I did it at last

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
I finally got myself a DR1 blog. I confess - I was one of the shirkers who signed up when Robert first launched them, but never got round to blogging. Today I started writing a thread about something mildly amusing that happened to me, and thought - this belongs in a blog.

So - here goes!

Introducing - The Chiri Chronicles

Does anyone know why it doesn't appear in the index along with MaineGirl and all the others? Do I have to change some setting?

Feedback welcome.
 

MaineGirl

The Way Life Should Be...
Jun 23, 2002
1,879
89
0
amity.beane.org
Adoring fan number 1, everyone else get in line :)

I think it takes a day or two to register on the main page.

Looking forward to more! Any chance of a digital picture of some of the potential abodes and their disastrous interiors?
 
Last edited:

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Yes, there's more where that came from

Decor is one of my pet obsessions: part of the fun of house-hunting is seeing what people do to their homes. The tentacled monsters are a recurring theme, and those garish paintings of campo scenes are everywhere. Luckily the frilly loo seat covers, which make me ill for more than one reason, seem to have gone out of vogue in recent years, or maybe I'm keeping better company these days. You see, I could go on for ages.

I had planned to get a 'before' shot of the Greek Tragedy, but alas, fate intervened and the sale fell through. Neither did I think to snap Miami Vice about which more later.

Thanks for the encouragement, MG... the admiration is mutual.
Mwaah!
 

Larry

Gold
Mar 22, 2002
3,513
2
0
Yawn.....female stuff

I think that the last thing that will ever cross my mind is how I feel about the design of a toilet seat cover.


Larry
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
9,478
410
0
80
www.ginniebedggood.com
Enjoyed it immensely Chiri. Don't you give any heed to the 'yawn' above......he obviously has not heard about male interior designers who do this professionally. ;)

I still have to see inside a Dominican house which is quite as bad as one I once saw in uk.............living room walls painted 2 shades of institutional green, light at the top half & St. Pancras station public convenience dark green on the bottom half, with painted red roses climbing up the wall, all the way round at 10 inch intervals..........wasn't the only thing climbing up the wall!
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Larry, have you ever heard of hyperbole? Not to mention self-mockery? ;)

Lambada, I can imagine that your former profession granted you access to some very interesting interiors!

There was a British TV documentary several years ago (well before the 'Changing Rooms' craze) showing different examples of interiors across regions, age, economic levels, race and class. The one that stuck in my mind was the house belonging to a Scottish couple, who had not redecorated since the mid-1960s. It was like a time-capsule - swirly patterned mauve carpets, the lot. The owners admitted they had no idea at the time that their choice of decor would date so horribly, but they could not afford to do it again.
 

MaineGirl

The Way Life Should Be...
Jun 23, 2002
1,879
89
0
amity.beane.org
Not to get off-topic (I think this is still on topic) but what would you all consider some classic interiors for the different locales in which you've lived?

Maine has beautiful Federal-style architecture, salt boxes etc with "classic" elements like hardwood floors, crown molding, very muted and conservative color schemes. There are also some modern homes along the coast with very sharp lines, glass and a monochromatic palette indoors with a splash of color here or there. There are lots of examples of bad interiors as well.

What about the tropics--what is "classic".

MG who is now curious
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Without too much stereotyping and generalising... no, that won't work. Interior decorating and catty comments go together like Charles and Camilla.

Typical DR design schemes:

Campesino/urban poor: plastic flowers and holy pictures. Wooden furniture painted over in brown gloss.

Middle class: mahogany sofas and armchairs with terrifying tentacles, heavy drapes and garish oil paintings of campo scenes, almost always featuring an amapola tree. Tassels on the rocking chairs. Very little natural light. The older generation will almost certainly have plastic covers on the upholstery.

Nouveau riche: (sick bag essential) marble, mahogany, gold, ivory, overdone, faux classical details like columns and statues, paintings in ornate rococo frames... this style is sometimes known as 'Narc Deco'. Walls painted in dark coloured gloss paint. Crystal chandeliers. No books anywhere.

Stylish middle class/upper class: spacious interiors, light colours, natural fabrics, furniture could be modern, bamboo, Mexican pseudo rustic or family heirlooms. Selected paintings and sculptures mostly by contemporary Dominican artists, and often also Haitian crafts and paintings.

