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This is a quote from today's Interior Design Quote of the Day.

"It is a given that furnishings should be the best one can afford, testifying to one's impeccable taste while discreetly offering a window into one's soul."
- Betty Lou Phillips, The Allure of French and Italian Decor

Wonder what others think of this?

I would say that is the ideal to which one would aspire.

What construes impeccable taste, however, is a matter of opinion.

What I think is that it is a bit of a lofty statement. A bit highbrow. It is about expressing yourself through your home, but it is also seems to be about having enough money to express yourself that way. The statement would make a great ad for a high end furniture line.

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Wonder what others think of this?

It is just more of what Tom Wolfe would call the "painted word" or we would call caka mamma (don't really know how to spell that.

Supposing "one" would rather spend what they can afford on charity, travel, savings, or gambling?
That too would be a "window into one's soul"

The one "given" I have learned in life is that there is no one size fits all even in decorating.

In all honesty to me personally it is a relief that I have not been held to false decorating or societal standards because I have not had the income to be expected to meet such standards.

I like making do with little and meeting the challenge of creating a welcoming and attractive home.

But my real short answer to your quote is that it is phoney.

I follow the Design quotes of the day as well: and found a link to her books on Pinterest.



There are so many reasons for spending money, and my budget has never let me put the house FIRST above my children and family, so I do with what is left over. I am sure my house reflects that, but I am OK with it!

The content of Betty Lou Phillips' design books is just as pretentious and culturally inapt as that quote, IMHO.

I think her remarks are being mis-characterized, at least to my ears.

The take-away for me, is that no matter how much money or how little, it is wiser to spend it on one or just a few quality items, than an array of crappy, cheap, mass-produced stuff

For instance, if you had $250 to refresh your living room, five gallons of high-quality paint might be just the ticket. Or, a gently used bergere chair from Craigslist or a consignment store that can be spruced up with elbow grease and paint. Or, one fabulous lamp.

I didn't get the impression that she is telling us that good taste comes with a big budget. Not at all.

Her style, and I am pretty familiar with it, is not mine at all, but I think her message is on target.

After being involved in one career or another with direct ties to interior decoration for the past 35 years I can say without a doubt that each new trend in decorating starts with young broke designers and artists trolling flea markets and thrift stores making the best of unwanted and cheap, cheap, cheap, cast offs. Everything from the finest French Art Deco being bought for a song by Jed Johnson for Andy Warhol in the late 60's to a young Angus Wilkie buying the cream of Austrian Biedermeier from Niall Smith in the early 80's at a quarter of its current value. Every high end manufacturer from Baker to Kindel, etc. is making very expensive furniture based on "classics" that were once considered ugly old furniture, like Dorothy Drapers 1940's neo Baroque pieces for the Greenbriar. Money has nothing to do with good taste or good decorating so the line "the best you can afford" is totally pretentious. You either have a good eye or you don't.

Again, I think y'all are missing the point. If you can get past her high-falutin' words, you'll see a core of common sense.

She just made your case, Charles: that a good eye is not dependent on a big budget. If all you can afford is a pittance, then spend it on the best quality stuff for that price.

What exactly is pretentious about telling folks that given the choice between spending X dollars on one good thing or X dollars on crap, it's wiser to spend on it on quality. That's pretty much standard decorating advice I read everywhere and even alluded to here, on this message board.

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What exactly is pretentious about telling folks that given the choice between spending X dollars on one good thing or X dollars on crap,

What is pretentious about it is that the definition of what constitutes crap and what constitutes quality does indeed change. I was just reviewing on line an art exhibit that I would totally call crap but that evidently others call "quality"

It's ALWAYS in the eye of the beholder. I don't see Phillips saying otherwise.

Aychi, all good points. Reading someone's thoughts is open to more interpretation than say, hearing someone speak at a lecture. Inflection is key. I get a little persnickety with "arbitor's of taste", so I mistakenly make the assumption that they are all a little snooty. I like to remind my clients that quality outlives current trend, and perhaps this is another way of saying the same thing.

