What came first: designer hatred of television and television? Hello friends and welcome to installments for Arlyn’s Carmudgeney Design Takedown this week. Today’s episode? My lack of tolerance for hiding things in the home we need is very regularly used just because they are not “aesthetic.” That black remote? :: GASP ::Cable modem? Make sure you don’t see that in your rattan box statistics! I’m not mad at the desire to have something utilitarian that looks good and surprisingly displayable, but the loving design and beautiful rooms don’t need to earn a degree at McGeeber University for a way to disguise everything to look like a vintage oil painting or a basket of wovens.
For those who say, “Arlyn, it’s all about reducing visual confusion,” “Yes, I agree, but you’d think it’s because I read it in an article I wrote about ten years ago.” You get spikes of anxiety when things are out of place, messy or messy, but I prefer to work comfortably without the barriers I created for myself in the name of cuteness. Cable management is one thing, but no one can sacrifice proper lighting (#TheBiglight) or change the channel, as the fake stack of books covering the cable box blocks the signal.
Who are we doing this all for? We ourselves? Our visitors? Can’t you stand watching the thermostat? Doorbell chime box? Honestly, I think all of this hit a hot pitch when images of our homes, both designers and amateurs, became a big part of our everyday slang. As someone who produced the features of a gorgeous home magazine, if not thousands, if not thousands, I know how much edited it is, as Code and Light Switch are just as disliked by art directors as designers. This created an aesthetic culture that we all became used to seeing houses that were not functional like outlets. And now we assume we need to find a way to photoshoot them except for real life. [Side story: I was watching an episode of House Hunters last night, and the featured homebuyer was a woman who made financial empowerment content for social media. She kept saying her home needed to be “aesthetic” and was hyper-focused on white countertops and black hardware because she claims it’s what she needed for her audience to see her as successful. My eyes are only just coming forward from the back of my head.]
Hmm! Now that I got it from my chest, let’s explore all the “designer disguises” I think are almost unnecessary.
Designer Disguise #1: TV
Let’s start with the most polarized topic: TV. I It is written on this particular subject In the past, I’ve got a lot of conflicting feedback. Many agreed that television doesn’t need to be hidden. It’s part of our lives, and just because it’s a “big black box” doesn’t mean it’s scary and should be exiled. Others brought up some good points about not liking distractions. And I thought it would be helpful to put it away behind a cabinet or art or other concoction when I’m not focusing on anything else like connecting with my loved one, reading, or conversation. I’ll accept that. Because we all know that we have different lifestyles and media tolerance.
But more and more, this is what many of us use every day, a smear of the kind that is otherwise a beautiful space. Be careful, the TV is smaller and less noticeable than ever. The freestanding furniture-like Sony sets that decorated my parents’ living rooms when I was a child are far from today’s flat panels, but we’re obsessed with fake people and ourselves.
Whether you’re thinking about hiding your TV or dislikeing ideas, my most pressing questions for all of us today are: We know that our home is our sanctuary. They should make us feel peace. Visual clutter can really raise anxiety levels, but as the internet has significantly reduced the design industry, “they” want to recognize all these non-defensive things as taste good, if you want to do something even better, the best positive finish for home style, all home podium finish, awareness).
Designer Disguise #2: Cable Box and Remote
It’s no surprise that the horrifying TV trinkets also need to be hidden from our delicate eyes and wrapped in secret. Does the basket solution above look cleaner and cleaner than the open crate where the cables are pop-up? Yes, certainly. A spaghetti-like knot in cords encourages anyone to find a solution, but the vast number of videos for cutting holes in baskets and boxes is dedicated to drilling holes to store untouched shelfies or mantruls. Unless there’s a mess of long cords that are spirally caught from there, just being set in dust bunnies, cable boxes, or trays on shelves or books is enough for me.
Designer Disguise #3: Kitchen Appliances
This section takes the preface into the fact that I really love what a seamless kitchen with panel-enabled appliances looks like. But it’s very interesting that someday someone decided to think about it. “How can we hide that very thing in this space that we need most?” Fridge and freezer? Let them guess! dishwasher? Open the drawers and cabinets until you find it. Obviously, this is not a real concern as people who live in their homes with this type of kitchen are well-versed in where everything is. But let’s ponder the questions I continue to nurture for a while. Why are we doing this too?
