20 August 2010

You Know You're Designed Obsessed....

1.  When you choose to watch movies that you think may have cool interiors.

Case in point:  A Single Man

I love Collin Firth and Julianne Moore....so I thought I would like this film.

Didn't you love him in Bridget Jones' Diary?  Oh, how I devoured those books.  

He was so good in this film.  Such a love story, albeit a sad one.  


And the set design...boy I wish I had a good image of these symmetrical mirrors to do them justice.  So tall and striking, like Mr. Firth.



And the beautiful people in the cast.  (Hello, Bridget Bardot)



And I think Julianne Moore is so beautiful and talented.




Again, love the mirror, the fabric, the fur chair and the TALL lamps.

I would recommend this movie.  But remember I'm a former English teacher...I love some
movies that my friends would never even watch.  Collin (or Colin?) Firth is an English
professor in the film, so I really dig him.

images via design public




I also saw The Kids Are All Right

Loved it.  I didn't like Mark Ruffalo before this film.  No reason I can put 
my finger on...but I sure like him now.  He was perfect for the role.  And
the gorgeous blonde teen who played Joni (my prediction that she'll be
the new Gwyneth) just blew me away.  Such good acting!

The set was so hippie California that I love....outdoor patio lights strung from side to side,
well-weathered wooden tables paired with shiny silver Tolix, tons of bright and colorful
organic produce, bottles and bottles of yummy wine...and landscapes that look like they could only
come from this state.  Us Americans have such a love affair with California, don't we?







A shot of the bedroom shared by Julianne Moore & Annette Benning's characters.

Another side note:  I think I am drawn to them as actresses because of their
authenticity...not just in their acting, but their physical realness.  No lips plumped 
up (like Julia Roberts & Meg Ryan), no scary facelifts (Andie McDowell & Sharon Stone--
sure, they are beautiful, but Sharon Stone has ZERO wrinkles?)  That isn't real.  Therefore,
I don't find it beautiful.  I tend to spend my money on movies that inspire me, and Meryl
Streep, Annette Benning and Julianne Moore inspire me.  That is beauty to me.  I may have
wanted movies to be fairy tales with perfect people when I was younger, but I can smell
fake a mile away now.




Mark Ruffalo's home in the movie.  This blue looked so smoky and 
earthy in the theater.  I loved it.

images via LA Times




2.  Design obsessed people want to eat in restaurants that inspire them visually...




We had a great meal last weekend at a restaurant with horrible decor.
I can't help it....I don't want to go back.



3.  Design obsessed people may rebuy a magazine that they forgot they already have.



4.  Design obsessed people read design blogs instead of watch TV during primetime.



5.  Design obsessed people redecorate their family and friends' homes in their minds 
when they vist.

6.  Design obsessed people usually own big cars or trucks to haul around their finds.

7.  Design obsessed people usually long to have a booth, boutique, or online store.  
Not for any normal reason....they want a place where they can sell their
current stuff so they can legitimately buy more or different stuff.

8.  While learning to talk, design obsessed people's children learn words like
damask, eggshell and bentwood along with dog and car.  

One Good Thing!  Chris Campbell of Interior Homescapes wrote
to thank me for having them as one of my favorite resources on the blog.  He
made a special coupon for y'all.....just type "milkandhoney" when you 
checkout and you get 10% off.  Thanks, Chris!



No pics from Sheryl Crow....another headache.  Didn't make it.

Have a great weekend....Julie




22 comments:

  1. Great Post! I'm all there with you from #1 to #5! I used to repurchase magazine that I had... after few times I decided to just get a subscription to all of them.

    Have a lovely weekend!

    XO

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  2. Another great post! 1,4, and 5 are all me. My husband watches TV and click away on design blogs.
    Does it seem that like Single Man,everything is going "Mad Men" glam--from fashion to design?

    Bummer about the headache! If you're getting them often, I have heard Botox works wonders. (really!)

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  3. I could't agree with you more about Annette Benning and Julianne Moore. Especially Julianne Moore - I love her. I haven't seen a single man yet, but I want to. I usually don't crush on hollywood's leading men, but Colin Firth is the exception. It has to be his roles (plus he has a sense of humor in interviews - it kills me).

    I also agree with your other points. And I'm fighting off a mirgraine (or at least trying) right now, so I feel your pain!

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  4. I haven't seen A Single Man or The Kids Are Alright yet. Have them in the netflix queue ready to go though when their available on dvd. I've been known to rewatch not great movies more than once if I love the set design/production! As for the rest of the list: yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

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  5. When my daughter was four and asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would reply a "fabric girl". Great post! It made me laugh. I confess that I am guilty on all counts!

