Beautiful English estate turned into a tacky hellhole for "young famblee"

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/family-style/?ref=style

Look at this stunning English mansion. Look at the crappy, cheesy plastic furniture they put into it. Look at how they desicrated the beautiful ballroom! They put a fucking KITCHEN in a ballroom and turned the rest into a playroom/lego room for their hellspawn!!

The worst is this:

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The boys can ride their bikes on the oiled parquet floor, “which looks nicer when it’s a bit used and abused,” Crawford says.

This home as a French style parquet floor. You sure as hell do NOT ride bikes on these floors!!!

I don't care how much money they have, or how much they paid the architects or how much the furniture is. It looks terrible. I don't begrude them a huge home, what I do complain about is the way they took this beautiful old estate and turned it into a famblee friendly playground for their 4 "young sons."

If I had this place, and money was no object, I'd have it fornished in antiques, both French and English. I grew up in a French home, with antiques, paintings, etc. DH and I have a teeny tiny Georgian Tudor home and we are lovingly restoring it ourselves to the way it should be.

And I would keep the ballroom the way it was meant to be and have some kick ass parties in there to boot!

Boy, the majority of the comments weren't kind, were they? I *snorted* Pepsi at the comparison to the movie Beetlejuice larious

Dh and I lived through a disappointment like that. Early in our marriage, we bought a two-story, Second Empire mansard style house. Something like this, only the lower floor was brick and not clapboard



Oh, how I adored that house. We felt a sense of responsibility toward it, being only the 4th owners since the house was built in 1864. Downstairs, in the formal parlor and dining room, with 14 foot ceilings, period lighting and a marble fireplace, I furnished it in a style suitable to the period the house was built. Those rooms were used only for formal and holiday gatherings anyway. Upstairs, I set up the bedrooms/study with furniture that was more casual but still true to the era of the house. The couches, hassocks and club chairs were elaborate but nothing that would keep you from kicking off your shoes and putting up your feet.

We didn't live there long since a job relocation took across the country. On visits back to see family I studiously refused to go back and look at the place. It was just too painful. Two years ago we visited and I allowed my mother-in-law to talk me back into taking a drive down the street. Afterward, I plainly asked if she was pissed at me about something because what she insisted I see broke my heart. The yews that landscaped the front of the house had been chopped down. The small rose garden I had started was gone. There were roll up blinds on each of the 8 foot tall windows; a deck had been built along one side ruining the square symmetry. Kindercrap littered the yard; one of those humongous plastic fast food restaurant-style play towers could be seen in the back yard. I didn't even want to think of how the inside might have been trashed :bawl

My MIL apologized; she just wanted me to join her in a fit of indignation at what had been done to the house. "You and Son were the last people who kept that place nice," she said, "I wish you kids could move back here and take it back to make nice again."

That's what I hate about famblees. They trash a beautiful home the minute they get their grubby hands on it. My neighbors have this big old tudor and it's a shithole inside WE have the smallest home on the street and ours is nicer inside then all the others, except for the CF couple up the street.

So love the "KinderKare" daycare style dining room. (sarcasm switch off)

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From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
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I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

My comments on the photos. One comment per photo.

Photo 1. The table and chairs make the ballroom look like a cafeteria. They are hideous.
Photo 2. Although the sink island appears to be marble, the kitchen looks like what it is - an after thought stuck on with Elmer's glue and snot from the kids. It looks temporary and cheap, despite what it must have cost.
Photo 3. WTF is that "modern" garbage that looks like the 80's threw up in their living room? Cleopatra Chaise? It's hideous, as is the rug underneath it. What were they thinking?
Photo 4. My gods, that place is beautiful until you see the inside.
Photo 5. I actually like it except for the wallpaper. The way the wall paper meets the chair rail makes the room look like it's in a hole.
Photo 6. Get the bright kindercolored shit out of there.
Photo 7. Boot room? Bathroom? What the hell is that room? Stop making the room multitask. I seriously do not understand what a toilet is doing in a boot room. If it's a bathroom, why is there a bank of coat hooks? This room is confusing as to its purpose, and it's horrifying to look at.

It's your hell; you rot in it!

That is what happens when people hire the Joker to decorate their homes. How sad...

I had to log in to comment on this - I actually LIKE this kind of furniture!

Seriously. I *have* this kind of furniture. Mixed with garage sale stuff as well as garbage pickings.

Uh oh

But - I do AGREE that such furnishings do NOT belong in that style of house.

I *LOVE* the "Cleopatra Lounge* !

I have some pretty weird stuff here, I also have some rather odd paint colors going. And plan to go further - I want one completely black room for sure.

I read somewhere - that musician Warren Zevon had OCD. His apartment in LA was completely grey. Everything, walls, furniture - all grey.

