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Hi....this blog is more like a "how to" or a" D.I.Y " book...in fact I had a book half way written then decided to put it here... please check out ...'how to read me'... in the right hand column===>
PT.10 Up Market Style for the Financially Challenged
=== Where To Buy Stuff ===
Dumpsters...
Ok laugh if you dare. Or cringe. Great stuff is being thrown away every day. I have found lamps, accessories, picture frames even a mannequin. Many pieces are in excellent condition. Commercial and industrial bins are often best since someone will often go out of business or move...leaving things behind that the landlord will simply throw out.
Yard Sales /Garage Sales/Car Boot Sales...
The prices can always be negotiated. I find that in general you will pay about a third of what a thrift store sells things for.
Thrift Stores...
On the whole I find these places to be the best choice. Their stock has a high turnover ...so you can visit them once a week. Secondly they price most of their things by a fixed formula. A simple side chair is one price with arms...one without...a price for wood...another for metal and plastics.
The majority of the metal chairs are really cheesy cheap things...bought at Wal-mart perhaps 6 or 7 years ago...and are not worth more then $8 or $10 ...but the Marcel Breur B3 chair from 1925 meets the same description. Yes there are some real bargains to be had.
To get the best out of these places...I recommend visiting every week...and do at least 3 stores.
I have looked thru '1000 Chairs' a few hundred times...and a few other books that I will recommend later. So now I can spot a gem instantly...it takes me 5 minutes to check out the inventory of a store..then buy..or leave. So you do not have to invest a lot of time.
Mom and Pop Stores...
Small family stores occasionally stock a piece that is just too edgy for their every day customer and it eventually gets blown out. What's more, since you can talk to the owner you can negotiate a better price. I saw an 'orange slice' chair sell for $80.00...not a bad price for a used piece and this was new. (this chair is the background for our logo)
Building Supply Stores...
Great for classic industrial lamps. They also sell "metro stand" knock-offs. You may recall I mentioned them when I was talking about re-purposing commercial items.
Later on I will get into how you can make your own furniture with a few hand tools and by re-purposing pieces and bits of things already complete for their initial purpose..but become just a part in our original piece. There are serious designers that have become famous for this. This style is called ..."Ready Made."
Metro Shelves
Pier Giacomo Castiglioni 's Mezzadro and Sella stools
...note the bicycle and tractor seats
Flea Markets...
In most cases the proprietors of flea markets know their stuff ...many have a copy of Hebegger and Osman's Sourcebook of Modern Furniture ( a good book to own but pricey...and I find it misses a few obvious pieces). There are exceptions. The best thing to do is to go on the last day ...often Sunday...better yet the last Sunday of the month...and to show up a few minutes before closing with cash. You can haggle for a great price as the owner will have bills to pay and want cash.
Farm Supply Stores ...
I have found stainless steel buckets that make very hip waste bins or can be used as storage..and at $8 ... why not. They have very cool industial lamps...there is a lamp made to use an infra red bulb to hang over an animal pen and supply heat ...it is $20 ...the nice thing about it (besides its high quality) is that it can take a very high wattage of bulb...which in some applications is really needed. There are animal feeding troughs and bowls etc. perhaps they could be good for planters? You get the picture just look around and if somthing fascinates you...think of a re-purpose for it. So many things...all very well made...and often in production for decades...So they have that great vintage look.
Office Supply Stores ...
Stores that sell office furniture often take the customer's old furniture as a trade in. They also buy used pieces from bankrupt businesses. If they are in large metropolitan areas they are hip to what they have. Some places, often in small or industrial towns simply sell it off cheap...for they do not have a sophisticated market. All kinds of things can be used in a home office or re-purposed. I was at one just recently they had some heavy duty filing cabinets from the 60's in mint shape..and in a really nice tangerine orange for $20 each. Another time I found a table from a lunch room..also from the 60's. It was in a beautiful birch with steel pipe style legs..two of which had oversize caster wheels. It really was a gem...for $40. You can often find even good classic modern pieces that were from waiting rooms, board rooms, and reception rooms.
Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Supply Stores ...
There is a style from the 70's called ' High Tech' and recently a newer style called "Urban Industrial" the first took things literally from industry...the second scratch designed pieces.
I have seen pieces that were designed to look just like the shelving below,to be used in a bedroom to store clothing ....these pieces were from $2000.00 to $6000.00 . The "real" industrial shelving and bin units (shown here) come in all sizes some have choices of bin sizes and colours that will fit on the same rack.
Then there are places that sell used pieces. You can find work benches ,stools and all kinds of cabinets ... some vintage pieces are exceptional.
Institutional stores have great lab furniture in stainless steel and glass. Commercial stores have endless possibilities with store fittings...shelving..tables . The next time you are in a nicely decorated store, start looking very carefully at the furnishings and imagine how each piece could be re-purposed for your use.
Box Stores and any other Enemies of Good Design ...
On the whole I think you should stay clear of these places ...you may tend to make bad choices because some things are spot on..other things fit the description...but do not cut it. Once you have gone through the books and magazines that I recommend for about a year, you will be better informed...and hopefully can notice the detail that makes one piece look 'up market' and another just look cheap.
