Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with decor

Where can I find the "recycled bag" fabric used by grocery stores?

mikepop — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:58:47 -0800

Where can I find the fabric/material several grocery chains are using to make cheap reusable bags these days? Is it as cheap as it appears? Several grocery store chains in this area have been offering reusable shopping bags for 99 cents or less. The material used is recycled plastics and ranges from very plasticy (example) to somewhat woven fabric-like (example).

I'd like to de-beige the walls of my work cube on the cheap, but haven't been able to find anywhere to buy the material in bulk, and am unsure of what the proper search terms are. Assuming I can find it in bulk, will it be as cheap as it seems to be? Or are the stores getting some sort of massive volume discount? I'm willing to just wait for a design I like and buy 10 bags and cut them up, but I imagine starting with bolts of fabric will be easier/look better.

Help me find a very simple maple or oak bar stool.

valannc — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:04:48 -0800

Shopping filter: Seeking a very simple maple or oak bar stool, about 30" high, with a square or rectangular top. Preferably solid wood, but good quality composite material is ok. Must have flat top... we plan to use it as a bedside table. This stool at target.com is the perfect shape and size, but the wrong color. I need a warm-toned maple, oak, ash. I've already looked at many retail sites... ikea, overstock, pottery bran, west elm. Any suggestions? We would prefer to order within the U.S. to save on shipping.

Nesting for cheapskates

libraryhead — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:36:24 -0800

How can I have a nice house when I have such a hard time paying money for furniture? My husband and I are both 37. We bought our first house two years ago and are about to have a second child. The house is furnished with a mix of Ikea/Target/West Elm cheap stuff and college-era castoffs, none in great condition. I would happily freecycle nearly everything we have and start over.

We recently received a windfall of about $10,000. Both of us would like to use some of this money to improve our living space, but I'm finding myself paralyzed. Obviously it's not enough to redo the entire house (7 rooms), and I don't want to simply replace all the junk we have now with different junk.

We're also having trouble reaching consensus, especially when it comes to seating. His priority is comfort and durability; I'm much more aesthetically motivated, although I want comfort and quality, too. There are a lot of designs I can't stand and would really make me unhappy if I had to look at them every day.

We both agree that we want to mostly avoid the big box stores if we can, for environmental and social/economic justice reasons. His inclination is to go to the local furniture chain whose quality is one step up from from assemble-it-yourself places. I'd rather troll Craigslist looking for higher-quality used pieces. They often need work, however (I still haven't reupholstered that chair in the office...), and the whole process of buying and getting them home can be a huge hassle. Even though we could afford it, for some reason I can't quite bring myself to pay, say, $2500 for a bed from a higher-quality maker, even though we seem to have no problem shelling out that much for computer and media equipment every few years.

To top it off, I often experience buyer's remorse, and even stuff we paid a decent amount for doesn't get treated too well and ends up looking shabby. (Admittedly, the cat, the dog, and the toddler have something to do with that.)

I guess my question is: With a limited, though not insignificant, amount of money available, how do we prioritize what's worth buying 1) new/high-quality/custom, 2) used/high-quality, and 3) new/cheaper? (I don't see the point of buying used particleboard bookshelves -- leave something for the college students.) How can I get past my block that decent furniture is actually worth paying real money for? We need, among other things, a bed frame and clothes storage; living room seating and storage; rugs, lighting, art, and side tables.

Help me pimp my new guest house!

miss lynnster — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:52:19 -0800

Inspire me! Where are your absolute favorite places to find incredible, unique interior and outdoor decorating treasures and bargains in Los Angeles (or online)? I'm looking for cool stuff to fill/cover walls, floors, windows, garden, patio, home office... you name it! I LOVE finding bargains so the Rose Bowl and PCC swap meets are already on the list, as are other places... but I'd like to hear where you find YOUR inspirations! I'm dumping most of my old furnishings and will be designing my new living space *almost* from scratch. I tend to be drawn to things that are cool vintage or have slightly ethnic (asian, european, middle eastern) influences. When I'm done, without going broke I want this new place to feel like a really comfortable sanctuary where people love hanging out. :)

What are some cool sites for ethnic decor?

hazyspring — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:58:55 -0800

I am looking for sites that specialize in atypical (not chinese or japanese) ethnic decor, furniture and/or art. Think: Turkish, Moroccan, or Indian home decor. I've found a ton of sites focusing on East Asian decor, but not very many other options. I know it's all over the map, but I've just been looking for some places that I can find individual pieces.

