I love watching interviews with well-known interior designers and architects. It’s a wonderful way to glean some practical knowledge and insight into their processes. Recently, I watched an interview of fellow Tulane alumna Suzanne Rheinstein.
Suzanne is known for her ability to edit, refine and organize rooms so that they feel effortless but, in reality, involved incredible planning. Her taste is timeless. She is well-educated and intellectually curious. My kind of decorator!
In the interview, Suzanne recalled an encounter with a colorful gentleman in New Orleans who gave her a tour of his elaborate, extravagant wine cellar. He drank only the finest champagne, but freely admitted he also enjoyed Dixie, the local cheap beer. (I prefer Abita, but that isn’t really important.)
This gentleman advised, “Go Timex or go Rolex.” Sometimes the greatest things in life are incredibly high-end and expensive, and sometimes they are cheap and easy. There is joy in both. Mix them!
I believe two things. One, there is nothing more uncomfortable than a home that is 100% Timex or 100% Rolex. And two, knowing when to go Timex and when to go Rolex is important. Sometimes it’s done out of necessity and sometimes choice. Occasionally the choice is easy and sometimes it’s learned the hard way.
I would say this even if I had a client with an unlimited budget. However, every client has a budget, large or small. Part of my job is to guide them through the morass of choices, pointing out where to spend and where to save. For example, a living room or family room sofa should always be the best quality one can afford. Knowing what makes a sofa good quality is important. A Google search is an easy way to start learning.
That’s your Rolex. Another Rolex might be a showstopping wallpaper. If you don’t have beautiful architecture or art in a room, splurge on a fabulous wallpaper and pay for a talented paper hanger.
End tables and lamps can usually be Timexes. As much as I adore Christopher Spitzmiller’s lamps, they are a real splurge for most clients and not on our shopping list. I also love custom lampshades, but they can cost several hundred dollars and that’s not what most clients want to spend. That’s ok. Sometimes we get the $100 lamp from Lamps Plus and move on.
Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Buy the best you can afford and you’ll only cry once.” This is generally true. However, a Timex is sometimes a strategic choice to knock down the formality of a room. Seagrass rugs, for example, are inexpensive and casual (but generally hard-wearing). These days, you’ll find them in homes of all price points. Houseplants or flowers are not only cheap Timexes, they are actually really important to giving life to a room.
You also want sentimental or quirky Timexes. A silly piece of art that makes you laugh. A basket you bought on vacation at an art fair. A coffee table book on a subject you enjoy. A weird little ceramic dog that’s an inside joke to you and your family. You NEED these things. They make a house a home and make it feel real. Staged properties do not have these items. You do not live in a staged property.
I cannot source these for you as a client. And if you ask me to, I’ll probably say no.
A final note: “Timex” does not mean disposable garbage. Unless you are on an extremely tight budget, please be conscious of whether you are settling for an item that will fall apart in a year or two, end up in a landfill, and require you to open your wallet yet again for a replacement. Even a Timex takes a licking and keeps on ticking!