Case in point Wal-Mart sells some desks and computer stands in metal (usually painted silver) with glass tops. There have been some really classic vintage desks that were designed by designers like Le Corbusier and Norman Foster but most of the Wal-Mart desks just look cheap. A recent exception is Travada, a small desk with nicely shaped curved legs made in a double "S" shape and no superfluous decoration. It has a thick glass top..and is structurally reinforced using aircraft wire and turn buckles which is a nice touch as it gives it an edgy industrial look. The finish was silver paint...but had a small amount of mottling in it and the metal work was not perfect but passable. If repainted in a white or perhaps a primary red or yellow...it could be a knockout...at $100.00 it is a bargain...in fact the glass top is worth the price they are charging. They have several other similar choices and their general description would make them sound just fine...but!!! Sorry they just did not make the cut. They all have too many minor flaws in either their design or construction.
.... In a later article I will show you how to paint metal objects like lamps, chairs and yes...the Wal-Mart desk... and get pro results cheap of course ... the desk would be less then $15.00 to do right.
I was walking through a box store that mainly sells linen ,towels etc. They will sometimes have small furniture pieces..stools little tables and so on. They had a Knock -Off of Alvar Aalto's, Model No. 60 stool ...it was a lost leader in a current flyer...they were made of a cheaper grade of wood...so most had serious flaws all had a few minor ones. I went through every one...they had about 50 pieces. I found one ..free of all but a couple of tiny flaws and the wood on the top had a highly figured grain . It was only $12.00 ...the real deal is $200.00. I was not too proud to sort through every single stool to get the one perfect piece.
I even found a really nice waste paper basket made of woven willow (you may have at some time seen laundry hampers made of willow) It is simple sturdy and tasteful ...I found it at a grocery store $6.00. At a Fysk store ...they have many quite well designed pieces...but beware..some pieces suffer from bad construction. Most of the metal furniture has sloppy welds. This weakens the furniture and makes it look cheap. On the other hand they have a knock-off of a Eames office chair in a black mesh ...for $125.00 ... it was passable but the cheap twinned black plastic wheels would be much improved with an old style singular open wheel like the 1958 original. You could buy a old used office chair for $15 or less and take the wheels off it.
.... Eames aluminum group chair in white mesh about $1200.00
exceptionally well made...with a great attention to detail.
last but not least...
Ikea ...
What !!! Is that not a cheesy budget box store? Well yes... and no. Some is gimmicky and some of it is pretty tacky. But! many pieces are designed by good designers who have carved out their own prestigious reputation. These pieces show up consistently in many of Europe's leading magazines. I have seen pieces as cheap as $20.00 sitting beside pieces worth over $6000.00 and not looking a bit out of place.
You can go online and view these for yourself. The Ikea PS cabinets... these are painted cabinets with louvered doors reminiscent of a traditional industrial, instutional locker. The Helmer drawer unit... looks like a tiny filing cabinet on wheels.
The Grimle dining table has a white top with chrome legs and is very similar to pieces costing hundreds more. Check out the Melltrop dining table it too is white with chrome legs and sells for $400.00 and is very similiar to Piet Hein's ...Super-Elliptical table designed in 1968...which sells for $2000.00! The Torsby a very simple table with a chrome frame and glass top rivals the best. The Jamsunda dining table is much the same as Mies Van Der Rohes 1921 ...369/2 table. Vika Amon table tops married to Vika Curry legs...are a credible stand in for tables by Mies Van Der Rohes or Dieter Rams. The Roy folding stool is notable. The Lack floating shelves come in many finishes and I have seen them used again and again and again in homes where there is no such word as 'budget'. Recently the Biby glass door cabinet is showing up.... it looks like the large institutional cabinets of the early 20th century.In fact I have seen a similar piece that was from a mid century dentist's office.
Very noteworthy pieces are the Karlstead series of sofas and chairs,,, The Tirup armchair pays homage to Christophe Pillets work and the Poang armchairs are very similar to Alvar Aalto's designs in the 30's. The Stockholm armchair is in the spirit of Hans J. Wegner's JH 812. The Kamfors sofa reminds me of Florence Knolls mid 50's work.
But the one piece that really blows me away...is the Klippan sofa...$300.00 in cloth...$600.00 in a good quality leather. Designed in 1970. I find it very amusing that a sofa called 'Silver' by Leonardo Volpi for Edra in 1999...designed I might add almost 20 years later..is considered a prized collectible...worth thousands... yet it is practically a clone of the Klippan!
Note: the similarity of the Klippan below left and the Silver to the right and both come with removable covers !
As I write, there is collection of the best pieces that the company has made, since it was founded in 1943, touring Europe's museums.
Dumpsters...
Ok laugh if you dare. Or cringe. Great stuff is being thrown away every day. I have found lamps, accessories, picture frames even a mannequin. Many pieces are in excellent condition. Commercial and industrial bins are often best since someone will often go out of business or move...leaving things behind that the landlord will simply throw out.
