"Indulge in noncommittal decorating" Domino
Last week I treated myself - I think I told you - to three new cookbooks. One of these was Now and Then by Tess Kiros. I have not yet read it - just a few pages, so this is not about the book, but I was struck by the photographs of her kitchen. Well, of course, I have no idea whether this is actually her kitchen or some designer's dream of what a kitchen should look like. This is the first one you come across - it's actually a double spread, but I'm just featuring this half of it.
It's beautiful - well I'm sure there are some who would just say it's a mess, but what struck me is the 'distressed look' nature of it. Having now read a few brief articles on how to give your kitchen the distressed look and why you should, I thought I might throw in a few, possibly, provoking thoughts.
My first thought on looking at that photograph was - is that all the storage she has? That top shelf - probably inaccessible for a shorty for me, has just a few items on it. And do note that they are all extremely decorative. I mean you would never store a tin of sardines, like that would you? However, impressive the label might be. And what about that second shelf. What a waste of space? Sure - you do need a taller shelf for bottles of stuff like olive oil and vinegars but would you really waste some of that space with flowers, and whatever is in the big tin at the bottom would require much manœvring to get at. Ditto for the saucepans behind it. You would have to take everything off the shelf before getting to them. If you tried to lift one out you run the risk of knocking everything over. And aren't the pretty tiles on the space behind wonky? And last question - what on earth is that in the bag? Not a vital ingredient I'm thinking.
In the last space which is actually on the benchtop are various jars, another decidedly sad looking flower and some chillies. I do approve of the jug containing various cooking implements though.
Further on there is another photograph. Perhaps this is not really distressed in the sense that the cupboards and drawers, look pretty carefully painted, although again they all look a bit wonky. But again silly shelves - at least two of them inaccessible without a tall person or a ladder. And if the cupboards are deep it's difficult to see what's at the back - as it is on those open shelves anyway.
And would you really clutter your bench - particularly a small one like this appears to be, with empty bottles.?
No I think these might be book designer styling. Because, yes they are somewhat aesthetically pleasing. At least to a particular kind of person.
Me probably. I, like many, many tourists overseas, take endless photographs of distressed bits of buildings. In tourist towns like St Rémy de Provence where this one was taken, I'm guessing that there is a certain amount of artificiality. Not just in things like the tin receptacle for the flowers. The French have a curious mixture of civic pride and carelessness - noncommittal decorating if you like - it seems to me. In the tourist spots, the inhabitants vie with each other to have the most picturesque windows and doors and the whole town strives for the accolades of Most beautiful village or a Village Fleuri - a flowery village. And everyone seems to agree that making things look old is part of the appeal. Well it is isn't it? We don't have such old things here, but even here we celebrate the oldness of things.
In smaller villages, or towns which are not so focussed on tourists, or in the back streets, you might find things like this. There's a deliberate bit of arty stuff going on here on that shutter, but the washing machine is just discarded on the footpath, and as everywhere in France, the wiring is just attached the wall any old how. It certainly doesn't look salubrious. But what about that Matisse like face on the shutter? Or should I be saying Picasso?
Distressed is a trendy look in home decorations. There are interior designers, and industrial designers creating products that deliberately look old and in a bad state of repair. I confess I myself often take pictures of urban decay - see below. Faded is an appealing colour, whatever the shade, and torn as well. You have only to look at trendy torn and faded jeans.
Why are enough people drawn to the aesthetics of distressed, torn, worn, tired, cracked and broken things.? Do we want to repair them? I don't think so. Does it make us appear to be poor so that therefore it's alright to spend a ton of money on such things? Well I don't think anyone is fooled by that. Indeed since many of these distressed items cost a fortune, it probably just demonstrates wealth. Does it make us feel more genuine, more authentic? Rustic food made by grandma definitely has a cachet. Whole cookbooks - including Tess Kiros' book are predicated on the premise of nostalgia, comfort, home. Or is it simply pretty?
I confess I do like the distressed look, but when it comes to kitchens practicality is key. I was amazed to see so many kitchen designers touting the distressed look as practical. Wood is not practical - or cheap. If it's distressed it's not going to be terribly easy to clean. It also tends to be bulkier and therefore takes up valuable space.
I suppose it's all that greenie stuff - the closer you are to nature the better, so natural materials, and if it looks scuffed and cracked - well it's been loved. Maybe that's what it's all about showing love for your favourite things.
Enough. I took another photograph at the same place as the two above. It was one of those boxes you see on the side of the roads. I have no idea what they are - possibly full of electric stuff, and often covered in graffiti and posters, and therefore prime photography opportunities. For me anyway.
This is not a distressed thing. But what is it? A piece of pink paper with six drawings on it. They appear to be completely unrelated items. I am intrigued by this. Is it a coded message of some kind? It wasn't large, and I doubt that many people will notice it. A mystery which I can never solve, so if anyone has the answer do let me know. I fed it into Google Images, but they didn't know either. So many questions I have - who made it? Are there more? Who pasted it there? Does it mean anything? Is it a joke? What's the point? ....
I'm fasting today - so it's a bit difficult to focus on food. Though I have made baklava for tomorrow's neighbourhood Christmas party. nd that's not my plate. I do not possess such lovely old things. It was left behind by mistake from yesterday's book group party.
YEARS GONE BY
December 10
2023 - What's in a name? - melting moments
2022 - Just to show I'm not biased
2021 - Nothing
2019 - So many pips
2018 - Lucky dip - crackling
2016 - Foodie gifts for Christmas
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