Magic Makeover

Here at Design Crisis we strive to bring you hard hitting, sensible design information -- like where to buy a three headed sheep chair, letting you know that you need a super expensive gold plated baby buggy, and providing you with all the best tips for updating your spacepod in 2055. Well this week, between downing 200 brownies and watching Kid N Play deliver Oscar worthy performances in House Party 2 (The Pajama Jam!), I've really been too busy to suss out any practical decor tips for you guys. I know you don't want to get in the way of my freakishly hip lifestyle, so I've obliged by doing pretty much nothing. Ok, I did watch one of my fave movies of all time:

That's right! David Bowie as Jareth the goblin king in Labyrinth is here today, and he's got something to show you.

Not that -- although if you've seen the movie, you can't have helped but notice those pants are mighty snug. Good thing?

That's more like it! A very well heeled David Bowie would like you to step into his cozy castle. What's that? Not feeling the warmth so much?

Neither is Jennifer Connelly. I mean, it's really swell that DB threw this awesome ball to convince her to be his goblin queen, and he gave her a shiny stay puft dress to dance in, and they both have special hair with glitter and colors and lots and lots of hairspray, but does he really think it's going to make up for this?

Look at this room! Perhaps magic spells are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails, but that doesn't mean you want them in your house. It's really no place to raise baby Toby, and nobody wants that.

What he needs is a makeover, and I think Nate Berkus -- despite mad love from me and Oprah and legions of Target shopping, gold loving ladies -- is really too polite for the task. David Bowie is the mothereffing goblin king, yo, and he needs something that says, YES, I may be the goblin king, but I am also king of the house. He needs Kelly Wearstler. WWWD?

First, she would choose a couch big enough for DB to hang with his goblin homies, but also soft so he could cozy up with his lady. Oh, and a dark color with an easy wipe surface would help mask the bog of stench. The De Sede Endless sofa would do the trick.

Next up, this Paul Evans Cityscape coffee table would add shine to the darkness, plus the glass surface is perfect for that special Ziggy Stardust. Oops, wrong Bowie... or maybe not. It's ok, dude. Whatever happens in the castle, stays in the castle.

You know La Wearstler loves her some Gio Ponti, so this chandelier would reign supreme over the room. It says, I am soft, but hungry. Stay out of reach of my beautiful tentacles.

The playas are chosen, so time for some filler pieces: A big gold head (duh), a pair of Karl Springer Onassis chairs, a brass Arredoluce floor lamp, and a Milo Baughman burlwood, chrome and brass console table.

All that's left is a stellar piece of art:

MC Escher is a bit too easy, but Malevich is perfectly hard enough to finish out the space.

And now, who's got the power of the voodoo? Who do? You do!

Well, I think the Kelly Wearstlerfication of the goblin castle went swimmingly, and Jennifer Connelly would be just silly to turn down DB's proposal. Next time I see those two crazy kids, I fully expect for them to be together, cozied up on the Endless Sofa with Toby.

I just love happy endings.

Little Cabin In the Woods

Since we've had houseguests this past week, I took advantage of the extra hands to help take baby Ike out and about in the world. He was such a champ for hours while lunching at Enoteca, shopping at Uncommon Objects on South Congress, and picking out toys at big box babytown, but actually transporting him was only slightly less painful than having your appendix removed sans anesthesia. Just buckling him into the carseat brings on apoplectic fits, and once the car starts the situation does not improve in the least. So, guess what? We're supposed to bring le bebe to our annual family Thanksgiving hoedown at the farm in less than a month, which is a SIX HOUR CAR RIDE AWAY. The very idea brings on nightmares at 3 am. Already. To go back to sleep, I am forced to retreat to my happy place:

Ah, holidays at the cabin. Ok, so this is not our cabin -- this little farmhouse in the Catskills belongs to painter Sean Scherer and his partner Mark Mayer.

But that's not stopping me from imagining that our cabin looks more like this one (no offense, Dad... ps, call me about interior design services).

Seriously, how amazing are those kitchen cabinets made from recycled vintage school lockers? Ok, so I wish I had them in my citified kitchen, too.

I am not hating the bat, either.

Or this Andres Serrano photograph surrounded by vintage anatomical models. Actually, I'm not hating a lot of things about this souped up quirky cabin.

Vintage Pompeii postcards flanked by mercury glass lamps and backed by a punchy wall color? Sure.

Clawfoot tub in a bathroom papered with vintage newsprint and AGITPROP posters??? Hellz yes.

I think I saw an ancient Trading Spaces episode where Vern Yipped a room by papering the walls with old book pages -- not nearly as cool as this room papered with blank pages in a geometric pattern.

Do these vintage bird prints as wallpaper pass muster?

These dudes really have a thing for maps and anatomical diagrams, and that's ok by me. I see they are also afflicted by a pottery collecting obsession, which I can empathize with. It's a tough disease to cure.

What do we think of the yellow walls, anyway?

This cozy little nook is calling to me. During my 3 am panic attacks, this shall be my new happy place.

Somehow I don't think I should end with this picture, but it's the only one I have left, and did I mention that I am frequently awake at 3 am? But do you know what? I'm feeling better. There's nothing like a little cozy countrification to instill a sense of calm and comfort in an anxious heart.

At least until tonight.

More Office Inspiration

Sorry for the late post today, yesterday was my wedding anniversary and the hubs and I went to dinner so I didn't write my post last night.  Bad!  Bad Karly!  As promised on Monday, I've rounded up more office inspiration, let's see if you smarty pants can guess what these pictures have in common:

So we've figured it out by now?  Man, you guys are AMAZING!  So, yeah, I love things en masse, cluster up just about anything and I'll swoon.  I have lots of colorful art in simple frames that is poised to be hung all about my office salon-style.  Here are more inspiration pics

Ok, this isn't quite the look I'm going for, but I do have a pair of antlers that might make the cut

As part of the magical "heirloom" collection my mother sent, I received a couple of pieces that are not unlike these.  The giant gold guilded frames may or may not find a home in my office.  

Ok, it's a bit much.  I also don't like that couch or the stacked spools of thread.

Yes, I've shown you this before, but who can get enough of that table????  Oh, wait, I mean that clustered art????

Clean Cluster

Crazy Cluster!

Karly Cluster!

That's me in my old apartment about 4 or 5 years ago.  I won't be revisiting the empty frames motif in my current space, I just wanted to show that the cluster art thing isn't a new theme for me.