I was called a sexist because a poster asked why all the workman who came into her house “hit on” her. The attack was long and hard. I was called many names over a prolonged period and all I did was suggest a reason why she was experiencing this.

I saw that posting and did not respond. That ....... was delusional! Who in their right mind would ask that!

OMG!!! well...........

From the real life? I've seen women greet contractors ( guys with barely even half decent looks ) in baby doll pj's and donut in hand. ......coffee anyone?

Probably the same gal who may complain she's being "hit on"?

Do this crazy business long enough, and I can't even begin to tell you what you might see. You'd swear it was fiction: ) or we were all the decades old wallpaper in a home....invisible.

Should I start with toys in the primary suite left in full view? Nah.........I'd start a firestorm!

Nice veer potential here lol.

I am returning after a little break- and was very dissapointed to see this. i so appreciate your posts and learned so much from them. I honestly come to this site just to read the advice of the pros like yourself who share their amazing vision. i hope you stay - my house desperately needs me to have your input.

Which reminds me of one nut:

My contractor at the time was a very short, slim, and a bit high pitch voice. ALL MALE and muscle.

Maybe it was the build and the voice, but I got a call from the client:

"Uhhhh....... Jan, I need to run out for a bit. "Joe" is here and my 12 yr old is home sick. Is he safe to leave here with Joe? "

I spit coffee on the sidewalk, and laughed.

" Is he safe? Are YOU KIDDING?! "JOE"...........has as much interest in your son as I do!! NADA. Do you think for one second, he'd be IN your home if otherwise? Good lord, please help me.........."

I will add to the lengthy amount of praise for you and your talents! I especially enjoy the fact that sometimes I see a dilemma and have my thoughts ready to type, only to find out that you beat me to it! I have learned from you and many on this site and hate to see you leave.

Keep your account open - just take a break for a while. We will miss you while you are gone!

One other point: Homeowners, please don’t call the pro who gave you free advice directly unless you are seriously looking to engage their paid services. We’re not here to do your homework for you when we’ve already made suggestions. That’s happened to me multiple times and I find it more than a little galling. If you want more in-depth advice or consultation, then pay the designer their designated retainer and be professional. Otherwise you’re wasting people’s time.

While we didn’t work together, I have to say my great appreciation to all the PROs on here! Houzz saved me in so many ways.

I recently looked at my original designs and the one a cabinet company gave us and y’all. Thank goodness for this app.

I’m the Shazia from Texas @jan_moyer referenced.

Y’all gave me life and the most beautiful kitchen no one here could give. And yes, I hired designers! Trust me, the information here is next level!

While I’m sorry to hear about the platform changes, if there’s anything I can do to support, please let me know.

Things are rapidly changing in the world and it makes me sad sometimes until I remember how strangers on Houzz thousands of miles away poured into me in one of the hardest times of my life. I get teary eyed thinking about it.

The world does have beautiful people and turns out a lot are here 💗

I believe Beverly is still here posting as @User

https://www.gardenweb.com/user/architecturaldetails-_

There are pros here, current as well as former pros, who do not use a pro heading and/or a pro account.

It is totally the prerogative of @Houzz to set up the system as preferred. When you are a guest in someone’s house, you usually don’t dictate how they should run their house - unless you want to be escorted to the door.

https://dovecenter.org/what-were-you-wearing-exhibit/

The purpose of this exhibit is to dispel a victim-blaming myth that clothing somehow invites a sexual assault. Victims of crime are not responsible for crimes committed against them. Survivors of rape/sexual assault are often asked, “What were you wearing?” We need to stop asking this. We encourage you to look at these stories and outfits of local survivors to see that clothing is irrelevant when it comes to sexual assault. As you read what these survivors shared, please take a moment to reconsider what may be your own long-held beliefs about sexual assault that are, in reality, myths and stereotypes that can aid perpetrators of crime in avoiding accountability for their choices.

Partim, did you mean to post this here?

partim

29 minutes agolast modified: 25 minutes ago

https://dovecenter.org/what-were-you-wearing-exhibit/

The purpose of this exhibit is to dispel a victim-blaming myth that clothing somehow invites a sexual assault.

