Douglas Stock on ‘Fear of Color’

DECORATING PARADIGMS, FEAR OF COLOR AND THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES by Douglas B. Stock, Antique Persian Carpets douglas@dbstock.com www.dbstock.com I recently traveled to New York to serve on the vetting committee for The Winter Antiques Show. I had received a “good deal” on a four star, tower style hotel in mid-town and was given quite a spacious room on a high floor. What struck me, in particular, about the room was the “minimalist” decor. Though there was ample room for a nice, over-stuffed and comfortable, traditional sofa in some rich color, none was to be found. Though the room had nice hardwood floors, the only floor covering was two little scraps of some bland something on either side of the bed. The lone larger lamp, though interesting in scale and design, was difficult to work and hovered over a single, lounge style chair that might have been fine in a dentists office but was anything but suitable to sit, relax and read in. There were no drapes, only electronic shades that malfunctioned. I like open space in a room, but here existed “wasted” space. There was little, if anything, to draw the eye. No warmth; no color; no charm. Clearly, all of the above had been carefully formulated by a designer who was following the minimalist trend. The question is: ” Why ?”. Several years ago, we received a call from some clients who wished for us to sell, on commission, some carpets they had purchased from us a decade or so earlier. The home was a New England mansion that was featured in a book on historic homes. The main carpet was a classic, navy field carpet with bold design and saturated color. They had retained a new interior designer and were replacing the antique carpet with Sisal: bland, grass-like stuff that can not be cleaned. Again, the question is ” Why ? “. Why would anyone exchange color and charm, items that have been held in high regard for centuries, whether it is period English chairs with beautiful fabric, antique carpets, Chinese Export Porcelain or colorful Delft pottery, why exchange these items for pieces that are frequently disposable and seem to have no character or individuality? One can posit any number of theories, largely predicated on how cynical one is, but let’s try this as at least part of the equation. Decorating, or interior design, has a new paradigm, and it ain’t pretty in any sense. I can not think of a minimalist room I would actually like personally, but I am willing to concede that there are extremely talented interior designers who can, conceivably, pull it...