First off, if you haven’t read it yet. Here is the “WHY” of our love of UGLY.
N.B. WE LOVE UGLY, and everything below is labelled as such with great admiration and respect.
N.B.2. We’re going slight SOFT-UGLY vs Truly Out There, just so you’re not immediately repelled.
Key takeaways from Monday’s newsletter:
UGLY is a necessary relief from the hegemony of TOTAL BEAUTY (let yourself experiment)
UGLY is individuality
UGLY is all about context
PRO TIP FOR FINDING SOME TOP-TIER “UGLY” FOR YOUR DOMESTIC SPACES:
The best Ugly often spends the first portion of its life languishing in shops and on Internet sites - they aren’t movers. ERGO, the primary source is OBSCURED CORNERS OF PHYSICAL SHOPS (or under stuff) and “SALES” sections on the WWW.
E.g. Downtown legends Vintage on Point has a perfectly pitched ON SALE section full of gems, including #1 below".
THE STUFF
1. EKORNES “STRESSLESS” RECLINER (WHAT A DELICIOUS NAME, because who wants stress? First introduced to the world in 1971, an on-trend year) (V.O.P. calls it “EKRONES” but it’s really “EKORNES”… eep!) And, we’re really coming around to recliners – pls see this bit of our FLORAL post to discover why.
2. ROLEPLAY L.A. is selling this swooshy PSEUDO-CHAISE that we can’t imagine you wouldn’t slide right off, but it’s also the kind of COKED-UP BACHELOR PAD aesthetic that really can find a home any/somewhere. (ROLEPLAY L.A. IS SUCH A PHENOMENAL NAME FOR A FURNITURE SELLER!!!!!!!!!!!!)
3. **THIS IS A GODDAMN CHAIR** if you can believe it. (You can’t, can you!?) Sold by FORMAS, a For Scale favorite, and is likely extremely expensive. But, this kind of Planet of the Apes, Collapsed Empire, CONVERSATION STARTER AND STOPPER is maybe worth it?!
4. RULER-BREAKER ALERT, as we *know* this thing is sold. Yet, we wanted to find and share a PLINTH, as “Domestic Museum Aesthetic” is worth a moment and we’re all about the base. There is something so over the top about this one that means it could just never feel “sophisticated” (Thank heavens!) It’s got that “Okaaaay…?!” vibe to it that is part of the UGLY D.N.A. Previously sold by For Scale friend and CONTRIBUTOR Refuge. Philip at Refuge has very Against the Grain taste which is what a REAL TASTE-MAKER possesses.
*ALTERNATIVE*: HERE IS ANOTHER PEDESTAL (this one FOR SALE) which gives ‘00s OSCARS DECOR.
5. REUPHOLSTERY PROJECT: this little curly-sue vanity stool is CINDERELLA’S CARRIAGE / BAR CART AS CHAIR and is cheap on Craigslist, and truly with a simple reupholstery could be kind of QUITE COOL.
6. FINALE: Two competing 1980s vanity-dresser thingies, both sold by PICKIN THROUGH TIME, both very SCARFACE. PINK WOOD GRAIN LAMINATE (on the Right, there)?! With a kind of Fantasia cloud-shaped mirror?! Hideous. Fever dream.
SPECIAL MENTION TO PICKIN THROUGH TIME FOR THEIR DRESSER GAME, e.g. this STAR TREK FANTASY.