Do I collect my trophy for bitch of the year now or later? ;)
 
Last edited:

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
9,478
410
0
80
www.ginniebedggood.com
'Plastic covers on the upholstery'.........I pondered for a long time when I first came across this. First, I thought they'd forgotten to remove them, then I thought they probably didn't have upholstery cleaners. Finally discovered what it was about..........it's a 'slimming aid', like a Stephanie Bowman slimming garment worn under the clothing. You sit on plastic covered upholstery in a typical Dominican climate for longer than 10 mins and voila! Disappearance of the 'latino bottom'............... ;)
 

Pib

Goddess
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
20
38
www.dominicancooking.com
What you can do with Typical Dominican decoration when you have good taste.
This house, who belongs to Hugo Tolentino Dipp's* wife and is located in Mao has been featured in some of the world's most important decoration magazines. I would not mind having one like this.

Sorry, you have to copy/paste the URLs into a new browser window.

http://pro.corbis.com/images/LX002383.jpg?size=67&uid={d663c238-5a87-433c-9593-cf09d8fedeb5}
http://pro.corbis.com/images/LX002382.jpg?size=67&uid={2c7a7d6b-2dd9-47e0-abef-6f2afe57b371}
http://pro.corbis.com/images/LX002384.jpg?size=67&uid={b156ab15-b8ed-4f19-a53c-f0ee3fb20ea3}
http://pro.corbis.com/images/LX002380.jpg?size=67&uid={b5292849-4ebf-4ea1-9b6d-c5553c10e338}



*Those of you who follow DR's politics will remember him (probably as the only one of Hipolito's minister with an scintilla of integrity).
 

Pib

Goddess
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
20
38
www.dominicancooking.com
Chirimoya said:
Middle class: mahogany sofas and armchairs with terrifying tentacles, heavy drapes and garish oil paintings of campo scenes, almost always featuring an amapola tree. Tassels on the rocking chairs. Very little natural light. The older generation will almost certainly have plastic covers on the upholstery.
I guess you forgot the enourmous collection of candles, figurines and assorted crap that covers every available surface thus ensuring maximum collection of dust and that if you are ever invited to such house you'd have to hold on to your cup or glass for fear of losing it in the milieu.

Nouveau riche: (sick bag essential) marble, mahogany, gold, ivory, overdone, faux classical details like columns and statues, paintings in ornate rococo frames... this style is sometimes known as 'Narc Deco'. Walls painted in dark coloured gloss paint. Crystal chandeliers. No books anywhere.
or what my friend and I call Graceland Style.

Have I started to sound like Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen?
 
Last edited:

juancarlos

Bronze
Sep 28, 2003
676
0
0
I really liked your style, Chirimoya, makes for very enjoyable reading and it contains good- and very funny- information about the tastes and habits of different segments of the Dominican population. I also like balconies, if I were to look for an apt. that would be one of my priorities. Nothing to do with hanging clothes to dry, but with the fact that I like looking at the world below and a nice view of the city or sea, if possible. I am sure you will find what you are looking for and you will decorate it with gusto.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Thanks Laurence, I mean, Pib ;) for those links. I read the magazine article that featured that house, and was impressed. It is a pity that these traditional elements are not used more by local architects and interior designers.

Pib said:
or what my friend and I call Graceland Style.
I prefer to call it 'a tribute to Liberace'.

juancarlos said:
I really liked your style, Chirimoya, makes for very enjoyable reading and it contains good- and very funny- information about the tastes and habits of different segments of the Dominican population. I also like balconies, if I were to look for an apt. that would be one of my priorities. Nothing to do with hanging clothes to dry, but with the fact that I like looking at the world below and a nice view of the city or sea, if possible. I am sure you will find what you are looking for and you will decorate it with gusto.
Thanks!
 
Last edited:

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Some of my fierce and merciless critics will be pleased to hear that I've given the interior decorating theme a rest.

Instead, I thought you might like to hear about me Going Gaga.

And some day, I hope, I will add some photos. Today's should be a treat.

Enjoy!
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Question to those who are not as technically challenged as yours truly -

Can I add sound to a blog entry? I have some Gaga tracks on mp3.
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
Chirimoya said:
Question to those who are not as technically challenged as yours truly -

Can I add sound to a blog entry? I have some Gaga tracks on mp3.

Not really is the easy answer, unless you link to a clip that is hosted on another server. Also it's a question of copyright and permission to host the sound clip on our server.

Your blog is looking even better now you have added a few photos.
And yes, it's amazing how powerful and the reach they can have.
You just don't know who's reading...
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Thanks, that makes sense. I'll look for a site with a sample and see if it's OK to link to it.