The Purging of the Placeholders

Awhile ago, I saw this post on Apartment Therapy about "placeholder furniture," those pieces we each own that serve a utility but won't likely stand the test of time. For us, like many of you, Ikea is the source for much of the placeholder furniture we have.

I'm not saying the Swedish giant is bad; it serves a purpose for those of us twenty-somethings with limited funds. Adam and I have items from the Big Blue Box that we intend to keep, like this. But with spring here, I am really itching to purge the chaff, the not-quite-right, the placeholders, for more lasting pieces.

For example, I recently replaced this much-touted desk that just wasn't quite me:

(via West Elm)

...with this, a Connecticut Craigslist find (purchased for only $50!):

What placeholders are you hanging on to?
Do you have a plan to replace your placeholders?

I Always Wanted to be a Tenenbaum

I discovered my favorite movie, The Royal Tenenbaums, on vacation during my senior year of high school. I went to the movies with my then-boyfriend and a group of his friends returning from their first semester of college. The group I was with, save for my then-boyfriend, felt they had wasted their time and money but for me the movie was quirky, whimsical, poignant and visually enthralling.

Love him or hate him, it's clear that Wes Anderson creates entire worlds from the ground up. The production value of his movies makes me weak in the knees. I caught The Royal Tenebaums last night on television, and it reminded me how cohesively the sets and costumes create the world of the Tenenbaum family of Archer Avenue.

Look at the detail involved in the murals in Richie's bedroom:

The salmon paint and the aging carpets in the sitting room:

The childlike world of Richie's yellow tent:

(all via Google)

The Tenebaum home on Archer Avenue proudly displays "the family of geniuses" through gallery-style artwork that lines the staircase and an overall layered feeling to the space, as though it has aged with its inhabitants.

What movie interiors inspire you?

Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program

Since I assume that most of you are not in Philadelphia, I thought it would be nice to share a tidbit about a lovely organization here in the city dedicated to creating beautification amidst urban blight.

Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program was started in 1984 by Jane Golden, created in effort to combat the growing incidents of graffiti in Philadelphia. In the more than 25 years since its inception, the organization has "produced over 2,800 murals and educated over 20,000 underserved youth in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia." How productive and lovely.

It's hard to highlight only one of the beautiful projects the Mural Arts Program has done but, the most recent, called "Love Letter," was designed by Steve Powers and is touching. Enjoy.

(all via Mural Arts Program)

All of these murals (30 in all) are visible from the elevated subway line (the El) in West Philadelphia and are really spectacular in both size and color. Wouldn't they be a lovely backdrop for engagement photos?

What a beautiful city and a powerful application of art in real life.

TGIF, 3/25/10 Edition

This weekend I am heading to Connecticut for a brief visit with my family and a much needed haircut. I haven't lived in CT since 2006, but I insist on keeping the same hairdresser because, actually, she's the only one I've had since I was two. Talk about a long-term relationship.

While there, I might wrangle my mom or brother into bringing me to pick up two dressers that are listed on Craigslist for $100. Just look at this beauty:

Don't stare too long; you might fall so deeply in love with your reflection that you'll bump your head on one of the drawers.

But, shhhhh...I haven't yet told Adam I'm buying these.
Do you think he will notice?

In the queue

I'd like to believe that there are others among us with as substantial a project list as I. Because Adam and I rent and can make minimal, temporary changes to our current apartment, these projects all pertain to decor that I can pick up and carry with me to our next place. Many of said projects came out of our current apartment, which surprised us by having more livable space than we were equipped for. Problems, problems, I know.

So what are these undone projects? Well, they all reside in a queue I'm cultivating in my head. Join me, won't you?

1. Loveseat reupholstery

I refuse to believe that changing inherited furniture is somehow taboo. I will not succumb to sentimentality when I am the one that has to live with an outdated piece that threatens to keep me up nights (no, not really). Not wanting to invest in a sofa for our quasi-den, I approached my parents and asked to take this loveseat off of their hands. It's nothing of value, but my parents have had it since I was a child and I really like the curved back. Reimagine this piece with some gray linen upholstery with a few printed pillows thrown in for good measure. It should be lovely; I should get on that.

2. X-bench reupholstery

Pretty nifty find, huh? Would you believe me if I told you I won it on Ebay for $13 because, seriously, I did. It's a little Blanche Devereaux in its current state, but what potential. Eat your heart out, Jonathan Adler!

I have no ideas what to fabric to use on this piece. Any ideas?

3. Terrarium

I bought this book at a gnarly thrift store across the river near Camden last summer and it has inspired me to create a terrarium. With little more than a glass jar from Daffy's, some moss and stones from The Christmas Tree Shops, and some charcoal from local store Verde, I'm well on my way.

I promise to share the results of these projects once they materialize. There are many more floating around in my head, but I'll share these 3 first so I don't bite off more than I can chew. What projects do you have in your queue?

Never say Never

Warning: this post is neither about decorating nor Philadelphia. Instead this is simply a reflection. Proceed with caution.

Growing up, whatever that entails, has signaled a number of changes for me; it has involved realizing that the things that I once declared I would never, ever, ever like, do, or wear are things I have come to embrace. Is this a casting off of a once-independent, rebellious spirit for a conventional existence? Nah, I don't think so.

Today's case and point: R.E.M.
I despised R.E.M. when I was younger (read: 13 or so) and thought that emotive music had to sound something like this, but I am developing quite an affinity for Michael Stipe's delicate and sensitive voice, not to mention the mandolin plucking of Peter Buck. This song has been on iTunes repeat since the weekend. I guess I'm in a contemplative mood these days.

Just a small reminder that I should never say never. Have you ever found yourself developing a new-found and unexpected appreciation for some thing/quality/characteristic that you once wrote off? Or am I alone in this one?

P.S. I promise to follow the basic format of this blog (life, decor, Philly), but I also want to be flexible and allow this to be a dynamic thing.

More Philadelphia Spring Events

I posted earlier this week about Clover Market, which is already on our calendar for April, but this isn't the only opportunity to scrounge through the others' goodies. Phila Flea Markets is "the largest outdoor flea market in Center City Philadelphia," and rotates locations throughout the city. Proceeds benefit various local organizations, such as The Friends Of Jefferson Square Park and The Fairmount Community Development Corporation (CDC). How wonderful!

Beginning on May 1, this event runs through October 23 (with a break during the warm summer break when Philadelphians head to the "Shore," aka Jersey).

(via Phila Flea Markets)

I'm already planning the spring and it's not even officially here!
I promise to report back on my findings.