This oddly intrigues me and I'm thinking of doing a room like this. Probably not grey though.

The next place I move - I want most of it to be very plain. White. Minimalist. I will do a few rooms in unusual ways, but that's it.

Although I am also toying with the idea of knocking down walls, ceilings, to create unusual spaces. Also do want a fire pit. Not fire place - giant fire pit!

Yeah, anyway, I'm not seeing mod furniture in an antique home - which the interior still seems to be done in an antique way.

I did not like the marble thing in the kitchen, either. Looks like a mortuary slab.

OMFG - now I want to redo my house!!! With WEIRD stuff!!!

Somebody dig up Warren Zevon

I don't even want to look... for fear that I would cry. Seeing beautiful, classic homes with character desecrated by BREEDERS AND THEIR HELLSPAWN makes me sick to my stomach! Hell, any home that's been bastardized by the breeders making playrooms for their brats, or worse yet, NURSERIES for shitsacks... it's just wrong. Fuck, when I was a kyd, I had my own bedroom, which was tiny. My parents painted it pink for me, but my toybox was only in my room. I was allowed to play with my toys in the living room but I had to put them back in my toybox in my room when I was done playing with them because my parents didn't want to be tripping on my stupid toys. Today's brats are so fucking spoiled, it's disgusting.

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I'm so glad that I have no goddamned kids - it gives me more time to spend with my pets, who will always love me unconditionally.

Plastic ... multi-coloured ... chairs :hs

:bawl

This is the first time in my life, that I actually feel sorry for a house!

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" ... what's one more once you've already got two shedding on the couch?"

LOL, I've got the opposite problem - antiques and vintage stuff in a 1980s box with popcorn ceilings. So I'll trade houses with them.

i just overheard a TV commercial for a resort in Nassau, Bahamas -- kids stay free, eat free and something about the Atlantis water adventure park.

Anyone remember back when the Bahamas was considered a hedonistic, romantic getaway -- not a fucking Chuck E Cheese with palm trees?

And what's with letting the brats stay free, eat free? I'm sure they eat more than I do and god knows they wet the bed, throw up on hotel-room carpeting, spill juice boxes, infest the garbage with smelly diapers etc., more than I do! So those of us who are light on the wear & tear and housekeeping staff can just subsidize the heathens. As usual!!!!!!!!!!!!

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trekkie monster
Plastic ... multi-coloured ... chairs :hs

:bawl

This is the first time in my life, that I actually feel sorry for a house!

That made the place look like a school cafeteria. I can't believe these people did that. Why do kids need a bunch of huge playrooms anyway? When I was a kid, I had a bedroom of my own, and my toys were kept and played with there. Now they have to do it all over the house, I just don't get it.

JD

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Melanie
i just overheard a TV commercial for a resort in Nassau, Bahamas -- kids stay free, eat free and something about the Atlantis water adventure park.

Anyone remember back when the Bahamas was considered a hedonistic, romantic getaway -- not a fucking Chuck E Cheese with palm trees?

And what's with letting the brats stay free, eat free? I'm sure they eat more than I do and god knows they wet the bed, throw up on hotel-room carpeting, spill juice boxes, infest the garbage with smelly diapers etc., more than I do! So those of us who are light on the wear & tear and housekeeping staff can just subsidize the heathens. As usual!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems like everything has to be for kids these days, since the adults can't be without them for more than 2 minutes. I guess in order to keep business, they have to bend over backwards and cater to them. When are the parents of the world going to straighten out.

Several months back, I was at home during the day and I saw a TV commercial for an adults only resort in Mexico, but I can't remember the name of it. I was a bit surprised to see that they were actually promoting that with all the child worship that our world is consumed with.

I actually thought about trying to organize a boycott of child worshipping businesses, but with there being so many of them these days, if we did that, we wouldn't be able to buy anything because we'd be boycotting just about everything.

JD

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The Mycocks

Just wanted to see that by itself.

larious z

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Melanie
i just overheard a TV commercial for a resort in Nassau, Bahamas -- kids stay free, eat free and something about the Atlantis water adventure park.

Anyone remember back when the Bahamas was considered a hedonistic, romantic getaway -- not a fucking Chuck E Cheese with palm trees?

Sounds like "Funky Nassau" isn't so funky anymore.

The Caribbean is nothing more than a route and a stopover for Disney Cruise ships. New York City has lost its sly, seedy edge and is becoming a Disneyland with skyscrapers. London's punk rock ethos is disappearing and is being replaced by "What's On For Kids In London". Amsterdam's famous coffeeshops and red-light district...going. The romantic charm of Paris...gone, replaced by gaggles of "merd'euf". The carnival atmosphere of Rio...fuhgeddaboutit. Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo are teeming with brats. Africa is now an open range zoo where the kyddies can gawk at animals from the safety of a safari van.

