I guess that the brain is a spectrum, and this would be farther to the right, the image-y, artsy part, than I normally am, although I liked it better than the ‘Opulent Interiors of the Gilded Age’ book I have, since it (OIotGA) is in black-and-white and filled with pseudo-intellectual factoids about semi-famous people we apparently know nothing substantive about. Of course, with the Better Homes houses book, sometimes I don’t know what the hell they’re getting at, or why something is good or bad or what they’re getting at. And I’m not invested in the ‘normal’ aspect of it, you know, although that’s not what every Better Homes girl or guy would get out of it, you know, just…. Some. Just some. I guess nothing is ever Completely normal, anyway, or in every way….

But basically I just like it for the feels, for the prosperity feels. Knowing about FICO scores is great, but learning that sort of thing isn’t exactly motivation, is it? It’s not a feel; it’s not energy. And money is energy.

…. —Mommy, why is “glory days blue” an “all-American hue”?
—That’s just how Mommy invented it, Hermes.
—Wow, Mommy invented it. 😮

…. “Think of pieces of furniture as little rooms within rooms.” I’d never thought that before! I suppose that’s why furniture is so expensive; it’s like you’re buying a little house….

…. There are many times when I don’t know what this chick is on about, you know. I feel like I should get a girlfriend, you know; I could take some time away from my busy schedule (book reviews for the 22nd century! World-historical mission!) to make sweet love to her, and in exchange she could tell me, you know—I mean, the book is so vague: it could use, like, a commentary, right.

…. “The mirrored cabinet” would make a great book title. Either you look in and see a murder (horror), or the face of your one true love, (fairy tale), or else one character sees the one and another one the other thing, (comedy-drama mash-up). And then, what could be //inside// the mirrored cabinet—a sequel deal, perhaps? 🙂

…. Huh, so I have the two small pictures in my room—I have frames for more, two more I think, but my room is messy and I don’t have good photos to use yet—should really interact in some way, either thematically (not really the topic of this book, lol), or in terms of colors I guess (which is something I learned about here); like everything should interact and be part of a pattern, you know, not just, a don’t know, random.

…. And it does kinda beat reading about neurotic people making each other miserable, to some extent, you know—at least sometimes.

(Interior Designer) Note the refined mirror provides wonderful contrast to the rough stone.
(Scientist) (considers this, then) No. I reject your theory.
(Interior Designer) O…. kay.
(Scientist) Yeah; I’m right—you’re wrong. (pops grape) Next question.

I think it looks kinda cool, and when you put it into words like that, it makes it cooler. 🪞 🏰

…. I couldn’t really decorate a house well yet myself, but this does seem like kinda the classic laconic Anglo chick take on things—like if Chris Martin were decorating your house, he’d do it straight 19 times, and then the 20th time he’d put up this big poster about Africa or something, and then go on all chill like that’s a perfectly normal Anglo thing to do, and talk about aspects of design, right…. (Laura Marling’s theory would probably just be that it should be messier, like she’d break a plate and be like, Oh, fuck you, I mean: I’m sorry I didn’t officially mean to do that….). This is more like Paul, or I guess Stella McCartney, right—just kinda…. As unobjectionable as neutral things usually are, however unobjectionable //that// is, right…. 😸🤵‍♂️🤵‍♂️👰‍♀️👰‍♀️😹

…. (shrugs) But, you know.

(Fitz) Oh yes— //girls//, they //decorate//. Whoop-dey-fucking-do.
(Charles) Fitz! What if your future wife hears you?
(Fitz) Oh please. We both know that girls aren’t rational enough to write //real books//. Why would I bother marrying one of them?

…. Can you imagine a P&P edition that //actually// referred to something like Better Homes & Gardens? Then you might actually be able to talk with ordinary girls about pride & prejudice!

Of course, the way things are, you have the white liberal, and his Doctor Who fantasy that the blackgirl is more of a conformist than he is, because blacksarebad, and so are girls— //and so are conformists//! 😸

There are days I worry about the human race! Good thing I’m the cat who spies on the villain! 😸

Comprehensive, great photos. Very safe. ( )

I got a lot out of this book. I came to the book a novice to formal decorating, but with strong ideas about color, furniture, and surfaces. What I was looking for was something to help me bring a cohesiveness to the style of a room and of many rooms together. This book did that and so much more!

It was very good at presenting concepts that one could use to build upon. It had a few rooms that were very specialized, but for the most part it presented ideas and considerations.

The book does tend towards more of a country look. Lots of antiques and florals, and little consideration is made for more modern schemas. However, I had no problem envisioning the book's suggestions and ideas with other colors, patterns, and furnishings. ( )

Some nice ideas here for decorating. I found the photos more useful than the text, though. In many ways, what they were doing here just doesn't really apply to my situation, or at least I wasn't seeing how to apply their advice. ( )