Monday, January 19, 2009

Designo (from Decorno)

Decorno has become one of my favorite design blogs because she's not afraid to say what she feels about the design world when most bloggers just blather blithely away about pretty things. This post really says it all.

I understand bloggers' reticence to post anything negative for fear of the torrent of snarky comments from self-righteous losers with nothing better to do. Can you believe someone commented to her that her marriage wouldn't last five years? What a miserable person you must be to say that to someone. As my mother always said, if you don't have anything nice to say, then... um... uh. Clearly I wasn't listening to her. Because so many people play it safe and avoid the wrath of the commentariat, I find it especially refreshing to hear from a someone who will gladly speak the truth, and who manages to do so without being mean.

But back to my point. Decorno's recent experience with a delinquent contractor provides a perfect example of why I left the interior design business. You are constantly forced to deal with insane contractors who see no fault with telling you they would rather work on their own home than yours, or with taking your money and leaving you high and dry. And when you aren't dealing with the contractors, you are dealing with clients who are not used to having someone treat them this way, and can't believe that a businessperson would do that, and thus decide that it must be YOUR fault. It's madness! The design mags, blogs, and shows only give you the pretty, shiny, finished product, not the months of torture and tears the designer goes through to make everyone happy. I know I sound like a whiner, but I'm not alone. Many of my designer friends working at many different firms have come to the same conclusion that it's just not worth it, and have fled to other industries. I hope I haven't dashed anyone's designer dreams, but they don't tell you any of this good stuff design school (or in Elle Decor).

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