Improvised Bus Stop Seating

After our morning walk in the park we take the car for a ride to cool down before we go home. One of the paths we take is Old Dominion Road. We have driven on it many times before - on our way to visit friends who live in Arlington, and to one of our favorite Greek restaurants. It’s a shady road and a very pleasant ride. One of the peculiar things I noticed was the bus stops. Obviously it can be difficult to wait for the bus and standing around can be hard on your feet. For whatever reason, very few of them have the typical glass covered seating area to protect one from the elements while providing some shelter and a seat. So someone - or several people - have taken it in to their own hands to make the bus stops a little more comfortable. Along the way are several plastic yard chairs that have been placed next to the bus stop signs. Unfortunately our car was moving too fast to get decent photos of the arrangements. But I was able to capture a few - one had an old red cushion office chair. The only thing I could think about was it’s not the best thing to sit on in the rain. Anyway, we are used to the metro stops and the glass covered shelters in DC. Things look a bit different in northern Virginia. I wonder how it is decided who gets the covered seating and who doesn’t? Obviously no one seems to object - even though it looks pretty tacky. 

The Porches of Capitol Hill

It's just another well needed space for a home. Some are much more decorative than functional. But they all have a few common elements - usually white pillars, rocking chairs or swings, and plants. The larger town homes usually don't have them - the well manicured secret gardens and seating arrangements are behind the house out of the view of the passers by. Depending on the time of the day and the season of the year, they can be filled with visitors and family members alike - chatting, drinking iced tea or perhaps a mint julep, and the sound of children playing makes for a perfect movie set. It's a very southern kind of thing. The porches on Capitol Hill remind me of a time long past, but the architectural style is very inviting. It's in the 90's now and not a soul was seen on this Sunday morning as we strolled through the neighborhood trying to stay in the shade. There must have been other things to do at this time to keep the residents away from these peaceful places. But I love the charm of it all - which is one reason we like living here. Hot weather makes you slow down, something we didn't have nearly enough of when we lived in Milwaukee. We are fortunate to have at least a tiny patio attached to our condo. I can't imagine not being able to walk outside and take a seat in the open air. But it's much more fun when that outside space faces the sidewalk. 

The Chair War

We have two chairs that are about the same color, but have totally different functions. One is from Design Within Reach and is a recliner. In order to take advantage of the full reclining function, it needs enough space behind it to push back. It was sitting up against the wall. The other chair is a swivel chair from Crate and Barrel with a matching foot stool. It is bulkier and though comfortable, takes up a lot of space. We have been trying to figure out how to maximize floor space and functionality so decided to switch them. The recliner now sits away from the wall next to the king size sofa bed couch, and the swivel chair is next to the small leather couch and just seems to work better in the room. We also moved around the side tables, lamps, and foot stools making for better conversation spaces. I'm still struggling with wall color. The beige and eggshell colors are quite blah, but maybe they are not so bad after all? Does anyone have an opinion? I'd love to hear it! I used to have a designer friend in Milwaukee, and could alway depend on him. I don't have that luxury here and can't seem to make up my mind.