Inspired By: It's Lonely in the Modern World

 
I realized when taking these photos that Slum Castle (the manor in which I reside) seems to have eaten my tripod.  I searched high and low, in suitcases and cupboards, but could not find my tripod.  Ergo, I apologize for the wonkiness of the pictures.  I also used really inconsistent light, but that is neither here nor there.

Now that I'm finished with the disclaimers, let me tell you more about what's inspiring me today!  My BFFL, David, has a flat in a Narnia-sounding town south-east of London named Tunbridge Wells (Royal Tunbridge Wells, if you're feeling fancy, which I am).  One of his two sons (which you will learn about in a later posts, I'm sure) lives in said flat, which is a two bed, two bath, sunny-ish space.  The square footage and layout isn't terrible, but the place could use some finishing touches and I am very much looking forward to fixing up the flat (there are some missing doorknobs, to say the least), painting everything, and then getting the hell out of there.

To give you some insight into my future life, I will confess to having no idea what I'm going to be doing with myself after I move to the UK.  Obviously, I intend on gaining some kind of [v. v. lucrative] employment, but if we're able, I'd like to take two months off to acclimate to my new surroundings upon landing in the foreign land.  A v. v. important part of my acclimation process will be transforming his son's [/our] bachelor pad into a livable space (no offense, Ben, if you're reading this!).  To gain inspiration for this endeavor, I have turned to the design guide It's Lonely in the Modern World written by Molly Jane Quinn and illustrated by Jenna Talbott, aka the founders of Unhappy Hipsters. 

Before the FALALAFABULOUS holiday season, a dear friend and I went to a book signing party at Twelve Chairs for the launch of the book (the ladies behind it were Boston-based at the time of its conception).  While the book is tongue-and-cheek, it's still a really fun read for anyone with a modern aesthetic and a love for modernist decorating.  It's a mixture of sage advice and snarky commentary, which I lovelovelove.  My favorite part of the entire book is on page 34 when they're writing about "The Kitchen Checklist" and dismiss the usefulness of the pantry by saying, "What is this, the Depression?" Ha!  Though it's not a super tool for modern living, it is a fun read and I recommend it (it's also a great gift.  I recommend gifting it in addendum to the Design Sponge book).

I really can't wait to move to the UK and DIY the shit out of the flat.  And yes, I'll be documenting my every improvement (and every improvement failure).  Stay tuned....