Interior Desecrations...

[SecondhandSophisticate]

I know that Lileks' sites have been mentioned previously here.

I had been familiar with the "Interior Desecrations" site for a few years, but I had never seen the others, so I thank y'all for bringing me up to speed.  I am so intrigued with the pics and copy on the ID site (which can bring me to tears, I laugh so hard) I had to see the book. Luckily, my library has a copy. It is better than the site because there is just so much more there.  And Lileks I are about the same age, and we have a collective memory, which he just articulates so beautifully about the "hypocrisies of our times"--namely, the 70s.  Trust me, the 70s  were just as awful as Lileks writes. And those designs are spot on!  I had several apartments in the 70s, which I had to decorate, as well as my room at my parents' home, and it's all just so SCARY to see what was once held in high style esteem! 

But did you ever wonder where he got the pics?

Well, check out this ebay link:

http://cgi.ebay.com:80/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120152932412&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:US:12

Now you know!   

Ciao, SeSo

[Zed Simon]

I actually have a whole set of books like that...give or take a few volumes. It's The Practical Encyclopedia Of Good Decorating And Home Improvement. And frankly I doubt that the decorating was that good even for 1971, when this set was published.

Lileks should follow up with Exterior Desecrators...the architecture of most new buildings back then seemed to be on a par with the interior design. Mansard roof or fake Tudor, anyone?

Zed, who recently moved from a Mansard to a Tudor

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

I just found over the weekend a 1965 Woman's Day "Better Decorating" book at the St. Vincent de Paul. And while some of the rooms are certainly livable if not unmemorable, there are definitely some humdingers in there, too.

The ones from that time period I would say are mindboggling are the ones that use one vivid pattern and then repeat it on... The sofa, the curtains, up the wall and onto the ceiling.

One was not in color but claimed to be in "various shades of red."

Good gad!

Yup, James Lileks Interior Desecrations book is marvelous. Same with the Gallery of Regrettable food-- much horror and joy from both.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Zed, where do you live?  It sounds like a fast-food restaurant .  Your idea about Exterior Desecrations is excellent.


I live in late 20th century mediocrity subdivision Indistinguishable (especially) amongst the indistinguished

TSR, that book must be wild!  Did it cost ya?

Lileks' meat pages had me howling!

[Mattie]

Funny, I just mentioned Lileks on another forum not ten minutes ago. 

Back in the mid-seventies I decided I was going to be an interior designer when I grew up.  I started keeping a clip file of pages from Women's Day, Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens and every other magazine that had decorating ideas.  By the time I started college in 1979, I had quite the collection.  Eventually I changed majors from interior design to fine art, but I still have that massive clip file.  Lately I've been collecting decorating books from that era, and Interior Desecrations is right there on the shelf with the other decorating books.  I love this hideous stuff.  Can't live with it, but it's fun to look at.

The other forum, by the way, is currently obsessed with the Madonna Inn (check out THESE mind-blowing rooms:  http://www.madonnainn.com/tour/index.asp) so I mentioned another legendary hotel that James Lileks immortalized on his site, the Gobbler:  http://www.lileks.com/institute/motel/index.html  The colors will make your eyes explode in your head.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I agree.  I have several vintage decorating books, and in the pictures I see several items / design elements that I like, but then they do something awful like have the drapes, couch, and wallpaper all match with the same pattern.  When I do my interior decorating I get inspiration from vintage items and style, but I do not go for a 100% authentic design as in the 50's - 70's they usually took a good thing and carried it way too far.  One of my decorating books even suggested how you can easily get a designer laundry room.  Cover the washer, dryer, cabinets, and walls all with matching contact paper.  The picture showed a laundry room done with contact paper with huge daisies.  On the washer, dryer, cabinets, and walls.  It was just too much...

-Jay

Funny, I just mentioned Lileks on another forum not ten minutes ago. 

Back in the mid-seventies I decided I was going to be an interior designer when I grew up.  I started keeping a clip file of pages from Women's Day, Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens and every other magazine that had decorating ideas.  By the time I started college in 1979, I had quite the collection.  Eventually I changed majors from interior design to fine art, but I still have that massive clip file.  Lately I've been collecting decorating books from that era, and Interior Desecrations is right there on the shelf with the other decorating books.  I love this hideous stuff.  Can't live with it, but it's fun to look at.

The other forum, by the way, is currently obsessed with the Madonna Inn (check out THESE mind-blowing rooms:  http://www.madonnainn.com/tour/index.asp) so I mentioned another legendary hotel that James Lileks immortalized on his site, the Gobbler:  http://www.lileks.com/institute/motel/index.html  The colors will make your eyes explode in your head.

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Ah- Mattie-- I ALWAYS think of the Madonna Inn in relation to Lileks Interior Desecrations!!-- I once actually emailed him the link in case he hadn't seen it. That place is amazingly entrancingly dreadful-- and as a writer I LOVE how the writers there described the rooms, but did it in a sort of tongue-in-cheek way that the client (who seems to feel they did a great job of decorating) wouldn't have been offended. Talk about a marketing balancing act!

SeSe, did the book cost me? Nope! A whopping $0.99 if I hadn't gotten it for free with my $1.00 coupon.

There are only a couple of rooms I'd say are of the horror level of Interior Desecrations, though. But some of the ads there are funny, too. SO of the time period.

