Uncategorized

Ellen Richardson, a graphic designer and Pleasant Plains resident, recently took her Craigslist hunting skills to the next level with the launch of her blog, Listed District. Listed District offers daily DC Craigslist findings of everything from Mid-Century and Industrial furniture, to bikes and the utterly strange. Growing up in north Alabama, Ellen got plenty of flea market and antique mall scouring practice – she’s drawn to the interesting histories of the unique (and strange) so, don’t expect her to post too many IKEA leftovers. Every week Ellen is going to share a roundup of some Phenomenal Finds with PoPville.

It’s not for everyone, but like it or not, industrial salvage-inspired furniture is everywhere these days. Some say it’s a fad and will die out (God, I hope not). This entertaining article asks us: “…is the factory furniture fad an ironic statement about our post-industrial society where no one lifts anything heavier than a latte? Is it a quixotic endeavor to re-create America’s manufacturing dominance, if only in microcosm?”  Who knows…but collectors and store owners are laughing all the way to the bank.

You can pay a ton or a little, you can find it in a boutique or in a barn lot…you can even make something yourself. Or, you can do what Listed District does and scavenge Craigslist! Add some texture and history with some of these great, Industrial-inspired CL finds.

Phenomenal finds after the jump. (more…)

Ellen Richardson, a graphic designer and Pleasant Plains resident, recently took her Craigslist hunting skills to the next level with the launch of her blog, Listed District. Listed District offers daily DC Craigslist findings of everything from Mid-Century and Industrial furniture, to bikes and the utterly strange. Growing up in north Alabama, Ellen got plenty of flea market and antique mall scouring practice – she’s drawn to the interesting histories of the unique (and strange) so, don’t expect her to post too many IKEA leftovers. Every week Ellen is going to share a roundup of some Phenomenal Finds with PoPville.

I love Fridays. Fridays for me are like Spring-time or New Years – I make all kinds of promises to myself about all of the things that I am or am not going to do, about all of the ways that I’m going to change my life. Fridays also seem like the best day of the week to live in a fantasy world where I don’t give a hoot about the price of anything, a world where money is no object (a world where I am online shopping rather than working…). This week, I didn’t have to go to Design Within Reach to pretend to spend money – Craigslist had everything I needed!

Today’s Phenomenal Finds features some very vintage, very iconic, ‘big-name’ Mid Century pieces that aren’t as easy on the purse strings as the average Listed District finds…but who cares – it’s Friday!

Phenomenal finds after the jump. (more…)

It’s recently come to my attention that not everyone likes to enter the caption contests but still would like an opportunity to win a t-shirt. So I’ve decided to start an occasional series called PoP Quiz. First person to get BOTH locations right wins a t-shirt. Good luck!

70s?

Ellen Richardson, a graphic designer and Pleasant Plains resident, recently took her Craigslist hunting skills to the next level with the launch of her blog, Listed District. Listed District offers daily DC Craigslist findings of everything from Mid-Century and Industrial furniture, to bikes and the utterly strange. Growing up in north Alabama, Ellen got plenty of flea market and antique mall scouring practice – she’s drawn to the interesting histories of the unique (and strange) so, don’t expect her to post too many IKEA leftovers. Every week Ellen is going to share a roundup of some Phenomenal Finds with PoPville.

Listed District Roundup – Bakelite

This week, Craigslsit has a plethora of interesting vintage items made of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite. Bakelite, in case you’ve not heard of it, was developed in 1907 by Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland. It was one of the first synthetic plastics and, once it caught on, was used to make tons of industrial, household, and recreational items – everything from cameras, jewelry, and telephones, to coffins and even machine guns. Bakelite was groundbreaking from an industrial application standpoint, and is actually still used today in several specialized industries. But the best stuff, the stuff collectors drool over, are the everyday Bakelite items that are today made from materials that are less labor intensive to produce.

And like any good success story, Bakelite has plenty of scandal and intrigue associated with it. Leo Baekeland eventually descended into epic eccentricity and his heirs didn’t fair too much better. The movie Savage Grace, starring Julianne Moore (based upon the book of the same name by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson), dramatizes the dysfunctional life and brutal murder of socialite and Bakelite heiress Barbara Daly Baekeland by her son Antony. Antony was institutionalized and went on to also attempt to murder his Grandmother before dying mysteriously at Rikers Island…yep.

All of these items are super cool on their own – the Bakelite factor is just the icing on the cake. **Some of the radios I found are fetching huge prices on eBay!

All the listings after the jump. (more…)

Thanks to a reader for sharing the word from BodySmith currently located at 1622 14th St, NW:

I have great news to share with you about the future of BodySmith! The day we’ve been working towards and dreaming of is finally here. I’m proud to announce that BodySmith Personal Training is growing and will be relocating only two doors away into the much larger AYT Auto space! We are extremely excited about the move and ready to transform the current BodySmith you’ve known and loved into a new and improved version of your neighborhood personal training studio + FULL SERVICE MEMBERSHIP GYM! We have great plans for the new space and will keep you updated throughout the process. While we won’t get into everything here, let me share some details of what you have to look forward to:

As always, it’s just trainers and clients in almost 5,000 sq ft of the same PRIVATE personal training studio you’ve come to expect from BodySmith
Over 7,000 sq ft of MEMBERSHIP GYM completely separate from the personal training studio
Over 5,000 sq ft of parking
Over 5,000 sq ft of rooftop that will be turfed for outdoor classes, seminars…and parties!
A mini café and fresh organic juice and smoothie bar
Top-of-the-line cardio equipment including Woodway Treadmills, stepmills, ellipticals, rowers, and Versa-Climbers
A pro shop with everything you need for a great gym experience.

Our scheduled opening will be Spring/Summer 2012, only a few short months away! In the meantime, we will remain in our current space while we complete the build out of our new home. Please keep your eyes open for emails and postings that will keep you informed of our progress and timelines.

On a side note the manager of AYT Auto (14th and R St, NW) wrote in yesterday:

“Hi I am the manager at the AYT on 14th Street; we are still operating as a drop off location. We have had many years of servicing the neighborhood and we plan do still do so we will make 110% effort to do so. We are working on a finding a location in the 14th street area where our customer’s can drop and pick their car’s for service and repair’s. With 5 other DC and Maryland location’s we will strive to service your vehicle right the first time and the right price.”

I like it. You?