Looking at my Facebook page tonight, I had a wide awakening.  I was browsing through a beautiful post Traditional Home magazine had done featuring 30 different table top vignettes.  The concept was to show how tables….not just dining tables, but buffets, chests, cocktail tables, and lamp tables can be turned into wholistic art pieces by the way accessories, art, and objects are arranged.  The editors did a beautiful job of showing a variety of tables, colors, and styles.  The reviews by readers were brutal to say the least.  The readers showed no tolerance for anything that was not within their personal style.   Click here to see the post.

A good designer will listen to what their client wants.  If you want a white room, with white upholstery, white floors, and white draperies, a good designer will explain what the negatives could be, and if you accept them, will proceed to give you the look you want.  All white isn’t right for my lifestyle, but I have seen places where it works beautifully and clients who are able to easily maintain it.  When I look at a room that is beautifully done, it is easy for me to appreciate what went into the making of the room, and to visualize how it could be lived in.  As readers of shelter magazines, we should try to show tolerance for different styles and to learn how to appreciate them.  Interior Design is an art form, and designers and their clients deserve the same type of respect for their areas of expertise that good artists get.  Who would say that Picasso could not paint?  Even if you don’t like his style, most people can appreciate what went in to creating his pieces.  If you don’t know how he transformed himself from a classical painter to one of the most well known contemporary artists ever, read up.  It is fascinating to see his style transform. 

Traditional means different things to different people.  Someone from Saudi Arabia will have a completely different perspective on what “traditional” is than someone from Kansas.  Try to think about these factors when reading your shelter magazines.  They will become much more interesting, and you will learn lots more about different styles and cultures.  You might even be surprised by discovering something you didn’t know, and changing the way you view interiors.

All that being said, before you judge an interior as ugly, dated, not original, or impractical, try to determine why it is that way.  Maybe it is exactly what the client wanted, and maybe to someone else, it is beautiful.