Yard Sales /Garage Sales/Car Boot Sales...
The prices can always be negotiated. I find that in general you will pay about a third of what a thrift store sells things for.
Thrift Stores...
On the whole I find these places to be the best choice. Their stock has a high turnover ...so you can visit them once a week. Secondly they price most of their things by a fixed formula. A simple side chair is one price with arms...one without...a price for wood...another for metal and plastics.
The majority of the metal chairs are really cheesy cheap things...bought at Wal-mart perhaps 6 or 7 years ago...and are not worth more then $8 or $10 ...but the Marcel Breur B3 chair from 1925 meets the same description. Yes there are some real bargains to be had.
To get the best out of these places...I recommend visiting every week...and do at least 3 stores.
I have looked thru '1000 Chairs' a few hundred times...and a few other books that I will recommend later. So now I can spot a gem instantly...it takes me 5 minutes to check out the inventory of a store..then buy..or leave. So you do not have to invest a lot of time.
Mom and Pop Stores...
Small family stores occasionally stock a piece that is just too edgy for their every day customer and it eventually gets blown out. What's more, since you can talk to the owner you can negotiate a better price. I saw an 'orange slice' chair sell for $80.00...not a bad price for a used piece and this was new. (this chair is the background for our logo)
Building Supply Stores...
Great for classic industrial lamps. They also sell "metro stand" knock-offs. You may recall I mentioned them when I was talking about re-purposing commercial items.
Later on I will get into how you can make your own furniture with a few hand tools and by re-purposing pieces and bits of things already complete for their initial purpose..but become just a part in our original piece. There are serious designers that have become famous for this. This style is called ..."Ready Made."
Metro Shelves
Pier Giacomo Castiglioni 's Mezzadro and Sella stools
...note the bicycle and tractor seats
Flea Markets...
In most cases the proprietors of flea markets know their stuff ...many have a copy of Hebegger and Osman's Sourcebook of Modern Furniture ( a good book to own but pricey...and I find it misses a few obvious pieces). There are exceptions. The best thing to do is to go on the last day ...often Sunday...better yet the last Sunday of the month...and to show up a few minutes before closing with cash. You can haggle for a great price as the owner will have bills to pay and want cash.
Farm Supply Stores ...
I have found stainless steel buckets that make very hip waste bins or can be used as storage..and at $8 ... why not. They have very cool industial lamps...there is a lamp made to use an infra red bulb to hang over an animal pen and supply heat ...it is $20 ...the nice thing about it (besides its high quality) is that it can take a very high wattage of bulb...which in some applications is really needed. There are animal feeding troughs and bowls etc. perhaps they could be good for planters? You get the picture just look around and if somthing fascinates you...think of a re-purpose for it. So many things...all very well made...and often in production for decades...So they have that great vintage look.
Office Supply Stores ...
Stores that sell office furniture often take the customer's old furniture as a trade in. They also buy used pieces from bankrupt businesses. If they are in large metropolitan areas they are hip to what they have. Some places, often in small or industrial towns simply sell it off cheap...for they do not have a sophisticated market. All kinds of things can be used in a home office or re-purposed. I was at one just recently they had some heavy duty filing cabinets from the 60's in mint shape..and in a really nice tangerine orange for $20 each. Another time I found a table from a lunch room..also from the 60's. It was in a beautiful birch with steel pipe style legs..two of which had oversize caster wheels. It really was a gem...for $40. You can often find even good classic modern pieces that were from waiting rooms, board rooms, and reception rooms.
Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Supply Stores ...
There is a style from the 70's called ' High Tech' and recently a newer style called "Urban Industrial" the first took things literally from industry...the second scratch designed pieces.
I have seen pieces that were designed to look just like the shelving below,to be used in a bedroom to store clothing ....these pieces were from $2000.00 to $6000.00 . The "real" industrial shelving and bin units (shown here) come in all sizes some have choices of bin sizes and colours that will fit on the same rack.
Then there are places that sell used pieces. You can find work benches ,stools and all kinds of cabinets ... some vintage pieces are exceptional.
Institutional stores have great lab furniture in stainless steel and glass. Commercial stores have endless possibilities with store fittings...shelving..tables . The next time you are in a nicely decorated store, start looking very carefully at the furnishings and imagine how each piece could be re-purposed for your use.
Box Stores and any other Enemies of Good Design ...
On the whole I think you should stay clear of these places ...you may tend to make bad choices because some things are spot on..other things fit the description...but do not cut it. Once you have gone through the books and magazines that I recommend for about a year, you will be better informed...and hopefully can notice the detail that makes one piece look 'up market' and another just look cheap.
