Entry for August 17, 2007

Day 25 of The YES Experiment
If anyone's having difficulty following the theme of these blog entries, click on the link above and all will be explained.
Megan the decorator has replied to yesterday's message. I am impressed at both her promptness, and the comprehensive nature of her advice -
Dear Alan, Is there any chance you are a writer or were a literature major? You use of words and descriptions brings me back to my days spent in "17th Century Poetry" and "Walt Whitman" at the University of Swansea Wales. It has been too long since I've heard the British (Wales or Scottish) vernacular. While I must admit that the words Twickenham, golliwog and burst cushion are lost on me, I feel comfortable saying that Just for Men is very familiar. I have not used it either. Your description of your room demonstrated your flair for decorating that you have yet to discover. Decorating is much like writing. When one writes a composition, he or she uses words and details to tell the story and create an emotion. When decorating, the story and emotions are told through objects and colors -- the very things we try to describe in words. You obviously have a very good eye for detail, so this should be child's play to you. The first thing to tackle in your office/ lounge is the lack of current organization. Not next week, but the week after I will be posting a video on home office organization. While I shouldn't, I'll give you a few tips anyways. The first thing to do is purge everything you don't need that's in your office. Once that's done, sort through what's left. Get organization bins for those things. Bookcases on top of cabinets are always a smart buy. They not only project the manly feeling you are looking for, but they also allow you to display books while hiding the less attractive items in the cabinets. If a bookcase won't fit in your room, floating shelves are another option. But I warn you, they are less manly. For all of your loose papers, get file folders. I know, I like clutter too. When I filmed the organization videos I told my interviewee that I could not be converted. In a matter of 10 minutes she had me convinced that getting rid of the clutter would improve my life. The second I returned home from that trip I completely organized everything. It was the smartest thing I've ever done. So get file folders. Sort through them all. Then get two paper files for on top of your desk. The first one is for things you must do that day. The second one is for projects you are currently working on. Once you have it all organized, it's time for the fun part: choosing decor items. There are numerous things you would find in a gentleman's library. The first is maps and globes. Having noticed your fondness for all things modern, I will tell you that Replogle Globes has some of the most stylish, modern globes I've ever seen. Some are black, some are clear, some just have crazy colors. www.replogleglobes.com After the globe, there are the lamps. Lamps are very important because they were used in gentleman's rooms everywhere. I wouldn't choose one that is too wild. It will take away from the gentlemen feel. Try one more like: http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=56&ItemId=46914 or http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1220&f=10845 or http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1220&f=4345 or http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1220&f=24371 The last one might be the best example of modern and gentlemanly chic. The next thing to consider would be a coffee table or ottoman for in front of the sofa. Seeing as though you like comfort, I would choose an ottoman. It will give you a place to put your feet up, and a place to set books and other thing if needed. Here are some examples of manly, yet comfy ottomans: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=950&f=24428 or http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&partNumber=WE-PRODf474&retainNav=true&parent_category_rn=&cmsrc=SCH&parentId=ottoman If the room feels slightly cramped, I would get an ottoman with legs. It will give a more spacious feel to the room. Next it's time to talk about window treatments other than Just for Men. Roman shades would be a good option. Both light and airy, while still masculine. Here is an example: http://www.smithandnoble.com/sn/product_category.jsp?sch_cat=Roman%20Shades&nav_cat=-18001 If you want something more cozy, I would go for full drapes in a sleek style such as this: http://www.smithandnoble.com/sn/product_detail.jsp?sch_cat=Linen%20Flange%20Panels&prod_oid=253415&nav_cat=-18595 Lastly, we come to wall and tabletop accessories. These are personal items that fit with your taste. On a bookcase or floating shelf you could display your piggy banks. Artwork on the walls could be of piggy banks or money themes. You might even put a racket ball dispenser on your wall. Please tell me if that is a good start. I am more than willing to help you more. If you're interested in colors, and things like that my first suggestion would be blue, brown, black and white. Refined yet, with boyish undertones. Don't be afraid to use both light and dark blue. It will look very good with the black and brown. If that color scheme sounds bad, we could create an entirely new one. When it comes to color, I always tell everyone to pick an inspirational picture and use the colors found in the picture. I wish you the best of luck, and please e-mail me if you need anything else. Best wishes, Meghan
So - are you as impressed as I am? I am champing at the bit to get started with telling my story and emotion through objects and colours.
Meghan has spurred me into action - I am off to de-clutter now.
Today's yes comes as a result of a question in an article I was reading. Feeling tired? it asked. And as a matter of fact, the answer is Yes!. So, following the advice of the artice, I am going to drink more water for the rest of the experiment.