Talk about getting a headache ... there is no place for the eye to rest ...
2
It makes me sad.
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I love this home, all of its appointments, color, and uniquely expressed personal style. LOVE IT.
I have never seen such an overdecorated home in my life! It gives me a headache just looking at the pictures. Imagine living there. Yikes!
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I clicked on the link 'interior designer' which leads to Ms Caan's professional website. There I could appreciate much better photos of her work including more rooms in her house and the kitchen floor when it was painted blue. Just in case anyone is interested...I was curious and wanted to see more.
As with many of the commenters here, I also think that our home environment often reflects our states of mind as well as our bank account and values about money and culture. Why not view this designer as an artist as well? Her home is her design lab and for us, it's an art gallery.
2
I own loads of stuff but have tried to stop buying anything new so when I want a change of scene what I do is rearrange things. I have even worked out how to move quite large pieces of furniture by myself. A few hours of pushing and pulling can produce remarkable results. Sometimes my husband and children are not so keen on the new arrangements but after a couple of days they don't even remember what it was like before. It gives me great pleasure and costs nothing.
2
Why so much hate? Have you ever heard, if you can’t say anything nice...
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Seriously, does the Times not have something better to print about decorating than this silly, superficial story of a woman's decoration mania. What a great waste of money on things that don't seem to last. She does not seem to cherish anything in her home.
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It’s a huge mistake to put a powder room directly off a kitchen. Who wants those kind of odors where food is being prepared?
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How has the family put up with her inability to be satisfied? Or maybe it keeps her from “improving” them.
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Certainly her/their choice but it sure wouldn’t be mine. I find this house garish, claustrophobic and cluttered. And her son’s bedroom with the full on plaid is simply nauseating. It could of been made a graceful and comfortable home for half of what she’s spent making it look almost cartoonish. As someone that enjoys painting and home improvements I can’t imagine living in a constant state of redoing everything. That poor family including the dog!
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I give Ms. Caan a lot of credit for allowing her home to be featured in the NYT. To open herself up to a variety of opinions regarding the decor of her home takes a lot of courage.
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@Montessahall She is a professional home decorator. The article is not an intrusion, it is publicity. Courage is not a factor.
2
Well, if “Sister Parish on acid” is the look she was going for, she’s nailed it.
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I’m getting hives from looking at this mess. I thought this was an article on hoarders.
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To the person who commented that " she needs to take out the dead bushes in the front".
No , she doesn't as it is clearly wintertime and some things are evergreen and some are not.
The family looks quite happy and so do the dogs.
I do think that there is a lot of stuff and it looks hard to move through the spaces. Some paring down might be in order but I don't see it happening. I like bright colors, painted floors, lamps. There is some fun stuff here.
To all who commented : " Well, she should have a bathroom off the kitchen". I have a bathroom off the kitchen and in the breakfast room. ( 1930's house). Personally I think the aesthetics of this set up are arguable. It's practical and even mobility impaired accessible so I'm leaving it there. But it is never used unless 10 people are sleeping and showering here. I loved the Scalamandre zebra wall paper.
Terrible...I look at this and wonder about resale value because I’d want to remove all the wallpaper and repaint all surfaces. It’d be easier to tear off the molding rather than try to paint that lacquer. It’s also illogical to do all this work without first taking into account structural changes such as ripping out walls to enlarge the kitchen, and adding a necessary half bath. As far as the decorating- I’m wondering how to even walk into some of those rooms, and most of the furniture doesn’t look comfortable. Terribly busy colors and hoarding tendency I believe.
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Clutter. 16 years' worth of clutter. How can anyone even turn around in those rooms without bumping into something. Especially after being blinded by the eye fatigue resulting from the hideous pattern/color combinations. Getting outside would relieve the sensory overload.
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I like the playfulness and quirkiness of the Caan's interiors, but goodness, can Ms. Caan please get on the phone PRONTO and find a good landscape architect?
Her front yard is dreadfully lacking. The approach (walk, steps) is lovely, but those dead shrubs need to go!
My eyes need a rest.
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Fun to look at - except the dead animal head. I hope she had fun doing it.
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While the pictures tell a thousand stories, the article tells a sad one for sure: her “...family room...in my blue period...had to fill spaces with little things...was indoors for winter so did a gallery wall behind the couch...rehabilitating” after one particularly prolific redecorating spree. This so reminds me of the recent Cate Blanchett movie, “Where’d you go Bernadette” - the character was a former prize winning architect who hated that her husband had moved the family to Seattle, suffered from depression and lack of avenues for her creativity, though they bought a tear-down mansion, and what ensues after that I won’t spoil. Every stunted creative spirit should see this movie, especially the focus of this article!
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@TurandotNeverSleeps
Get a life, Liz.
My first thought upon seeing the first picture of the frilly overstuffed living room was what about the guys living in the house? Is this their style or have they given up. This is a house I would like to visit, then leave. I like interesting but calmer decor with just a couple of quirks to add interest. This house is too jarring for me and would trigger migraines. This is a "her" house. Mine is an "our" home.