Case in point Wal-Mart sells some desks and computer stands in metal (usually painted silver) with glass tops. There have been some really classic vintage desks that were designed by designers like Le Corbusier and Norman Foster but most of the Wal-Mart desks just look cheap. A recent exception is Travada, a small desk with nicely shaped curved legs made in a double "S" shape and no superfluous decoration. It has a thick glass top..and is structurally reinforced using aircraft wire and turn buckles which is a nice touch as it gives it an edgy industrial look. The finish was silver paint...but had a small amount of mottling in it and the metal work was not perfect but passable. If repainted in a white or perhaps a primary red or yellow...it could be a knockout...at $100.00 it is a bargain...in fact the glass top is worth the price they are charging. They have several other similar choices and their general description would make them sound just fine...but!!! Sorry they just did not make the cut. They all have too many minor flaws in either their design or construction.
.... In a later article I will show you how to paint metal objects like lamps, chairs and yes...the Wal-Mart desk... and get pro results cheap of course ... the desk would be less then $15.00 to do right.
I was walking through a box store that mainly sells linen ,towels etc. They will sometimes have small furniture pieces..stools little tables and so on. They had a Knock -Off of Alvar Aalto's, Model No. 60 stool ...it was a lost leader in a current flyer...they were made of a cheaper grade of wood...so most had serious flaws all had a few minor ones. I went through every one...they had about 50 pieces. I found one ..free of all but a couple of tiny flaws and the wood on the top had a highly figured grain . It was only $12.00 ...the real deal is $200.00. I was not too proud to sort through every single stool to get the one perfect piece.
I even found a really nice waste paper basket made of woven willow (you may have at some time seen laundry hampers made of willow) It is simple sturdy and tasteful ...I found it at a grocery store $6.00. At a Fysk store ...they have many quite well designed pieces...but beware..some pieces suffer from bad construction. Most of the metal furniture has sloppy welds. This weakens the furniture and makes it look cheap. On the other hand they have a knock-off of a Eames office chair in a black mesh ...for $125.00 ... it was passable but the cheap twinned black plastic wheels would be much improved with an old style singular open wheel like the 1958 original. You could buy a old used office chair for $15 or less and take the wheels off it.
.... Eames aluminum group chair in white mesh about $1200.00
exceptionally well made...with a great attention to detail.
last but not least...
Ikea ...
What !!! Is that not a cheesy budget box store? Well yes... and no. Some is gimmicky and some of it is pretty tacky. But! many pieces are designed by good designers who have carved out their own prestigious reputation. These pieces show up consistently in many of Europe's leading magazines. I have seen pieces as cheap as $20.00 sitting beside pieces worth over $6000.00 and not looking a bit out of place.
You can go online and view these for yourself. The Ikea PS cabinets... these are painted cabinets with louvered doors reminiscent of a traditional industrial, instutional locker. The Helmer drawer unit... looks like a tiny filing cabinet on wheels.
The Grimle dining table has a white top with chrome legs and is very similar to pieces costing hundreds more. Check out the Melltrop dining table it too is white with chrome legs and sells for $400.00 and is very similiar to Piet Hein's ...Super-Elliptical table designed in 1968...which sells for $2000.00! The Torsby a very simple table with a chrome frame and glass top rivals the best. The Jamsunda dining table is much the same as Mies Van Der Rohes 1921 ...369/2 table. Vika Amon table tops married to Vika Curry legs...are a credible stand in for tables by Mies Van Der Rohes or Dieter Rams. The Roy folding stool is notable. The Lack floating shelves come in many finishes and I have seen them used again and again and again in homes where there is no such word as 'budget'. Recently the Biby glass door cabinet is showing up.... it looks like the large institutional cabinets of the early 20th century.In fact I have seen a similar piece that was from a mid century dentist's office.
Very noteworthy pieces are the Karlstead series of sofas and chairs,,, The Tirup armchair pays homage to Christophe Pillets work and the Poang armchairs are very similar to Alvar Aalto's designs in the 30's. The Stockholm armchair is in the spirit of Hans J. Wegner's JH 812. The Kamfors sofa reminds me of Florence Knolls mid 50's work.
But the one piece that really blows me away...is the Klippan sofa...$300.00 in cloth...$600.00 in a good quality leather. Designed in 1970. I find it very amusing that a sofa called 'Silver' by Leonardo Volpi for Edra in 1999...designed I might add almost 20 years later..is considered a prized collectible...worth thousands... yet it is practically a clone of the Klippan!
Note: the similarity of the Klippan below left and the Silver to the right and both come with removable covers !
As I write, there is collection of the best pieces that the company has made, since it was founded in 1943, touring Europe's museums.
So the only thing I will warn you about is not to go too crazy with the stuff...it is very easy to end up with too much of it. For example you might have a room with just a few pieces needed to finish it. You look at what is available new that you could use. Your first choice is considered by the greater public...very reasonable... but....it is still three times the price of Ikea..and you already have two or three pieces ...perhaps the one's I just mentioned. Opps! you now have an Ikea show room instead of the show piece you were striving for. But my final word is...don't count it out it has some great stuff.
PT.9 Up Market Style for the Financially Challenged
=== "Me Too's and Knock-Offs ===
Me Too's...
Knock-Offs...
This is an important issue to address now...because although you are all equipped with a good book to recognize 'fakes' ....many are so good that you will not be able to tell the difference.
