Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with interior

Where can I find attractive powered speakers?

bryanlacksfocus — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:13:21 -0800

Does anyone know of any attractive powered speakers? Ones that look like they belong on a bookshelf and not next to a PC? I'm looking for speakers to put in my living room that I would beam music to through an Airport Express. It could be one speaker or a pair, but they should be powered and stand-alone—I don't have room for a "system" with a separate amplifier. I don't need a radio, CD player, or iPod dock—just a power switch, a volume knob, and one audio input jack. The only powered speakers I'm finding are designed for use with a computer and are, in my opinion, unforgivably ugly—at least for use outside a computer workstation. I'm hoping to find something simple and modern with straight, clean lines—possibly a cousin to this Tivoli or this GenevaSound radio or the wooden-cased (non-powered) speakers our parents had in the 70s.

With everyone doing so much from their computers these days, it seems like these ought to exist! Have you come across any? Any ideas are appreciated!

Where can I find funky, fascinating wallpaper for my apartment?

chinese_fashion — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:58:00 -0800

Where can I find funky, fascinating wallpaper for my apartment? I just moved into a new apartment, and I'm really excited to deck it out. I'm looking for cool, fascinating wallpaper for one accent wall. I don't mind paying a bit for it - if I have to look at it every single day, I want to love it.

My tastes tend towards the baroque, ornate, somewhat psychedelic even. I've seen stuff here and here that I really liked. This and this also are in line with my tastes, though I don't want the place to bee too much of a kitschy horrorshow. Quirky for the sake of quirky wears thin pretty quick.

I'm discovering that this is much more of a process -- a lot of web images can't really replicate the look and feel of actual samples, so I'm looking for more to choose from.

Do any of you have any suggestions for places to look?

Thanks so much ...

Relocation relocation relocation of an interior design article

Beautiful Screaming Lady — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:49:18 -0800

Interior/exterior design memory loss: a few months ago I was casually flipping through one of the many interior design magazines on the shelf at Borders and saw an article about an amazing place that I'd love to find more details about. Unfortunately I was distracted and don't remember many details... This is a long shot, but - a guy (likely German) had bought a turn-of-the-20th century square red brick mid-terrace house, like those you find in any UK working class town (here's an example), painted the exterior entirely black, had replaced the windows with smaller, ultra-modern brightly coloured glass and had gutted the insides to leave (as I remember) a super white and super minimal interior. It was stunning both for what it was, and for where it was.

I can't remember where this was, the guy's name or which magazine it was in, but based on this vague description, if anyone can help me to find pictures of this place, or any article about it online, I'll be deliriously happy.

A splinter for my mind's eye

a non e mouse — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:29:27 -0800

Looking for some architecture/3D modelling tools to help visualise a home/internal renovation. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to imagine all the variables, functions and flows for designing our new kitchen - ideally something that is free (or at least cheap), but as featured as possible for a reasonably adept graphics oriented person to use.

How should I clean an interior brick wall?

bfranklin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:27:53 -0800

How should I clean an interior brick wall? I have exposed an interior brick wall that had been living behind wood paneling for many years and it looks filthy. I've already cleaned my exterior brick with muriatic acid with great success, but I am hesitant to even attempt to use it inside. Pressure washers aren't happening -- this isn't in my basement.

Googling comes up with suggestions of dish soap and elbow grease, but I doubt this is going to work based on my experience cleaning the outside of the house. Does anyone have firsthand experience in cleaning interior brick? What products/strategies should I use?

Pet-proof privacy, does it exist?

anderjen — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:15:29 -0800

Decor-challenged homeowner seeks pet-proof window coverings. Please share your experiences and recommendations. We've got six living room windows that are currently covered in cheapo aluminum blinds. Whenever we leave the house, our dog and cat like to watch us go, which is incredibly cute and all, but they shove their faces through the closed blinds to do so, and consquently the bottom six inches of the blinds are completely bent and mashed to hell.

We're finally getting around to upgrading them, and need something that provides privacy but won't be trashed by their strong heads and muzzles, the dog's in particular.

I'm 100% clueless about window treatments (hence the crappy blinds). What's our best bet? Links to pictures or specific products would be awesome.

Preferences and/or irritating limitations:
- Ideally, I'd like to be able to lower them all the way, as it feels safer when we're not home (we live on a corner with a lot of foot traffic), but if I have to leave them up a few inches to prevent damage, I'm willing to do so.
- Would prefer to avoid curtains unless they're super minimalist and can be laundered easily. (Our house is tiny, and they seem too heavy and overwhelming otherwise).
- String-free or cord-free would be a huge bonus.

