I’ve been working within the studio this week, clearing out the room, packing issues up, and on the brink of paint the ceiling, partitions, and ground. It’s an enormous job as a result of that room is giant, and it has amassed loads of stuff! However yesterday, whereas purging and packing up the room, I got here throughout my stash of design magazines. There have been most likely 300 of them, at the very least. They usually dated means again to round 2005.
I didn’t take the time to take a look at them, as a result of I simply wished to get the room cleared out. I made a decision to do away with all of them. I imply, the probabilities of me taking a look at any of these magazines once more was slim to none.
However one caught my eye. I believe it’s a Higher Houses & Gardens particular publication. At first, I believed it was Elle Decor, however it’s not. And as you possibly can see, the quilt actually says “The Most Gorgeous Rooms Ever”. That’s a reasonably large declare!
I really keep in mind shopping for this. I used to be in Barnes & Noble, and I noticed it, flipped by means of it, and was completely captivated by it. I believed that the declare made on the entrance cowl was 100% correct on the time.
So yesterday, once I got here throughout this once more, I used to be curious. Would these rooms stand as much as that label right now? Are these designs timeless? Or would these rooms look outdated right now? Is there even any such factor as timeless design? Let’s check out just a few of them, as a result of I’m curious to know what you suppose.
First, let me provide you with some background and a few perspective. This particular publication is dated Fall/Winter 2006. So it’s about 16.5 years outdated. That was the 12 months earlier than I began this weblog. Fb was about 2.5 years outdated. Pinterest wouldn’t come into existence for an additional two years, and we have been nonetheless 4 years away from Instagram. So social media was in its infancy. Myspace was the most well-liked social media web site. Fb was comparatively new. And the very first iPhone was nonetheless about six months away from being launched to the world.
So in that pre-social media, pre-iPhone world, when most of us have been nonetheless getting all of our design and adorning concepts from magazines and HGTV, right here’s a style of essentially the most gorgeous rooms ever.
I’ve to confess that it begins off robust with me. Whereas there are undoubtedly issues that I believe needs to be modified on this room, I don’t see it and instantly suppose “outdated”.
At the least for me, I believe the wall colour remains to be very fairly and contemporary. The primary factor I’d need to change is the window remedies. See that swag factor (I forgot what these are known as) on the left window under? I keep in mind making a kind of for a consumer, and in 2006, my inside adorning enterprise was one 12 months outdated.
We simply don’t see many (or any) window remedies like these right now. Window remedies right now appear to have been far more simplified with window shades and/or easy curtains and material panels.
This subsequent one is fairly. If I walked into this room right now, I wouldn’t essentially suppose it was outdated. It’s undoubtedly not my private fashion, and the colours appear too heavy and darkish for me, however it doesn’t appear outdated.
It is a wider view of that very same room. What I did discover about so most of the rooms on this journal is that the rooms appear to fall into two totally different classes for me. First, so lots of them appear darkish and the furnishings appear very heavy and overdone. And second, those that don’t appear overdone appear very plain. You’ll see what I imply later. So these two classes appear to dominate.
However with that mentioned, there are numerous parts on this room that will look proper at house in 2023 with just some minor updates.
This subsequent one is an ideal instance of what I meant by darkish, heavy and overdone. I keep in mind this period nicely as a result of once more, that is once I had my inside adorning enterprise. And that is when nearly each new consumer I met with had one among two requests, and the most well-liked request was Texas Tuscan. My goodness, I got here to hate that time period. Texas Tuscan. And whereas this isn’t precisely what Texas Tuscan would appear like, it nonetheless has that very same really feel to it.
In case you’re curious, the second most-requested look again then was Pottery Barn. I child you not. About 90% of my shoppers wished both (1) Texas Tuscan or (2) Pottery Barn. And that’s exactly why the joy about adorning for shoppers wore off fairly rapidly, and I solely did that for seven years earlier than falling by the wayside and specializing in my weblog, the place I may escape from Pottery Barn and Texas Tuscan. And that’s most likely why you’ve by no means seen me enhance my home with something from Pottery Barn. ?
Anyway, shifting on. I keep in mind this kitchen nicely. This factor is etched in my thoughts, however solely as a result of I keep in mind seeing it in one other publication the place they’d edited the colour in order that it look pink. And I used to be mesmerized with that pink kitchen! I liked it a lot. After which once I noticed that it was really crimson, I used to be so disillusioned.
However that was most likely one of many first colourful kitchens that actually caught my eye, and made me understand that I’d by no means be glad with a white kitchen. And I believe with some minor modifications (like taking the wall colour to a pleasant smooth white quite than taupe), that kitchen could be simply as nice right now because it was in 2006.
Right here’s one other kitchen. I don’t know if it is a case of this trying outdated to me, or if it’s simply so reverse of my very own private fashion, however I’d personally need to redo every part on this kitchen.
