Good Things or Rip-Offs

Have you checked out the new Martha Stewart Living magazine?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ8TuJQEK_KgaIBtIHpR_qogrwTDEHaTLcmCeovRUqSGDvvVgjpAEb9G5NMFUrXxVcF91mmMRyUE0EduP0NK-ugHGCD4_NqoZF1a5Yo0UM3GSzVFKUOMD0JXHVDkcNs10ww-m58sT_Oii/s1600/mzl.unjhgnbp.480x480-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ8TuJQEK_KgaIBtIHpR_qogrwTDEHaTLcmCeovRUqSGDvvVgjpAEb9G5NMFUrXxVcF91mmMRyUE0EduP0NK-ugHGCD4_NqoZF1a5Yo0UM3GSzVFKUOMD0JXHVDkcNs10ww-m58sT_Oii/s400/mzl.unjhgnbp.480x480-75.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I usually don't pick it up, but this issue is full of "good things," to quote Martha. I think the big title "Love Your Home: Style Ideas for Every Room of the House" was a clue I might like it more than her usual issues (which are often just too crafty for me making me feel inadequate - who needs that?). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, sure there are crafty DIY things in there, like these cute monogrammed headboards: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bthSeoK5paczzGem8PILDlnYNlnjQL1UgiH0Iu0kAQk0jKyFcrOMmOLoNzXHZQ5v89cRop1ct4WjswY6l-D9NEFxCtdZUkI_sbeZBQIIFrMJM7lVD-jhtgkD6Ssd8DGpRay8nhs22XB2/s1600/monogram-bed-0911mld106720_hor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bthSeoK5paczzGem8PILDlnYNlnjQL1UgiH0Iu0kAQk0jKyFcrOMmOLoNzXHZQ5v89cRop1ct4WjswY6l-D9NEFxCtdZUkI_sbeZBQIIFrMJM7lVD-jhtgkD6Ssd8DGpRay8nhs22XB2/s640/monogram-bed-0911mld106720_hor.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I, of course, while liking the headboards mainly think, "I love that lamp." Then, "cute dog." The takeaway here - while I can appreciate a good DIY, I'm not going to tackle most of them. Sad but true. I just like to study the styling and interiors. I know my place and I'm comfortable in it. Another cute photo from this story about monograms:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I8VfJI3vUjddyZba0E8-YlLgcDFs_vx233L653t-9mGOS5jDKcrItnm8DB_QtAaZciKjQP_fWX47sUx-bg3PZJBx14vnzWrktt-DjeB6UU0nIFLZlZXtPdINZF6FflvVlqMY8rr1KiS1/s1600/IMG_0824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I8VfJI3vUjddyZba0E8-YlLgcDFs_vx233L653t-9mGOS5jDKcrItnm8DB_QtAaZciKjQP_fWX47sUx-bg3PZJBx14vnzWrktt-DjeB6UU0nIFLZlZXtPdINZF6FflvVlqMY8rr1KiS1/s400/IMG_0824.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><br /> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the quality, I snapped this with my camera.</td></tr><br /> </tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Doesn't this remind you of a Miles Redd room? Not totally, but the saturated tones and painted shelves are reminiscent of him, I thought. No big deal. Everyone does this look now, and I still love it. However, they even used Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue (and not a Martha color like they do in most of the spreads) like Miles did in this rather famous room featured in House Beautiful in 2009 . . .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAw-bpx-WN1a4hEBlRNF1l_S0lukudG_yX2z0yLXC7vIy_5pd1Uo8oFt9TGRxOfTMdZFJrqHryYDaHCU89IW3LkQnfrsU7WRrq8TDj-3drP0uUDuFKoC-6dkKGmL4sZQZg9Xni4e-P4oK0/s1600/hbx-decorating-redd-3-0709-xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAw-bpx-WN1a4hEBlRNF1l_S0lukudG_yX2z0yLXC7vIy_5pd1Uo8oFt9TGRxOfTMdZFJrqHryYDaHCU89IW3LkQnfrsU7WRrq8TDj-3drP0uUDuFKoC-6dkKGmL4sZQZg9Xni4e-P4oK0/s400/hbx-decorating-redd-3-0709-xlg.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But then, I almost gasped when I saw another photo in a feature they did on spiffing up interior doors (also another very Miles Redd thing to do). Check out this photo from MSL:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><br /> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-t7IUHeeGtlX08EBkwFrer_8kfQxjci_rGKND7AMZDrq-VJx4WRDurJ1yc0E-OsnxzcYj08oWtN6_S9RMLNi9Z7C20xK9Nix79UZMggo4KjyTYjrpR5q3iLl1C-muHvzSrzmzw8ddgmki/s1600/IMG_0818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-t7IUHeeGtlX08EBkwFrer_8kfQxjci_rGKND7AMZDrq-VJx4WRDurJ1yc0E-OsnxzcYj08oWtN6_S9RMLNi9Z7C20xK9Nix79UZMggo4KjyTYjrpR5q3iLl1C-muHvzSrzmzw8ddgmki/s400/IMG_0818.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><br /> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, once again, for my photo.</td></tr><br /> </tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now a photo from the Miles Redd-designed apartment in House Beautiful (same apartment featured above): </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGoiBsEpItcvEOP8zv3ertmSZnccwX9ziRm4S_lKW0OJ9ZIl20HJjGALd-HAR36VB7-im4CyNbUgvlxtY8Q4u-e4p777_pLKh_l9feF-UUN4IkQ8kXQhQvacJ4x9yWzI9s2CQ_eNfwaEE/s1600/hbx-decorating-redd-6-0709-xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGoiBsEpItcvEOP8zv3ertmSZnccwX9ziRm4S_lKW0OJ9ZIl20HJjGALd-HAR36VB7-im4CyNbUgvlxtY8Q4u-e4p777_pLKh_l9feF-UUN4IkQ8kXQhQvacJ4x9yWzI9s2CQ_eNfwaEE/s400/hbx-decorating-redd-6-0709-xlg.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Um, pretty clear they copied this entire concept. Miles' doors were covered in green leather, while Martha's doors were simply painted, but the brass upholstery tacks, hallway wallcovering, zigzag floor covering, and DeGournay-esque wallpaper (or treatment) in the adjoining room are all extremely similar. I understand that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but couldn't they have at least credited Miles Redd or asked permission to use his photo as a reference ("how to create this look on a budget" kind of thing)? I realize there's no such thing as an original idea, but this seems like a pretty blatant rip-off to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Don't get me wrong, there are some great ideas and eye candy in this Martha Stewart Living. And they, of course, do a great job of educating you on how to do these decorative treatments yourself, I just wish they were a little more original or honest in their presentation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Am I the only one who thinks this is a little like creative plagiarism?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/">Martha Stewart Living</a>, <a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/colorful-manhattan-apartment?click=main_sr">House Beautiful</a></span></i></div>

Good Things or Rip-Offs

Have you checked out the new Martha Stewart Living magazine? I usually don't pick it up, but this issue is full of "good things,...

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