Three of them all situated in the same frame, directly face the street, and look like this. The other three are on the sides of the house, are single windows, and a bit longer, like the two you see here.

Any ideas?

Thanks, hive!

The only time you'll want to combine garbage disposals and bidets!

atrazine — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:42:30 -0800

What are some interior fixtures unique to houses in different parts of the world? Inspired by this question about garbage disposals. I just remembered that when I lived in the US everyone seemed to have these things, but I've never seen them in a residential setting elsewhere.
Some examples of the kind of thing I'm looking for:
Bidets - I've never seen one in North America but a lot of European and most Middle Eastern houses have them.
Lights on the ceiling vs. standing lamps

Creative careers?

cymru_j — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:50:21 -0800

Help me advise my sister-in-law on a creative career path! My 21-year-old sister-in-law and has supported herself for several years cutting and styling hair. She'd like to move on to a career in something creative; she just doesn't know what. She doesn't have a college degree and realizes that she needs to/wants to pursue that path.

She loves fashion and interior design, so I've encouraged her to consider colleges and universities with those programs. I think she'd be well-suited to a career that's creative, but that would allow her to work with people (that's what she's enjoyed about hair styling).

Does anyone have experience with fashion (fashion buying or design or styling) or interior design that they'd be willing to share? Do you know anyone working in these fields and loving it?

By the way, my husband and I live in NYC, and she may come out here for college, which would open up her options for programs.

Thanks, guys!

Innovative office design: What works and what doesn't?

degrees_of_freedom — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:15:03 -0800

Innovative Workspaces: What works and what doesn't? I work for a big and quite old company, in a department that does financial and operational analysis. We're all holed off in offices on the edges and 6 ft cubes in the middle. It's grey and taupe. One executive called our floor "the morgue" because of the lifeless atmosphere.

So the boss got a budget to liven up the space.

Three others and I were put on a somewhat secret committee to redesign the office. Here are the parameters as I understand them.

- Encourage more interaction and creative problem solving.
- Create a money-is-no-object concept and design. No constraints except the outline of the floor.
- Create an ultra-frugal version.
- Create as many versions as we want.
- It may amount to nothing. There's already a folder - that we can't see - with ideas (from the boss? a pro designer?).

I'm no designer, but I've been researching innovative office spaces. It looks like design trends have moved towards reduced barriers, sofas instead of conference tables, lots of shared space and privacy/quiet rooms on the sides.

A few questions:

- Have you worked in this more communal, innovative style? What made you happy and effective, and what are the empty gimmicks?

- Have you converted from a conservative, cubicle world to something more forward-thinking? What changed?

- More generally: suggestions welcome. Concepts that work/didn't work for you, colors, furniture, wall dividers, floor plans, blogs, books, experts, photos of your awesome workspace, anything.

I'm having so much fun just being a part of this project, and I'd like to hear your point of view.

When a sign that says keep out just won't do.

Mastercheddaar — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:38:06 -0800

Looking for a unique door to my gun room/armory. At my house I have a work room/gun room/ armory where I keep my safe with my fire arms in it. They are all locked up and kept safe from anyone that is not a problem. The problem is the door to the room is pretty lackluster and could easily be kicked down by my nephew if he wanted to. I've always wanted to put something more permanent and unique down there as a door. I have thought about trying to find a bookshelf secret passage door or submarine bulkhead style door but my google fu always fails me when I search for them. Ideally I would like something that I know would lock down the room so I could keep ammo and such outside of my gun safe and not have to worry about my nephew's friends coming over and saying "hey look what I found!" Any ideas are welcome.

Home Lighting Basics

bouchacha — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:42:30 -0800

I'm looking for a detailed and thorough guide on home lighting principles and ideas. Where is this source? Right now all I have is the default lighting my apartment came with (this means bright overhead lighting in every room, yuck). I'm looking to spruce things up and making the lighting environment more comfortable and more relaxed and I'd like the basics in accomplishing that.

When should I consider track lighting? What kind of bulbs should I be looking for given the plethora of brands and types? What mounting structures should I consider? What about control mechanisms? etc etc etc

You can't be too detailed when it comes to this and I'm surprised that this topic isn't discussed more given how much of a difference lighting makes. Lay it on me!

What goes on my wall?

erikgrande — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:29:59 -0800

What long, decorative item (say, 12'x4') can I hang on my empty wall? If it happened to absorb sound from the opposing speakers, that'd be great. Here is a very rough diagram of my situation. The area in question is the red line at the bottom. The walls are flat drywall, painted light brown. It seems all the rugs I come across are either too wide (i.e., tall when turned sideways) or are runners that are too skinny (often 2 or 2.5 ft wide). I've been leaning towards a rug to reduce reflections from the speakers, but I'm open-minded. Thanks.

