discerning decorating tastes | Planting Sequoias

After 6 months of marriage, you’d think that Kenny and I would have everything figured out by now.

However.

I am here to tell you that that is not entirely the case.

(Please take this moment to pick your jaw up off the floor).

We (ever so) occasionally are not on the same page as each other. Yes, we mostly just finish each other’s sentences and simultaneously eat spaghetti noodles from each end until we reach the middle and smooch, but not all the time.

One such (rare) instance occurred last week when I returned to the apartment, flushed and triumphant and covered in snow after scouring each and every thrift store in the city.

You see, I was positive that I had found the key to Kenny’s elusive decorating style.

I normally consult Kenny via picture text message from the thrift store, but this time I was sure he’d like what I’d found so I went ahead and made the purchase. At the “all-sales final” thrift store, no less.

The ticket to Ken’s decorating satisfaction I thought would be in one mass-produced (but still sort of antique) Van Gogh sunflower painting. With a very cool frame.

But when I carted it into the apartment, I was met with his “meh” face. He was happy that I was happy, yes, but apparently fake flower still-life paintings are not quite Ken’s jam.

The reason I thought this might work is that my husband is what I’d categorize as traditional/borderline preppy, and people will back me up on this. The man detests a skinny tie and took fencing in college. He’s studying to be a lawyer (and not the cool intellectual property type). He likes things like going to the symphony and owns a deck of theologian trading cards (not even joking a little bit).

So I thought, well, it doesn’t get more traditional than the works of the Dutch master…right?

Nope. Not Kenny’s thing. I’m back at square one trying to get him to drop one little hint to help me discern the types of things he’d like in his home.

But I hung this $4.99 beauty in the bathroom anyway.