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She is a master at making spaces look smaller and overcrowded.
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Zebra head? Where? I looked and looked, then finally zeroed in on the family portrait. Bingo. That's not a good sign.
2
Not my style, but also not my house! After years of renting, I refuse to have a single white wall in my house -- every room is a different color! It would make me dizzy to live with that much pattern and stuff, but again, not my house! She has the money and energy to play around with her interiors and more power to her for actually getting it done. I love renovating my house and I wish I had $430K to give contractors to make it just how I like it!
5
Woah! So harsh! Liz Caan is an established designer who has been in high demand for at least a decade, probably two. I think she probably uses her home as a laboratory for design ideas and lives among the pieces of her inspiration. Her constant renovation helps her stay fresh and innovative for her clients. True, it must be difficult for her family at times to live within a revolving show room but it’s a lot more fun than some of the more “stable” decor in many of the Newton federal colonials (which look like mausoleums). Give her credit for living her work, taking some creative risk and giving the rest of us permission to add some pink and pizzazz to a previously traditional palate. It sure would be a memorable home to visit!
10
Stunning, calming, inviting exterior .....then claustrophobic, tight, bright rooms with too many over sized pieces ...lamps, tables, salt and pepper grinders, etc. Were I a guest, I wouldn't feel comfortable ....but rather encouraged to browse as tho' I were in a furniture boutique. No one would buy 'all of it' and take it all home.
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Renovation and taste are not synonyms, as this house so clearly demonstrates.
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@A.
And your home has been published in The World of Interiors?
I didn't think so...
Aside from providing Ms. Caan with a justification for writing off her home brew as a business expense, what was the point of this? Surely anyone who thinks these rooms livable could do this sort of over-the-top on their own, likely at more reasonable cost and less sensory overload. And the kitchen table is just a black booth with way-too-large pillows? Sad.
15
How do the 2 large, fluffy dogs navigate in such a cluttered environment and who gets to vacuum under the furniture?
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That’s exactly what went through my mind. How in the world do the keep the fluffy white dog hair from covering every surface?
3
Not to mention, how to make sure the poor pups don’t run into everything, trip over chairs, knock a few lamps, and maybe even eat one of the dozens of bibelots!
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@Jemteddy I barely noticed one dog - never saw the other. But brava her for having fun (and the money to burn). Many of the rooms reminded me of those high end nick-knack shops on the top floor of Bergdorf Goodman. Uber-expensive interior designers always over-design. The interiors are definitely a conversation piece, and one that I would have outside -- in their elegant front yard.
1
Where is one's eye supposed to rest in any of these rooms? Certainly not on the dead zebra's head in the living room or the ceiling-to-floor black and white gingham in the guest bedroom or the black and white horizontal stripes in the kitchen or the awful puffy window treatments. I could go on. It's exhausting just looking at the pictures. If I did that to a great old house, I would certainly never admit that I spent that much money doing it.
34
Appalling.
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Sometimes less is more...
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Each room is filled with so many 'statement' pieces there is no background to rest your eyes.
Liz Caan does seem to have a knack for picking unique items and I wonder if she could hone her decorating skills by joining a design firm or by opening a retail establishment that requires seasonal store merchandising and window change-outs at a frequency that may meet her needs.
9
Lots of money, too much time on her hands. When I think of how she could contribute her design passion to other causes, I just shudder!
13
All those chairs and still no place to sit down.
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A dead zebra and wallpaper with apparently happy zebras running around. A psychiatrist could write a case study!
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Not that happy with arrows flying around, including straight at the defenceless animals. Ghoulish.
1
@MJM true.
Paging Marie Kondo . . .
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This is a home that someone made it their own. I think it is so interesting and full of life. People who wanted it to look like it did 1920 is one way to go, they choose their own way. The negative comments are disconcerting since with billions of people on this planet it would be pretty boring if they all had the same taste. So I congratulate her on her style and individuality.
12
This home makes me anxious. But it’s got good bones and there are lots of lovely things. And the colors are great. Some editing would help- most especially the zebra. Great article though and fun comments.
16
It used to be a goat's head. With two cut-out cockatoos beneath the goat's head. I love color, too, but that house is a horror show. And what emptiness in her life is that woman trying to fill? It's like overeating but with stuff. Massive amounts of stuff and none of it with any personal meaning. Just stuff.
32
Apparently, there's a little Ceasar's Palace in all of us.
27
Oh, my. Maybe they *also* give generously to charity, but when I think about what just the decorating budget ($400k+!) and the time and energy could have done for an organization that makes a real difference in the world, I feel a little queasy. (Or maybe that's the wallpaper.)
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Living room: "That's a lot of look" (Credit to Tim Gunn, who I think would agree). Yikes.
30
While everyone has their hobbies, that’s a lot of money spent on changing decor. And a lot of goods and material “thrown out.” I wonder if her decorating impulses could be put to serve others instead - many people would love her cast offs and possibly decorating help (well, maybe toned down a bit). Think of how she could “wake up” kindergarten and nursing home spaces.