Yes I did. Read the thread and you will see why.

Thank you partim....some things said here are appalling.

Oh geez that’s just chilling. The world is a very scary place.

@freedomplace1 - I just noticed and started following this wonderful new poster, ArchitecturalDetails, but didn’t connect the dots. I’ve followed everything Beverly’s written for the love of learning about interior design. I hope your theory is correct:)

Jan, Patricia, Beverly I hope you don’t go away too far! I too am very frustrated with the “updates” to the Houzz software that never fixes long-standing problems. And I have had a period where I had to step back for a bit. However, I have met so many wonderful people many who have hired me independently, that I have great on going friendships with that I am able to put up with the platform quirks (I am being kind) and enjoy helping people get the most insights and great advice from everyone here. I have learned so much from all posters and Pros here, that too is a wonderful gift. Hope y’all keep hanging in for a while longer. Thanks for all your many contributions.
Flo

Oh Bev please don't go. Take a break instead. You have built up credentials and you have offered up your talent to many. It is appreciated. Those of us reading, following along have truly enjoyed your ideas. I try to ignore the negative and focus on the positive. It's there. The good is there you just have to dig deep sometimes.

I do that. I take breaks. I come and go. I live my life and do my outside things coming back here now and again. I have been around for a long time on Gardenweb. I adored Sophie, sometimes she upset me but deep down I knew she was right. I miss the towel pig jokes, I miss some Beachpea3, Lavender_lass, groveraxle, pegjustpeg, sweeby, Celticmoon, edroze, cotehele, Bunglogrl, sombreuil_mongrel, barnCatz, Prill, Beekeeperswife, catmom, rhome44 yellowdog, breezygirl, beagelsdoitbetter, ironcook, mamagoose,... so many I can't remember them all

I used to be boxerpups. But Houzz made me change my name when I had to change my email. UGH. I have never been happy with Houzz but I am not in control of this party. I am just a guest. And I remind myself of that. I will say it again, I try to ignore the negative and focus on the positive. It's there. The good is there you just have to dig deep sometimes.

Hoping that if there is a NEW wonderful GardenWeb style party that you will invite me.

The good counteracts the negatives , and now and then the gratefulness of one happy op......outweighs any irritant of another by miles.

Up above , Dani mentioned a thread that went onnn and onnnnn with a kitchen. Giggles and hand wring, some screaming lol. . One very grateful op.

A few pro's hanging in until the finish. Scroll it all for the entertainment,, and ask.......Where else on earth does this happen....for a price free as the air you breathe?

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6359906/option-1-or-option-2-for-kitchen-layout#29135029

And op Shazia? She's baaaaaaaack with an issue in the bath : )

I’ll add my voice to the chorus, albeit from a distance. I have read many a comment from you, being honest in your advice and generous with your time. You have shared that it is time for you to make changes in the real world, and maybe now is the time for you to take your focus there for a while. Good luck with everything and I hope one day we see you post again.

""Uhhhh....... Jan, I need to run out for a bit. "Joe" is here and my 12 yr old is home sick. Is he safe to leave here with Joe? "

No way would I continue to work in a home with an unattended 12-year-old. Any contractor who does is a certifiable idiot. Your cablevision person won't ever do it, so it's not just me.

And you're getting a trip charge when I have to come back where you're there.

@Shazia - I fixed your name in my post - I told you all that I was bad at remembering names! 😂.

I want people to be able to find it if they want to read a post re: kitchen reno from start to finish. A post that has "tough love" (which does not = mean/rude) + has pros working together + very helpful/knowledgeable non-pros (who's comments/ideas/mock ups were not "dismissed" by the pros involved simply bc they came from a non-pro user) + a great OP who handled the tough comments very well (every time Jan commented that she was finished - Shazia would post a funny reply - and tell her that she'd be back). It was entertaining!

Shazia - your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL - I just liked the black metal/glass doors on the countertop cabinets + black island + full taj backsplsh ideas. Of course, people have different tastes + it's ALWAYS easier to spend other people's money - I just received a quote for some custom metal/glass doors for my kitchen reno . . .

