What's perfect for the ultimate chill room?
December 26, 2008 12:18 PM Subscribe
My sixteen year old brother is trying to turn his bedroom into the ultimate chill room. He has a laser stars projector, multiple lava lamps, one of these Luminglass lights, and a fog machine that really works well with the laser stars projector. What other trippy, spacy, unusual, outlandish, and freaky decor (lights, art, etc.) is necessary for the ultimate chill room?
Best answer: Presuming this room is in his parents' house, and presuming that 'chill room' is code for 'room to use drugs in,' weatherstripping on the door is probably a good call.
posted by box at 12:31 PM on December 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by box at 12:31 PM on December 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Best answer: A big key to a chill environment is indirect lighting. (I'm not talking about effect lights like the luminglass, but the main lights. Light should be bounced off of surfaces, even water if you can swing it. Barring that, it should at least be softened by frosted glass or something. There should be no angle at which you're looking at a harsh, bright bulb.
All this low light means soft, rounded corners on furniture. Nothing can ruin your chillout like whacking your shin on a wood corner.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 12:35 PM on December 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
All this low light means soft, rounded corners on furniture. Nothing can ruin your chillout like whacking your shin on a wood corner.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 12:35 PM on December 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Presuming this room is in his parents' house, and presuming that 'chill room' is code for 'room to use drugs in,' weatherstripping on the door is probably a good call.
No, I should have made it clear in asking the question, "chill room" is definitely not code for that. Please don't base any answers on the thought that drugs will be used there. He's a really good kid, into sports and Scouts and very strait-laced, and wouldn't dream of doing drugs. He just likes the spacy atmosphere for listening to music and hanging out with friends.
posted by jayder at 12:40 PM on December 26, 2008
No, I should have made it clear in asking the question, "chill room" is definitely not code for that. Please don't base any answers on the thought that drugs will be used there. He's a really good kid, into sports and Scouts and very strait-laced, and wouldn't dream of doing drugs. He just likes the spacy atmosphere for listening to music and hanging out with friends.
posted by jayder at 12:40 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: Bead door thingy.. You know, where you walk through beads and stuff in the doorway..?
posted by majikstreet at 12:55 PM on December 26, 2008
posted by majikstreet at 12:55 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: My mistake. How about a bean-bag chair? And maybe one of those Brian Eno DVDs (alternately, Colorcalm or Grass Collective or something)?
posted by box at 12:55 PM on December 26, 2008
posted by box at 12:55 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: My google-fu fails me, but like the Luminglass, various other plasma balls. And one of the spinny things that reacts to ambient noise, like a spirograph on acid....
posted by zengargoyle at 1:19 PM on December 26, 2008
posted by zengargoyle at 1:19 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: A Mathmos Space Projector. Trust me.
posted by browse at 1:22 PM on December 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by browse at 1:22 PM on December 26, 2008 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Seconding a Lovesac. Beanbag chairs are so twentieth century.
posted by nursegracer at 1:36 PM on December 26, 2008
posted by nursegracer at 1:36 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: Black Velvet Elvis....It really doesn't get any 'chiller'...
posted by Confess, Fletch at 1:43 PM on December 26, 2008
posted by Confess, Fletch at 1:43 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: Don't forget the good ol' dream machine. Easy to make yourself with an old turntable or anything else that spins in circles.
posted by caminovereda at 2:36 PM on December 26, 2008
posted by caminovereda at 2:36 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: Velvet pillows.
Velvet everything, really.
And Ikea pod chairs.
posted by cowbellemoo at 4:16 PM on December 26, 2008
Velvet everything, really.
And Ikea pod chairs.
posted by cowbellemoo at 4:16 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: If he has a TV in there, he can make his own pixelator. I made something similar (using a slightly different, non-preferable technique) and oh, much fun.
Also, a few Buddha Machines and several of these (he does seem to have the lighting down, but these are fun to have around the room. Other small tactile toys might be a good choice too).
I also recommend lots of pillows of all sizes -- fun to pile up (bean bag chairs get too hot, in my opinion).
This sounds like fun.
posted by darksong at 4:49 PM on December 26, 2008
Also, a few Buddha Machines and several of these (he does seem to have the lighting down, but these are fun to have around the room. Other small tactile toys might be a good choice too).
I also recommend lots of pillows of all sizes -- fun to pile up (bean bag chairs get too hot, in my opinion).
This sounds like fun.
posted by darksong at 4:49 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: Does he already have a music/movie system that he's building around? What kind of music does he like?
CD/DVD racks are critical.
Find a coffee table (cheap) from Ikea/Goodwill to redecorate, maybe with black light responsive paint, or however he wants to cover it.
posted by knile at 4:59 PM on December 26, 2008
CD/DVD racks are critical.
Find a coffee table (cheap) from Ikea/Goodwill to redecorate, maybe with black light responsive paint, or however he wants to cover it.
posted by knile at 4:59 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: Get some classic movie posters, a lite brite, and some robot napkin holders (they're for tp technically).
But really for inspiration, check out saucy dwellings for ideas like wild rugs, crazy colors, stars on the walls, skulls in books, . Because some of the charm of the room will have to come from the uniqueness only yall know.
posted by cashman at 7:39 PM on December 26, 2008
But really for inspiration, check out saucy dwellings for ideas like wild rugs, crazy colors, stars on the walls, skulls in books, . Because some of the charm of the room will have to come from the uniqueness only yall know.
posted by cashman at 7:39 PM on December 26, 2008
Best answer: To follow what Afroblanco suggested, there's always highlighter bottles, which are cheap and fun. We made a few in college and enjoyed them greatly. We just used water and a five-pack of highlighters.