13
There is nothing less welcoming to guests than black and white checks going in 10 different directions. And, after 16 years they are just now thinking of adding a powder room by the kitchen? That would have been my very first change.
19
When you think you have great taste....but you don't. It's a shame really, because the house does have good bones.
38
So much stuff!
For my taste way too busy.
Wonder how much they spend.
12
Edit. Edit, edit. Love the color, love the mixes but there is one too much in every room. Start with the taxidermy zebra. - no one should own one.
32
Giant black and white gingham everywhere makes the bedroom “a more welcoming retreat for guests”? I feel like I’m reading an Onion article. At least the neighbors were spared - the exterior is lovely.
42
Looking through the slideshow all I could think was "this is what too much money and too little to do can lead too." If the rooms were paired down, the interiors would be fun and charming, but as it stands now, each room is a collection of stuff.... Less design and more collection of times you can find in your home. I wonder why the NYT saw this story as a good one to cover.
23
This decor is hideous.
41
Dreadful! Sadly, the owner seems proud of her efforts. I couldn't help thinking: what a criminal waste of money that could have gone to a good cause. Shameful. Maybe it's just me, but I would not advertise my out-of-control consumption.
28
Awful...Just awful
30
#what not to do. Ever!
24
A little too crowded and busy for me, but I applaud her bold colour and pattern to suit her own taste. I would react in the same way to severe minimalism. Just wish I could attend the sales that happen whenever she changes course and starts over!
13
The house has lovely architectural details but they are obscured by the maximalist design style (which apparently is coming back into fashion). I really like the color choices but would edit the furnishings and decor items, personally. Also the zebra head ... sad :(. Very beautiful house otherwise.
21
Wondering where they purchased the glen plaid carpet in one of the bedrooms.
3
I am not sure that decorating is this family’s strength however I admire the determination to keep moving forward. I think that for the amount of money spent there would be a more cohesive look to the inside of the house. I like the outside of the house.
25
The dogs are beautiful.
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Unfortunately, I can't help but agree. This house is awful. I would remove everything inside. Taxidermy zebra included.
62
Just think what a homeless shelter could have done with all that money
34
@Kate you could say that about many articles in this section. it's not really relevant. What about the closing of 64 million apartment in Manhattan last month? or did you miss that article...
1
My head hurts looking at these
53
Oh, crikey!
Perhaps the photos don't do the house justice.
17
In the face of all the negative comments . . . I quite like it. Way more crowded than I would like but I appreciate the bright colours and patterns. Sometimes people don't want grace or flow or peace - they want fun and variety. They're allowed! The way in which commentators jump to analyze and judge home owners on the basis of their design and colour preferences is rather confounding.
7
@Greenfordanger You're judging too "I quite like it" etc. That's the way these columns go. Anyone who opens up their home this way should expect it.
22
@WF or...they could turn off commenting. as they do with many articles.
1
She spent time and money to do THIS? There is no grace, no flow, no peace to the decor of this overcrowded home. The living room is an obstacle course and I can't even imagine what the owner was thinking when she put the head of a dead animal in there.
84
There is something more going on here... and you can tell by the decor. This person is obviously covering up for something emotional.
If someone really could not stop decorating, rather than ask yourself what couch to buy next I would focus more on “Why is it that I can’t be satisfied?” “What areas of my life am I REALLY not satisfied with?” Get to the core of it.
Just as with exercising, drinking, or eating, anything in excess signals an imbalance.
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@Fran Wexy I agree. And I thought from the headline, "How to Cure..." that the article would delve into that. It did not. Pity.
13
@Joseph Hanania
I think reading the article and seeing the pictures is the cure to which the headline referred...
Oh my...every room is so busy.
36
Well, there really is no argument against someone's taste but...
20
What a horror.
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@Grace
Yes. I agree but is has been her playground and she had fun. We don't play enough in our very serious lives. Play Play Play!!! Why not?
1
What a great house from the outside. I found the interior too busy and claustrophobic. Just goes to show, having the renovation bug and money to do it doesn’t always add up to taste.
56
Wow. I guess the puffy curtains will be easy to toss out, but I feel bad for the next owner that has to undo all that to get back to the 1920s integrity, because it was once a great house. At least it’s been left alone on the outside.
42
@Matthew
I wonder if any of the woodwork was unpainted when they bought the house. Paint is costly to remove, and it never comes out quite like the original unpainted.
One thing that is a given, decorators love to stuff as much as they can into the rooms. Making them awfully busy.
19
Believe me, I understand the bug, but the disruption, the mess, the inconvenience of having strangers in your house for weeks on end, not to mention the expense -- ugh; also while I appreciate her individuality and personal approach to decorating, it doesn't do much for the resale value, but maybe that doesn't matter to her.
16
I read this and viewed the Slide Show because I used to live in Newton and miss the NE. The decor of this house spun my head and stomach. It is too busy for my taste. Ms. Caan sure has an accepting and dare I say long-suffering family.
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@WF Agree. Head-spinning, unfocused, over-decoration in every room. Not "design" at all, just lotsa stuff and more stuff.
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