I have a "theme", so I'm told

My theme is “light oak”, and it was chosen concurrently with my computer desk, the first piece of furniture I picked out for my new apartment. I did not understand the implications of that single, fateful choice. I figured, “I have some bucks here, I’ll buy whatever I like.”

NO! As it was explained to me, civilization itself is at risk if too many people buy furniture that “clashes” (which I thought was a term used as a metaphor, but some of my choices seemed to bring my advisors to the edge of actual violence, so perhaps it should be taken as a literal). Industries rise and fall on successful or unsucessful fashion themes.

After that first choice, there were hardly any more to make. Yes, I could decided whether or not I wanted bookshelves, but WHICH bookshelves to select was seemingly predestined. “No, you can’t have MISSION style!”, my sister declared, with Bonnie (my sales lady) chuckling in the background over my complete fashion ineptness.

So I’ve bowed to their superior understanding of such things, done my part to preserve Western Civilization, and bought into the light oak “theme”. It seems to me that one could have light oak color/wood and still a “mission” style, but apparently not in Wisconsin.

It is unclear to me where the line is between a “theme” and a “style”. Perhaps it’s a matter of budget; perhaps I had enough money for a theme, but not enough for a style.

Apparently this theme will be mine until my death, or I completely replace every stick of this furniture with some OTHER theme, which I must do at least whole rooms at a time to avoid clashes during the transition from one theme to another.

I learn something every day… even if I can’t make any real sense out of it.

Heh. My theme is “campus scavenger”, but a lot of people mistake it for “thrift store cheapskate.”

To be fair, only a discerning eye can tell the difference between the two.

My theme is ‘whatever the wife says’ theme.
I am soooooooooo colour and furniture challenged I buy what she points out.

You need to work on getting your theme to being
Boom chicka-baum baauummmmm

I have a large living room and at one time more seating space than a movie theater. I had a large L shaped ugly old blue couch (that I still miss), 2 ugly, but matching, comfortable floral type couches (one was a lil couch, I refuse to call it a love seat), my pride and joy - the black leather recliner with vibrating and heat pads and a cup holder, the ugly blue recliner and the ugly teal recliner. The room was rounded out by the Admiral Television with the two buttons missing, the Street Fighter II arcade game, The inflatable shiner bock keg with the hooters girls and real girls signatures, with the stuffed leprechaun sitting on top of it, and lets not forget about the 25 pound pink rock.

So what is my theme? Is it a style? Is it bad style? I have to know… be gentle.

I remain associated with “harvest gold.”

I think you style, Clever Hans, is known as Bachelor Pad.

Damn possive case: “your style”

My theme seems to be Ikea STEN bookshelves. They’re great. (They’re the incredibly cheap ones that they advertise for the garage or basement, but they are amazingly versatile. I now have ones that go across my entire room. With a little lumber, you can make them very fancy.

We bought a house a while back that had not been touched decoration wise in obviously 30 years. I swear I expected Carol Brady to pop out at almost any moment… See it in all its pre-renovation glory here and here.

NP: The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

yojimboguy, tell everyone to go to hell, that your style is eclectic. Then you can buy whatever you damn well please, throw it together, and it will always be stylish.

The LEAST stylish thing to do is to have a theme. If everything matches (all the same wood, matching sofa, loveseat, chair, etc.) your room will look like a hotel lobby.

Make that a cheap hotel lobby that couldn’t hire a decent decorator.

For me, that’s quite a step up!:wink:

I had two advisors, both of them women in their 40’s with substantial homes of their own. Frankly, it was easier not to argue.

I DID make sure I got the functionlity I need. I started with this desk, because I wanted my tower and all my peripherals off my desktop. I got this chair because it was the best I could find. The rest I didn’t care especially about anyway – a couple a bar stools, a kitchen table and chairs, a headboard, and a shitload of bookshelves.

It was the “ensemble” aspect of buying it all that took me by surprise, since I never bought more than one piece of furniture at a time before.

Wow, cool chair! Of course, I shouldn’t be so critical. I’ve never been able to afford to buy more than one piece at a time. :slight_smile: