Exploding Plastic Inevitable

If you remember the post about the new bench pillow we got, you may recall we were looking for a replacement for this...

I was originally planning on purchasing an Adam O'Day painting to put in this area, but after seeing how vibrant and beautiful the Chiang Mai fabric was, I decided we needed art that was more understated so that it complimented the textiles as opposed to competing with it (although I am still obsessed with Adam's work and will find a place [and the budget] for one of his pieces one day).

One trend I've loved is the bus roll canvas. I recently added a Boston bus roll to one of my clients kitchens (ok, I'm trying to sound way cooler than I am...it was my Mom's kitchen, she was a "pro bono client".) and it looks amazing. I thought the simplistic, pseudo vintage look would be perfect. When I showed Nate what I was thinking, he came up with the fantastic idea to have one of the poster advertisements from the Exploding Plastic Inevitable events in '66 and '67.

The Exploding Plastic Inevitable, was a series of multimedia events organized by Andy Warhol between 1966 and 1967, featuring musical performances by the bands The Velvet Underground and Nico. There were also screenings of Warhol's films, dancing and performances by other artists that Warhol collaborated with. Simply put, these must have been some crazy cool shows.
I've always loved Nate's enthusiasm, knowledge, and appreciation for various types of music. I, on the other hand, am clueless when it comes to music (I had to use Wikipedia to even find out what Nate was talking about when he first mentioned this poster) and have never developed the same passion Nate has. He's put in a valiant effort to share his knowledge and help me become as into music as he is, but I just don't hear or feel connected to the music the same way he does. I tend to get a little intimidated when he wants to infuse his music interests into the decor of our home because I feel so ignorant. Because of this intimidation, I'll admit, I was hesitant when he suggested adding this print but I loved the idea of combining a common decor trend and translating into something more personal and interesting. So, we decided to add it above the bench in between the living and dining room area.

We scoured the Internet for weeks to see if we could find an original poster. But after coming up short, I started researching stores on Etsy to see if we could recreate this look. I contacted over a dozen Etsy shops that did various forms of typography canvases but only one was willing to do custom request like mine. And boy, did I luck out.

Legacy House Art was not only incredibly responsive and helpful but she also worked on a tight timeline for me since I wanted to give this to Nate for his birthday, which gave us only about a three week turnaround for from first proof to shipping arrival.

So we went from this...

To this...

Nice improvement, huh? Are you wondering why the wall color looks so different in the pictures with the new canvas to the old art picture? Well, even if you weren't wondering, I'm going to tell you anyway...this is a result of a new camera for Christmas. The Canon G11 is amazing!!

But back to the canvas...
In addition to the great customer service, Legacy House Art is also incredibly creative. I sent her a copy of the image at the top of this post and explained we wanted an original but couldn't find it anywhere, so we were hoping she could create it to look as much like an original as possible. She came up with the idea for the lettering to have varying degrees of faded orange so the entire piece had more of a weathered look.

Legacy House Art was wonderful to work with and also provided a canvas that turned out better than we could have hoped for (for a much better price than an original would have cost). And even with my lack of music knowledge, I can't help but admit Nate was spot in with this look (yes, Nate, I'm even admitting that on the Internet).

So, in case you've been keeping score...this is where we stand with our home updates:

#1: Update the bench with new pillows and bench cushion - completed
#2: Wallpaper the hallway - completed
#3: Change the coffee table
#4: New Artwork above the bench - completed
#5: Change the shape and add extra mirrors above the couch
#6: Separate seating area in living room
#7: New Curtains
#8: Wallpaper Nook
#9: Ottomans
#10: Shelving
#11: Update Centerpiece
#12: Plants - RETIRED
#13: New Artwork
#14: End Chairs
#15: New Bar Stools
#16: Backsplash & Lighting
#17: Media Area
#18: New Bed and Bedding (hello, King!)
#19: Vanity
#20: New Nightstand
#21: Wardrobe/Closet System
#22: Bedroom Chandelier
#23: Bedroom Rug
#24: Reorganize laundry/pantry/office/mud room area

***I was not compensated in any way for this post. I just had a wonderful experience with Legacy House Art and wanted to share my opinion.