Kitsch & Tchotchkes Taste Patrol: If we don't do it, who will?

You know it when you see it: Kitsch or tchotchkes. Kitsch consists of objects lacking in so much taste that your first reaction is to laugh (or suppress your humor if your hostess is proud of that shaggy pink chair with elephant feet.) In this land of plenty where we can shop ‘till we drop, our eyes are constantly assailed by objects of dubious taste and quality. Chia Pets, tire planters, shaggy dice dangling from rear view mirrors, and starving artists paintings are the most obvious examples.

We can overload on too much of a good thing as well. Question: How many Lalique or Baccarat crystal objects can one cram into a room before crossing the line of good taste? Answer: Not as many as you think.

Often our possessions own us and we wind up filling our interior spaces with STUFF. Tchotchkes are often those tiny useless hostess gifts we receive with monotonous regularity, or collectibles that seem to breed exponentially in front of our eyes like a warren of rabbits. Think Victorian Era, and you have a pretty good idea of what I mean. Sometimes the worst tchotchkes offenders are professional designers who can’t leave well enough alone, adding plants, vase groupings, candles, candy dishes, overstuffed pillows, and a series of framed prints where none are needed.

By and large our Top Designer won’t be guilty of these failings. Their innate taste, training, and good sense will dismiss such bad notions before they take root. However, during the heat of competition, some might be tempted to use unnecessary fillers to hide an unfinished space or add fussy details at crunch time. We are ready for them and ever vigilant in spotting these lapses should they arise.

As the season wears on, we will use our special Hula Man Bobble Rating System designed just for this blog:















For example, should one of our designers get the bright idea to use this toilet bowl seat, I would most definitely give it The Bobble Won’t Wobble rating. That seat should be returned. Not even a debate.

Posted: Ms. Place