Thanks to all, it's been interesting to read everyone's opinions.

I admit I've always had problems with the definition of 'taste' and certainly 'impeccable taste' would be, as aychihuahua said, a matter of opinion. The way I hear the word 'taste' often used on forums is when poster #2 agrees with poster #1 they often state poster #1 has very good taste thus confirming, to themselves at least, that they also do. Seems to be the goal for some.

I also have problems with using the word 'soul' in this context but that's another discussion!

"For the French, design is about layering one's personal past, not about perfection or a "decorated" look."
- Betty Lou Phillips, The Allure of French and Italian Decor

Here is another quote and it describes how I decorate. I have parts and pieces of areas I have lived before. AND tastes and looks I wanted for a long time because I was in an interior that made me feel good and wanted that feeling in my home. I do not decorate for others only for providing my guests comfort, but not for their taste. I decorate like no one I know, so I know it is coming from within.

I might copy a finish or a color scheme from nature or a pretty vignette I saw color combination in. But mostly I watch the effect of all lighting during the day and evening then make adjustments. Some areas only look great with mood lighting, and that means I have something special to look forward to when the evening comes. So I know I will do this affect again.

I think what we should do is define what is OUR design style... good for another thread?
Joyluck, thank you for posting this so that I could take the time to think about what I do and how I do it.

I met someone in a shop yesterday (while getting my Annie Sloan paint) and we talked about design, and really I think each person has his or her own interpretation! This guy described design as ART. He said 'my wife is a good artist'. And they own a design shop. She re-purposes furniture for a side business to express herself. They felt it was the same, the design business (which is all business and the technical part, installs, etc.) and then the creative part they call the Artistic side.

Thought I would pass that along.

Edited to add: The photo is mine, taken from my Virginia house before we sold it about 2 yrs ago. This was my mood lighting for in the evenings.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

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Originally posted by joyluck:
The way I hear the word 'taste' often used on forums is when poster #2 agrees with poster #1 they often state poster #1 has very good taste thus confirming, to themselves at least, that they also do. Seems to be the goal for some.

That is about the most perceptive insight into the mindset of this message board I have ever read.

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I decorate like no one I know, so I know it is coming from within.

I think the same is true of myself.

Don't know if the picture you posted is from an interior of yours or not but I find it very appealing and very soothing/calming. I love the soft lighting and the richness of the moldings. I love the fronds of the plant and the repetition of that with the top of the screen.

I love the picture frame molding and the piece itself as it appears to be a print which is probably one of my favorite art forms (19th C. etchings and lithographs) I love the shadows thrown by the lighting and what appears to be a clock.

Whoever did this really has good taste! LOL, couldn't resist.

Well, I do NOT have the eye or the talent so I guess my soul is bare::::::::laughing::::::::

LOS,
I think you are talking about the photo I posted. Sorry I should have identified the photo.

That photo is from my living room in our Virginia house that we sold about 2 yrs ago, then we made our move to Florida.

For the folding screen (shadows above on the ceiling) is made by a vase with a few faux palm fronds in it and an uplight beside the vase. This carried the palm fronds on the ceiling to that side of the wall. It looked unbalanced and I would sit on the sofa with this screen in full view so I wanted that look to carry through to that area.

I only used mood lighting at night in this room (no TV) and we could just sit and talk or relax with our feet up and the fireplace lit (gas fireplace on opposite wall from this shot).

The sunburst light above the lamp is created from a feather finial I bought to put on top of that light, really broke up the light nicely!

AND of course all the uplight was to point attention to the millwork DH added to the room (and the house). We loved to see it with all the shadows the dental and texture created.

Edited to add:
I went up to the photo and identified it. Can you tell with all the palms that I was missing Florida while living in Virginia? LOL

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,