"That painting really tied the room together, did it not?"

I'm going to interrupt the narrative flow yet again to chronicle some more recent happenings. My flatmates and I have been living in our flat for about three weeks now, and we've certainly grown into it a bit. First impressions of the recently vacated flat were fairly positive, but there was always a certain lack of SOMETHING in the space that made the inhabitant very aware of a gaping void. We had done our best with what we had available to us: cleaning and arranging all of the furniture and placing our "stuff" in various nooks and crannies to make it feel more like a worthy replica of "home". As of last night, the void remained. Though it was a well-maintained and properly heated flat, it still didn't have a "homely" feel to it and felt a bit cold and empty. I had a moment of clarity when I realized that what was most essential in bringing the homeliness back into our flat was to fill the gapingly white, empty walls that bordered it. Here's a few pictures I snapped "pre-wall renaissance." I suppose this counts as my first world premiere of a mini-tour of my flat as well. I'll film a video tour at some point in the near future. Please note that the single piece of wall decoration that we were afforded was a lone trumpet player silhouetted in the spotlight.

"Dining Room", Television, and some of the Kitchen. Whoever sits on the left of the table always bangs their head on the T.V. as they're getting up. It's getting better.

This is the hallway out of the communal room down to the bathroom on the left and a grand view of the city through the door that leads out to the porch.

Yes...the kitchen, I suppose.

Again, note the trumpeter. It's important for later in the story.

It was during the very night that you see pictured that I declared a personal and (and proposed communal) objective to decorate our walls with the most colorful objects possible. The motion passed unanimously. On July 24th, 2009, a fellowship departed from 3A Landcross Street heading south towards the Salvation Army. Our mission was to find the chepest, most colorful and interesting wall art possible. After careful selection and consideration of several exotic paintings and murals, we succeeded. Here's a taste of the S.A. experience:

After much debate, it was decided that it was against the interests of the group to purchase this strange plant painting, as it curiously mirrored what many of us considered to be one of our worst, most disturbing nightmares.

It should also be taken as no surprise that we did not purchase this other fine piece of "pseudo-nightmare" artwork. It was legitimately a whiteboard that had never been wiped off and ended up permanently staying that way. Apparently, someone was about to do something BIG. As you can see, severe lack of thrills about this one.

It was here, among the scattered artwork, that Aron made the greatest find since Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark. It was ten dollars but completely worth it. Stand by for fulfillment of the cliffhanger. After purchasing about ten pieces of art (it ended up costing us about 8.50 piece) and lugging them all the way up the hill into the suburbs and into our flat, we carried out what I consider to be the greatest reunion of all time. Check it out:

We found the guitarist to match the trumpeter from the same collection. What are the odds? So we basically framed the two performers around the hallway door that leads to the porch/bathroom. Epic.

I think this is an attempt to mimic the performers in the photos.
I think they just look ridiculous. But I didn't tell them that.

We also found a poster promoting stamps for The Two Towers. It's great because it features key Lord of the Rings promo artwork AND only cost a dollar, and it's also hilarious because it's an advertisement for stamps. So this was placed front and center on the doorway from the entryway hall into the common room:

Key.

Here's a sampler of some more brilliant paintings that really, really tie the room together:

This is our kitchen artwork. Nothing more needs to be said for this one. My personal favorite.

The choice Kitchen painting depicts some sort of odd measuring cup/ninja star combination, as the handles look pointy and lethal. Somehow, though, it still gives off that "homey" look.

This one is in the bathroom hallway that you saw further up in the post. We think it was done by an eighth grader for her art class, but it was three dollars and depicts a beach, so no harm done.

Lauren, our resident art/design major, assures us that none of our chosen paintings contain any artistic merit whatsoever. We're all fine with that (including her, really), though, because at the end of the day we have a couple of beaches and some happy images on our walls, and that'll make all the difference. We're that much closer to breaking the flat in and finally making it feel like a "home away from home." I considered the quest a great success and just wanted to report it all to you fine people in America.


Cheers,

Bill