There is a big debate whether "copies, knock-offs and fakes" ...should be allowed to be sold.
First the majority of them are copies of pieces that the copyrights have expired decades ago. These pieces are therefore not illegally manufactured and sold. Secondly most of the designers are deceased. So I can not get too upset that the companies that have the r
ights to the 'official' versions are whining. The officials on the whole do produce a superior product. But it is not unusual to see prices of nearly $6000.00 for a sofa when a very good copy is about $1600.00. ouch!!! Perhaps the official piece should cost more...but "Hello Hello" I think we have what is usually referred to as a 'credibility gap!!!
This is an important issue to address now...because although you are all equipped with a good book to recognize 'fakes' ....many are so good that you will not be able to tell the difference.
There is a big debate whether "copies, knock-offs and fakes" ...should be allowed to be sold.
First the majority of them are copies of pieces that the copyrights have expired decades ago. These pieces are therefore not illegally manufactured and sold. Secondly most of the designers are deceased. So I can not get too upset that the companies that have the r
ights to the 'official' versions are whining. The officials on the whole do produce a superior product. But it is not unusual to see prices of nearly $6000.00 for a sofa when a very good copy is about $1600.00. ouch!!! Perhaps the official piece should cost more...but "Hello Hello" I think we have what is usually referred to as a 'credibility gap!!!that said...with our budget a second hand original or copy is just fine.
Me Too's...
I personally love these things. Although even many of the classics were not overly popular when first designed and made, some were later...and a few really caught on. Designers ...even the best have been heavily influenced by others that preceded them and competing companies are always wanting a similar product to offer the public. They are sarcastically referred to as "Me Too" pieces.
What I like is that many of these pieces have there own personality..they are often rarer as they have not been as prized as the classics...and they give our homes 'the look' without looking like a cliche of the style.
The red chair is by Ray and Charles Eames ....the designer and manufacturer of the yellow chair is unknown ....The Eames chair has an H-style base where the base on the yellow chair is an X -style base...you can easily notice that the back and the seat of the 'me too 'is not rounded like the Eames.
.....the eames chair is $249.00. I personally bought the 'me too' used for $8.50
..........................................
...the chair below, is Arne Jacobsen's Series7 made of beech wood..... $537.00
...the chair next to it, is Jacobsen's, Oxford chair.
...below these is a 'me too', you will note that it borrows styling cues from both, it is made of a cheaper basswood ... but at $30.00 it will do quite nicely
PT.8 Up Market Style for the Financially Challenged
=== The Plan ===
If you had your own interior designer/decorator...or even if you are doing this yourself...you need a plan. Traditionally it is assumed you are going to empty a room...maybe keep a couple of pieces and re-do the whole thing, all within a set budget and in a set time frame.
Forget it!!! We do not have the money for that...and whats more doing everything at once means that we will be paying full 'pop' for everything.
So what will we do?
Well for a start even the most luxurious rooms emptied of their furnishings look rather unimpressive...and some of the best rooms are nothing more then simply four walls and a nice paint job without their contents. So I have found focusing on the furniture is the key.
Once you have found and bought three or more pieces for a particular room then you are ready to start. Ideally it is good to have somewhere to store these things ..as it can take some time to accumulate enough of them to replace the contents of the room they were bought for. Another extremely workable idea is start by painting one or more key rooms white and place things wherever in them. White is perfect as it will act as a back drop for the many different colours that the pieces you have collected may come in. Later we will review everything you need to know about colours and how to work with them.
It is likely that you will be adding new pieces and editing out old pieces from your past for quite some time. I have found that as you go certain pieces will gain or loose priority ...so for awhile it is often not wise to lock in decisions.
Two things will keep changing...your tastes will broaden and every now and then an absolutely wonderful item will drop into your lap. Over the last three months I have had a chair and two side tables come my way...one table..was $7.00 the other was $4.50 and the chair was a dollar! It is just dumb luck that they compliment each other and can replace pieces in a hall at the top of the stairs. The things I had were attractive..effective and and were all under $20.00 each. But! These new pieces are really great! Like me you are unlikely to even think about a space that you have finished and are more then pleased with
You can have a few weeks or months and find virtually nothing ..but your luck will change. I have found that I often can have a short spell of several great items showing up... one after the other over a week or two. I bought these pieces for no other reason then that they were just too good and too cheap not to. I even felt a little stupid as I had to store them with no idea of how or where I could ever use them. Then I tried to take the nicest piece and put it in the hall to replace a piece that was there. It did not work! I made the remark to a friend that it would only work if I replaced everything else. Then it occurred to me...I already had that "everything else".
. . .
Well for a start even the most luxurious rooms emptied of their furnishings look rather unimpressive...and some of the best rooms are nothing more then simply four walls and a nice paint job without their contents. So I have found focusing on the furniture is the key.
Once you have found and bought three or more pieces for a particular room then you are ready to start. Ideally it is good to have somewhere to store these things ..as it can take some time to accumulate enough of them to replace the contents of the room they were bought for. Another extremely workable idea is start by painting one or more key rooms white and place things wherever in them. White is perfect as it will act as a back drop for the many different colours that the pieces you have collected may come in. Later we will review everything you need to know about colours and how to work with them.
