You never know what you’ll find on a simple walk around the block. My aunt B, an avid dumpster diver, has picked up many a treasure along the roadside–and now I can join that coveted rank. On Ravenswood, just a few blocks away, I noticed a bunch of discarded screen doors near the trash. (Tangent: The dumpster happened to be in front of the Cornelia Arts Center, another new discovery today.)

Though I’ve lusted after old doors and windows at places like Salvage One, I never wanted to plunk down the cash. Guess I was in luck today. I snatched one up, brought it home and attacked. Would it be a divider? A mantle decoration? A headboard?  A replacement for the large neon sign P and I had envisioned putting atop our loft’s half-wall?

I would love to be handy enough to do something like this; in the meantime, I settled for using it as a display piece–a place for postcards, photos, swatches and other ephemera from our lives and travels. You know, kind of like the inspiration boards designers, editors and other creative types use? (It’s lame, but I always wanted one of those: Refer to future blog post on vintage chalkboards.)

As you can see, it’s barely half filled–couldn’t commit to the plan–but Lord knows I have enough Erte postcards, vintage mag covers and photos to fill it. (Unfortunately, there is just one vintage Madonna 45 rpm sleeve.) Still, I’m collecting ideas…. so chime in if you have one!

Before

After