Pimp my yurt?

ajarbaday — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:18:50 -0800

How can I make my yurt time special? What should I do with my new yurt?

I just moved into a tiny yurt, about 10 feet by 10 feet big and 6 feet tall. It's made of wood and sits in the West Virginia mountains. The ceiling is slanted, so there is crouching to get in and out of it. It's the smallest place I've ever lived, and I'll be living it for another six months. Does anyone have ideas for making it both more functional and / or special? There are a few small quirks:

1) It's drafty. There are many gaps in the boards, since the boards are set together and it's only one layer thick. I've thought about covering the walls in old blankets, cloth, or just tarping it, but I might just try to tough it out until spring.

2) There is storage space underneath the yurt, but it's not waterproof.

What would you do to make a small space with low ceilings feel like home? I have almost no carpentry skills, but I'd be willing to try simple projects. Are there any other ways that people have made their small, non-traditional spaces fun to be in?
I can give more specs on my new pad if people would like. Also, I do not have electricity. There is a larger yurt that has a kitchen, library, etc., so my smaller yurt is mostly like my bedroom.

Any and all suggestions welcomed, from the weird to the practical.

Thanks.

Modern Barndoor Hardware

jeffmac — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:56:09 -0800

Where can I find a less expensive industrial version of the popular Klassik sliding door track system seen in Dwell mag and here? Galvanized vs. stainless is fine. My preference would be to have an open track system where I would see the roller. The system will be used on an interior home sliding door separating two interior rooms.

Sorry, love, there is no color that would match that floor.

halogen — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:36:33 -0800

What color should I paint a bedroom with a swirly brown-black-reddish stained concrete floor? I will be staying with my parents in Houston, TX for five months. They just got a great deal on a townhome, and in order to give me more privacy, suggested that I can have the first-floor bedroom if I like it. I love it!

Since the house was a forclosure, dad will be painting all rooms before any furniture is moved into the house. Unfortunately, I won't be in Texas when he does that. He's keeping the original paint colors everywhere in the house since he likes them and doesn't want to bother with more than one coat. However, I am somewhat sick of beige and white walls, so I get to pick the colors I like for my room.

Normally, I'd go with a pale pastel blue or sage green, but the first floor of the house has brownish stained concrete floors, and I am not sure what would look good with them.

I love brown, and I love the combination of brown/light baby blue, but the floors look somewhat more reddish under artificial light than in the pictures and I can't tell whether that would look good or bad. The sheets and pillows on my bed (pretty much the only furniture for the time being) are baby blue with a brown and blue duvet cover (none of those crazy pillows), and the doors and window frames will stay white unless I am very persuasive as to why they shouldn't. Also, chances are dad won't be happy if I ask him to paint every wall a different color.

The room is small and will be used pretty much only for sleeping. My mom and I have been eyeing rugs for it, but won't be spending this much money any time soon. I love, love, love this rug and the color scheme: the floor is not too far off from the reddish flowers, and the blue matches my sheets, by the way. I guess I'll live with beige walls if I it's the best choice, but would rather not.

Please, people with better taste than mine, tell me what would look good in my shiny, new bedroom?

Bold Colors and White Trim...Name This Trend

Smarson — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:16:28 -0800

What is this interior painting trend I see before me? Mrs. Smarson and I have been in the housing market for the last six months and are finally set to close on a house (YIPEEE!!!). We're currently in the midst of the"what colors do we want to paint the bedrooms, living room, kitchen, etc.?" discussion. The house is a bit older and we're hoping to bring it into the 21st century somewhat with a more modern-ish paint job. We both like some of the styles inside the newer townhouses we toured where the trend seemed to be solid colors (sometimes neutrals like taupe, mocha, beige and sometimes brighter reds, greens, and blues) with white trim. Examples here, here, and here.

Is this a nameable trend? Is there any kind of formula to it? Really I'm just looking for terms/phrases to put me on the right track to finding more examples.

More examples: Here, here, here, here, here, here, and here

Ahgh. Mold.

Alligator — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:27:47 -0800

How do I remove mold and milk residue from the fabric interior on the seat of my car? This is gross. A not-quite-finished bottle of milk which I seem to have discarded into a seat (and promptly forgot about) split open somehow in my car in this summer's heat. Now there is just a lot of mold growing in the spot where it leaked. What can I do to get rid of the mold and the milk residue?

(Also--would driving my currently moldy car be a major health risk?)

