Art Deco
At the Thrice household, we have been in the throes of a 'difference of opinion' for about five months now. It all started when we paid off our student loan. Through hard work and not ordering a LOT of stuff through the mail, we were able to pay off our loans TWO YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE! Oh, we were very proud of ourselves.
"We should do something to celebrate," suggested my wife.
"OH YEAH!!" I exclaimed. "I think that's a GREAT idea!"
My wife:"I was referring to buying a painting for the mantel."
Me:"I knew that."
And there is where our difference of opinion started. I, for one, was not convinced that buying a new painting for the house was necessarily the way to go. After all, I reasoned, I don't even notice the paintings we have up already, much less the drapes, valances, throw pillows or curtains.
"You don't count," reasoned my wife, right back at me.
Needless to say, we spent the next day touring the local shops, perusing various artists and styles and arguing over which one of us had the stupidest taste. She loved the painting of a flower in a vase, just sitting there. I was leaning toward the picture of a tiger pouncing on a zebra. She wanted the watercolour of the windmill wrapped in flowers (as if THAT really exists somewhere). I wanted the picture of the lion, in repose. She wanted the painting of a little cottage surrounded by daffodils. I wanted the Eagle, SWOOPING DOWN OVER THE ROARING WATERFALL, TALONS EXTENDED AS SHE GRASPED AT HER UNSUSPECTING PREY.
My wife:"That stuff is so fake. How could anyone buy it?"
Me:"Oh, but I'm sure this cottage would be easy to find...IN STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE-LAND!"
And now we are stuck. I think that she intends to wait me out on this one, so I'm making a concerted effort as I come home from work each day to always, without fail, look at the mantel and make sure there is no picture there. Or no new picture there. There might be one there already, although I don't know what it is, exactly. But it would be an old one that we had before. I think. Or maybe I'm thinking about the picture in the hall, the painting of the winter scene. I mean summer.
Anyways, my point is that I have DEFINITE opinions about what should and should not be used in my house as a decoration. On the 'should not' side, we have things like Knick-Knack shelves, which do nothing but invite the purchase of other similarly useless items such as miniature stuffed teddy bears, ceramic cherubs, fake flowers and tiny pewter toy 'replicas' whose only 'purpose' is to collect dust.(NOTE: There is NO dust in our house. Ever. I'm just saying that if these trinkets were in someone else's house, like yours, the dust would settle on them like mud on a hog.)
Of course, my views on decorating are a little more conservative and pragmatic. My perfect house would have wood panelling. Everywhere. Hey, if it's ok in the den, its ok in the kitchen. That and a smattering of those cool, motivational posters with athletes competing or Eagles, SWOOPING DOWN WITH THEIR TALONS EXTENDED AND GLISTENING IN THE SUN, CLOSING IN ON A FISH OR SMALL DEER.
I guarantee that ours would be the house on everyone's mind. And the talk of the town.
Return To The Archives!