Yes! And that a house doesn't have to adhere to one design at all, it's perfectly fine to have a lovely home that is hodgepodge. So what if it's not true Queen Anne furniture, if in the big picture it works, that's fine.

I haven't learned to recognize names yet, who's who, so I'm not familiar with the pros giving thoughtful answers and who just fires the gun.

I don't get it, either. My answer to those "Can I do this? HELLLLLLP!" questions is, "It's your house, do what you want!" If you don't like it do something else.

Donna

I prefer to post my questions here. ”The other side” has people who are just plain mean. Here, I’ve cyberly-known the folks and their tastes from years of posting and reading. I can assess whether or not the solution is a good one for me. Very few, if any, are mean, although some of the discussions can get brisk.

I do find it helpful to get advice from people who have posted pictures of their own homes so I know where it's coming from and whether it's any good.

I am always tempted to answer a question that starts "Has anyone ever......? with "Oh, no, never! That's the most original idea I've ever seen." or "no, and you'd be an idiot to do it."

But I hold my tongue.

When I was a kid, my mother was forever moving things around until she got things where she wanted. Now people want things drawn out for them in detail. And they still buy a monster sectional that doesn't fit, despite all advice to the contrary.

And why must every problem be a disaster or horrible?

The other side does have a good number of meanies, and I'll probably sound mean by saying this -- but I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- there are a fair number of those masquerading as "pros" who are mere hacks. I don't care if you can render something in Photoshop, that does NOT make you a "professional" by any stretch of the imagination, and I think those designations create a bias against those of us who have been decorating since we were, like, three years old and have learned a thing or two. I can't tell you how many times I've posted on a thread, only to have a "pro" post after me, and the OP completely ignores all but the "pro" comments. Now, I'm no great shakes at thanking each and every person who responds in my threads either, but there does seem to be a greater esteem and weight given to what a "pro" has to say ... and oftentimes, I think the "professional" advice given is completely insipid and uninspired.

Oh, wait ... were we supposed to be venting? Well ... too late. ;-)

I don't understand why people buy furniture first then come here for help to make it work. They would have been guided far, far away from a brown bubble reclining sofa.

And then there's the "How can I make this better but I don't want to change anything or spend any money" posts.

I mostly agree with the sentiments expressed here in the vents, except that I do really value IRL pro advice and on GW I think you cant go wrong with Beverlydeziner’s suggestions. I love her practical and creative ideas and solutions and she’s unstoppable with a floor plan. Let’s hear it for Beverly! 👍

Adding, in general I don’t change things around much. Well, at all. When I am in a well designed room I feel no need to mix it up because it never bores me. That’s why my houses eventually become time capsules. They haven’t gotten too bad because we have not lived in any single home for longer than 15 years, and when we moved that mixed it up for me. My mother says Redecorate Every seven years. I say no, thank you, I am happy with it as is.

[Editing to remove comment]

'Nuff said. ;-)

I gave up on the other side long ago but during the pandemic, with too much time on my hands, I’ve peeked over the fence a few times. I’ll save my rant but just say it’s all just Too Much over there.

I’m not big on constantly changing, constantly buying. One reason I quit reading several blogs. Seems like all they did. I haven’t been to the other side in forever although I think I accidentally added that board to one of my recipe requests lol! Wonder if I got any responses? I never even checked.

Haha, Ida. I can only imagine ;)

I do find it helpful to get advice from people who have posted pictures of their own homes so I know where it's coming from and whether it's any good.

@Bumblebeez

ITA with this. If someone hates my decor and I look around and see that their style is in line with mine, I give their comment more weight than if the comment comes from someone who has the exact opposite design aesthetic. Along those same lines, I only see one pro who routinely posts photos of her home but I ignore most of her comments because of the delivery. I ignore because of the aesthetic too but mainly the delivery. What are these "pros" thinking with their delivery?????? Blows my mind.

I like to fiddle with placement of items and generally am drawn to pieces in non-traditional locations. I do like to get comments so that I can gauge if my idea is completely off or not. Sometimes the commenters who tell me I am completely off are the ones who convince me that I am on the right track. It goes right back to being able to critique the space of the person who left the comment.

I need to stay off the other side, it brings out the bad side of me, I get so frustrated with the lack of decisions and general cluelessness, I don't understand much of it.

The other side gives me something to do when I’m unable to come up with anything in my own.

And

I find different points of view interesting.

I haven’t looked at the other side in a few years for reasons mentioned—-to many hit and runs and pros with no sense of tact. Maybe I should take a look again, but no one can solve my biggest design dilemma——that wall color, art, rug, lamp, table I really liked and picked out six months ago, last year, three years ago——today I’m saying—-what was I thinking?

I am curious about the long threads, why are those happening? They don't seem that interesting to me.

I know Bumble! I agree with everything said here. It is crazy!

^^^ They seem to be a vehicle for one “pro”. Makes me wonder.

I’m so tired of new posters being bombarded with aggressive advice to strip their home of all individuality and make everything “neutral”. I like neutral and monochromatic in many cases, but not Every. Single. House. needs to look identical.