Designer Disguise #4: Air vent and door chimes
To me, there is a difference between making something look better/detergent, like a good looking air vent, and hiding something because I was led to believe it is ugly. I had this idea recently while reading a newsletter sent me by Daniel Brandel, the Director of Design for Apartment Therapy. She is a longtime work peer that I admire a lot, but in her latest Mail Blast, she asked readers for advice on covering doorbell chime boxes on rentals. To provide a solution, she recommended putting the artwork on the hinge to cover it. Certainly, it works, but it’s like a reminder of how I felt in a plus size body from the middle of most of my adult life. Rather than fostering a culture of acceptance and self-love, there are plenty of guidance on how to dress your body to trick you as much as you can and make you feel like you are somehow thinner than you. “Hide it!” is the name of the game. Maybe the doorbell chime box is fine at all.
Left to right: Nickel door chime | Knock Door Bell Steens Resonator Door Chime | Satin Brass Builder Chime Door Chime
I can get off by replacing something more imposing like the one above with a cheap white plastic chime, but embarrassing and hiding it isn’t something we think we should put our energy into.
Designer Disguise #5: All kinds of technical interfaces
I’ve written so many stories in the past (on request) for other outlets about thermostats, electric boxes (certainly these are pretty ugly), and how to hide all of that. My answer was always along the line of what Daniel proposed to his reader’s doorbell chime. Usually, it includes hinges and artwork. It’s kind of a dependable thing. Certainly, seeing cute works of art is always better than looking at digital readings, but I would recommend leaving them alone, especially for thermostats. After some research, I’ve noticed that when recording ambient temperature when airflow is limited, it doesn’t work well when recording ambient temperature, like behind a canvas etc. This means that temperature control is hindered, which is the main purpose of thermostats.
Designer Disguise #6: Codes and Outlets
This is interesting for me. I think the hidden outlet in the drawer is a genius as a charging station, but as soon as I enter a drawer of fake paintings (above) or offsets that need to be left open when the outlet is in use, it loses me. Don’t try to take anything away from artists and woodworkers who can make things like the above – it’s very well done – but how much did it scratch because the prongs at the exit do not exactly meet their entry point? Perhaps this is a classic example of a functional form. There are plenty of beautiful outlet covers out there. Do we really need to play with them?
The same applies to code. As I mentioned, I am not against managing cable tangled mess. If you have a means and a will, it’s perfectly fine to run the cable behind the wall. But I have a secret to share. Your home is not as uncoded as the house you praised and retouched as many, if not all, lamp codes and more have been removed from the final image. Let’s embrace our home, our lamp cords and all the reality.
Bonus Designer Disguise #7: Family Photos
And finally, the slight bonus is because I don’t think this is more of a “designer” than a “styled magazine house.” From experience, many family photos are often removed from printed homes featured in print for privacy reasons, but please ask me to take a look at all the gorgeous rooms you have saved in your bookmarks and Pinterest folders. How many of them have family photos? A small corner table with a row of small frames with Abuela, cousins and baby best friend? Yes, it’s a wall in a gallery of non-descriptive or aesthetic abstract art, but the hallways filled with discrepant frames with 4″x6″ prints are a thing of the past. When I see it, I want to know who lives in the house. I want to see their lives, their families, their memories. Find ways to display them in a tidy way if necessary, but start decorating your family photos again.
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Friends, I have reached the end of my complaints. I love a house just as beautiful as the next person. After all, I was writing about a living and beautiful house. Don’t bite your hand that feeds you, and all of it. But what I don’t do is accept the strange status quo. It doesn’t match perfectly to save the fantasy of having a perfect taste and even a pristine home. Free yourself from the need for perfection. Leave the remote on the coffee table. Print that photo from your family vacation and place it on the console table. Have an outlet you can see and there’s no need to hunt. You deserve it.
Until next time…
Opening Image Credit: Design Melbertine |Photo by Tessa Neustadt | From: Mel’s Living Room Reveal
Source: Emily Henderson – stylebyemilyhenderson.com
