Fine Print: Form over Function
Lily Interiors I was an early aficionado of Trading Spaces – and its British counterpart, Changing Rooms . Like most British imports, the original was better (and less time-consuming) than its American counterpart (and for the record, I loved Lawrence). One thing I hated about the shows was that design often trumped function. People would ooh and ah over a room even if the TV had been located behind the couch (yes, that did happen). I always admired the home owners that were willing to take the risk of ending up with an awful living space – particularly given that the overall budgets for each room were not all that ample. I wonder how those rooms – slapped together in a 48-hour period – have held up over the years? Another place where form often trumps function is the magazine business. Now that I have an iPad (and its precursor, a Kindle), I usually only pick up a magazine or two at the airport to get me through take off and landing....