It is likely that you will be adding new pieces and editing out old pieces from your past for quite some time. I have found that as you go certain pieces will gain or loose priority ...so for awhile it is often not wise to lock in decisions.
Two things will keep changing...your tastes will broaden and every now and then an absolutely wonderful item will drop into your lap. Over the last three months I have had a chair and two side tables come my way...one table..was $7.00 the other was $4.50 and the chair was a dollar! It is just dumb luck that they compliment each other and can replace pieces in a hall at the top of the stairs. The things I had were attractive..effective and and were all under $20.00 each. But! These new pieces are really great! Like me you are unlikely to even think about a space that you have finished and are more then pleased with
You can have a few weeks or months and find virtually nothing ..but your luck will change. I have found that I often can have a short spell of several great items showing up... one after the other over a week or two. I bought these pieces for no other reason then that they were just too good and too cheap not to. I even felt a little stupid as I had to store them with no idea of how or where I could ever use them. Then I tried to take the nicest piece and put it in the hall to replace a piece that was there. It did not work! I made the remark to a friend that it would only work if I replaced everything else. Then it occurred to me...I already had that "everything else".
. . .
We need to know what things to look for. I will cover that next. We will need to know where to buy them. I will tell you where later. It will not matter what room a piece goes into. One week we might find the perfect lamp for our desk..... and the next week the perfect coffee table for the living room...and yet another time a bed. Which means we will edit rooms and add as we go...or even store things if we have some space to. Once we have collected enough things to make over part or all of a room we will do so.
We will let the pieces dictate our direction. For example imagine we find a steal on a upholstered chair by George Nelson...it is blue...bingo ! ... we are going to be using blue in that room. Later we find a sweet deal on an antique table ...the only place we can use it is in the room with the blue chair. It is not how we envisioned that room... but...in fact the 'big but' is that it works perfect. We are going to use the George Nelson chair...even if we were really hoping for the Pierre Paulin chair...in red. We always imagined that we were going to have that sleek Eileen Gray glass top table across from it. I am not suggesting you like "everything" but keep your options open. I soon began buying everything..as long as it had a pedigree Yes I now have three chairs and a table stored because I have no room for them and I preferred something else I eventually found. Big deal two of the chairs were $5.00 each...one chair $1.00 and the table was $15.00. No regrets ...and if I had the space I would use them.
It takes time... but you will find that you will get a big charge when you buy these pieces...and you get to go shopping ...a lot! Once you get a room or two with a bit into it, every time you add something to it...you will not only get a buzz from the new thing but from the room itself. The room just keeps getting better and better. If you could do the whole room at once...you would soon find that you have taken that space for granted ...and were bored with it. So I found getting things one at a time was just plain fun. Every week or so something new. Unlike a night out at the movies or the like...I got to keep my prize...and enjoy it again and again. Take for example my Marcel Bruer chair...$8.50 .First I was so excited with it...then a couple of months later I found the perfect side table for it...not only was that great ...I put them together ...and boom I was thrilled by the chair all over again.
The biggest part of a room are the things we put into it. I have not forgotten about the room itself.
A bit later we will cover floors,ceilings and walls. I will show you how to use and make sense of colour. I will give you the basics...and the whole deal too, for those that really like that sort of thing. If you find the "paint thing" is to heady and the thing bogs you down...I will also show you how to skip nearly all of that ... and give you a dead easy bullet proof way to make a room look perfect.
. . .
. . .
=== The Guide ==
OK! Listen up!
If is not so easy to pick out the good stuff without a guide. Or ...now you are here..."school is in"
and you will need a text book or two. I learnt more from observing pictures then I ever did from reading. "And yes"... I am remembering that those that read my modest epistles are the very people who need to get them cheap.
A picture is worth a thousand words... Wow! What an inspiration that cliche' gave me...
... the two most valuable books I own are Tashen's..."1000 Chairs "and "1000 Lights 1878 to present" both books are written by... Charlotte and Peter Fiell
Because many of the same designers that design chairs also design tables etc. it becomes relatively easy to recognize the 'style' that a particular designer creates by their chairs. I found most of my furniture second hand... and very cheap by using this book as a reference.
The "lamps" book is such a bargain it is worth having too.
If is not so easy to pick out the good stuff without a guide. Or ...now you are here..."school is in"
and you will need a text book or two. I learnt more from observing pictures then I ever did from reading. "And yes"... I am remembering that those that read my modest epistles are the very people who need to get them cheap.
A picture is worth a thousand words... Wow! What an inspiration that cliche' gave me...
... the two most valuable books I own are Tashen's..."1000 Chairs "and "1000 Lights 1878 to present" both books are written by... Charlotte and Peter Fiell
Because many of the same designers that design chairs also design tables etc. it becomes relatively easy to recognize the 'style' that a particular designer creates by their chairs. I found most of my furniture second hand... and very cheap by using this book as a reference.
