It’s always a good day (for me) when a magazine lands inside my mailbox!
This week’s happiness is the May issue of Elle Decor, with Ellen DeGeneres + Portia de Rossi’s property . . .
. . . 26-acres + 8 cabins north of Los Angeles.
PEOPLE! I WANT ELLEN TO BE MY NEW BFF!
It’s crazy! We have so much in common — spontaneous dancing, trying to be funny —
and, most importantly, we both love the serial re-doing + the constant moving!
“I can only change the furniture so much and I get bored,” said Ellen . . .
AND ME, constantly.
But I digress. Back to the important stuff!
Of course, she + I like the same decor style.
The rustic, the modern, the industrial. I know it’s not for everyone, but I love it!
- Leather Chesterfield sofa, white plank walls, interesting light fixtures, faded vintage rug, metal coffee table, striped throw — check!
I love all the cool artwork that Ellen + Portia have hanging in their rooms:

Okay, so who’s on board with the deconstructed chair, a la Restoration Hardware? Sorry, Ellen, I’m not a huge fan . . .
Now let’s talk about how a simple magazine issue can change one’s life . . .
. . . not only do I have a new BFF (yay!) . . .
. . . but the magazine has changed my mind about my beloved postal sorter . . .
. . . it’s awesome, no? Well, believe it or not, I was on the fence about whether or not it would be in our next house!
Then, this happened. 2 words: Ellen’s. Sorter.
Now you can see why that postal sorter HAS to be in our next house!
And speaking of that photo’s ability to alter our decor, I saw these beauties + knew I had to find industrial bar stools!
Okay, so I’d already been shopping for industrial stools.
Here are a few examples one can find in Robert Redford’s groovy Sundance catalog:
- $295
- $795!!
- $195
Here’s my favorite . . . the Texas spinning stool, in color! I’ll take mine in red, please!
Wow, my eyes are spinning from all these bar stools!
. . . but I could add dozens more that I’d consider. That will just have to be another post for another day!
Stay tuned!
April 10th, 2013 at 2:10 pm
I am unsure why I feel so compelled to always be able to formally label a decor style. I love the rustic/modern/industrial, I live in a 1901 Victorian bungalow so it’s not always easy to incorporate all of THAT style into it and make it look ‘cohesive’. My trend recently is to go monochromatic “Belgian”… I should just buck the need to name it and just add what appeals to me. OCD?
NO deconstructed chairs for me.
And have you looked at IKEA’s Dalfred stools? $39.99. Possible contenders?
April 10th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Hola Cheryl!
Not yet on the IKEA stools, but we’ll be there soon enough. We’ve put in 2 new IKEA kitchens, + this one next one will be our third. If we do oak lower cabs + white uppers + white countertops, will I regret it? You know, Ellen’s decor is pretty cool but it’s really kind of museum-like + also trendy (she’s gonna re-do when industrial falls from favor!) Emily Henderson declared that industrial was OVER, + my heart sank. I’m hoping nobody gets the memo out here in the Midwest, not for a few years, anyway. One more critique: I mean, I can admire Ellen’s decor, but it doesn’t meet my requirement that your house always reflects YOU. I enjoyed the article, though, + like I said, it changed my thoughts re: my sorter in our new dining room. Yay.
Sincerely,
K A Y
April 11th, 2013 at 1:18 pm
I don’t think Emily Henderson has the authority to decide when industrial is “over”, if that’s any consolation. Some clever people have been successfully incorporating it into their homes for decades, so I think even if the people who are using it to be trendy quit doing so, the ones who do it well and committedly (a new word?) will always be stylish. I always try to be a ‘trend-bucker’ but I think that goes hand in hand with my compulsion to name the style. I just have to do what makes me happy. We all do. Your style is impeccable.
April 11th, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Hola
LOL @ Emily Henderson’s deciding industrial is “over”. Well-typed! Whenever I have a “will this go out of style” moment, I just think of some of the stuff that I’ve had for decades. TY for the compliment, too. It boosted my morale, which is always a plus. Oh, by the way — the Brew Crew will be in St. Louis this weekend, playing my Cardinals. Yay.
Sincerely,
K A Y
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