Busy-Brooklyn-Bees...

We've actually been busy as can be(e) in Brooklyn too... whittling away at our apartment, trying to get every last detail perfected. If you've ever renovated a home yourself, you know that is a laughable goal-- by the time you finish in one room, it's almost time to repaint the rooms you painted before.

Add a rescue dog of boundless energy to this equation, and it's a never ending cycle of psychotic home improvement. It's possible it's another manifestation of personal improvement, but I suppose at least it's more constructive than just reading lots of self-help books, and you end up with a great looking house in the process.


Or at least that's what I tell John every time I propose a grand new idea... 

This latest wave of change was prompted by an inherited Eames lounge chair and ottoman, that I managed to stealthily peer-pressure out of John's (extremely) wonderful aunt Irene. It had been sitting in their family's basement television room for the last couple of years, and a couple of weeks ago, I casually mentioned just how much we'd really love to use the chair in Brooklyn. Remarkably, Irene was heading into Brooklyn the next weekend, and like a real trooper, she threw it into the back of her minivan, and lickity-split! We have a sharp lookin' Eames lounge chair of our very own! (It is a long time dream of mine to own an Eames chair.

If you're not familiar, check out this link to see one in pristine condition.) Next on the to-do list: We've got to decide what fabric we want (aka. can afford) to recover the chair with, and then I'm sending it along to my favorite upholsterer to work his magic. (I know I've done reupholstery projects in the past, but this is a genuine Eames chair, and deserves a "professional's" touch.)

In the meantime, it's sitting tight in its rather worn mustard-green leather, but even as is, I'm loving the new addition! I'm also loving the reconfiguration of the art work that was prompted by the addition of the new chair and ottoman. We shifted over the giant portuguese theatre poster, and then added a couple of other pieces from the ever rotating "Salway-Moskowitz Art Collection".

I think I might be one of the few people who genuinely enjoys moving around their art work. I have no fear of holes in the walls (nothing a little ready-patch can't rectify!) and am always excited to break out favorite pieces that have been cycled temporarily out of circulation. An oldie-but-a-goodie, the sculptural piece John lovingly calls "Sharp Art" has rejoined us under a vintage french poster and a framed salvaged "piece o' taxi" from John's youth. All tremendous additions to any living room gallery! 

The "Sharp Art" is a running joke in our house-- I originally bought it from someone on Craig's List for $40.00, for no real reason that I could explain at the time. It has circulated around our apartment for the last couple of years, and somehow John always manages to bump into it and scratch himself. (Even when it was over the fridge!) I recently saw a similar piece on the 1st Dibs website, after seeing another one featured in Architectural Digest. Apparently it's not just Sharp Art, it's also a "1960's Brutalist Sculpture", and the price tag on the 1st Dibs sculpture was $1,700.00, so that made my (somewhat agressive) impulsive art purchase seem like a particularly good deal! Too bad for John-- it's staying! 

Check back on Wednesday for my latest recipe posting. 

We're having a dinner party tomorrow night and I've promised to cook up something fun and new! Here goes!