The "lamps" book is such a bargain it is worth having too.
I have seen these books for between $2.00 each (used) to $45.00 each. in reality expect to pay $10.00 to $20.00.
. . .
. . .
There are many magazines that cater to home design and decoration.. The better of which are Metopolitan Home, Elle Decor, and Elle Decoration U.K. edition. Then there are magazines and periodicals like Modernism and Atomic Ranch which inform and celebrate good design in architecture and the decorative arts. These are are both an enjoyable read but also can serve as reference books.
Most magazines are focused on what is hip,cool and new! Unfortunately too many are only interested in the fashion of the moment and they feed this candy to you in heaping spoon fulls. The result is if you use them for a guide ...you will end up with a house full of dated over priced and redundant items in a very short time.
Most magazines are focused on what is hip,cool and new! Unfortunately too many are only interested in the fashion of the moment and they feed this candy to you in heaping spoon fulls. The result is if you use them for a guide ...you will end up with a house full of dated over priced and redundant items in a very short time.
there are exceptions ....
... Elle Decoration U.K. Edition
How good is it??? ......
No... it is not doing things on the cheap...neither is it trying to show off that which is only affordable by the wealthy.
It is about excellence in design... and it is so varied... that reading a single issue would never show you the whole spectrum.
It is now the worlds best selling homes magazine. Which I find a rather refreshing as they simply refused to play it safe. Creativity is always more important then fashion. I am sure some readers would find some rooms ugly...and I can personally tell you that many rooms break all the rules on good design that I learnt at school. They focus on quality,integrity and the best of the "Decorative Arts". Whether that is from Ikea, from high end manufacturers and designers or is found at the flea market, makes no difference. I have been reading it for ten years and and I have saved every issue...I went back and looked at the rooms that they were showing ten years ago... they still do not look the slightest bit dated! Those that used this to help them make their purchase decisions ten years ago must find it damn hard to get that smug grin off their face.
It really is quite simply the best! "No!!!" I am in no way affiliated with this publication. In fact I wrote to them and they did not even reply to me with a form letter.
You can pick up a copy at your local big box book store... it sells for about $12 or less.
"Hey !!!" "Those that do not get a copy every month will be spanked!" LOL
So.... bottom line. At the very least buy the "1000 Chairs" book ....and start reading Elle Decoration U.K. edition every month.
In the future I am going to refer to the book. I will also be sending you scurrying to the magazine to point out good examples of rooms that reflect a specific topic that I am discussing.
I am only one person ...so photographing new rooms as examples of 'how to' is limited. That said... we will soon be joined by photographer Jing Xie. She will be giving us pictures of specific examples in all of are "how to's"
PT.7 Up Market Style for the Financially Challenged
=== Antiques and Vintage Furniture ===
Most of these pieces are not going to be in our budget but from time to time we get lucky...we can inherit them or find a very rare bargain. It is safe to say that average consumer pieces made after 1960 are as a rule ....crap! Why? Because up until that time traditional materials were still plentiful and reasonably cheap and some good hand craftsmanship was still not unusual. Furniture was often made locally and a strict assembly line production was not the norm. Any furniture made before 1950 is a relatively safe purchase. Look for all wood construction...veneers are acceptable...look up close to any moulding and make sure it is not painted over plastic. Turn over the piece especially the bottom of drawers if they are wood they will have a wood grain and not be a wood composite such as hardboard. Pieces that are not overly ornate are usually best because what you do not want is...for example "the hot new consumer look of 1936" but the conservative pieces of that same year. Later I will get into an article going into detail of how to pick pieces...and even try and show you when you can safely 'cheat' and buy pieces that technically do not meet these standards.
Most of these pieces are not going to be in our budget but from time to time we get lucky...we can inherit them or find a very rare bargain. It is safe to say that average consumer pieces made after 1960 are as a rule ....crap! Why? Because up until that time traditional materials were still plentiful and reasonably cheap and some good hand craftsmanship was still not unusual. Furniture was often made locally and a strict assembly line production was not the norm. Any furniture made before 1950 is a relatively safe purchase. Look for all wood construction...veneers are acceptable...look up close to any moulding and make sure it is not painted over plastic. Turn over the piece especially the bottom of drawers if they are wood they will have a wood grain and not be a wood composite such as hardboard. Pieces that are not overly ornate are usually best because what you do not want is...for example "the hot new consumer look of 1936" but the conservative pieces of that same year. Later I will get into an article going into detail of how to pick pieces...and even try and show you when you can safely 'cheat' and buy pieces that technically do not meet these standards.
PT.6 Up Market Style for the Finacially Challenged
=== The Best of What's New ===
This can cover a lot of bases... it is an area which is the most subjective. Without the weight of time a much praised sofa design by an applauded designer may loose its shine. I have over time come up with a few educated guesses... Marc Sadder's Twiggy Lamp and Phillip Starcks Louis Ghost chair I feel could become classics.