That's a pretty accurate summary, Dani!!: )

I'm out!! I'm out !! lol one more time .....I'M OUT!

We're all not alike thank heavens, and in the real world of face to face, designers figure out in about ten minute who needs kid glove handling, who in a couple has the power, who can take a bit of tough love to get to their result and who really wants to get that result.

Internet is harder.... just ink and no faces, tones or real smiles to the "voices". But? When it's humor/a little depth to the skin covering and simpatico? Happy Camper Happens.

Hahahahah!!! Neverrrrrrrr!!! We are together foreverrrr @jan_moyer! Speaking of, I have one project left in my house that I won’t do until next year so we’ll have lots of time to plan on here!! It’s the guest bath upstairs and it NEEDS love. And a major update!

@dani_m08 where is your post?! I want to follow along your reno. I will call my self a sous-pro. Not a pro but learned a ton and basically am happy to go through a reno on anyone else’s house except my own 😂😂😂

Houzz feels like fam. I just ignore everything except my notifications button when I come on and it works well 😂

@ Joe..........

LMAO. But this was before there were quite as many scary folks in the world, scary everything.

But............I DO see your point.

"Any contractor who does is a certifiable idiot. Your cablevision person won't ever do it, so it's not just me."

This must apply to the "gyno" too - as that nurse never leaves lol.

Clutching my pearls as I return after several months to see my very favorite true professional might leave. Bev, I still recall the photo of that magnificent Chicago conference room you designed in the 1970's that was as fresh and beautiful and relevant as any design in AD or Architectural Record today.

I highly value reading your advice. I also recall your comment once of the elements every room needs e.g. some wood, some metal, some... I thought I had saved that comment somewhere but can't find it, so I'll be selfish here. If you do leave, can you let me know those things before you go?

Maybe another fav @Paul F. knows some tech types that might be able to help you build a new site. He's a true Renaissance man who might know people.

All the best to you Beverly, no matter what you do.

tozmo1 OMGoodness. What a memory you have. Your comment made my day. Thank you.

I am posting under ArchitecturalDetails for the time being because stopping posting is like being a junky. It's hard to stop. We'll see how this goes.

"This must apply to the "gyno" too - as that nurse never leaves lol."

Same at my yearly dermatologist exam.

Haha, Jennifer, I think arcy_gw must have posted here in error. His/her comment is gone.

One thing that I’ve never understood about this forum— why is there no moderation and/or info about how to report posts that devolve, are borderline offensive and/or just need to be shut down (…or have I missed that entirely)? It seems like Houzz has no interest in protecting their brand here with a pretty simple role that could potentially solve a number of problems while increasing engagement with the site. I’m guessing some regulars would be open to doing it for a small honorarium (heck, some seem to already view themselves in this role).

Other (unrelated) forums I’ve been a part of displayed “reputation” points on each user profile, which built up based on the # of likes you get for your contributions. That could be really helpful here IMO.

I also have never understood why it’s impossible to edit/ delete posts from the mobile app….

Off topic, but since somebody mentioned it, I'd love to see photos of the 1970s conference room Bev, if you'd like to share.

"One thing that I’ve never understood about this forum— why is there no moderation and/or info about how to report posts that devolve, are borderline offensive and/or just need to be shut down (…or have I missed that entirely)? It seems like Houzz has no interest in protecting their brand here with a pretty simple role that could potentially solve a number of problems while increasing engagement with the site. I’m guessing some regulars would be open to doing it for a small honorarium ............"

Who defines "offensive"?

What shall get "shut down"

Important voices, HIGHLY KNOWLEDGEABLE voices (and if you need an example, Sophie Wheeler would come to mind.......)

ARE OFTEN LOST IN THE ATTEMPT.

Elon Musk figured that out in a split minute, bought Twitter, renamed it X and it thrives.

Enough said: ) and in all ways, be careful what you wish for. There will be someone, guaranteed, who dislikes YOUR voice, at some future point.

You can always click that little flag to notify Houzz that something is offensive to you.

However, Houzz will determine it's validity.

