Memory Lane

Now and again I will come across a photo that reminds me of my first apartment.























It was an Upper apartment with a quirky layout and odd storage space.
But I didn't have much back then, so it didn't matter much to me.
Rent was only $250 a month, so I was willing to put up with the tiny living room, and a heater in the kitchen that didn't quite reach my room with warmth.

And the bathroom was SO bohemian! This picture below reminds me of it because the ceiling was steeply slanted, and it was all clap board. Who would have ever thought that something that rustic could actually be in style right now?





















I remember hating the way it looked so much that I cut up my collection of Rolling Stone Magazines and created a giant collage of celebrities faces above the bath tub. It actually looked pretty darn cool. And I always chuckled when company would come over and comment that it was just too odd having Madonna and Springsteen watch them pee.

Would I ever go back? Hell no! I have way too much stuff now. We'd never fit! But it would be fun to just go back and furnish it in modern style to see how cool it could really look.

The master bedroom had a lot of potential. I felt rich because the previous owner had left behind a wardrobe which gave me so much more closet space. And I loved the double doors entering the bedroom. They had glass pained doors with lace curtains.
If I'd have had money back then, it would have looked quite posh.

The living room was just plain hopeless. I had an over-sized console television set that took up far too much space in that tiny room. And the curtains were actually bed sheets sewn to fit. They came with the place, and I'm embarrassed to say they sort of matched my couch. Yikes!

I've come a long way since then. But then again, that was 25 years ago. If I haven't grown in all that time, I never would!

I think the best thing about my first apartment was that because it was so small it was so easy to keep clean. Nowadays we just have too much stuff and too much space for me to keep up with.
It makes me wonder why we grow physically weaker as we grow older when we actually need more energy to keep up with what we've gained.

It's a matter of tase, I guess....

It's no secret that I love taking virtual tours of real estate listings.
Sometimes it's a great pick-me-up to see that money can't buy style.
Take this listing for example.
The house is in Centerville Virginia and is listed at $1,399,900(that's no typo!)

So far so good, right? A beautiful estate with a grand foyer. Lovely!
But, wait! There's more!





































The kitchen is quite ordinary. Nothing notable about it, really.
The Bathroom is lovely, but the rest of the house looks like the had a check list
of items from a 1980 issue of House Beautiful:

Deer Head - Check
Ugly Floral Furniture - Check
Baby Grand - Check (I'll bet no one plays!)






















































































Ugly Wallpaper boarder - Check
Poofy Curtains from 1990 - Check
Pool Table - Check
A room furnished all in white - check
Mounted Bear - Check! (Is this Sara Palin's Winter home?)





























































Sun Room - Cleche Wicker Furniture


















































And Yo-Ho-Ho! Look at the guest room! I remember seeing layouts featuring nautical themes in the 80's. And the Master Bedroom has so much potential. I could die in a room that size!

I suppose I ought to keep in mind that when a prospective buyer is looking for a home, they want to remodel to suit. And there's plenty of potential to do that with this place.

And I suppose I ought to give kudos to this home owner for not hiring an interior decorator and trying to do it themselves. If I could give advice to the next home owners, it would be, if you are going to try to decorate a house of this scale on your own, look for timeless colour schemes and furnishings. Tuscany is never out of date. Soft colours, heavy hard wood furniture, textural fabrics, thick draperies. It makes me cry when I see a house with this much potential in the hands of someone who fears decor.

This would be a riot!

Wouldn't it be fun to have something like THIS in your living room?

Personally, I would put it in a corner of the room surrounded by happy growing plants. One would have to be certain where they wanted it because, well, it would be quite heavy! I couldn't rearrange like I enjoy doing. But it might be worth it.

I can imagine it now, Family Christmas. Jamming my whole family into our livingroom. Everyone drawing straws as to who has to sit in the tub. And then those who win suddenly find out that it's quite cozy! Ha!

Well, I'm off to work! Have a spectacular day!