I think I've mentioned that my husband is remodeling/redecorating the den. He has had the boys help him a little. I can't wait to see the outcome.

Has the man in your house ever decorated anything, or is this another piece of the woman's puzzle?

The only men I have ever seen decorate anything tastefully were gay....the rest of the men have no taste, no style or color concsiousness. Some may have but none I've seen....

My hubby is a wonderfully handy guy to have around, but it took me years (because I was working such long hours for most of those years) to realize that while he's exceptionally talented at the carpentry/electrical/plumbing/physical aspects of remodeling, he was virtually colour-blind and completely unaware of (and disinterested in) the aesthetic side of things.

For much of my adult life, before hubby came along, I was too poor to be able to afford to choose my surroundings...my furniture, dishes and even knick-knacks were mostly from the second-hand stores. So I got used to being surrounded by a mish-mash of styles and colours. So I'm not much better at envisioning the "can-be's" when redecorating, but at least I can tell when something's NOT right or when colours aren't working well together.

I have a gay friend who has very elegant and tasteful skill at redecorating. He's bought several rundown houses and restored them, inside and out, and they're usually showpieces by the time he's finished with them. He has that knack of putting odd colours together and getting them to work beautifully, tying them together with just the perfect lamps, rugs, cushions, knick-knacks and paintings on the walls. I don't know how he can envision all that with what he starts out with, but it's a delightful gift to watch him turn chaos into beauty like that.

[ January 12, 2006, 09:15 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]

Eagle, I also have a friend who is a house renovator. Her vision is out of this world. Truly a gift.

Chatty, I know men with good taste, and my hubby happens to be one of them.

When my oldest son was in eighth grade, heading to high school, we gave him a big boy room. I decided he was going to help me decorate so I dragged him to wallpaper stores, carpet stores, furniture places, Home Dept, etc. I wanted him to choose his surroundings and realize how much work goes into such a project.

I recall having so much fun doing this. He got into it. He is extremely conservative and it showed back them. He picked new bedroom furniture that I like better than ours. He chose a navy carpet, wide striped wallpaper, navy plaid fabric for curtains, and a nice comforter for the bed.

Problem is, now he wants everything in his college apartment to be coordinated...and I thought I was doing the right thing.

Ha, ha whats that saying, "no good deed goes unpunished." I know some men do have taste Dotsie just said I never knew any personally.

My husband was in charge of picking out furniture for the sky loft in MN. I was afraid to see what it was but he did a good job. However, it's all black leather, glass and chrome. Dare I bring in anything pink? It's truly a bachelor pad! I can live with it. The sofa and chair are soft and comfy. A little cold for my taste but he's proud of himself.

What about a nice fiery red here and there...

Funny you should mention that because I just packed a beautiful, tall red vase. I think it will really set it off.

When we got married, it was unanimously agreed that I'd be in charge of decorating. I'm an artist with very specific ideas, and hubbo has no decorating taste at all. If it were up to him, we'd decorate in early Walmart *GAG* *GAG*

My aesthetic is colorful and creative. He's happy with most of what I've done, except he hates the off-white carpet.

[ January 14, 2006, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: meredithbead ]

Ditto with my hubby -

My house would look like a saloon out of the old west (western decor)...

We had an agreement long ago..the house is mine...the cars are his. LOL.

It works for both of us.

Someday I hope to have a room that he can call his own and decorate with his beloved western items.

For now...Im in CHARGE!

d.

Dianne, men must like leather. My husband is in charge of redecorating our den. He has chosen a chocolate brown leather sofa.

I think the den will be finihsed in late February. I can't wait to see what he's picked out. This is his baby, and I love not having to do it.

I have a little red in every room of the house and my kitchen is painted red. My lr is painted a soft gold, but I just ordered a dark red leather sectional for it. It should be delivered this week! Red coordinates with many colors and I consider it almost a neutral.

Daisygirl

I was afraid we'd end up with Early American Trash! He did show me while walking through the furniture store, the coffee table he almost picked out. It was so ugly and gaudy and all I could think was how it would have immediately been sent back. What was he thinking?

