House Beautiful April 2013

Time is a flying.

It is almost the end of April! 

When did that happen?

Please excuse the late April review...

One feature I always like is the paint colors feature.

Painting a room is one of the easiest ways to change the mood and decorate.  Plus I am very interested in color itself so this makes for a nice tutorial.

The April issue concentrated on legendary interior designers and their chosen color so it also made for a lovely anecdote.

I adore Dorothy Draper - don't know why - 

I just do and I love little stories.

There were a few things I remarked on this Master Class.

• We all love/make the best of Ikea and Pottery Barn but get something original and unique to you.  Think of it as your architectural fingerprint.  It doesn't always have to be a grand staircase, even a funny garden gnome will do.
• People are overdoing the pop of color thing in rooms for sure. That whole white room with a red vase thing is now getting a little trite.
• People seem obsessed with trying to make their houses look bigger.  Yes, it is a fact we all crave space, we get it.  However, no one will believe your house is a 10,000 sq ft house by using a monochromatic palette.  It is the architectural equivalent of trying to buy black pants and tunic top to cover a size 24 ass.  You ain't foolin' nobody.

I love table settings as they go hand in hand with my porcelain and plate addiction.  I adore plates of any kind from Ikea, yes you read that right, to Sevres.  I don't know why I am not a potter.

But this table scape just doesn't make me relax, 

I feel that I am going to knock something over while reaching for the wine glass and burn myself with all those candles.

While aesthetics is important, it is even more important for the guest not to feel subliminally stressed they are going to have to play musical plates, glasses, salt and pepper shaker at dinner.

For me, this genre of wallpaper never went out of style. The day this goes out of style is the day pretty ain't pretty no more.

Personally, I would use this everywhere in the house except for the living room but that's just me.

I love this feature where people send in their own aspect of their homes.  I would have shared mine but there is so much stuff on my staircase so that might have to wait.  You're not missing much though...Maybe next HB review post I might after a clear up.

Most of us are aware that most accidents in the home are on the stairs right?  Mine are carpeted and it has saved huge injuries...

I am very nervous looking at all these hard edged stairs as beautiful as they are...I hope that you are careful if you have stairs.

I love looking inside other houses. Is there a medical name for that?

Now we are in editorial features...

This one was called "Simplicity". 

I am very unmoved by the current trend of being laissez faire in styling vignettes for pictures.  Just look at the haphazard pillows and books just strewn along the bench. 

Plus I don't believe anyone could read there without a proper backrest.  Looks like someone will need a paracetamol tomorrow.

 If I were a detective, I would wonder where the perpetrator sat.  All the cushions are plumped up, a sweaters is left by the window and there is a glass of water but no one is there.  The owners of the house have obviously never watched "Scream" because they don't have blinds.  Scary!

Well, we were warned it was simple...

There is that towel styling just dropped on the bath again.

I live like this so I really don't like seeing mess or non equidistant lines and balance in photos. 

The next feature was nice but once again HB is getting a little lazy.

Nice but...

I do like the large frame lithographs framed and 

hung in the dining room.  It creates a nice effect that is easily achievable and the art is secondary.

This library is very welcoming and cozy and pitched just right.

After some reading, you can go to the bedroom and it is convenient because it sure does make me yawn.

I don't know why they didn't do half page features instead because the smaller photos are more interesting than the full pagers.

Most kitchens in suburbia.com as seen below.

This was a charming feature about pattern.

This style always makes me want to move to America.

I do like a bit of piping on seating but I think this is bordering 

on that forced pop of color theory but 

at least they folded the throw properly.

I don't know if I would do this busy pattern in my house but it is the sort of design that is enjoyable if it was at a B & B.

Too much bare wooden floor sometimes isn't grounding, it would have been nicer if they put that red patterned throw they used on the console table as a rug instead.

Chairs like that on the side only end up being a dumping ground.

 I would have just put up hooks unless it is used as those kneeling chairs that the French aristocrats used while watching the King dine.

Perhaps it is used while brushing teeth.

At first, I was not impressed with this room but then I could see why it made the cut.  If you are handy and are so inclined, having a simple palette but jazzing up the room with a eye-catching pattern is a great idea.  You could change the curtains once a month with 

another color or fabric pattern for a new look.

If in doubt, accessorize with canines. 

Without the dog, this would be picture non grata.

Who wants to take bets that this wall feature is going to be 

copied by Ikea next year?

A house in upstate New York was featured under the title Poetic Vision.  Not much stood out frankly...

The tones work fabulously but I like symmetry and the tops of the bedside table is off, one of the two cushions need straightening and the books on the bench are needless.  

No blinds in the bathroom?

Mind you it looks like they are about to hang silk curtains - oh hang on, is that a bathrobe?  This person has a split personality...

How did this make Kitchen of the month?

They haven't even hung the cupboard doors properly! 

Look at the door middle center right.

A lot of kitchens are like this but the one place a

 double standard is justified is in magazines!!

I hope you enjoyed browsing the issue with me, 

I will try and bring you the May issue next week!