get into the Tuscan theme, although I do have prints that might evoke that theme. They are well done, with red roofed houses.
Only a couple of iron scrollies, here. One over the hearth room mantel will be replaced as soon as I find that elusive iron gate.
As we make changes to a 50’s farmhouse sort of look, in the hearth room, I’ve pondered what will be used on the walls. We don’t have a lot of wall space in the room. I have some black framed butterfly prints….again PB, hanging in the room for now. I tried some of our other prints and didn’t like the look. I’m not doing kitchy 50’s farmhouse. It’s really a country sort of look, without the gingham. The more I look at the butterfly prints the more I like them, because they are a pleasant contemporary surprise in an otherwise traditionally country room.
Well, this has turned into a windy comment!:-)
Amanda Eck-TheEckLife says
here! here! Rhoda! I could not agree more. I too fell into the Tuscan trap for a bit. Honestly I cant even step into a Kirklands anymore (plus they smell-too much potpourri) LOVE the art wall-what a great idea to add height and interest to a room.
Beverly says
Our walls in our home are filled with quite an unusual assortment of items that we have acquired over the years. Right now I am on the hunt for something to hang going up our stairs.
Debra says
Hi Rhoda, I can’t wait to see your revamped LR…although it was wonderful as it was.
Lately I’ve been just getting tired of some things and feel the need to lighten up to a bit more casual feel…..LR rug, tapestry etc, so I’m excited to see your room. I’m slowly getting our MB feeling lighter and more casual….slowly, but am stumped as to what to put over the bed because of the toile wallls.
I’m somewhat guilty of themes and the cafe, bistro stuff but am slowly moving away from it. Decorating is an evolution I guess….huh? I think the time is about up for that Tuscan look.
Great post!
Melissa Miller says
Rhoda I am once again outdated with my taste in home decor according to your post. Bummer…;( Kirklands is my absolute favorite store to shop these days. Oops! Old World/Tuscan mixed with Traditional actually IS my choice of home decor style and since I cannot go to Italy to shop for home decor I’ll take what I can get. If I took everything down from my walls that is this style I would have nothing left hanging and I don’t like bare walls.
When we move next year maybe I can start over with my design choices but for now this will have to do.
~Blessings & Happy Spring! ~Melissa 🙂
Samma says
I am a HUGE orginal art person. My mother and many of my family members are artists and have drilled into me from a young age- BUY ORIGINAL ART! I love scouring thrift stores, begging from them and Etsy for inexpensive artwork which I love. I am new to your blog, but thank you so much for this post- it really resonates with me.
Courtney @ nesting instincts says
preach it, sister! I am SO with you on this one. I also really like to purchase artwork from etsy.com, because even if I’m not able to get an original and just get a print, it’s usually produced in a very small batch by an artist working out of their home. I love the idea that I”m not only getting a piece of art that very few people own, but am also helping support a small-time artist. It’s a win-win situation. 🙂
Richella at Imparting Grace says
You’re brave to take this on. But you’re right, and a lot of people really need this advice.
The great thing is that people CAN successfully use some of these mass-produced items if they’ll mix them in with some one-of-a-kind and vintage things. Maybe the “rule” (except that there are no rules, thank goodness!) could be “never use a mass of mass-produced items.”
I think it’s good for you to offer this insight, even if it steps on some toes, for people really do look to you for advice. Good for you.
Lou Cinda says
I lov ebunnies too, but I don’t have “bunny” themed rooms. They are just sprinkled about and they have to be what I term as “classy” bunnies. No Roger Rabbits allowed!
Remember to blue and mauve trend? Been there, done that!
Good post!!
Lou Cinda 🙂