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What have you done to enhance the space?
The great thing about this place is that we have really tall ceilings, so a lot of our stuff goes up. Up on cabinets, up on top of my closet. And just buying things that are double duty -- like the piece from IKEA holds all of our DVDs and plus our TV and other things.
What inspired the décor of your apartment?
I really lean toward eclectic, funky things. I really like traditional pieces, like with Queen Anne legs, with a more updated look. I'm definitely not into the modern look. I like big, fluffy, comfortable things -- our huge, oversized couch is one of my favorite pieces, which I got off Craigslist.
What are some of your other favorite pieces?
I really like my mirrors. I think it's my favorite kind of art and there's one in every room. The mirrors make the place look bigger. I think the apartment was made for me because both doors have mirrors on them. I don't even hang them where I can see myself -- I see them as pieces of art.
Scooter Arnold
Good things come in small packages, and Scooter Arnold, a makeup artist for Mac Cosmetics, subscribes to that credo. He lives in a 750-square-foot mother-in-law suite adjacent to a friend's home near Plaza Midwood -- and is completely content.
"I want to be buried here. I just don't want to move," he says. "I mean, it might be six miles from Uptown; I'm maybe 15 minutes from work. I have a grocery store in the backyard. You've got every place you could think of to eat up Eastway and Central. We're a few miles from Plaza Midwood. I guess it's going on four years that I've lived here in this place. It's just enough space for me. So I'm happy."
When he says "just enough space," he really means it. Arnold's tiny home is made up of a living area that's perfect for entertaining five or six friends; an almost nonexistent kitchen nook ("All the cooking I would ever do is in the microwave."); and one bedroom with a bathroom. The living room is decorated with vintage regalia: Andy Warhol print pillows, a black leather couch and a 1950s stereo cabinet that was left by the previous owner. A lava lamp sits upon a small antique dining table with chairs in the kitchenette. The bedroom is painted "par-four green," with black and white curtains from Urban Outfitters -- that remind him of grandma's kitchen -- toning down the bright walls.
Throughout the house, you'll find Marilyn Monroe memorabilia: various sizes of prints, both black and white and colored; books; old magazines; DVDs; miniature music boxes; and even more in storage. "There's a part of me that likes to keep it a little bit more clean and uncluttered and classy as opposed to salt and pepper shakers. I like the stuff that's really, really vintage."
Arnold says he chooses to rent because of the financial convenience. "I've had friends who are like, 'Oh, you need to buy your own place,' but really, with the economy the way it is right now, it's been a lot better for me to rent because I don't have any unexpected expenses."
Where do you live?
A mother-in-law suite in Medford Acres -- it's almost like a suburb of Plaza Midwood because it's not far from it.
Describe the décor of your place.
It's very eclectic. I would say it definitely has a 1950s flavor. I was a kid that grew up in the '80s, and everybody that grew up in the '80s remembers that the '80s were kind of like the 1950s remade. I hate to say a little Leave it to Beaver, but that's kind of what it is. The coffee table's definitely like vintage '50s. I know the stereo cabinet were absolutely '50s and was actually left here by a previous owner. The café counter that the microwave is on is definitely '50s décor. And the paneling has a '50s-study kind of feel to it.
Tell me about your Marilyn Monroe collection.
I bought my first poster when I was 16. There's a huge comfort level that I feel, having her around me. When you look at a picture of her its almost like you're looking at a picture of home. There's almost like a reflection.
How does your home reflect you?
When people walk in here, I think that they see me -- through the color, the furniture. I think what they see here is not something they would see in their parents' house. I think having Marilyn up everywhere is definitely like an earmark of me. A mixture of style, you know, the fact that you've got Andy Warhol print pillows on the black sofa. I think when they look at this, they think, "This is definitely where Scooter would live."
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Calendar
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WHISKEY TASTING: VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS WHISKY @ Elizabeth Parlour Room
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NEW WINDOW GALLERY-Pat Rhea-ACRYLIC PAINTINGS-April 05-30 2024 VALDESE, NC 28690 @ New Window Gallery/Play It Again Records
- Through April 30, 12 p.m.
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An Evening With Phil Rosenthal Of "Somebody Feed Phil" @ Knight Theater
- Fri., April 19, 7 p.m.
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Kountry Wayne: The King Of Hearts Tour @ Ovens Auditorium
- Fri., April 19, 7:30 p.m.
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Trap & Paint + Karaoke @ Zodiac Bar & Grill
- Fridays, 8-10 p.m. Continues through June 28
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