From a design standpoint – graphically speaking – don’t you think the number 2010 looks better than 2009? I have a touch of Synesthesia in the brain: a sensory phenomenon that has me perceiving numbers, days of the week, and certain words as inherently coloured or possessing a certain ‘feel’. Thanks to that, I see 2010 as a brushed stainless cutout with a skates-cutting-ice kind of soundtrack, while 2009 as yellow in colour, and swaggy like outdated curtains.
Crazy or not, my design eye welcomes the cool graphics of 2010. But 2009 is certainly not without its highlights, especially here on Style Sheet. So to send the year off with a little pomp and circumstance I’ve put together the most popular posts that had you, our dear readers, clicking and commenting away.
Shoestring Makeover
Nothing makes us decor-o-philes happier than a good makeover, and I've
done quite a few in my humble but roomy hovel. Thankfully, you had
just as good a time reading about it as I did doing it! My foyer and stairs, with the painted faux bois
under the melamine stick-on wainscoting (25 comments), and my Value Village guest room (14 comments), were two of the most read Shoestring
Makeover posts of 2009.
Question of the Week
One of my favourite features on the blog! I've said it a thousand times: we LOVE IT when you talk to us. All of it; criticism, snarkiness, praise, advice, but most of all, just your word on what you do at home. That's why Question of the Week is so cherished here on Style Sheet, and believe me, the office talks about it for days if a particular one does well -- by getting a lot of responses. Sometimes the questions are duds, but other times we hit it out of the park like we did with the above. The fireplace debate garnered 61 responses; 47 of you had an opinion on suncatchers (much of it pretty harsh); and while the recent shoes on or off debate only got 19 responses, 213 of you felt strongly enough to vote on it in the poll. (Plus, there's was quite a heated discussion on outfits that started with a reader's admonishment of my claims.)
On TV
Being able to bring you more stuff to watch, read and look at from your favourite HGTV shows is one of the reasons many of you keep coming back. Pure Design with Sam Pynn is great for take-home tips, which is why her makeovers always do so well here on the blog. The living/dining room transformation above proved your favourite of 2009. When we announced that Sarah's Holiday Party episode and photos were now available online, we had a bit of a mishap actually making the episode available. We know how you guys love your Sarah (as do we), so when you didn't get her you surely let us know: 33 comments. Lastly, perhaps the most viewed post of 2009 overall was Justin and Colin's kids bedroom makeovers, which producer Amy pitted against one another -- 41 comments! Really, you couldn't get enough of judging which one was better.
Design Dilemma
What could be better than free advice? Free stuff. But that's besides the point. We've at least got the advice part covered: our Design Dilemma posts are where you, our dear readers, have a chance to get some. I'm always after our hosts to dish on their decorating secrets, but when at a loss, I turn to my own experience. And if nothing else it begins a great conversation, as it did when I gave advice on how to separate an open foyer. Many of you (11 comments) pitched in with some great ideas. But the hosts always do it better, and Cheryl's post on choosing a backsplash garnered 14 comments (mostly praise.)
Top 5
Top 2 of Top 5 Friday! Paint colours: no surprise. Always an insatiable subject. While you didn't love all of my picks, we had a very satisfying discussion (13 comments.) Another of my end-of-the-week roundups that really struck a note was the creative headboards. I guess as I said in the opener of the post, a headboard is a great, usually cost-effective way to express your own style. It's a focal point and an integral part of bedroom decor, and judging by how well read the post was, you would agree.
Might I be so presumptuous as to ask what are some of your favourite Style Sheet posts of 2009? What would you like to see more of in 2010?
Top 5 Friday is featured Fridays on Style Sheet.
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