Blair House is located across the street from the White House and is the official guest house for the President of the United States and is used for the most important guests of our nation.

Photographs of recent updates and refreshing changes were featured in a publication crossing my desk recently.

For such an important residence on the international scene the results were very disappointing.

In all fairness I was not privy to restrictions, requirements, guidance, et cetera so that my evaluation thoughts are totally from my observations.

The architectural backgrounds and spaces do not come across as fully using their potential aesthetics.

The creativity and design of many of the window treatments did not greatly enhance their role or the ambiance of their spaces.

Some of the fabrics and wall coverings were blah and low level on the aesthetic scale.

There was a lot of just plain white upholstery used which gave an anemic and washed out ambiance.

For the resources available and the extreme importance of this building representing this country to some of the most important, influential, and powerful people on the planet the level of beauty expressed is not our capable best.

Are you aware of the planning, thought, acquiring, preparation, and execution quality level of the foods served for state dinners at the White House?

That level of quality is not evident at Blair House?

What do you think of the role of this very special house and it’s presentation character of our country to the world?

Food for thought.

The relevance of “good taste” for today’s living is subject matter for international trade publications recently.

The quality of the design, and not it’s social-economic status or some assigned taste, is my profession and authority. I design intelligent and quality aesthetic residential interiors.

Taste, as related here, refers to an individual’s personal choices as to what one likes.

Aesthetic standards have evolved over the history of civilization and have originated and been proclaimed by the upper classes.

I think it was at the beginning of the twentieth century that a woman took it upon herself to set standards for the decoration of residential interior living spaces and what was “good taste” according to her place in the scheme of life.

Those positions became ingrained in our society as the gold standard for the subject.

And grew into social snobbery and status relevancy.

With the changes that have and will continue to take place in our society what relevance do the residential furnishings and colors of upper class persons in the early nineteenth century have to this time in which we live?

Not every one wants to live like the classified standards ways of these people.

To pontificate what is “good taste” selection choices of colors and furnishings for one’s interior living spaces, which are to reflect our personality and not theirs, in the epitome of arrogance and snobbery and is as relevant to us today as are buggy whips

Colors, residential furnishings, et cetera should reflect the times and personality of occupants and not some upper class pontifical manifestation.

Design in all of it’s expressions, in and of itself, does not denote taste or status.

Such is projected onto it.

Food for thought.

Today we have on this planet available to us more choices for life styles than ever before in the history of civilization.

How does one go about making an intelligent choice for such?

These choices involves emotions, intellect, personal preferences, history, culture, current situations, finances, politics, and any other factors affecting human behavior.

You need to consider which aspects are more important to you for the longest period of time that you will be using said living spaces.

You will have physical limitations concurrent with the present time, place, and society in which you are now.

Is good to be aware of, know, and appreciate the past and it is also important to know, be aware of, and appreciate what is happening currently.

Choose those intangibles that are most important to you for your daily living for the longest period of time and choose those tangibles that will best, financially and level of quality, manifest the desired results.

Be aware, even as fully grown, that adults go through different physical changes that can affect basically all aspects of their personalities.

These changes can affect one’s preferred choice of life style.

There are rules, laws, cultural, sociological, physical, financial, et cetera changes that occur with the passage of time which will affect our life styles.

The best choices and the right choices are the ones that are best and right for you.

One size does not always fit everyone.

Do you want to be an individual or a lost sheep in the herd of conformity?

Be aware.

Be intelligent.

Think overall complete and long term.

What were the options choices available to you when you chose the life style you are currently living?

How content are you with the results of those choices?

What would you change?

Food for thought.

For what ever reasons some people are arrogant of which they may or may not be aware.

In the manifestation of theses traits there is often a pontificating of positions or knowledge.

As such they miss a lot of possibilities and higher levels of quality.

In the choices made for their personal living environments such can lower the living experience of all occupants who ever live there.

Tradition, emotions, culture, popularity, et cetera can and do play roles here.

Residences usually last longer than the occupants for which they were built.

While it is important to include your personal traits it is also important to think of the decades long existence of the house as a composition in and of itself.

When you make permanent choices to a residential structure do you consider both?

Get out of your box and open your life to higher and greater qualities of living.

Using intelligently the principles of aesthetics and the laws of physics together can enhance the quality of the living experience for both aspects.

What have you considered in the choices you have or will make for where you live?

Food for thought.

There are various positions expressed concerning how much recover of the costs of changes, additions, remodeling, upgrading, et cetera are recouped when such house is sold.

The question is what determines the cost value, and to whom, when these expenditures are made.

The financial value of a residence is certainly a factor in residential ownership but the quality value of use, enjoyment, and the complete living experience therein is also a factor.

Over previous times there have been many aspect changes involved when a residence goes on the market.

The value of the decision rests on whether financial returns or fullness of the living experience is of more importance.

The majority of residential construction is factored by potential for profitability in a certain portion of the mass market.

What was, or is, the more important costs returns you made for your personal living environment?

Food for thought.

180 degree positions are exact opposites of each other.

The current competitions between the Republicans and Democrats in this country are sterling examples of such.

The current status of affairs relating to residential living situations that come across my desk also often manifest this position.

