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archives |
Wednesday 02.03.10
unexpected guests: bugheart.
today on unexpected guests we’re traveling to our nation’s capital, to the lovely home of gwen bugheart from washington d.c. gwen is an entomologist – which means she really does have a ‘bugheart‘, or at the very least a fondness for the small creatures of our world. i love gwen’s visually beautiful photographic blog, bugheart, as well as her etsy shop, where entomology meets art & craft, and gwen sells her handsewn and adorable bags and accessories, and her other etsy shop jenny penny vintage. now, let’s check out her amazing home in washington d.c.’s u street/cardozo neighborhood.
What is your idea of a perfect day in d.c.?
the day would begin with a leisurely morning latte and bagel at big bear coffee with my partner, john, after we would peruse the thrift/vintage stores on u street, next we would head downtown and visit the new exhibit at the national gallery of art, have lunch at oyamel, and a movie at e street cinema, and finally we would return to the U street corridor for an evening cocktail at the gibson.
What are a few of your favorite local shops?
i enjoy shopping for unusual vintage items. ruff n ready is a great vintage store in an old dilapidated building on 14th Street NW. it’s packed to the gills and you really have to dig to find anything and then haggle to get a reasonable price. i also love to go to good wood and millennium on U street for interesting home decor pieces.
What’s on your wish list?
we have one ib kofod-larsen chair and i’d like to get a matching one. i’d also love a large painting by deborah bell or kristen cochran.
What’s your favorite bargain find or product?
a few years back i bought a swedish DUX sofa locally through ebay. the only reason i was able to buy it for a song was it was “pick up only.” they even delivered it from Towson, MD for $25! recently i found a 3.1 phillip lim (barneys) sweater for $4 at value village!
What is your biggest interior design nightmare?
wall to wall carpet.
Who are your favorite artists? And why?
i am biased- my favorite visual artists are my brothers – joe shlichta and john shlichta. i also love the work of lisa solomon, saul becker and camilla engman. i am currently smitten with the occupied homes and landscapes of todd hido and the music of blind pilot and alexi murdoch.
Where do you find inspiration?
i am most inspired by found objects, dilapidated buildings, old science books, and laboratory ware. i often wander down to hirshhorn or the national gallery of art for inspiration.
Do you collect anything?
i collect too much! i have collections of insects (or course), train cases, vintage cameras, music show posters, rocks with lines, scientific models, belt buckles, and more — currently i am collecting vintage wind-up clocks, beat-up teddy bears (for an art project), old rubber office stamps, and bell jars.
What’s your favorite feature in your home?
our patio. it’s the first time i have had an outdoor space. i have always wanted a space to grow my own herbs and vegetables and enjoy my morning tea or an evening glass of wine. i hope to have a beehive on my patio this upcoming summer.
If you could photograph anyone in the world, who might that be?
i don’t think that there would be any one person i would love to photograph. i have always wished that i was invisible so i could take those perfect shots of people who i was too shy to photograph — the old woman sitting in the afternoon sun at the bus stop, a child checking out his reflection in a subway window, or a woman in a red dress leaning against a crumbling blue wall in mexico.
Who would you like to sit down to drinks with?
i live far from my family — so i’d have to be boring and say that i would love to have drinks with my siblings in seattle.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
staying home all day and knitting.
What is your most treasured belonging?
letters and photographs, especially old ones from my grandparents and parents.
what is your greatest indulgence?
cheese from cowgirl creamery. real champagne. sleeping in until noon.
What’s souvenir did you bring back from your last trip?
i went to quintana roo, mexico with my partner for a butterfly/moth meeting. i brought back pieces of broken coral that had washed up on the beaches.
What is your idea of living hell?
going to a mall. being stuck on the LA freeway.
What are some of your favorites websites/blogs to visit?
habit, pitchfork, the jealous curator, nerd boyfriend, poppytalk, 3191, 100 abandoned houses, and the herman miller blog.
32 Comments
what a lovely home! I love the book case with the vintage train cases! It’s the little touches here and there…
oh! this was such a fun post-thank you! I especially liked the travel “train cases” in the bookshelves.
I love the home and all the lovely photos
I am in love with this home! the train cases, the pendant light above the kitchen table, the vintage canisters in the kitchen… lovely!
very lovely pictures simply love that hardwood floor i dream of having a home enveloped in it…
love her color sense — yay orange! and i have major sofa envy here — towson — $25! next time i’m down there visiting fam i’m going hunting…and i’ve got a few of those same cannisters and train cases (another collector here)…
you just killed me with this…THAT VIEW! everything…just stunning.
ugh.
She is very cool… I think Ms. Bugheart and I could be friends… :)
i know – i want her to be my new best friend, too. and i want to be invited to viking parties with her and her partner. :)
Oh my gosh, what a fun post to read and look at!
haha @ being stuck on LA freeway. yeah, i live that hell everyday. :(
What a beautiful home!
Loving all the Jason Munn/The Small Stakes posters! Wish I had the wall space for all of them. What a great place.
what a house!
Great interview! I loved how she used the vintage make-up cases to store things on her shelves. Awesome idea!
-FringeGirl
gorgeous floors, chairs, prints….
Fabulous place, and great interview. Love it.
Anyone with a Shins poster is alright by me.
jules
I love reading articles about people and their lives, I’m addicted to Biography on A&E and always thought to myself they could do stories on anyone not just famous and I’d be truly intrigued! Beautiful photos!
What a fantastic home! I am incredibly envious of the bookshelves. Mine are spilling out of our limited shelving and piling up on the floor.
love this post! great interview. love all the art on the walls — so many fun prints.
oh gwen, you make me miss dc so much!
I’ve always been hesistant to buy cool posters from concerts, etc. since I couldn’t figure out how to make them look grown-up in my apartment (but somehow i ended up with an odd assortment of them anyway). This post shows me that now only can concert and political posters be grown up, but they can be downright FASHIONABLE. love, love, love.
I LOVE Gwen’s aesthetic! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
I’ve read so many blog posts about people and the spaces they have created, and this is probably the first one I have overwhelmingly adored. I could see myself living in the space. It’s just so… me.
Thank you, Victoria, for the marvellous post and all the photos. And thank you Bugheart!
Fun interview and an interesting space! I love the huge bookshelf that spans the entire wall…
Caroline
http://www.redglassesblog.com/
This is why I love living in DC. There are so many wonderful hidden treasures! Great feature!
what a great home, even more so — what a fantastic view! Thanks for the peek into that home!
Great house! Love the little print (?) over the vintage radio. Who is the artist?
I don’t think that view is from her apartment, is it? I’m 95% sure there’s no place in U Street/Cardozo where you could possibly see the memorials– it’s too far north for that.
Anyway, it’s great seeing a fellow DC resident featured on here! While I’m not a fan of the way she’s chosen to decorate her home, her fashion sense is fantastic.
caroline – nope, i think it’s from one of their favorite watering holes.
kultur – am checking! :)
Gorgeous! What a great space!
I absolutely love the images of your place. Gorgeous, love everything from the colors to the floor to the images on the walls. Much admiration!
so much fun, so much life in this home and these people . . . beautiful!