The Old TV

New years resolutions… meant to be broken? Not in this house! I’m not usually a big believer in resolutions because they never last (and you should do what’s best for you all year round) but, if I’m going to make one, I’m going to mean it… and assign metrics. 30 posts in 30 days, here we go.

I’ll start with a few stories about the trash and treasures that adorn my house. My favorite is the old TV. I have no TV in my living room because the wall space is terrible, so I point to this when people ask “where’s the TV”.  It came from the big city of New York, a city which means to me: discarded furniture, artistic inspiration, and memorable encounters. I mentioned where I picked up the TV and how I got it home on Apartment Therapy, but I didn’t mention how I found it (because I’d feel like a tool if I name dropped on a legitimate site)…

It was a typical Sunday night at my favorite restaurant, Aria.  They have a brilliant layout and seat people on both sides of the bar, making it also a communal table. We were mid-way through dinner when John Mayer sat down across from us.  Eventually we got the question, “where are the good places to go around here on a Monday night,” which somehow lead to conversation about Google’s food options, tattoos of peaches in Tokyo, Atlanta, old television jingles, and most importantly, the old TV outside (the one I repossessed). On the way out, they showed us a TV that someone had discarded for the morning trash. Naturally, I waited for them to leave before I swooped it up, put it in a cab, and brought back to my place. A really nice NY taxi driver helped me carry it up 2 flights of stairs and I gutted and painted it in the morning.  My roommate was not keen on the idea, but she eventually came around to love our new TV.  I’m still debating what I should put behind the glass. While an aquarium or terrarium is a great idea, the TV as-is won’t hold water and I’d most likely kill anything living inside. I’ve considered a black and white picture of static, or an image of a 90210 episode (the original 90210 of course, which I watched for 10 straight years as a guilty pleasure).

Tip: Pay attention on trash day in your neighborhood. People are transient in New York city and frequently move with little notice. If they can’t sell it quickly, they throw out good stuff. Keep your eyes peeled for trash you can turn into treasures. Always clean thoroughly – I’m not responsible for bedbugs!

DIY: It’s so easy to re-paint furniture.  Just sand it down (rub it with sand paper) and apply two coats of paint (let it dry before applying coat 2). Keep the paint because if you’re like me, you aren’t doing professional work and it’ll eventually chip.  Or, you might find another piece you want to paint the same color.