[Jay2TheRescue]

You know, I just have to mention this.  The Madonna Inn is not only famous for the awsomely awful design, but also its Men's Rooms are world famous for their interesting fixtures.

http://www.urinal.net/madonna/


-Jay

Ah- Mattie-- I ALWAYS think of the Madonna Inn in relation to Lileks Interior Desecrations!!-- I once actually emailed him the link in case he hadn't seen it. That place is amazingly entrancingly dreadful-- and as a writer I LOVE how the writers there described the rooms, but did it in a sort of tongue-in-cheek way that the client (who seems to feel they did a great job of decorating) wouldn't have been offended. Talk about a marketing balancing act!

SeSe, did the book cost me? Nope! A whopping $0.99 if I hadn't gotten it for free with my $1.00 coupon.

There are only a couple of rooms I'd say are of the horror level of Interior Desecrations, though. But some of the ads there are funny, too. SO of the time period.

[ChrisMiss]

Hey thanks for starting this subject and providing links to all the interesting stuff.  The rooms in the Madonna Inn, well some of them are just too funny.  I'm checking out Lieks site for more horrible stuff from the '70's.

Speaking of horrible rooms, I once rented a house back in the 70's that the bathroom was done all in that horrible shade of pink.  The walls were painted a deep pink but the worst was the floor.  There used to be some product back then that had some kind of chips to cover the floor, they were probably plastic chips.  Probably laid down some glue first, then spread these chips over it, then cover the whole thing with a sealer.  So of course in this bathroom the floor was a deep pink of sparkly chips.  Totally yuck, even in the '70's.

[Zed Simon]

Zed, where do you live?  It sounds like a fast-food restaurant .  Your idea about Exterior Desecrations is excellent.

Smack in the middle of Long Island. My old place and new place were apparently made a few months from each other in late '72 and early '73, when Tudors and Mansards were so huge.

Then again, it could've been a Mansard with stucco. Jack Tripper slept here...I think:

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Zed, you must be a millionaire to live in Long Island Are you on the North or South Shore?

I bet Jack Tripper did sleep there, at least once

Actually, it looks like some of the houses here, probably also built in the swinging 70s. Do you have it decorated era-specific?--70s, 80s, Jack Tripper? 

Jay, ummmm, thanks for the urinal links (I think) at the Madonna Inn. Ahhhh, modern technology and all it's wonders! 

Mattie, that is one incredible Inn! I checked out some of the rooms at the site;  my eyes were damaged by looking at the Madonna suite, like what happens when one stares at sun too long during a solar eclipse. 

ChrisMiss, boy howdy, can I relate about the bad 70s decor!  The 70s were a ten-year nightmare of bad taste or no taste, I haven't decided yet. REally, there was nowhere to hide, no surcease of the ruthless assault on the senses, be it in design, fashion, music...But if there had been surcease, then we wouldn't have all this lovely kitsch in thrift stores, because nobody would want to get rid of the darn stuff.

TSR, nice find for a great price! You rock!!

Ciao, Bellas!

SeSo


 

[Jay2TheRescue]

Zed, you must be a millionaire to live in Long Island Are you on the North or South Shore?

I bet Jack Tripper did sleep there, at least once

Actually, it looks like some of the houses here, probably also built in the swinging 70s. Do you have it decorated era-specific?--70s, 80s, Jack Tripper? 

Jay, ummmm, thanks for the urinal links (I think) at the Madonna Inn. Ahhhh, modern technology and all it's wonders!  Mattie, that is one incredible Inn! I checked out some of the rooms at the site;  my eyes were damaged by looking at the Madonna suite, like what happens when one stares at sun too long during a solar eclipse. 

ChrisMiss, boy howdy, can I relate about the bad 70s decor!  The 70s were a ten-year nightmare of bad taste or no taste, I haven't decided yet. REally, there was nowhere to hide, no surcease of the ruthless assault on the senses, be it in design, fashion, music...But if there had been surcease, then we wouldn't have all this lovely kitsch in thrift stores, because nobody would want to get rid of the darn stuff.

TSR, nice find for a great price! You rock!!

Ciao, Bellas!

SeSo


 

I "aim" to please!

-Jay

[Zed Simon]

I'm kind of in the middle of both shores, but a little closer to the North Shore. Couldn't help moving here - the job was too good to pass up!

And actually, that's not my place. This is (it's my complex, at least):



Sorry for the quality - not my picture. (Link on that subject to follow.) Not the greatest place, but it's mine. And it's one of the few that I could afford that wasn't a trailer. FYI, my co-op was about 1/3 the price of the one at Furley Gardens.

I go for more of a modern feel (to say nothing of a newer building), but I've wondered how things would look if I went vintage-appropriate. I know my furniture would be bigger!

[Big Daddy Audio]

Our Long Island House (the one we sold when we moved to Phoenix) was a Levitt Home called the "Atrium" model.  They were built in the early 1970's (ours was built in 1971).  The eventually became known as the "Farm Ranch" because the front of them looked like a barn.  I liked it, but got sick of being raped for taxes by the thieves in office in NY.  When we left (5 years ago) our taxes were approaching $5k per year.  Now we hear they're close to $8k per year.  OUTRAGEOUS!