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 creative uses for my unusable staircase?

scarylarry — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:33:47 -0800

What are some creative uses for my unusable staircase? Due to the strange layout of the house in which I am now living, there is quite a long staircase in the middle of my apartment that I will never use to get up to the next floor. As the staircase is smack in the middle of my apartment, there's a lot of unused space.

I've already used some of the stairs as a bookshelf and some as a liquor cabinet, but there are about 12 empty steps. What are some creative uses for these steps? I'd love ideas that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing....

Thanks!

Finding interior design help that is not on cable television.

boots77 — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:04:36 -0800

How can I find design resources similar to the home design/interior design shows that are on cable television? I have been very reflective about home styles and "how to" ideas in terms of interior design recently because I am on the verge of buying my first home. The problem is that there are some wonderful shows on cable television that offer this sort of thing regularly in half-hour segments, but I don't have cable television. I'd rather not get cable television if I can at all avoid it. How can I find resources online or otherwise that could help me get the same kind of help?

What I like about the shows that I've seen when at homes with cable television is that the shows are created for beginners. They show you the process and not just explain it to you. For example if they say that a mantle should be over the fireplace, they show you the general idea of how it is made and sometimes will show them going through the installation process. They also explain color schemes, or where to buy cheaper hacks for otherwise expensive furniture, and most importantly, before and after pics. Anyways, I am open to anything that any ideas for resources that any of you have found helpful. Thanks all!

My house needs design help

bluekrauss — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:41:02 -0800

Are there places on the internet that offer free interior design advice? There are a few rooms in our house that need a major overhaul, but I have absolutely no interior design skills. I need some decorating ideas for the living room, and advice about possibly knocking down a wall/putting a wall in a different place in an entryway.

I'd rather hold off on spending $ on hiring designers or architects right now. I was thinking that I could take some pictures of the rooms in question and link to them when asking for advice at design sites or blogs. Do such sites or blogs that give this kind of advice even exist?

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.

We're going to need a better designed boat!

gc — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:47:11 -0800

I want to design a boat. A big boat. Help me learn the basics of interior boat structures. Question first, then background: are there basic, beginner's level interior design books/resources for boats and/or yachts? I realize it's one of those industries that is somewhat obscure, likely by necessity. But I figure there has to be some sort of primer on the subject. I have some idea of what I want, but help me make my design better. My Google-fu and Seattle and King County library-fu has failed.

Background:
I'm working on a story that involves spending long periods of time on a boat, with a crew that ranges from 4 to 10 throughout. And by boat I mean submarine, which, for the world where the story takes place, is as common as a semi-truck. I've got space set aside for cargo, a passenger section, both designed for VIPs or well-paying guests, and for those who just need a berth for a long ocean voyage. I have a bridge, captain's quarters, a sizable engine room, and places for batteries, life support, ballast, and things that generally make the ship go.

But it feels sloppy to me. My references for this sort of thing include spending some time of a fifty-foot Bluewater, some study into the luxury US Subs, pouring over super yacht magazines that were mailed to my house for some reason, and countless science fiction films and television shows (U-571, Red October, Firefly/Serenity, Star Wars/Trek, and on and on). Still, I feel like I'm missing the some of the finer things. I realize that the reader won't be seeing most of the boat, but if I can get a complete picture of the boat, I can give the reader a better picture.

Paintin' purty...recommendations for painters in NYC

kenzi23 — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:02:54 -0800

Recommendations for a good interior painter in NYC? And what do I look for in a painter? I know that I COULD paint my living room, but I just don't feel like it and can afford to pay someone to do it. Does anyone have a personal recommendation (as in, you or a close friend hired them and loved them) in the NYC area?

Also, when looking for a good painter, what should I look for, ask about? Is it assumed that they will have all their own equipment and dropcloths etc.? Do I need to find a bonded painter in case they mess up any of my furniture or floors? Do we sign an agreement?

Help this DIY girl get someone to DIFH (do it for her).

Suggestions for good interior design magazines?

MsVader — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:31:30 -0800

Good interior design magazines? My secret santa this year is my sister-in-law. She's creative and has a great eye for decorating, and has expressed interest in maybe going to school for formal interior design training. Until she can make that happen, I'd like to give her some food for thought. She has added a few books on design to her amazon wishlist. I thought perhaps I'd pick up a book and supplement it with a subscription or two to some good interior design magazines.

I don't know much about the field (though, I'm very interested myself, since I enjoy decorating as well), so I'm offering it up to the AskMe gods. Are any of the books she asked for really excellent (a must-buy) or entirely worthless (don't waste the money)? Are there any others that you might suggest? And I definitely want to get a subscription to a great magazine - those ideas are what I'm mainly after. Help me give a kick-ass gift!