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AIBU?

Ripped wallpaper: "shabby chic" or Emperor's New Clothes

21 replies

TriggersBroom · 26/01/2011 15:17

DSIL and I recently went for a nice lunch at Jamie's Italian restaurant here

OP posts:

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Katiepoes · 26/01/2011 15:24

Oh shabby chic for sure. Of course I would say that as I happen to have rather a lot of such stylish paper, the result of owning a psychotic cat.

Not sure about tin plates though. That's a bit council-digging-holes chic.

KurriKurri · 26/01/2011 15:24

Well I presume it's deliberate (not as if he can't afford a few rolls of wallpaper! ).

My pretentiousness-detector is bleeping.

narkypuffin · 26/01/2011 15:30

The wall looks good, but to deliberately make it look like that is a bit try hard - if it was a result of stripping back and dicovering old paper it would be different IYSWIM. There's a fine line between creating a mood and turning it into an O'Neills style 'themed' look.

kittybuttoon · 26/01/2011 15:32

I went to a (very) posh restaurant years ago, where a vintage plate (and cutlery) were chosen by the chef to create a different ambience around every dish.

My first thought was that the whole idea was a bit naff, and that he'd been to a jumble sale and bought a whole load of cheap crockery to save money.

But - when I saw, and tasted, the food, was my mind changed!

Sounds like Jamie might be trying to create a similar sort of atmosphere around his grub.
I'm not entirely certain that's possible in a chain restaurant, myself.

However, if the food is delicious, that's the only thing which matters in the end. Shabby chic is a hard thing to pull off, and the decor looks ok in the picture.

TallulahdoesthehulainHawaii · 26/01/2011 15:35

Ripped wallpaper is shit and messy looking.

Is your SIL something to do with it? Or maybe Jamie in disguise?

narkypuffin · 26/01/2011 15:36

If it's vintage it's fine. If it's modern imitation mass produced pretending to be vintage it's a bit silly.

TriggersBroom · 26/01/2011 15:36

Kitty
The decor looks much nicer in the picture where it has nice sunlight and is merged into the background.

Sitting in that corner on a wet winter afternoon next to a load of bare plasterwork, it just looked messy.

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TriggersBroom · 26/01/2011 15:37

Not sure if it was vintage - it was an old building so possibly.

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FindingStuffToChuckOut · 26/01/2011 15:37

shabby chic indeed! I quite like it though I'd send back a chipped plate. Never encountered a 'fake' chip LOL!

I think the 15 restaurants are very overpriced, compared to other less 'worthy' but equally good quality and profit making Italian alternatives I've been to. You pay for the 'name' - which doesn't taste like much at all.

dementedma · 26/01/2011 15:38

wow, so the big patch on our bedroom wall where the damp came in and the paper came off is actually fashionable, not skanky?
emoticon

TriggersBroom · 26/01/2011 15:40

Tallulah - no neither SIL or I are anything to do with Jamie.

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TallulahdoesthehulainHawaii · 26/01/2011 15:46

Okly dokly, got confused by the waving

Ripped wallpaper is still horrible and pretentious. Unless you live in a house that is a million years old and can't afford to do it up.

DuplicitousBitch · 26/01/2011 15:49

they are all at it. hugh's canteen in axminister is all plasterboard chic and glasses made out of old beer bottles. food is great though

YankNCock · 26/01/2011 15:50

My house was built in the early 1980s and the wallpaper in the dining room is ripped/falling off/picked at by DS/eaten by the dog. It is also heavily tar stained (thanks, previous owners).

Will I be featured in some wanky interior design mag soon?

narkypuffin · 26/01/2011 15:57

1780s maybe

TallulahdoesthehulainHawaii · 26/01/2011 16:00

Yes YankNCock, wait for the phonecalls...

TriggersBroom · 26/01/2011 16:11

Yes YanknCock - maybe you should invite people in and start charging them 20 quid for 4 scallops.

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MardyBra · 26/01/2011 16:57

Good for low carbing though.

fresh · 26/01/2011 17:34

Have also been to that jamie's can't tell if the paper was already there or not but suspect it wasn't as they have teamed it with a red chandelier which tells me they were trying for that 'shabby chic combination of old and new' look. Unfortunately the red chandelier is a dead giveaway, plus the rest of it is quite deliberately "designed" so I doubt it was just luck. Food's quite good tho if you can bear to queue up!

TattyDevine · 26/01/2011 17:37

I was all ready to say YANBU but I think in the picture it does look kinda good.

Its not to say it does in real life, and its never going to be to everyone's taste.

But I dont think you are BU either.

TattyDevine · 26/01/2011 17:38

They probably paid a shedload to have it look that shabby and in need of decoration!!!

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