THE GREAT INDOORS: Our design wish list for 2012

POSTED: Tuesday, December 27, 2011, 1:00 PM

Reporter Meg Augustin takes you inside some of Philly's most fab dwellings to showcase our city's unique grasp on design and architecture.

With every new year comes a long list of make-the-next-one-better resolutions. The Great Indoors has its own set of resolutions. Well, they are more like wishes for the upcoming year. These are five things we’d like to see happen in Philly’s world of design in 2012.

1. A Divine Lorraine Makeover

This building (pictured) has been on the Preservation Alliance’s “in-danger” board for years. It’s time to get something done. A few years ago the current owners, a Dutch redevelopment company, threw in the towel on reinventing the place and stripped it of all its assets. The beautiful furnishings, moldings and wall coverings were taken out, leaving a mess for crack addicts to call home. I honestly don’t care what it’s made into — a mass community center, a collection of high-priced condos, an artists’ community, a hotel — it just needs someone to love it before its current structurally sound state is lost once and for all. Ideally, I’ll win the lottery and take it over.

2. A Philly Section on Apartment Therapy

In 2010, Philly was namedone of the top 10 cities for design by Cities x Design. Today, we sport numerous interior design consultants, shops, innovative communities of architects and artisans, woodworks and design enthusiasts. We have one of the best restaurant scenes in the country — which is due in part to the competitive design atmosphere of restaurant interiors. And did I mention the awesome projects of DesignPhiladelphia? If that’s not enough fodder for our own Apartment Therapy section, I don’t know what is. Currently, only a few writers, like Kristen Lubbe are reporting on Philly’s design situation. But with more writers come more topics and more national support and awareness for our design community ... and eventual world domination! (OK, I got a little carried away).

3. More Design to Remedy City Issues

Philly has problems like any other city, but there is a growing presence of grassroots fixes. I’m not talking about Occupy Philly — that’s a problem in its own right (who could ever navigate that poorly designed camp?!) — I’m talking about the numerous Ted-esque groups popping up around the city aimed at creating and discussing new ideas to old problems. During this year’s DesignPhiladelphia, Digitas Health presented a design-centered version of this with several employees offering design-related solutions to city problems. This was only one event but we’d love to see a constant conversation taking place. If anyone can change their city with design, it’s Philly.

4. An Increase in Local Mid-budget Design Shops

We have few options in the city that aren’t high-end or, conversely, Ikea and thrift shops. Since the loss of Fosters and the decreasing presence of affordable furniture shops, we’re seeing less of a middle ground for shopping. A city with such high design content and such creative and innovative folk should have a place to shop other than designer stockyards and vintage warehouses (though we love those both dearly!). Such endeavors would increase our ability to shop locally and support Philly business owners and our city.

5. More house tours on The Great Indoors!

Send in your homes, peoples! We’ve had some great tours this year for the column’s debut but I know there are amazing homes on every block. Don’t be greedy, Philadelphians! Show off your gorgeous digs and give this city something to be proud of. Simply email me at megan.augustin@citypaper.net to feature your home in this column!. Happy New Year!

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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