Rescue From House Gorgeous
Fitzpatrick-Dan Ho was once a style-obsessed consumer, or décor bore as he calls them; he and his wife owned a fabulous Chicago restaurant and a large custom-designed home. Then he had a seizure. The cause remains undiagnosed, but for Ho, the incident changed the course of his life, and lead him to question the whole trajectory of his carefully-designed existence.
I came across this book/website/movement several months ago in an e-mail newsletter, and I wanted to discuss this concept in view of my thoughts of the previous post. But alas, it looks like Rescue Mag is taking a vacation until 2006. Too bad. If you’re inclined, Google this guy and read up, or order his book, Rescue From House Gorgeous, which has arguably one of the most well-designed and provocative covers I’ve seen. Bookmark this site anyway, and check back in a few months: http://www.rescuemag.com/; where “Your Spirit Is Your Style.”
Are we décor bores? Ho would unmask us by asking questions such as, “Do your slipcovers cost more than the chairs they cover?” and “Do you spend more time on styling chores (dusting wreaths, restocking aromatherapy candles, repacking sundries into decorative glass containers) than on spiritual pursuits?” and the real owie, “Do you spend more time thinking about your new stove than about the homeless?”
I don’t own any slipcovers, though only because I haven’t gotten ‘round to it. My husband’s new business is in its third year, so every month when I pay the bills, I think about the homeless; present and future members. I confess to transferring hair care products to dispensers that coordinate (disappear) with the shower. Twenty lashes.
Perhaps like an alcoholic ready to hit bottom, Ho’s message grabbed me. Anti-style and anti-materialism are harder to sell than salvation in this culture. I hope he has the fortitude, and the funds, to keep preaching.
I came across this book/website/movement several months ago in an e-mail newsletter, and I wanted to discuss this concept in view of my thoughts of the previous post. But alas, it looks like Rescue Mag is taking a vacation until 2006. Too bad. If you’re inclined, Google this guy and read up, or order his book, Rescue From House Gorgeous, which has arguably one of the most well-designed and provocative covers I’ve seen. Bookmark this site anyway, and check back in a few months: http://www.rescuemag.com/; where “Your Spirit Is Your Style.”
Are we décor bores? Ho would unmask us by asking questions such as, “Do your slipcovers cost more than the chairs they cover?” and “Do you spend more time on styling chores (dusting wreaths, restocking aromatherapy candles, repacking sundries into decorative glass containers) than on spiritual pursuits?” and the real owie, “Do you spend more time thinking about your new stove than about the homeless?”
I don’t own any slipcovers, though only because I haven’t gotten ‘round to it. My husband’s new business is in its third year, so every month when I pay the bills, I think about the homeless; present and future members. I confess to transferring hair care products to dispensers that coordinate (disappear) with the shower. Twenty lashes.
Perhaps like an alcoholic ready to hit bottom, Ho’s message grabbed me. Anti-style and anti-materialism are harder to sell than salvation in this culture. I hope he has the fortitude, and the funds, to keep preaching.
permalink
