Monday
Mar092009
Melissa Rufty
Mon, 9 Mar 2009
Layers of pattern and colour, the old and the new, classic and chic. Add in a Southern sense of panache and these rooms by Melissa Rufty have my little heart thumping. These are bold and exuberant spaces with a confident and exciting mix of style and personality.
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Reader Comments (20)
the vibrant colors and patterns are beautiful. but i dislike the zebra mane pillows. really now is that necessary?
Very bold, very interesting!
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I wish you wouldn't show zebra mane pillows. It is barbaric. I know--who cares, right? Well, there was a time when human heads mounted on spikes on a bridge were normal too. I hope we have evolved since then. Even if you don't share this view, at least recognize that it makes a good portion of your readers recoil in terror and vomit a little in their throats--judging by the comments so far, two-thirds of your readers. There are plenty of other patterns and contrasty things out there to use when one feels the need to come off as eccentric or whimsical.
But I do like the twin beds with the drapes.
I'm probably opening a can of worms with this comment I will not not post a picture because it has any sort of animal product in it. Every time we post a picture like this we get a number of emails protesting the fact that we do. We recognise that readers have the right to feel this way. Readers must also recognise that we have the right to post whatever we like and we will continue to do so. I posted this photo because I thought the corner seating was an interesting idea. If I had taken this photo or styled it, designed the room or even paid for it to be photographed, not just "borrowed" it from the designer's website then perhaps you could argue that "I" shouldn't have used a zebra pillow. BUT I have posted it and stand by the fact that I have because it is an interesting seating arrangement. There are many people who find nothing wrong with zebra as there are many people who do. In the 3 hours since I put this post up there have been over 2000 readers visit and 2 have commented. Many more will comment by the time this post has gone off the front page but nowhere near the 16 000 readers we get each day and continue to get even if we post zebra.
Once again I see that you have the right to your opinions. Please afford us the same rights.
Now perhaps we can enjoy the designer's work because it IS wonderful and bold and colourful. Just as I'm sure this discussion will be.
its so colourful !!!
wonder how it 'll look if i actually tried it ..hehe
Love how daring she is with color, definitly successful! I do find the zebra mane rather tasteless though, I can't imagine that looking good with any kind of animal. I did assume that they were faux, though. But I agree with midcenturyjo, apart from the pillows, it really is an interesting arrangement. I like how yellow and red is paired with purple.
The toile of red and orange and the glossy aquamarine walls are so well done. I mostly cringe at the use of colours on most design blogs but I love this, what a brilliant designer!
I LOVE the vivid blue lacquered walls!
I love all of the bright colors and bold prints. The first room is just gorgeous.
I'm in love!
Thanks for posting.
God those glossy blue walls are so wonderful!
Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for posting these. The patterns and colors were the perfect way to start off my day. :)
Your response to the zebra images in question is rather shallow & curt, jo. You have 2 readers out of 3 who are simply stating they are disturbed by your chosen images of skinned animals. If you seriously think that the act of slaughtering a zebra for it's skin and leaving it to rot in the hot African sun is "nothing wrong" ... I am concerned you lack an empathic heart, Jo. You allude that by percentage of 'hits', your readers indirectly "support" these images (of animal cruelty). Ha! Seriously, Jo. Come on!
Show some compassion to both animals, and those who find such animal slaughter unnecessary, sadistic and cruel! Poaching zebras is illegal, and your posting these images simply supports the underground skin trade in the black market!
No more ignorance; please educate yourself!!! This has been discussed many times before, so exercise some ethics & consideration for your animal-loving readers.
My answer stands Cynthia. My answer although deemed shallow and curt by yourself was not in the form of a personal attack. I have more manners than that. I stand by my right to post whatever I want and your right to your opinion.
The textures and patterns in these spaces are so elegant and perfectly executed. I love BOLD!!