The whole fucking world is becoming a 40,075 kilometre day care centre.

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Zzelda
I had to log in to comment on this - I actually LIKE this kind of furniture!

Seriously. I *have* this kind of furniture. Mixed with garage sale stuff as well as garbage pickings.

Uh oh

But - I do AGREE that such furnishings do NOT belong in that style of house.

I *LOVE* the "Cleopatra Lounge* !

I have some pretty weird stuff here, I also have some rather odd paint colors going. And plan to go further - I want one completely black room for sure.

I read somewhere - that musician Warren Zevon had OCD. His apartment in LA was completely grey. Everything, walls, furniture - all grey.

This oddly intrigues me and I'm thinking of doing a room like this. Probably not grey though.

The next place I move - I want most of it to be very plain. White. Minimalist. I will do a few rooms in unusual ways, but that's it.

Although I am also toying with the idea of knocking down walls, ceilings, to create unusual spaces. Also do want a fire pit. Not fire place - giant fire pit!

Yeah, anyway, I'm not seeing mod furniture in an antique home - which the interior still seems to be done in an antique way.

I did not like the marble thing in the kitchen, either. Looks like a mortuary slab.

OMFG - now I want to redo my house!!! With WEIRD stuff!!!

Somebody dig up Warren Zevon

I feel the same way. :gh fives::

Jay Jay - COOL! High Fives!

I was reminded of something - thinking about decorating, architecture, and etc -

Something that many do not know - Frank Lloyd Wright's mistress, her children, and several others were slaughtered by a crazed killer.

It was one of their workers at a home he was building (for the mistress). This worker who went berzerk may have been mentally ill - but there is rumored to be an angle to his actions of disapproving of Wright and this woman "living in sin".

Not many people know of this, it is a part of Wright's past that is rarely discussed.

Here is a good book about it - for those interested -

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Prairie-House-Taliesin-Murders/dp/0299222101

I was never a big fan of F. Ll. W. His stuff is *ok* - but - I like the really way out there. Plus I blame him for the lowering of ceilings.

Anyway, it is a horrid tragedy and does shed light too, on the times - not even 100 years ago - that this man *lived with* a woman he wasn't married too - this was a HUGE scandal in and of itself. May have driven the killer to act as well, from moral outrage.

It's an interesting and odd tale that many don't know about. I recommend the aforementioned book, I'm sure there's info on the net also, for those interested.

Thank fuck that most of that shit is superficial stuff that can be easily removed... that place must be Grade 1 listed so thankfully there'd be limits on what they'd be allowed to do to it. I have to say the ballroom/kitchen was a shocker though, I can't imagine how that got OK'd.

Why can't people respect a place and its history? Why move into a beautiful house like that and try to 'modernise' it? Its tacky, vulgar and utterly missing the point of the place. Breeders - no matter how rich they are - have absolutely no taste whatsoever, and no respect for anything - even history it would appear.

fuck

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Zzelda
Jay Jay - COOL! High Fives!

I was reminded of something - thinking about decorating, architecture, and etc -

Something that many do not know - Frank Lloyd Wright's mistress, her children, and several others were slaughtered by a crazed killer.

It was one of their workers at a home he was building (for the mistress). This worker who went berzerk may have been mentally ill - but there is rumored to be an angle to his actions of disapproving of Wright and this woman "living in sin".

Not many people know of this, it is a part of Wright's past that is rarely discussed.

Here is a good book about it - for those interested -

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Prairie-House-Taliesin-Murders/dp/0299222101

I was never a big fan of F. Ll. W. His stuff is *ok* - but - I like the really way out there. Plus I blame him for the lowering of ceilings.

Anyway, it is a horrid tragedy and does shed light too, on the times - not even 100 years ago - that this man *lived with* a woman he wasn't married too - this was a HUGE scandal in and of itself. May have driven the killer to act as well, from moral outrage.

It's an interesting and odd tale that many don't know about. I recommend the aforementioned book, I'm sure there's info on the net also, for those interested.

i have mixed feelings on wright's work-aesthetically, it is attractive and ahead of its time. I like the lines and themes and it seems inspired by asian architecture. structurally, his buildings might have some great features such as cantilevered floors, but are prone to leakage and other problems.

In my opinion, the owners of that beautiful estate are just a bunch of rich chavs. That's all they are

having children does not mean making one's place look like a replica of a school cafeteria/chuck e cheese/ tinky winky's house. there are many homes with children that don't look like a kindercrap playland. when we were kids, we had a pastel blue bedroom with normal wood furniture and colorful rugs. i showed my mom some of the photos. she was like "ew". i find it hard any designer would think this decor was acceptable. it barely fits any mood or time period-you can be modern without being tacky. it is unaesthetic.