Help me find "mid-century dark brown" paint

Artifice_Eternity — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:25:14 -0800

I'm a fan of mid-century modern design. We've just bought an apartment in a building from that era (1961), and want to furnish it appropriately. We've got some vintage stuff we've collected over the years, and have bought some new stuff from Ikea and elsewhere that fits the bill. I'm also planning to build or modify some simple items (shelves, an entertainment center) in mid-century style -- and here's where I've run into a major problem: I can't seem to find paint in that very dark, almost-black brown that is so characteristic of the period. Any suggestions? I've looked at the paint chips on offer from half a dozen different manufacturers, at various hardware stores, and nothing quite captured it. As this blogger (who faced the same dilemma) put it, "I was hoping for a slightly darker, more bitter brown, something that really embodied the color 'expresso' [sic]".

It does seem to me that "mid-century dark brown" has a "bitter" quality to it -- undertones of black and green, perhaps? -- that make it very different from even the darkest brown colors of paint I've seen on offer these days (which tend to be orangey).

With the growing interest in this style, I'm surprised this kind of color is not more widely available. Can anyone recommend a specific brand and color of paint that fits the bill? Or does anyone have experience mixing other paint colors to get something like this?

cute diy boat decor, plz.

cior — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:52:18 -0800

I'd like to do some interior design/cozying to my sailboat's interior. Before charging off with a sewing machine and some rubber cement, I thought it might be good to seek some advice. Got any? Here are two photos of my current interior.

I really want to warm the place up a bit, make things comfortable and homey. At the same time, whatever I do needs to stand up to moisture and general boat skank. I've started by sanding down and coating the cabinets with teak oil, but don't know where next to go.

Any experiences to share? Any mods to avoid? I've been looking at CRAFT magazine and a few other sources, but not getting very far in terms of practical ideas that would work on a boat. I've also asked some sailing friends, but haven't gotten a lot of helpful advice -- their boats are either too new or nice to make an equation with my shabby environs.

HomeDecorFilter: How can I dye some curtains to very closely match my new walls?

littlerobothead — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:05:12 -0800

HomeDecorFilter: How can I dye some curtains to very closely match my new walls? I've recently began to paint my office a most excellent shade of apple green, not unlike the one seen here. My wife and I have been trying to find ideas for window treatments, and I think we want to do curtains—but white seems boring. Can I get Lowes to give me some of the pigment they used in the paint, and use it to dye some white tab top curtains? If that won't work, how the heck do I get curtains that will very closely match the walls, and is this even a good idea? The walls are apple green and all the trim is a nice, semi-gloss white. Realize this is more subjective than many questions that get asked here, but I need the hivemind's opinions!

Help me find a less expensive version of this closet system

kenzi23 — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:50:16 -0800

Help me find a cheaper version of this Porro closet system in the US. My design guru/friend is helping me redecorate my apartment and as I have no closets, he suggested these modular storage unit thingies.

He assures me that they are expensive but that I might be able to find the same concept somewhere else but cheaper. I've looked at Ikea and am not sure that is the quality I want; I would prefer something somewhat higher end but if you can recommend an Ikea line that is like this please let me know which one. The goal is to have a wall of closets that becomes part of the room, but is unobtrusive yet functional. Go Mefites!

jewelry display suggestions

logic vs love — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:54:59 -0800

Does anyone have any creative ideas for jewelry/accessories display? I have a large amount of jewelry and other accessories (hair bands, pin-back buttons, etc) that I'd like to keep out, not boxed away. What are some creative storage and display ideas?

A little pillow talk

nakedcodemonkey — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:29:28 -0800

Ribbons criss-cross over a thin wall-mounted cushion so that lots of photos can be tucked between the ribbons to form a collage. What the heck is this frame/mount/doohickey called? Googling for obvious phrases like "collage pillow" and "photo ribbon" turn up only unrelated items.

DC Shopping Spree: Send My Sister to College in Style

decathecting — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:02:12 -0800

What are some good places to shop for dorm decor, cool fashion accessories, and other college-related frivolities in the DC area? My little sister starts college in the fall, and she's coming to visit me this weekend for the last time before she leaves for school. I'd like to take her on a shopping spree for some really neat stuff for her dorm room and maybe some fashion accessories, things the other kids at her off-in-the-boonies school won't have. I'm already planning to take her to Urban Outfitters, and we'll make the obligatory trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for the basics. Where else should we go? What are the best places to buy posters, duvet covers, tapestries, and throw pillows? Where do the cool college kids, the ones I'd actually like spending time with, shop?

Also, where can we get her an awesome messenger bag, some interesting buttons/pins and t-shirts (nothing political, which is hard in DC), and maybe a cool hat? I'd like to be able to get her some great stuff without spending a fortune, so cheap would be better. She has a pretty conservative personal style for a teenager, but she's still cooler than me, and I have no idea "what the kids are into these days." Help me make my little sister even more amazing and make my last weekend with her rock!