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  6. Ahhh, we are sisters from another mother! I am check, double check on all of those. How about, watches awful movies just for the set design! I also love those those ladies, and I can't wait to see both of those films. I have a soft spot for Mark Ruffalo though b/c 1. MY husband looks a lot, LOT like him, and 2. He had major brain injury and recovered, and speaks very eloquently about his experience.

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  7. Sorry you didn't make it to Sheryl Crow. Yes for #7 I'm constantly trying to sneak in design advice into convos with friends so they don't think I'm pushy but I genuinely want to help them decorate! And I always notice sets in a movie. I also don't like actors or actresses who I think are not nice people in real life. Even if i have nothing to base this on, if I think they'd be snooty in real life, they're out!

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  8. i'm definitely 3,4,5 working on 6, absolutely to 7, and no kids for 8, lol. i also re-buy mags when i want to tear photos out, and don't want to "harm" the original copy, lol. yes, i could scan them, but the paper doesn't have the same feel as a real mag. hence, design obsessed.

    argh! i love the kids are alright (i though it would end different), and thought the acting was EXCELLENT! julianne moore and AB are 2 of my faves, and mark is an excellent actor (and hot) too. glad he's getting better roles.

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  9. Julie,

    Could totally relate with all or most of these. I think A Single Man is next on my Neflix queue because of the interiors. I love Colin Firth, et al too. I've always liked Mark Ruffalo and can't wait to see that movie. That blond teenage girl, I'm pretty sure was Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Too funny about your sons because I thought it was hilarious my 5-year-old knows what a garden seat is. Too funny. Loved this post! SO sorry you didn't get to see Sheryl Crow - what a bummer. My sister has migraines and takes something that works really well to prevent them - I think it's the newer version of Imitrex.

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  10. I fit the bill on all of these. I especially like #3...I do that all the time!
    Both of these movies are on my "list to see"...I haven't been to the movies in forever and am way backlogged.
    Have a great weekend!

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  11. LOL, sooo true! Especially about the restaurant. If the food is awful I will still go back based on the atmosphere. And ditto to everything else you said.

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  12. I really enjoyed your post. I know I'm design obsessed! I'm always looking in the backgrounds of the movies and television shows. If you want to see another Mark Ruffalo film that is good - but sad - My Life Without Me - that is where I started liking him!

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  13. What a great post! I'm guilty on all counts - especially #5 - I sometimes find myself not listing to the conversation because my mind is spinning with ideas. I've learned to keep these to myself unless asked. So hard! BTW - I am in love with Colin Firth. Ever since Pride & Prejudice on BBC.

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  14. well then, I am apparently design obsessed. my eldest had used the word toile in sentences by age 5 and never turns down the chance to go to antique malls. I usually give him $3-5 to "go shopping". He can wheel and deal with the best of them. My future daughter in laws will either love me or hate me.

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  15. oh, and one more that sounds even crazier. when your scour ebay to find a replacement for an old magazine you can't find and are willing to pay 3x the original price just to have it back.. (I might have done this once, or twice...)

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  16. Great post! Loved "The kids are alright" My husband was iffy, but he just didn't get it! He is an engineer, what can I say. #3...I do that often and never pay attention when they just change the cover and do a re-print! The bastards. #5....ha ha...I do THAT all the time and if they ask me my opinion, I always say "do you want the best friend opinion or the designer opinion" Cause, the best friend opinion is "I love it"....you can guess what the "designer opinion" is :) #6...my car is always trashed and full!

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  17. OMG - I think I'm design obsessed! I think EVERY ONE of your points rings true to me! And to think that my man now mentions the decor in a movie that he just watched on the plane - I think I'm rubbing off on him too!
    thanks for the heads up on the movies - I'll be sure to check them out :)

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  18. Love this post! I am the same way. Sometimes I think I miss half of the story-line because I am so enthralled visually. I have tried to get A Single Man out of the Red Box three times now and every time the box was broken. Netflix here I come :)

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  19. Great post! one of my fave movies for design is 'Pillow Talk' with Doris Day, who plays a decorator...her apartment is superb! there are quite a few...oh and loved, loved Colin Firth in 'Bridget Jones Diary' which I just watched again last week...and who can forget him in the BBC's 'Pride and Prejudice?' aaahhhh, swoon...:))

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  20. i am going to rent a single man tonight, i keep forgetting to do that and i am dying to see it
    just for the interiors! great post...sounds like my life in a nutshell! xo Tia

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  21. Your list is sooooo true! I'm totally design obsessed!
    Great post (as always!)

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