In Ohio, we had a den that was called The Male Bonding Room. Native American spears, civil war things, even a Bullie, which is a dried bull testicle. The walls were textured with straw and then had a glaze over it. Really pretty and very masculine. That was the room the men watched sports, smoked and passed gas.

We're in the thinking process of re-doing a home office for my husband. Probably a lot of leather, etc. Typical male stuff.

He has an antique Lionel train stored in a trunk now and we were thinking of using it. I have a lot of railroad antiques that people gave me when I did a couple of musicals about railroad towns.

We don't really want the train and antiques in easy reach of the grandkids and we're thinking of putting it on a track around the ceiling and rigging the train to run on it.

Dan's all for it, but I don't want it to just go in a cirlce around the room so we're figuring that out. Still in the planning stages.

Is that a crazy idea? Anyone have input?

smile

[ January 15, 2006, 12:06 PM: Message edited by: smilinize ]

No, it's not crazy. I've seen it done in restaurants. I think it would be fascinating.

Nancy and I ate in a restaurant in Virginia that had one going around the room. I thought it was great! One of my ex-bosses has one that runs throughout his entire house. It is fab...I would do it in a heartbeat!

JJ

There's one in a Restaurant in Arkansas too. I liked it. I have a train that goes by my door a dozen times a day...Thats enough for me. In the living room smile? or a spare room?
chick

Say whatever works Smile, its your guys home and your castle so go for it....

The room is an extra bedroom that we are turning into my husband's office. He will have a lot of computer stuff and I guess the train if we can get someone to do the work.

I dated a guy who was a member of a toy train club. He took me to a place where the club had a lot of trains set up. It was incredibly realistic though in miniature. He would have killed for Dan's train. I think there is a similar group here in town and we might go there to get some ideas.

I wanted it to circle around the room and maybe the chandelier somehow. But we'll have to figure that out. If we can get it to happen, it would be so cute. I think just around the room would be boring.

Thanks for the encouragement. As I said, we're still in the thinking stage.

smile

Dianne, I'm still laughing about your male bonding room and your explanation of what the men did in there. What a hoot!

Smile, my daughter and I were in Wegman's yesterday, www.wegmans.com. It's an unbelievable food store that opened a few months ago in our area. They have a train running around the top of the store. It's amazing. The kids love it. It's quite an attraction.

OMG Dotsie!!!...isn't Wegman's so amazing? I"m like a little kid when I go to the one near me...
they have the most incredible cheese department...and their bakery? I just like to go by and look and smell all of the delicious aromas...I was actually thinking about Chatty last time I was there...looking at all of the pretty cakes and pies I imagined that is how her kitchen probably looks and smells during the Holidays!!!

Thank you ma'am....

I have many gay friends and love them to death. Don't apologize.

Some of my very best friends are gay...you'll never hear an apology from me, unless it's to apologize for myself because I'm not being as loving, kind and generous a friend to others as they are and always have been to me.

Dotsie,
I love Wegman's and going today to shop , no wind and rain what lovely weather and think that I will stop and have lunch at Panera Bread out at there , also.

Dianne,

Nothing wrong with having gay friends. My daughter had a gay dance instrutor and I just loved him he called me Mumsy all the time and gave a hug everytime he saw me . He was the most wonderful kind dance instrutor my daughter ever had in college.

[ January 20, 2006, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: Renee ]

Renee...my children called my Mother "Mumsie" instead of Grandmom...I think it's such a cute name and can't wait to have grandbabies of my own so they can call me Mumsie and uphold the tradition...

Suzieq said: "I guess I should feel ashamed of myself for associating with those deemed unexceptable."

Those deemed unacceptable? By whom? By intolerant hateful people, who condemn everything that isn't "them"? They're the ones who should be ashamed.

Our new sky flat has stainless steel counter tops. They show every fingerprint, you name it. I asked my husband if he'd found anything to help keep them clean and he said, "I haven't cleaned them since you left." I think that was two weeks ago? He finally hired a cleaning company to come in every other week.

Do any of you have a secret for keeping them clean? Windex didn't really work that well. I think I'm seeing new counter tops in our future.