DIY Shower Curtain??

Medieval Maven — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:23:18 -0800

I'm going to do what seems to me to be a rather weird craft/decorating project, and I'm not 100% sure how to not screw it up. So, we're redoing our bathroom. Yay! But, because I can't make anything simple, I want to use two yards of this Marimekko fabric as an inset on a terry cloth shower curtain. The curtain is exactly two yards in either direction. The cloth will be ordered at two yards long and is 56 inches wide. I'm trying to decide between a couple of approaches, and having not done exactly this before, was wondering what crafty Mefites might do.

Approach 1: Measure and cut out in the middle of the shower curtain a hole to fit in the Marimekko, giving myself two inches or so on any side to sew together. Use the terrycloth left over to make curtains.

Approach 2: Hem the Marimekko and attach it to the shower curtain as is, either by sewing it on, or using some other method I haven't yet thought of. Stitch Witchery seems like a Bad Idea in this context, and I think Velcro might be a little ghetto, but I'm open to whatever here.

In any case, I want to keep the upper part of the curtain, where the grommets are, and I want to try to keep the lower hem, but could be talked out of that one. I have my own sewing machine, which is up to this task, and I figure I will use upholstery thread. Suggest away, crafty ones!

Rave's not dead!

infinityjinx — Tue, 15 May 2007 08:06:57 -0800

Throw me your best ideas for (inexpensively?) decorating a nightclub! Let's say I want to decorate a nightclub...one of those places where people go to drink, dance, and perhaps even take illicit drugs. Do you have links, ideas, inspiration, instructions, etc on how/where I can make/buy trippy/blinky/light up and otherwise visually stimulating decorations for the walls, ceiling, or for human interaction? Think of the awesomest decor you've ever seen in a nightclub anywhere...what was it like? I think you get the idea, and thanks so much for whatever you come up with!

Gnome sweet gnome

MayNicholas — Fri, 04 May 2007 15:46:05 -0800

Casting a wide net here hoping the mefites can help...I'm looking for two shower curtains. Both vinyl- one that looks like is has grass printed on it and the other being clear with silly lawn gnomes. Ever seen these on your internet surfs? I have been looking, but haven't seen them anywhere... Any links to fun bathroom decor sites appreciated!

Wherefore ART thou?

messylissa — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 01:23:27 -0800

What is this kind of art called, and where can I find it when I actually want to find it? For the last year or so, there has been a type of art present in home decor (on pillows, dishes, wall art) and even in web design. The salient features are some sort of foliage set as a silhouette (usually white, but sometimes other colors) on a solid-colored background. It's a very minimalistic, modern (but retro at the same time) type of look...exactly my style). I've seen cherry blossoms, onion flowers, hibiscus, random flowering branches, and many other variations on flora used. I see it everywhere, but nowhere specific at the same time. Recently, I decided I wanted to project one of these designs onto my bedroom wall and paint it in, but upon heading to Google, I realized I had no idea what to call this art, what to search for, where to begin.
What is the type of art, how can I find it, and how can I create it myself?

San Francisco home decor Question

jek — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:59:10 -0800

San Francisco home decor Question. -I am looking for a unique home decor in San Francisco where I can find original window dressing (curtains). I am from Canada and will be in San Fran until Friday. I have a few hours to do some shopping on Friday and would love to hear any recommendations on cool home decor shops where I can find original curtains for my bedroom window!

What items should I get to fill up my living room wiht this Eastern theme?

apple — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:34:34 -0800

I need help redecorating my house. I am going for the "Eastern" and contemporary look (Indian/ Middle Eastern/ Asian decor mixed with West Elm-ish contemporary style). I want to have Buddha statues, silk fabric for the window curtains, silk throw pillows, artificial plants and etc. I would love for my living room to look like Jeremy Piven's living room which can be seen in the documentary "Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime: India." If you can please link me to any websites that have pictures of living rooms or bedrooms with this theme. If you could also please give me any tips and advice on what stuff I should get and what stores to look at. I am located in Houston, TX and have been to Pier 1 Imports and Cost Plus World Market. Both stores are great, but more stores recommendations would be nice. I am also trying to save some money on this project, so any frugal tips would be great. Links to pictures of furnished rooms is what I am mainly looking for and would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Here is are some pictures of Jeremy Piven's living room this is the the exact look I want: (make sure you zoom in, many browsers auto reduce the size so it all fits in on the screen)
direct link

How to make this toilet more attractive?

bdk3clash — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 16:29:54 -0800

How do I beautify my scary industrial-looking toilet? In my apartment the toilet doesn't have a tank but instead just has the metal tube/handle combo we all know and love from elementary schools and prisons. Any suggestions as to how to make it look a little more homey?