(My college banned them after I graduated, which I still don't understand.)
posted by darksong at 8:26 PM on December 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
(My college banned them after I graduated, which I still don't understand.)
posted by darksong at 8:26 PM on December 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A cheap rotating fiber optic lamp is awesome and holds my attention for many hours when I am in that zone. What you want is one with a rotating, multi-colored transparent disc between the bulb and the fiber optic.
Blue light bulb. Surprisingly awesome. Plug into a cheap Ikea decor lamp, ideally one of blue milkglass or blue porcelain, for optimum effect. Cheap Ikea decor glass lamp can be had for $10-$20; the red and blue ones were integral parts of my old chill out room. Ikea is also a good place to get little shelves to put all these luminescent apparatus on.
Plasma lamp. A bit spendy, but fun.
Other things in my chillout room included an aquarium with a blue light, and ready access to drinks in glass glasses, that had ice in them. That was just what seemed to optimize my chill out experience.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:09 AM on December 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Blue light bulb. Surprisingly awesome. Plug into a cheap Ikea decor lamp, ideally one of blue milkglass or blue porcelain, for optimum effect. Cheap Ikea decor glass lamp can be had for $10-$20; the red and blue ones were integral parts of my old chill out room. Ikea is also a good place to get little shelves to put all these luminescent apparatus on.
Plasma lamp. A bit spendy, but fun.
Other things in my chillout room included an aquarium with a blue light, and ready access to drinks in glass glasses, that had ice in them. That was just what seemed to optimize my chill out experience.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:09 AM on December 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A toaster oven and a mini-fridge are always nice. Grilled cheese sandwiches can be quite beneficial to chilling out.
posted by SocialAbortion at 12:27 AM on December 27, 2008
posted by SocialAbortion at 12:27 AM on December 27, 2008
Response by poster: Does he already have a music/movie system that he's building around? What kind of music does he like?
His sound system is extremely rudimentary ... his iPod and an iPod docking station with speakers. He likes basically classic rock, though I am making him some CDs of more spacy stuff.
Thanks for all these great suggestions. Please keep them coming if you have 'em!
posted by jayder at 1:35 AM on December 27, 2008
His sound system is extremely rudimentary ... his iPod and an iPod docking station with speakers. He likes basically classic rock, though I am making him some CDs of more spacy stuff.
Thanks for all these great suggestions. Please keep them coming if you have 'em!
posted by jayder at 1:35 AM on December 27, 2008
Best answer: If you want to do black lighting and/or the Tide thing, I would suggest that rather than writing random words in Tide, your brother recycle some cardboard packing boxes and an exacto knife and stencil his walls with black light paint or Tide.
No, not ivy and ducks - eww - but cool stuff like stars, planets, peace symbols. If he's got some money, these decorative wall decals are my favourites, but there are tons on the market that might be more his thing if you just google for them.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:14 AM on December 27, 2008
No, not ivy and ducks - eww - but cool stuff like stars, planets, peace symbols. If he's got some money, these decorative wall decals are my favourites, but there are tons on the market that might be more his thing if you just google for them.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:14 AM on December 27, 2008
Best answer: A copy of Tubular Bells playing on infinite loop.
posted by chairface at 11:51 AM on December 27, 2008
posted by chairface at 11:51 AM on December 27, 2008
Best answer: You want to engage all five senses, so smell (plants and fresh flowers are best, or anything natural - no man-made scents and if you have the fish tank make sure the water is changed regularly), taste (yummy munchies - again natural tastes, no doritos/pop, miracle fruit maybe?), sights (lots of ideas upthread, no harsh lights though and you shouldn't see any bulbs at all), touch (lots of different textures made from natural fabrics) and sound (in addition to playing music have instruments like a therimin). A concept you might want to look into is the snoezelen room. I like the flaghouse company but they are very expensive. A great place to get ideas though.
posted by saucysault at 12:45 PM on December 27, 2008
posted by saucysault at 12:45 PM on December 27, 2008
Best answer: Dark velour paisley fabric draped over everything, and ideally, hung from the ceiling.
Laser Pod
and on the computer? Electric Sheep
posted by Freen at 3:33 PM on December 27, 2008
Laser Pod
and on the computer? Electric Sheep
posted by Freen at 3:33 PM on December 27, 2008
Best answer: Go look around at instructables.com. They have a lot of this kind of stuff that he can make himself.
posted by BoscosMom at 10:40 AM on December 30, 2008
posted by BoscosMom at 10:40 AM on December 30, 2008
Best answer: ever been to the back of spencer gifts in the mall?
sounds exactly like what you're describing.
also, please dont get a beginner a salt water tank
and just because he's straight laced and would never dream of doing drugs, doesnt mean he isnt.
posted by phritosan at 3:41 PM on December 30, 2008
sounds exactly like what you're describing.
also, please dont get a beginner a salt water tank
and just because he's straight laced and would never dream of doing drugs, doesnt mean he isnt.
posted by phritosan at 3:41 PM on December 30, 2008
Response by poster: Thanks for the answers, everyone. Best answers all around.
posted by jayder at 7:30 PM on February 1, 2009
posted by jayder at 7:30 PM on February 1, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:30 PM on December 26, 2008