If folks do not agree on the use of animal skins/furs/horns etc in decor and we post some photos with them, then IMAGINE THEM AS FAUX. It's not hard. I do it every time I see something zebra (for example), like the pillows in this post. I am not sure where in this post Jo said everyone should go out and buy real zebra pillows. I must have missed that part.
Loving all the mixes of pattern and color. Perfect:)
A Friendly Hello!
I am fairly new to the fan club of DTI. Upon my perusals I have happened upon many influential, inspiring ideas for my own home (I am in the midst of renovating a petite country home in the quiet hinterland for my rightful retirement!)
But something is amiss. I am finding this post to be unsettling for me. Allow me to dispatch my reflection on this matter.
Mind the retired school teacher in me, but MidcenturyJo, you are acting in a disrespectful manner. A lesson to be had from the beginning years in primary school: Everyone has feelings - and some people, expectedly so, are more sensitive than others. It is important (this day & age more than ever) to act with conscientious purposefulness, holding others' beliefs respectfully in mind. Sadly I am mistaken to believe a refresher would not be necessary for those holding a jurisdiction of respect & responsiblity.
One strict rule I hold dearly: there is never an excuse to behave in a rude manner.
My synopsis of the above comments is that I perceive other people are simply asking you to be more conscientious of the content you choose to post, and to be aware of the impact it will have on your readers, albeit hopefully positive. One or even two readers offended by your content, in this case the horsemane cushions, is one too many! It is a sad shame one would react in a defensive manner instead of listening wisely with open ear.
My strong recommendation:
Be mindful, practice awareness, and act with social responsibility. May I suggest posting a disclaimer of sorts at the bottom of select posts (those with images that may be perceived as an example of animal cruelty) stating something along the lines of: "DTI does not support animal cruelty of any kind and these posted images therewithin are selected for inspirational purposes only... henceforth). I firmly believe this example of accountability would ease the bemoaning, dejections and frustrations amongst your loyal fellowship. I certainly hope the curators of DTI have enough class, high-mindedness and professionalism to address this issue responsibly and respectfully.
Now I look foward to the inspiration your site will bestow upon me of which I am greatly appreciative.
Sincerely,
Ann, patiently awaiting her shangri-la!!
Thank you for your comment Ann :)
OK, point taken: stat counters matter, not individual readers. And basic human decency, responsibility to the planet, and ethics don't matter as long as the couch is cute. Yes, you can post whatever you want, just as people can say whatever they want, using the N-word for blacks, the F-word for gays, the C-word for women--but that doesn't mean that people with integrity have to condone it. I'm not asking you to subscribe to a religion of compassion, but I do wonder why you can't step back from your perspective and hear yourself talk. It sounds something like, "This space needs a little oomph, something that says I'm eccentric. I think I'll peel my cats and nail them to the wall. And at the market in Africa, I picked up a gorilla hand that I can use for an ashtray." I think there comes a time when each person has to take off the blinders, be aware of what is going on in the world, and take a stand against cruelty. In my case, that means deleting the eleven posts about Desire to Inspire in my tiny little blog about sweet baby things that nobody reads. And it means unsubscribing to your blog, which will be hard because I sure do love all the pretty pictures. But then again, I used to be addicted to Celebrity Baby Blog, until I realized that my conscience couldn't condone stalking and terrorizing babies--and now I don't miss it at all. Go ahead and scoff. And one day you can rename your blog Desire to Inspire Only the Few Remaining People with a Taste for Gore. One bonus for you: your ad revenue counter will go up just a smidge when I click on your sponsors to tell them my ethics don't permit me to do business with them.
I am leaving these comments up because I respect that Diana has the right to her beliefs. But I am closing the comments not because I am afraid of what people will write here concerning the use of fur and hides but out of respect to the designer who is actually the feature of this post. Please feel free if you have comments about this issue to email me. The address is at the top of the page. I more than welcome your comments but out of respect to Melissa and her work I don't think this is the forum anymore. Thanks for all those who left positive comments on the designer's portfolio :)