Insomnia

Visuals can cause insomnia.  Me sometimes after a day of shopping.  

I shop a lot.  Shopping, sourcing, is a huge part of my job.  Top of the list as to fun.  For larger jobs, much of the stuff is custom-made, ordered.  Occasionally I have a rush job, items need to be purchased yesterday.  St. Louis is a small city, so my options are limited.  Occasionally I find myself stepping into a wasteland of aesthetic garbage.  The memories haunt my dreams.

On one of my excursions, I discovered this.  No, actually, was assaulted by it.  A candle chandelier made from hay? What the FUCK?  Fire hazard!  But when I visualize the home this would hang in, it probably should go up in flames.



Lord, have mercy on us all.  Left: Fee-fi-faux-fern.  But the bow is real (a real nightmare).  Oh my God.  I have bow issues, something we'll address in a later post, closer to bow season (Christmas).  Right: Lovely itchy scratchy burlap hanging on the windows. Nothing like roughage for the visual diet.  At least the ribbons match.  Well done (practicing sarcatechism). 


Left: Lovely color coordination.  MORE faux, this time moss.  Right: Housewives of who-the-hell-knows headboard.

Peace & Love? More like pieces of shit.  The peace sign is an icon, I hate seeing it used this way.

This was the only useful item in the whole damn place (name and address withheld to protect the guilty).  Was it needed for the faux-fern?

Listed below are some places in St. Louis that I visit for a visual rush and great merchandise.  I always leave inspired by certain items that lead me on a path of creativity and discovery, allowing me to go home for sweet dreams, insomnia cured.

New kids on the block: Kathy Mack and Mark Howald Antiques.  9796 Clayton Road, St. Louis MO 63124.  A well-rounded selection covering many genres.



R Ege Antiques, 1304 Sydney Street St. Louis MO 63104.  One of the best places in St. Louis to find your not-so-ordinary (off-the-wall) furnishings and accessories.  Normal stuff, too.

 

Robert Morrissey Antiques.  132 North Meramec Avenue, St. Louis MO 63105.  A place to find higher-end goods.  This stuff is high-falutin'.  

Patsy Cline, "Sweet Dreams"

Made in the Shade

Temperatures in St. Louis have been peaking in the 90's.  Elsewhere, they have been in the 3-digit range.  Time to seek one of life's simple pleasures: a giant shade tree.  It's summertime, folks.  Time to be lazy.  What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, relaxing under the boughs of a big shady tree.

  

Wouldn't this be nice, on a long hot day?  

Now let's talk about some different kinds of shades.

Elizabeth Montgomery, c.1960 - star of TV sitcom Bewitched.

If you don't know who this is, "Fuck you!" Cool dude, cool glasses.

Hundreds of years ago, Inuit people wore flattened walrus ivory "glasses," looking through narrow slits to block sun rays reflected off the snow.  Sunglasses made from flat panes of smoky quartz to protect the eyes from glare were used in China in the 12th century, and ancient documents describe crystal sunglasses worn by judges in Chinese courts, to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses.  The Roman emperor Nero liked to watch gladiator fights with emeralds (what a sneaky way to wear jewels).   In the early 1920s, the use of sunglasses became more widespread, especially among movie stars, to avoid recognition by fans. (An alternative reason sometimes given is that they often had red eyes from the powerful arc lamps used on set – YEAH RIGHT, if you ask me, it was to conceal bloodshot eyes from drugs, booze, and wild nights).

My collection of shades. To hide me from the paparazzi.  Truth is, they hide the crow's feet.  Real truth is, I don't wear 'em, cause as soon as I walk out the door with 'em, they're as good as lost.

Shade pick of the day.  Found them on ebay, sending for a pair today.

LET THE RANTING BEGIN!

Started with "Made in the Shade." Switching to "Why Were These Shades Made?" 

WHY do these horrible tacky lampshades seek me out?  I have bad-shade radar (shade-dar? A new Davidism?). 

Refer also to Shady Characters, April 6 2015.

"Study in Black and White"

I don't know what the fuck this is.  A cinnamon roll?  A flower?  A colonoscopy ("Kodak moment")?

"Whore Decor"

I never realized there was such a market for streetwalker lighting.  Once again, this seems to be made from Frederick's of Hollywood lingerie.  Perhaps I could open a chain of stores named Whore Decor.  I see a lot of crap that could fill the shelves.  But would anyone even buy it?  Maybe it's all supply, no demand.  I don't even think a hooker would buy this shit.  Hookers have style.

I thought hookers just used streetlights anyway.  With these they could have their own stylish corner.  (PS- available in my shop.)

"Stripper"

Once again we're talking about a shady profession.  I'm all about "The Right Amount of Shitty" but this is "A Fuckin' Pity."  

Mungo Jerry, "In the Summertime"

"In the summertime when the weather is high
You can stretch right up and touch the sky
When the weather's fine
You got women, you got women on your mind"

Brain Farts

Urban Dictionary definition of Brain Fart: When you are attempting to remember something very obvious, something that you know you should know. This feeling often leads to head banging and hair pulling.

People, I have them all the time. Thank you JESUS they don't smell! If they did, I would have no friends, no one would want to be near me.  There would be an aura surrounding me.

