Thursday, November 20, 2008

Blog Crack And Printed Sofas

Have you ever gotten to the point when you felt you had to stand up in a room and announce: Hello my name is blogger and I have an addiction. Mmmmmm.
Have you ever neglected your real life long list of things to do in favor of posting on your blog, and then spending hours and hours reading all your favorite blogs, commenting and/or e-mailing the great bloggers you like you much?
I just had to see if I could go cold turkey.
Like any addiction the first few hours that take forever to become one day strung to the next, are murder. As I walk by my closed lap top, it reproaches me. I cannot even open it to do e-mail, because that's another Jones disguised as keeping in touch.
I busy myself with house work. Very unsatisfying house work. I busy myself with watching television and napping. Somewhat more satisfying. I teach my classes. Fun as usual. I take long walks with Cholo. Of course I rearrange the furniture - it's time to make room for the Christmas tree. Rearranging the furniture always puts me in a better mood.
And the most satisfying of all is that I read a 600 plus page book!!!!! I have not been able to read a book since I started blogging!
I think I have a low grade depression of sorts. Me and everyone else preoccupied by dwindling money in the bank is feeling nervous and a little low. We already live modestly, almost frugally, so cutting back even more really is a drag and a worry.
A few of you have written, and I will get back to you and I will get back to blogging. I thank you for your concern. Frankly I am surprised that anyone cares, or at times that anyone reads. And the great blog machine just keeps on turning its huge grist mill, whether you hop on or off.
After awhile everyone gets saturated.
You have to ask yourself why you spend so much time writing a blog, why you enjoy it so much.I confess to being lonely. Lonely for friends. Lonely for my old profession. Lonely for something to do.
Coming up with a burning YES or NO question, like are print sofas, couches, and settees making a come back seems a little silly after going cold turkey.
But a girl has got to get back on the horse one stirrup at the time.
My friend Laura has a very cool retro sofa that she recovered a long time ago. It has a dark blue denim like fabric, very good looking and very practical. The original fabric was the typical 1960's -1970's retro print fabric that many of us have experienced at one time or another. Laura misses the verve of the old fabric, and the sofa is due to be done over again, and she is definitely going for a print.
There's nothing new about print couches making a slight come back. After all with the hoopla of Mid Century Modern, Shabby Chic, and Hollywood Regency, a revival of prints has ensued.
Designers like Tricia Guild have given a glam attitude to printed sofas, as have Ruthie Sommers, and all the cute girl designers out there.
Other than editorials in the magazines, blog postings, designer show houses, or catalog pages from Anthropologie or West Elm or CB2, etc. is anyone out there really getting into having a print sofa? Do any of you have one, old or new?

Prints work well on sleek modern forms, but they also work well on really classic forms like the good old camel back, which has a surprisingly modern feeling quite remarkable for a form that's been around since the 1700's.
The Shabby Chic look was so hot for so long because it was so cozy and pretty and easy for anyone to to achieve.
But we all remember the thrift store sofas out there, well made with alot of years left in them, but the printed floral so unappealing after the 20 years or so since their creation.
Yet, when a print is applied in new fabric to old forms, it has a verve, and a seduction. I think taking the skirt off updates a print on a sofa.
Prints are great in the wear and tear department. They really do hide the dirt. The couch is usually the largest piece of furniture in a room, so using a print will visually dominate.
You can get it right, but you can also get it way wrong too.
Good graphic design of the print seems to be the key. And color.
It could be fun to co-ordinate the room around the sofa print.I'd love to have a print couch to lounge on....and a huge Afro wig to cheer me up.

10 comments:

High-Heeled Foot in the door said...

You have been missed. I do agree that once you get into blogging it does become quite the obsession. I've tried to curb this by turing off my laptop by a certain time at night. I always see it sitting so pretty and shiny on my vanity that I'm always itching to take into bed with me, but since I have my husband to think about. I just let it stay and try to do most of my reading, research, posting during the day. Ah it is a hard balance at times.

Glad to see you are back. I love that yellow and gray wallpaper. Where is it from?

ArchitectDesign™ said...

Great post! I love your blog, don't get discouraged! I find myself doing the same thing every night, putting off EVERYTHING in order to read and write more blog posts. It's a serious addiction. Every night I tell myself I won't but then I do it anyway!

Renée Finberg said...

would you tango in a 'fro' ???
i am glad you are back........

cotedetexas said...

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? READING? get your ass back to the laptop and write! I miss you!!!!!!!!!!!!! seriously!!!!!

vicki archer said...

I missed you and was wondering where you went - cold turkey, that is tough love indeed Miz V.
We are all friends in this strange blogging world that we share and if planes, trains and automobiles did not divide us, we would be all banging on your door.
Don't go away for too long again ....xv

Karen said...

Oh Valorie I am so glad that you are back - and I LOVE print sofas!! The print changes the personality of the piece almost immediately - you can let all your characters out to play when you have some prints to change around! Sofas are for fun - why do so many of them always look so depressing? And I do hope that our latest trip down the economical memory lane is a short one or else we will all be swallowed up by the "orange and turquoise" brigade.
Keep on blogging..........because we want to keep on reading and visiting!!

Topsy Turvy said...

Good to have you back!
Have to say, print sofas scare me! They look really cool in photos of other people's houses, but for me? I get bored way too quickly.

-Lana

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you're back! When you were talking about being away from this addicting habit, it reminded me of how I look at things differently now. Instead of thinking I'd like to have that, I wonder will my blog readers like me to post this?

Have a great weekend :)

Pigtown*Design said...

Missed you, both here and in B-more! Come back - to both!

Furniture27 said...

I like the print sofas myself and do think that the are back in. That blog post took a lot of time to put together specially with all of those pictures! I found some cool modern sofa examples on another blog.
15 Amazing Sofas