The Pottery Barn Epidemic
submitted by: Jennifer Hicks2/2/10
I love Pottery Barn, I do. I love the layered look of each season’s collection, the way the colors of their products envelope you as you enter the room, the appearance of a calm atmosphere. But there is an epidemic that has seen its share of face time and I’m calling its victims out. We shall call it P.B.E., or the Pottery Barn Epidemic. Its definition: in short, it is the widespread necessity to pick up a catalog, order everything off of the page and call it “home”. It should be made clear that I am not singling out Pottery Barn exclusively. Again, huge fan. But your home’s environment should reflect you, not a group of designers in California. The layered look is good, but it should feel as though the look was created over time, through years of collecting, rather than in one swift shopping spree on a Saturday afternoon. Buy the lamp from page 31 but shop antique stores or vintage flea markets for that reading chair. Go ahead and splurge on the Italian vase collection-I’ve used them in many homes myself- but don’t get the matching plates/servers/bowls/candlesticks. I’m begging you- when I ask you “How would you describe your style?” please, please, don’t reply, “Pottery Barn”. This isn’t a style, people, its a store that has successfully marketed its products as “take ‘n go”; which for some is a necessity. But for you, my savvy, well-rounded readers, its just plain boring. Step outside the box and save yourself from PBE! I’m not telling you not to shop there, I would be a hypocrite for certain- I am simply asking that you slowly walk away from the catalogs. Think about the things that truly make your home unique; the Suzani you brought back from your favorite vacation, your husband’s photo collection of old buildings, a trunk that has been passed down for five generations. These are the things that make your home yours. And you won’t find that on page 31.
*Originally posted on July 20, 2009 by Jennifer Hicks, C.I.D.
Tags: bedroom, buying, centerpiece, decorating, furniture, interior design, magazine, outdoor living space