Ultimately, they're a good thing.  They happen when I'm so excited and stimulated over the ideas in my head that my thoughts and speech become fragmented.  I start speaking David.  Creative ideas start coming to me faster than the speed of sound.  Folks, it's not easy sometimes, but holy shit is it fun. Some ideas stay, some deleted.  I start having what I call the Kaleidoscope Effect: twirling in my head as I'm looking at objects, trying to figure out how they will all fit.  Creating a composition, a living environment for my client that is pleasing to the eye and suitable for their lifestyle.  Highlighting their personal style.

Can you imagine this happening in your head? People, I have to tell you it's a thrill.  It can also be freaky.  But I've learned to deal.

When I do an installation, I usually prefer the client not be at home.  I warn them the day before: it's like a tornado.

Countdown! 

On your mark!

Get Set!

Let's GO!

Finish Line.

I'm so fortunate to be working in a field that I love so much.  My job's the shit.

Tommy Roe, "Dizzy"

"Dizzy, I'm so dizzy my head is spinning

Like a whirlpool it never ends"

SPINNING OFF

My New Den

August, 2000. Purchased my home.

The den was a nightmare.  Actually, several.  Gorgeous ceiling fan (broken globe, unable to replace).  Not to be outdone by the acoustic ceiling (only 7.5' tall).  LOVELY cheap paneling.  Hideous 70's inlaid vinyl flooring.

First thing to go was the vinyl floor.  I was broke, so all I could do was a paint job. By luck-of-the-draw I found mismatched bookcases to fit the walls perfectly enough. Then I unpacked my shit.  Being a creative GENIUS, I made it work. (OK, you don't agree. Bite me! Anyway, it became home.)

Close-up of bookcases.  Pretty shit can sure help hide ugly shit.

Room stripped and under construction. 

The upheaval of your home causes upheaval of the brain.  My home is my refuge/fort – safe.  It's really given me a new perspective on what my clients endure. The disruption of their home, bombardment of decisions, and the $$$$$.  You're a stranger in your own home.  The things you find comforting are packed away.  You're living in a war zone.  This shit is stressful.  

Being bipolar has made this process more difficult on myself, my partner, and everyone that's had to deal with me. (I've been a dick. Please forgive me, Dan- life partner, Mike- contractor, Shannon- business associate.)

Bookcases finished and room painted, starting to shape up. 

 
Den finished.  Now the fun. Where the hell does all this shit go?

Shaping up. What a mental and physical workout.  Being an interior designer is physical work. Trust me.  We do a lot more than swish about and drag fabric samples around.  My whole body hurts, even my eyelashes.

Lovin' my new digs.  Things will always be a-changin', but for now I'm a-smilin'.

Seein' my shit makes me happy.  Not to brag, but I've got some good shit. 

Oh fuck, David. Tell it like it is. You're braggin'. 

Loretta Lynn, "Coal Miner's Daughter"
"Well, a lot of things have changed since way back then
And it's so good to be back home again"

Renovation / Desecration

On December 3rd, 2014 stuff started happening at my house.  As the work began, I wanted to chronicle everything with pictures, and tell the story as it happened. Blogging like that just didn't work out in a way that made sense. As it all comes to an end, I'm going to fill you in on some of the process.  

The house was built in 1948 for the market of returning WWII soldiers and their new brides. I intended to live here a few years, flip it, and move on. Time passes pretty quickly. 15 years, still here. Love the location, the house is home.  Time to make it suit my needs.

This was the living and dining room.  Small separating walls have been removed, joining the areas into one open space. Repair work has been done to the plaster walls, floors lightened and refinished, track lighting installed, and color updates.  The area will now serve as an entry hall, gallery, and formal dining room.

Today as I write, the entire room is a warehouse full of stuff from other rooms which are still being worked on. Shifting from room to room – what a BITCH.  Living in a small house under construction. There is no escape from the hell!  I think Hell is full of construction dust and drop cloths, not fire.

Kitchen under wrecking ball.  Gutted.  I'm too embarrassed to even show you the "before" pictures.  Can't believe I lived with it for fifteen years.  This mess is prettier.

 

Installation of subway tile, well on its way. What a clean, fresh look.  I love it!

Den stripped of ugly paneling and acoustic ceiling tiles.  This room was also very embarrassing.  What an improvement you see below.

When the book cases are done, the den will be finished and I can move in.  It sure will be nice to have one room ready for livin'. 

In the back half of the house: bedroom and dressing room are finished (but serving as storage), with work left to be done in the bathroom.  After that, finishing touches on the lower level.  All should be complete in three weeks. So for the next few weeks I'll be showing more pictures of construction and rooms as they are finished.  So excited for it to be over.  Some ranting promised. 

The Beatles
"Long and Winding Road"

Summer

Memorial day is the official start of summer. Hope you took the time to reflect on the true meaning of the day: the men and women who have died in service for our country.

For many it is a long holiday weekend. Hope you enjoyed it! Mine's been great.  I've been too lazy to work up a long post for this week. Thought today would be a good time to sort of reboot, so to speak. Please take the time to read some of my old posts if you haven't (I've set the blog so you can read them all on just two pages, so just scroll down, and click on "older posts" when you get to the bottom).  Next week we'll be back with some serious business (such a serious blog).

Some shots of shop stuff that sings summer.

Collection of mid-century picnic gear, summer necessities.

Great early 1900's cast stone garden statuary.  


Mid-century wicker chairs with iron bases (set of four) and Pop Art print pillows.

Early 19th century tin French bistro chairs, great paint.

Summer is the time to reboot yourself.  Take life a little slower, enjoy the outdoors. I've started.

"Summertime"
Gershwin, Porgy and Bess