Odds And Ends Around The House

My new friend Georgianne, who lifted me to minor and short-lived celebrity status, labeled the room where we sat for our Huffington Post interview as my "cozy kitschy, kitchen". Or should I say "kozy, kitschy, kitchen"? I had thought of my decorating style as rather traditional and dated, but as I looked around at my house with new eyes, I saw variations on that theme.


In my living room I found the red and gold fringed footstool, which flips over to all gold, and the silk, tasseled and mirrored pillows from India. Not kitschy exactly, more late nineteenth century house of ill repute style, I'd say. What I was aiming for, I can't remember, but I liked them.


What to say of the arrangement on the dining room table? The bowl and contents, including brass pears and leaves, but excepting the grapes, cost about $8.00 at a moving sale at a local antique store. The grapes cost $15.00. They're made of marble, and are quite realistic, but they are the heaviest grapes I've ever held. The arrangement looks gay to me, but correct me if I'm wrong, my gay brothers.

 

The photograph of Rodin's "The Kiss", a sculpture which I love, came from the Rodin museum in Paris. I've loved that statue from the first time I saw a picture of it, and I was thrilled the first time I saw the real statue. To me, it's sensuous and innocent at the same time.

When my granddaughter was quite young, maybe four, she noted the picture and said, "They're naked." I said, "Yes. That's art." I didn't know what else to say.

 

The beaded lampshade is a mild example of house of ill repute, perhaps not worthy of the label, because of the smallness of the beads. Of more interest is the Princess phone on the table, a burgeoning antique. They last forever.

 

Finally, the beaded fruit in a quite conventional bowl. You can't hide it. I see your thought balloons: "20th century bad taste" - a thought which you may, or may not, apply to any or all of the above.

Here you have a rare ("House and Garden" or "HGTV" style) glimpse into the household of Mimi and Grandpère. I haven't shown you our many duck pictures, Grandpère's contributions to our decorating style. Those, along with his collection of old duck decoys, once led a visitor to look around and say, "What this place needs is some ducks!" I suspect that the house make-over folks from "HGTV" would love to get their hands on our house.