Eh, what bugs me more @JAN MOYER are the discussions that are 10 years old and have literally thousands upone thousands of comments. And they still pop up in the current discussions. Shouldn't they be shut down to further comments? Sure, have them available for homeowner research, but really, what could possibly be added that hasn't already been said multiple times on that one point? I just skip over them in the feed, but people keep adding to them!

I agree that it does seem absurd that some of these go on for years!!!

WHY?

BECAUSE....... one tightly knit group of friends has been formed. Usually with one or two leaders. One op, often a bit needy and dependent on that group. So much in fact, that input from others isn't really all that welcome. Or even needed!

What should happen? In a perfect world, since the group formed and jelled ? Since all are now real friends, following each others families to include births, deaths and all in between. Parties, wedding showers, baby showers and the like? Down to the very minute details of what flower/s should be contained in a vase, and in which direction it should point?

Perhaps a gentle nudge from Houzz/ Emily that the good friends take it all to their private emails - as it has reached a point where 99%......would be of no design value to any passerby not already long and deeply involved in the 33,000 comments over five years. : )

No....I'm not posting the link! I've enough trouble with no seek, and there would be no hide..left on my fanny.

Ooooh I made the mistake once of commenting on the length of the post and asked why the current group and the space they were designing "together" couldn't go on another thread for others to appreciate. I was basically scolded and told to scroll on by.

So that's what I do now.

It's a shame because some talented designers were helping another with some spaces in their home and the suggestions of wallpaper, rugs, furniture etc with brand names were really quite nice and I think would be helpful but no one would see them since the main topic was something completely different.

I don't even go into a post with 40 comments now, unless I was earlier on or it was a dilemma I wanted to see the end result.

"Rachel Off topic, but since somebody mentioned it, I'd love to see photos of the 1970s conference room"

This was the conference room posted. I believe this project was installed in 1979 and published in 1980.

Here are a few other photos of that same project.

Beautiful job and timeless

@beverlyFLADeziner, this was from 1980?! Looks like it could be installed today as a top end design 😍

HOUZZ? Wake the hell up!

I have no idea what the hell you do in the night!

Fix this darn site once and for all.

Get it to work the same way across all devices and platforms.

Pick a name.....ITS HOUZZ. OR IT IS GARDEN WEB?

Put better instructions to posters with questions:

The first of which should be:

Do you have an earlier thread on this topic, or this room?

Return to your original thread! This helps us help you!

Second.......

Get rid of the idiotic header: "What are you working on?"

Instead? : How can we help you with your design?"

Followed by:

Tell us! Include pictures of the problem, add a drawing with measurements!

The more you show and tell, the more we can help!

Last?

A simple move of a cursor on a Mac,throws you off the comment , onto some BS ! into the land of what can Houzz sell you? Answer? NOTHING.

The continual recurring technical issue of not being able to load a picture in a comment?

IS A ROYAL PAIN THE ASS.

This is year 2024....not 1904. It can not be this hard. At the very least, it should not be this hard.

(**&&^^%&%$$#

In a visual world? A comment without a drawing, or without a picture? USELESS. You want traffic here? Yes or no?

Then make it possible to get traffic, minus the irritants and roadblocks.

@Jan Moyer: Thanks for posting this. As you know, I send a cut and paste text to many Design Dilemma posters who need to supply more photos, information, and measurements. I sometimes bump up the thread I started in Design Dilemma explaining the way to post a DD problem. Houzz should be doing this, not me. They should also archive or kill threads that go past, say, 100 Comments or threads that are more than a year old. IMO, at that point, the DD poster should see which postings get the most Likes, find the common denominator, and just follow that crowd-sourced advice.

Houzz's lack of moderation: Seems to me I now have to sign into Houzz a second time on DD. That just started a couple weeks ago. The site is a total mess. DD must draw so many people, but it's total amateur hour technically. They don't even read the threads from what I can tell, or it would work better.

