sour puss

dave and i are getting ready to finalize our first home purchase -- an apartment in the kensington neighborhood here in brooklyn. exciting!! so, of course, i'm more obsessed with home decorating and home renovation shows than ever.

one show, however, that drives me nuts is "secrets that sell" on hgtv. it stars a mother/daughter team that go through homes that aren't selling, and tell them what they need to do in staging their home for a sale. there are many shows out there like this now, and i get how important staging is. but this mother/daughter team is off their respective rockers! according to them, you can only have boring beige/taupe paint on the walls, you need to get rid of any personal items like family photos, and any "clutter" -- and i'm just talking necessary objects on a countertop -- must go. also, children's rooms are inevitably "bad", and they always recommend they are changed to blah spare bedrooms. i've seen a gorgeous apartment owned by a tasteful woman in chicago changed from a unique space filled with antique furniture and beautiful wallpaper to your standard blah space... honestly, if i were buying that apartment, i would have preferred the original version.

note to these ladies: while i understand that neon green on a wall won't work for a sale, people out there do have taste -- and that may not include beige. not everyone buying would be bothered by non-neutral spaces. on the other hand, they may be put off -- because you can't see what beautiful work can be done in that home.

and leave the kids' rooms alone!