Home > Habitude > Archives > 2008 > June > 30
Monday, June 30, 2008
"You’re not ready to sell that yet."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My roommate and I are a lot alike. We both love classic furniture, swoon over design books, giggle at pretty pink things, and believe when it comes to style, you’ve got it or you don’t.
But we have one not insignificant difference; shopping patience.
While I might occasionally buy full-priced items, whether it be a sofa, picture frames or throw pillows, my roomie will lie in wait for a piece to go on clearance. She’s not cheap; she’s frugal, she explains. She’s also taught me an invaluable line, which I’ve heard her say to more than one salesperson: “You aren’t ready to sell that yet.”
I’m working on my retail perseverance, but I often fall prey to the fear that if I wait, my beloved (fill in the blank item) will be gone by my return. In fact, it happened this weekend with a certain pair of matelasse placemats at Williams-Sonoma.
What’s your shopping style? Would you pay full retail for something you love, or do you wait for a sale or clearance? What’s your best tale of risk-reward shopping; has your patience paid off in affordable, yet big ways?
Permalink | Comments (25) | Post your comment | Categories: "Roominations"
Artwork: popular or personal?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For many years, the only “artwork” on my walls was Salvador Dali’s Musical Tempest poster print (pictured below). I finally let it go when I realized that a billion other 20-somethings had the same poster. It just didn’t feel like “mine” anymore.
So I embarked on an original artwork campaign and by original I mean things that I, or people close to me, had a hand in creating. My collection has become a mishmash of items including a watercolor of a lighthouse in Montauk, NY that was a gift from a talented painter (Hi Carol!), a triptych of black and white photos featuring a single tree at the Grand Canyon which I shot during my “I want to be a photographer” phase, and a huge Marimekko fabric which I stretched over a wood frame (built by my very own hands, thank you) and promptly hung on my living room (now bedroom) wall.
I’ve researched all the ways that a newbie should dip his or her toe into buying original art (as opposed to creating it), but have yet to take the plunge. It’s not about money, it’s not that I don’t trust my judgment, it’s just that I like the things hanging on my walls to really mean something to me.
Maybe I just haven’t found that perfect piece to buy. Maybe I never will.
What kind of artwork do you seek for your space? What items do you have a personal connection to and why?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: design trends