@Beverly: Take a break from the Houzz madness. But please come back. In the meantime leave it to other pros or amateurs like me to take on the many people who come in DD with a single blurry photo of one wall, the desperate plea for help followed by the ghosting, the folks who already decided to do some inadvisable thing and just want a pat on the head to go ahead and fall off that cliff. Since you're a pro, you handle them better than I do. When I get too cranky, I either delete my post or take a break from Houzz. Your advice is always so well considered and spot on and keeps me from going postal. (Yes, I must need psychotherapy to even be on Houzz. It's a form of masochism) Thanks for your generosity and great advice.

P.S. In case anyone wonders why amateurs like me even go on Houzz since I'm not a pro, here's the reason. I'm an advocate for saving what people already have (or ditching it) and showing some DD posters how to avoid making costly, permanent decisions. I tend to recommend low-cost solutions first like decluttering, changing layout, and repainting as steps that can give a space the feeling they're going for without a total rehab. I figure if they tackle the low hanging fruit first, they can enjoy the new space at low cost. When they want to really elevate the space, then call in the Houzz pros. I often suggest getting color consultants and interior designers, and landscape designers, especially if the DD poster just bought a new place. I hope I've directed some people to Beverly and Jan and several other talented pros on here.

PPS: I also like to suggest to newbies who want things to "POP!! by painting, say, an accent wall, that they instead start to develop their own taste. Buy some affordable art. Instead of the go-to accent wall solution, choose just a few colorful items to make a room lively--a sofa pillow, a throw, a tea kettle, a fruit bowl (with fruit in it not just sitting there) that kind of thing.

Maybe there should be a thread for 20 plus year old rooms that people think have held up well. They don't necessarily need to be high design or perfect and maybe even "dated " because I don't really agree that dated equals bad.

1. @plimpsest

Gee.......was just about to add photo of exactly that! Completely forgetting a photo won't load this morning shows a square, briefly shows the pic and then vaporizes on submit. But?

It's more than that. My OWN SITE isn't loading all the projects and photos.

Seriously @ EMILY H

Get the bugs out of the site. There's nothing wrong with my Mac, nothing wrong with everyone's phone or my phone despite I prefer Safari to your app or anyone else's APP... Maybe you folks should get a hold of Elon Musk....

Whomever you have in tech? Not up to the job.

Don't leave Beverly! Your design suggestions are so good and i always look forward to seeing your comments. If you find a new forum tho im open to it because houzz does have some annoying features

@JAN MOYER said:
“Maybe you folks should get a hold of Elon Musk”

“Elon Musk figured that out in a split minute, bought Twitter, renamed it X and it thrives.
Enough said: ) and in all ways, be careful what you wish for. “

Ha. Let’s be careful what WE wish for before attempting to conjure evil spirits to this site 🤮:

https://www.deseret.com/business/2024/10/02/x-twitter-loses-80-percent-value-elon-musk-advertising-revenues-antisemitic-tweet/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/everything-thats-happened-to-x-formerly-known-as-twitter-in-the-2-years-since-elon-musk-bought-it-110047226.html

Make Houzz Great Again ❤️👍

I'll like that a thousand times.....: )! Katie

@BeverlyFLADeziner, these photos are wonderful! And are those Henredon chairs in the office? I have the higher backed Asian chairs from this collection as dining chairs! Thank you for sharing.

Rachel, the Asian style chairs were from a company called Brueton. They have since modified the arm on the chair.

http://brueton.com/Products/136/MaoChair

You can see how the design has been changed to work in a corporate environment.

Here are the Henredon chairs.

I remember Brueton! As I recall when the Enron scandal took place, they had a lot of Brueton in their offices. Amazing how much these look like the Henredon. Take a look, and these are the ones I have as dining chairs. Anyway, I love your style! It's too bad Asian style is no longer in favor. I loved mixing with more contemporary.

I love those chairs. Asian is always current for people with discerning style. I always have some Asian accents in my home. I assume it's the current Japandi style they are calling it today.

These are my current dining chairs. McGuire Cracked Ice. They are very comfortable.

I found them on Craigslist during the pandemic.

The Asian chairs with white chair cushions and no chair rails are virtually what has been in my dining rooms since 1983. Different company. No chair rails mean poor support. One chair leg cracked twice and I will not allow anyone to sit in it.

" Asian is always current for people with discerning style. " of course!