What changes, additions, and improvements made to residential structures that increase saleability and financial returns are presented with the pros and cons of each.

A similar presentation will give a 180 degree position.

The same situations are present in other aspects such as finances, locations, views, curb appeal, antiques, designer furnishings, art, construction materials, workmanship, techniques, sources, maintenance, style, fashion, status, et cetera.

How does a lay person navigate such a confused and irrational state of affairs?

First, research and analyze who is presenting the position for their education, background, experience, where, when, how, and why they are taking this position.

Is this position being made as an informative and educational one or is it a paid, promotional, or endorsed one?

What are the ambiance, financial, status, style, fashion, et cetera results of this position’s manifestations?

Is adhering to this position congruent with your personality traits, likes and dislikes, life style, and functions of living?

Completing such gives you some information to make an intelligent, beautiful, functional, and discerning decision.

There is a flood of false and unworthy information in almost all media in our civilizations today.

Be aware.

Choose wisely.

Food for thought.

How you determine your living spaces determines how your living spaces determine you.

The spaces in which you live affects all parts of you physically, with scientific evidence showing it even affects your heart health, as well as intellectually, emotionally, mentally, aesthetically, functionally, financially, et cetera.

Poor lighting, natural and man made, not fully functional or comfortable furnishing, lack of or disorganized spaces, unpleasant and or patterns or colors or materials, not reflective of personality, or “home”, et cetera all contribute to negative responses from you consciously or unconsciously.

Well designed living spaces, aesthetically, functionally, and expressing personal traits using the laws of physics and the principles of aesthetics manifest an environment of convenience, comfort, pleasing, functional, “home”, et cetera.

What role does determination play for the spaces in which you live and what does your efforts and action, or lack there of, say about such.

Food for thought.

What determines the aesthetic level of residential interior design regardless of who, what, where, when or why?

The five basic elements of aesthetics and how they are used.

Line is direction and edge.

Form is shape.

Mass is size.

Color is reflected light.

Texture is the visual and tactile quality of a surface.

All physical objects and spaces have these five characteristics.

Each element is a part individually and of the whole complete composition of design.

It is not processes done and objects utilized but how these elements are used, hopefully with knowledge and intelligence, that determine the aesthetics level of a residential interior design.

Think of these elements as the useable guide to a desired goal and think not of objects and spaces.

It is wise to have a goal and knowledge of the principles of aesthetics and the laws of physics for the highest levels of results.

Status, costs, rarity, history, labor, location, use, etc cetera, while they may be a factor, are not these elements.

Knowing what is, it’s characteristics, and how to use these elements in this manner, is wise, worthy, and practical for your inside living spaces and other aspects of life.

What do you see and how do you see it where you live?

Food for thought.

During all stages of animal evolution, from the animal kingdom to human beings, there is, for what ever reasons, a systematic need for levels of status, and some times power and control, which takes place.

This status system affects many areas of civilization behaviors including people, businesses, and government.

Even today in this country, which does not have a royal type of government, a social-economic hierarchy status order very much exists.

Human behaviorist have learned that, consciously or unconsciously, within seconds upon initial encounter, people evaluate and judge about you what they see and hear.

Personal grooming, clothes worn, cars driven, residences and their interiors, sources of income, language, education, et cetera are all factors contributing to this evaluation.

Generally, the louder and more flaunted is considered more lower class.

The quiet subtle appearance of quality is considered higher class.

There recently came across my desk from a leading international interior design publication a feature article of a recently tremendously successful person in which every personal physical expression had to be of the most expensive, newest, rarest, brightest, and flaunted there of to shout his financial status resulting in a very lower class presentation.

Said publication on the latest in men’s clothing had the highest quality of materials, workmanship, classic styling, quiet and subtle appearance, and neutral ambiance which resulted in very high class presentation.

An underlying psychological factor between the two is that the lower class one is newer and insecure and needs to tell the world about their financial worth to hope for higher status where as the higher class one is confident within itself and it’s status and doesn’t care for the world to know it’s financial worth.

The ambiance of your personal living and being surroundings are a big factor in the level of status you exhibit.

What do you want the world to see or think about you and your status, or do you care?

Food for thought.

“Unto thine own self be true, and then as night follows day thou will then not be false to any man.” origin unknown

Music has a feeling. It affects an emotion. It has something specific to be experienced.

Literature has a core. It has an idea or maxim or story to tell.

The highest bar in art tells a story, of an event, or interprets a personality.

Everything expressed has a cause or purpose for being.

Every human being is unique and has specific personality traits and peculiarities.

What do the spaces in which you live and move and have your being say about you.

The most successfully designed residential interiors have an ambiance which manifests the personality of it’s occupants.

It may, or may not, reflect the trends and times in which it is made.

It is in a style of expression which mirrors it’s users choices.

Those residential interiors done primarily for status or fashion or commercial purposes can be empty, cold, and lacking in personality.

The intelligent use of the laws and principles of aesthetics are used to interpret that personality.

To mirror the personality of the one, with out knowledge, for whom the spaces are designed is the ultimate bar for a successfully completed residential interior.

When making those decisions, selecting those choices, making the plans, and executing such, be true to your self.

How truly do your residential interior spaces reflect the real you?

Food for thought.