For reference a pic can be seen here.

Help my color scheme not suck.

shiu mai baby — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 05:35:18 -0800

Color scheme help: This weekend I got bold with my interior colors, painting two adjacent rooms two colors I love. The problem is making it all work. Picture a long rectangle. 20% of the long rectangle is the dining room, 30% is the kitchen/breakfast area, and 50% is the family room with a valuted ceiling. Sitting in the family room you can see all of the kitchen and a portion of the dining room.

I painted the kitchen a gorgeous bold rusty orange color, which looks terrific with the white cabinets and charcoal countertops. The dining room is a strong red -- Benjamin Moore "Million Dollar Red," in fact, which you can see here; it's the red room with all the pictures in it about halfway down the page.

So. I am crazy about both of these colors individually, but now that I'm seeing them together in the same glance, I'm not so sure they work together. The white door frames and molding do help pull it together somewhat, but I need to make this section of the house look a bit more coherent. Is there a color I could paint the family room that would help everything mesh better? Right now the family room is flat white and completely undecorated, so this is my best chance to "make it work" (tm Tim Gunn). Keep in mind that the family room is a big room, with a vaulted ceiling, fireplace, and lots of windows. The height of the ceilings mean I'll have to hire professionals to paint it, so once I pick a color I'm stuck with it for a good long while. I'll be buying a couch in the next few weeks, so my options as far as type/color fabric for that are completely open as well.

My taste leans toward "sophisticated but comfortable;" I'm a fan of Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, etc. I'm in the northeast so a southwesty scheme is pretty much out. Not a fan of floral prints or anything overtly girly. Pulling colors and decorative elements from Middle-eastern and Indian influences is a possibility, but I do want to avoid it being too trendy or over-decorated, if that makes any sense.

Green home products

strangeleftydoublethink — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 13:37:13 -0800

I'm considering opening a retail sustainable home decor shop in Portland. What are some of your favorite green/sustainable/simple home products and where do you get them? I would focus primarily on practicle and simple items that most people have in their homes but with a green slant. Organic cotton sheets, plates and bowls made from recycled glass, simple furniture made from recycled or sustainable products, etc.

Help me decorate this small apartment?

knave — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 23:50:33 -0800

How would you arrange living space in this oddly shaped area?
Drawn from memory after seeing it today. For scale, the width of the image is about 26 feet. I probably have the scale entirely out of whack, but the shape of the open area is probably pretty accurate.

So, arranging the small bedroom and office will be no problem. I'm a bit unexperienced at arranging a living area in a weird shape like this (the area in beige). The floors are carpet in the bedroom/office, but hardwood in the open kitchen/living area.

The area marked as kitchen is the fridge/cabinets/sink/stove/etc. I'd like to get a dinette somewhere near it. The rest of the area, I'd like to have a layout that could entertain at least a few guests. I don't own any furniture right now, so it's a clean slate.

The stairs are the entrance to the apartment (in-law apartment, over a two-car garage). Not that it matters much, but I think I want a Japanese (minimalist) decor, if that's not too cliché at this point.

How to hang a large, unframed mirror without using glue?

Famous — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 19:16:26 -0800

I have a large mirror that my former roommates acquired via dumpster diving. It measures 48" x 36". It has 4 small holes, one drilled in each corner, 5" diagonally from the corners and 3.5" from the sides. It's unframed and quite heavy. How can I hang it without using glue or mastic? All of the google wisdom I have come across points to gluing a unframed mirror of this size to your wall, using hardware as a backup, just in case the glue were to someday fail. The problem I'm having is that I don't own, I rent, and at some point (2 to 3 years from now, I anticipate) I'm going to have to get the mirror back off the wall of my apartment. So liquid-nailing it up isn't an option for me.

My question is, is there a way to mount this mirror (safely!) with just hardware? Perhaps, utilizing the holes already drilled into the mirror?

Also, long time listener, first time caller. I heart AskMe.

Where can I view a massive display of Christmas light pageantry in L.A.?

FearTormento — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:43:45 -0800

Where can I view a massive display of Christmas light pageantry in L.A.? We're new to L.A. and have guests in town for Christmas. Every town I've lived in always has one neighborhood that goes buck-wild at Christmas and creates a spectacle with Christmas lights. Does this neighborhood exist in Los Angeles?

Where to buy fake flowers?

gaspode — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 19:43:48 -0800

I would like recommendations for good places to buy high quality artificial flowers. Online stores or places in NYC. Money little object as long as they look good. I have found plenty of vendors online, but don't know anybody who has purchased from them.