This little sitting room is fairly, however do folks nonetheless do these antiqued finishes on wooden work? I don’t actually see that anymore lately. However do you see what I imply about darkish and heavy and overdone? Heck, even the rooms the place the partitions are a light-weight colour, they nonetheless really feel ark and heavy to me.
I do suppose that this eating room could be very fairly. This specific fashion by no means appealed to me personally, but when I walked into this room right now, I’d suppose the room was very nicely achieved. Though if the home-owner requested my opinion, I would recommend refinishing at the very least one of many darkish items of furnishings (most likely the desk) to make it a extra pure colour to lighten the look a bit.
This toilet could be very fairly, however once more, even with partitions which can be seemingly gentle, the room feels darkish and heavy.
Let’s simply say that after trying by means of this journal, I can completely perceive why every part shifted to paint-it-all-white farmhouse design.
I’ve by no means been a paint-it-all-white farmhouse type of particular person, however I’ll need to admit that I believe so many of those rooms may slot in completely in 2023 with a can of white paint. Not that every part must be white, however some issues may undoubtedly stand to be lightened and brightened a bit.
The heavy curtains, animal prints, the entire browns in every single place. I actually do really feel like the entire white farmhouse look was a pushback towards this type of adorning. I hadn’t realized it or understood it till flipping by means of this journal and remembering simply how fashionable these seems to be have been again then.
The bed room under on the precise is an instance of the second class I discussed above — very plain. There’s nothing to this room, and positively nothing that appears “designed” about it to me. I don’t know that this is able to make the lower for many gorgeous room in 2023.
This one was most likely the most important shock to me. Not everybody in 2006 was doing the darkish, heavy, overdone rooms. Kelly Hoppen was one among my favourite designers throughout this time. I keep in mind being amazed at her trendy minimalist aesthetic. I’d sit in Barnes & Noble and have a look at her e book, finding out every part about her rooms and designs. So trying again at this, I used to be shocked.
If somebody confirmed me that image with out her identify connected, and requested me to guess when and what it was from, I’d have guessed that it was a Vern Yip Buying and selling Areas room.
After which we’re again to overdone. However once more, I actually can’t inform if I’d put this in to the “outdated” class, or if I’d simply put this into the “that is so not my fashion” class.
However this bed room under on the precise appears dated to me. I can’t assist however surprise what it might appear like right now in the event that they eliminated the valance from the home windows and simply had the material panels, after which eliminated the cover from the mattress.
This eating room is unquestionably a 2006 eating room. I’ll go away it at that.
This little sitting space is likely one of the few footage that I believe seems to be timeless. I would swap out the lamps, however apart from that, I believe it’s actually fairly.
This bed room is one other one of many rooms that falls into the plain class for me. The room is okay, however I believe it’s means too plain to make the lower for “most gorgeous room ever” in 2023. I believe we anticipate an entire lot extra creativity from rooms which can be going to be bestowed with that label lately.
I be in agreement of this room. The room is okay, however there’s no means it might be thought of spectacular right now, a lot much less “most gorgeous”.
And once more with this bed room. It’s superb. If I walked right into a home with this bed room right now, I’d suppose it was good. However it’s not a “most gorgeous” room by right now’s requirements.
I believe that for the reason that introduction of running a blog and social media, we’ve simply seen means too many individuals with means an excessive amount of creativity and out-of-the-box pondering that we’ve come to anticipate actually spectacular issues from any room that we might deem “gorgeous”.
We didn’t have all of that again in 2006, so the bar for “most gorgeous” was comparatively low. Lately, we’re blown away by on a regular basis householders DIYing their very own properties and arising with among the most artistic concepts ever. The bar has been raised significantly simply because we have now a lot simpler entry to concepts.
However I’d love to return and see what 200d6 Kristi considered this room under. I can’t keep in mind. However 2023 Kristi thinks that this room is finest left in 2006. ?
Anyway, this was a enjoyable little stroll down reminiscence lane. I keep in mind poring over this journal a number of occasions, finding out each little element of each room. I really was mesmerized with them.
However are any of them really timeless? That’s the query. May any of those room present up simply as they’re in Instagram right now and be thought of present?
It looks like each single one among these rooms would want one thing tweaked or redone in an effort to be spectacular in 2023. Do you agree? Or do you see some that look really timeless to you? I’ll go away you with just a few extra with out commentary. You possibly can let me know what you suppose. Is there actually any such factor as timeless design?
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and enhance the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You possibly can study extra about me right here.
I hope you’ll be part of me on my DIY and adorning journey! If you wish to observe my initiatives and progress, you possibly can subscribe under and have every new submit delivered to your electronic mail inbox. That means you’ll by no means miss a factor!
