Ok, I know I am a little late to the party on this one as the ad has been out and about for awhile ( truthfully think the ad was designed and created in the 1990’s and then sat on the shelf for the past two decades but maybe that is wishful thinking on my part???) But when I sat down last night with the current issue of Elle Decor, I did NOT expect to see this:

Snatched out of my beloved Elle Decor Feb/March issue

Is this the BEFORE or the AFTER???? I think it must be the After…right? That this was the POINT? But, I can only hope not. Something is very wrong here.

I respect the DFA for trying to help the industry. But do you think  this will inspire  someone to hire an interior designer? No, in fact I think it PARODIES interior designers and what people may think of them if you have had no experience. They are going to charge you a lot of money and end up just moving fake flowers to the center of your table and place fake balls of whatever in a basket…so your kid can potentially choke on them. I am choking on this ad. How much money did the placement cost? Surely they could have spent a little on the content???

Lady, if this is your room AFTER the designer has exited and collected her check, you have got BIG reasons to be worried.

I was worried: ( And you should be!)

*She would not be “approachable”

*How approachable is a middle aged woman in leather pants? How about anyone in leather pants?

*She could not make my room fit “me”

*MOM JEAN ALERT; how is she going to advise me of good style if she cannot wear it?

*She would not make my living room “kid friendly”

*Yeah that is a potential choking hazard your toddler is fondling

*She would notice my peekaboo toe clevage!

*NAH lucky there: if she did not notice the leather pants that jumped out of her closet, she surely will not notice your toe cleavage

*She would not give me enough fake flowers!

*Nope. There it is short and squatty on the table in the center of the ad! great testimony for interior design! Oy Vay! Makes me want to run out and hire someone!

*She would put some trendy carpet/rug on the floor

*Yes, everyone I know in higher end homes wants greek key carpeting. Yep, big seller at our place

 

Why is stupid over there looking, well pretty stupid in the photo, and not  watching his kid on the floor about to hurl or worse, eat, the round little thingys people like to put in baskets?? Did anyone actually style this shoot? Did anyone talk about what the image was supposed to “say” to the reader? It says DFA needs a new ad agency or marketing person to me. And quite honestly, makes me want to defend my profession to anyone who sees this ad!

We do not all wear leather pants to meet you.

We do not all wear clothes resembling a yellow jacket  hornet either. I hope. And most of us can accessorize our jewelry better!

We do not all like greek key motifs as a standard of good design

We do not all think like round thingys in baskets nor call it good design

We do not all like abstract art over a neo classic fireplace mantle because it looks “eclectic”

We do not all like pinch pleat drapes as the only means of covering large windows

NONE of us would EVER place a short squatty vase of flowers, real or not, in the center of a console table as the only means of decoration especially since the gold fake look permeates even the black and white photograph!

I am sure this designer did not style this room. I do not know but am assuming she did not as she is well known designer. But if the point was for this to be the before…the DFA should have had enough sense to make sure how this “reads” to the consumer!

Am I the ONLY one who thinks this ad is horrifying???