Once upon a time, in an interview with Harper's Bazaar UK, exultantly quirky grownup and cleanse champion Gwyneth Paltrow made peace with the public's reaction to GOOP, her lifestyle newsletter, stating, "Any time you do anything with any degree of sincerity, people make fun of you. That's totally fine. I don't care." With that imprimatur of sorts, let's cast our searing, unsparing gaze over GOOP's latest sincere attempt at interior decorating, a remade studio apartment showcased in last week's issue. The challenge: "Transform an expansive but frill-free space above the garage into a cozy and fully outfitted guest apartment (or teen exile)—on a budget." And how did the fine folks at GOOP choose to meet that challenge? With donated goods from L.A.-based home goods emporium H.D. Buttercup (must-haves for any teen exile on a budget), walls covered in wibble-wobbly Majorelle fabric by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, and many a light touch designed to give the room a "Mid-Century and slightly Mod vibe." Let's take a closer look, shall we?
Like an actor forever tormented by his recognizable face, "the room's greatest assets are also some of its toughest challenges," pronounces GOOP, referring to the obstacle presented by that bold wallpaper. To balance it out, the team opted for a white scheme with "pop accents scattered throughout," in the form of armchairs, a fuzzy footstool, and a few bedside tables and lamps. The window bays, too, were painted white—a tone called "pearl bracelet," to be precise—a fine choice, save for the harshness of their black comic-book-panel borders.
Aside from the zebra- and cow-print rugs, no complaints about the other furnishings, which consist of "a few black statement pieces to anchor the space," including a fun little bow-legged dresser and an outsized egg-holder of a lounge chair, which differentiate "the desk and seating area from the calming greys and whites in the bed and reading nook across the room." Perhaps the place's consummately GOOPy mid-aughts eclecticism is a bit much, but one day, when Paltrow's designing her own furniture and home accessories, we'll look back on rooms like this as signs of a simpler time.
· The Guest Apartment [GOOP]
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