Guess what? Gas prices are rising. Okay, I know you know this already, but did you also know that the skyrocketing prices of everything else are being traced back to the price of gas? An editor I know says that the prices are being blamed even for things that have nothing to do with petroleum (”Well, we decided not to publish that book—you know, with gas prices going up, no one wants to read about the habits of cats.”)

Now, it’s nylon carpets that being hit—really. The cost of nylon carpets once made them preferred (often, not always) over wool; now, the cost is surpassing that of wool. Why? remember, nylon is actually petroleum, in another form. More on this at Abby K’s blog at oninteriordesign.com
And while you’re there, to cheer yourself up about the collapsing economy, scroll down from the nylon carpet entry to see some great samples of wall paper from Farrow and Ball. Here’s one:

Great response from a reader, Carmen, who points out the possibility of distracting the eye from the unsightly air conditioner—a technique that’s useful for taking attention away from all kinds of design flaws in ones home.

As we move further into summer weather, it’s time to start thinking about keeping the heat out. The more you can prevent the heat from getting into the home in the first place, the less you’ll need the air conditioner, whether it’s nicely disguised or not. There are two major ways to keep your place cool without resorting to the A/C: good blinds on the windows, and fans.

Check out what Kristen Sue found when she went looking for blinds.

We found this bedroom to be particularly cool and inviting. The blind is from Bruce Blinds. You can see the other blinds of his, as chosen by Kristen Sue, at her blog at  http://www.6thstreetdesignschool.blogspot.com/

So, Marie writes that she is no stranger to the seasonal make-over, even in a Manhattan apartment. And in fact, even in Manhattan (especially in Manhattan, this week of 90-plus temps) the demands of weather force us to make changes in the decor. Any tips on this? How to hide that ugly A/C, for example?

I just got back from a visit to my cousin Pam (I still think of her as “Pammy,” but really, a grown woman should have a more distinguished name; hence, “Pam”). She lives in a gorgeous cottagy house outside Washington, D.C. surrounded by peonies and lilacs and wisteria.

When I arrived, the living room was a wreck—chairs half-dressed in their slipcovers, furniture in disarray, cats flying out the doors to escape the chaos.

She explained this was the bi-annual changing of the look of the house. Every spring, the winter slipcovers — dark maroon, deep blue, rich cream — come off, the decorative things on the bookshevles come down, even the dishes go into the cupboards. Out come the springtime things, the slipcovers in floral chintz, the pale green throw rugs, the white porcelain vases.

“Your mother must have told you about this crazy thing that those nuts in Maryland do twice a year,” she said, and then I did remember, and could hear my mother saying, “I think they’re out of their minds—can you imagine? It’s bad enough having to try to keep up with the vaccuuming and dusting.”

Well, yeah, they are out of their minds. But what a wonderful, wacky tradition. How great to be able to completely change the look of your place twice a year, and to know that twice a year everything will be shaken out and sent off to the cleaners. The house, when Pam was done with it, felt crisp and immaculate and fresh as a springtime bouquet. And then, there were mint juleps as we all sat in the garden.

Here’s a photo to illustrate the fresh springtime look. It’s from a site by Abbey Koplevitz, a designer whose work we love. You can see more at http://abbeyk.com/

So, what do you think? Is this nuts, or what? Has anyone else ever heard of this custom?