Dianne,
there is a website for fabulous products
for cleaning, protecting, and maintaining stainless steel appliances and countertops..I use them and I highly recommend them...you can order them at www.massinc.com....I bought the cream...the protector and the stainless steel spray...I don't think you will be disappointed...they also have a fabulous glass cooktop cleaner that I
use....I hope this helps you..

I have Gay men friends and two Lesbian neighbors that are some of the nicest people I know. Never apologize for associating with any nice people. Their sexual connotations are there own and no ones business but theirs.....

Dianne when working many years ago in the delivery room of a major hospital all the incubators and other stainless steel was cleaned, disinfected and kept beautifully shiny with alcohol, regular alcohol. It really works and I still use it today in my kitchen and bathrooms. Alcohol won't hurt pets and is cheap to use too....

Thank you ladies! Appreciate the help.

Have any of you seen the formed, concrete counter tops? They are so beautiful.

I'm considering new counter-tops. I love the granite, but haven't seen the formed concrete which might be better and cheaper too. Maybe I can google it.

There's a homeshow going on here. Maybe I'll go to see what's new.

smile

Smile,
I have seen the concrate counter tops and don't really care for them they are heavy and are costly to put in . I love the marble one or corian counter tops .The last concrate top was grey one on disply and didn't care for it .

I guess it is just a matter of taste in what you want in your kitchen.

That is too cool Suzieq...I admire anyone who has that kind of talent. Mine lies in decoration, color schemes, fabric corelation, that kinds of stuff only. Wish I could do more myself.

Gosh, our house is on the market and being shown a lot and one of the realtors asked my realtor to please find out who my decorater is. It's me! What a nice compliment.

Suzieq, I admire your talent and abilities.

Suzieq, if you lived closer I would have you come over and advise me how to lay a hardwood floor. I would just love to have hard wood floors, through out my house.
I have learned lots through out the years...but, laying floors hasn't been what I learned. Shingled a house once upon a time...yep, sure did.
Not sure I would want to learn about electrical.

Summer before last my husband and I, with a little help from some unreliable contractors, painted the whole house and laid hardwood flooring.

My husband loves that kind of thing. I cheer him on and serve margaritas to keep him going. Actually it was a lot of fun. The kids showed up occasionally and when we were alone we turned the stereo up real loud and danced on the bare floors.

smile

Iam addicted to the shows Flip This House, Designed To Sell, House Hunters and Design On A Dime. I have seen and learned more than I ever imagined possible and they are such fun to watch too.

Sue, good for you for stepping out and creating a unique home in your neighborhood!

I always figure if I don't like it I can always repaint. Of course, with an exterior, you have to decide that pretty quickly. I stained my exterior by myself and I still have 2 corners I can't reach. I tried to rent a ladder, but I realized I wouldn't be able to get it out of my car without damaging it. I did find a neighbor with one and it will be my first project for the spring. It will only take a couple of hours.

Daisygirl

Central vac? Won't that be really hard to install? You and your husband should buy up older homes and fix them for a huge profit!

I love all of those shows too Chatty...and also Divine Design...I love when the room is all finished and the Decorator says "How Divine!!!"I love those shows...no tension, no politics, just good ideas and happy people...I always try to watch one before falling asleep so I can dream about something beautiful...for so long I was having horrible dreams...and then I realized it was because I went to bed right after watching the News...who wouldn't have bad dreams after that?

Boy AvalonBlondi isn't that the truth. I never watch anything distasteful after 8:00 PM but then I'm up until 2:00 or 3:00 AM usually puttering about. I watch all those shows and Emeril and others on the cooking channel and Iron Chef. I never watch the news after 6:00 PM.
I am hooked on Dancing With The Stars, now thats an entertaining and happy show to watch.

From a former Realtor and Stager my advice is: Hope there are no large hanging dead animal heads on the walls...

Cindy, not in this house. Thank God! Only hanging fish, and that's in the basement. I don't mind it because it's a tuna and the colors are beautiful. The blues and yellows match the decor. Plus, there are some fun vacation memories tied to that fish.

How funny!