This can cover a lot of bases... it is an area which is the most subjective. Without the weight of time a much praised sofa design by an applauded designer may loose its shine. I have over time come up with a few educated guesses... Marc Sadder's Twiggy Lamp and Phillip Starcks Louis Ghost chair I feel could become classics.
I feel the best of what's new can be enjoyed most effectively with paint and other items like throw cushions,small rugs and carpets, vases, posters, pictures and other accessories. By the time these become dated or tiresome..they will often have become worn, shabby or simply like paint..need freshening up.
We must always keep in mind that it is prudent to remember that the expression... 'latest fashsion' and the word... 'temporary' are interchangeable!
PT.5 Up Market Style for the Finacially Challenged
=== Institutional, Commercial and Industrial ===
Many items made for non residential purposes especially vintage pieces can be repurposed and used. These pieces are usually designed to sustain heavy use. Form followed function. Items can be repurposed. They can look very hip,edgy and yet are often very whimsical.
A doctor's or dentists stainless steel and glass cabinet can be used for a bookcase, curio cabinet or other type of display case. Vintage operating room lamps have wheels and the height is adjustable... they make a novel alternative to a ceiling fixture. Store display tables and shelving can be reassigned. A dress makers form or a mannequin makes for an interesting art piece. Office furniture is very cool... vintage steel desks can be stripped of their grey paint and repainted in bright colours or clear coated to give them a stainless steel look. Waiting room furniture is often not only well made but often has style cues years ahead of what eventually the public choose for their homes. Industrial work tables make great dining tables. Cast iron and heavy hardwood wagons,trucks and trolleys can become coffee tables or to hold televisions or other electronics. Mobile wire shelving used to hold bakery items make great open pantry storage or they too can be used for holding our entertainment electronics. I personally use one of these that is available as a factory floor mobile computer work station. It is attractive very functional, built like a tank and cost me no more then a consumer budget brand alternative. I am sure you have seen these budget work stations, perhaps at Wal-mart... made of chipboard... covered in a vinyl wallpaper... that try unconvincingly to pass itself off as wood! Lighting and lamps are often in production for decades so you get this great 1920's thru 1940's quality and look... because it has never been out of production.
from left to right...
...industrial stool
...medical lamp
...machine stand converted to occasional table
...a dentists cabinet used for curios
...metal desk and chair
...office filing cabinet
...industrial/commercial lamp
...repainted desk
Many items made for non residential purposes especially vintage pieces can be repurposed and used. These pieces are usually designed to sustain heavy use. Form followed function. Items can be repurposed. They can look very hip,edgy and yet are often very whimsical.
A doctor's or dentists stainless steel and glass cabinet can be used for a bookcase, curio cabinet or other type of display case. Vintage operating room lamps have wheels and the height is adjustable... they make a novel alternative to a ceiling fixture. Store display tables and shelving can be reassigned. A dress makers form or a mannequin makes for an interesting art piece. Office furniture is very cool... vintage steel desks can be stripped of their grey paint and repainted in bright colours or clear coated to give them a stainless steel look. Waiting room furniture is often not only well made but often has style cues years ahead of what eventually the public choose for their homes. Industrial work tables make great dining tables. Cast iron and heavy hardwood wagons,trucks and trolleys can become coffee tables or to hold televisions or other electronics. Mobile wire shelving used to hold bakery items make great open pantry storage or they too can be used for holding our entertainment electronics. I personally use one of these that is available as a factory floor mobile computer work station. It is attractive very functional, built like a tank and cost me no more then a consumer budget brand alternative. I am sure you have seen these budget work stations, perhaps at Wal-mart... made of chipboard... covered in a vinyl wallpaper... that try unconvincingly to pass itself off as wood! Lighting and lamps are often in production for decades so you get this great 1920's thru 1940's quality and look... because it has never been out of production.
from left to right...
...industrial stool
...medical lamp
...machine stand converted to occasional table
...a dentists cabinet used for curios
...metal desk and chair
...office filing cabinet
...industrial/commercial lamp
...repainted desk
PT.4 Up Market Style for the Financially Challenged
=== Classic Modern ===
... Organic Design
This style came just a few years later then the 'International Style'....some designers loved the clean simplicity of the Modern Movement ... but preferred softer curved lines and the use of wood with it's natural warmth. Below is Alvar Aalto's 'Tank' chair... 1935 and stool Model No. 60... 1932 with Isamu Noguchi's coffe table... 1944
After WW2 with the introduction of better plastics and a new material, latex foam. Designers were encouraged to created radical new designs moulded in new shapes that were not possible in wood or metal. Isamu Noguchi, Arne Jacobsen and Pierre Paulin are just three of the many designers who created upholstered items with softer sensuous lines.
from left to right
Eero Saarinen's Tulip chair Model 150... 1955
Charles & Ray Eames DSR chair.... 1948
Pierre Paulin's Orange Slice chair... 1960
... Organic Design
This style came just a few years later then the 'International Style'....some designers loved the clean simplicity of the Modern Movement ... but preferred softer curved lines and the use of wood with it's natural warmth. Below is Alvar Aalto's 'Tank' chair... 1935 and stool Model No. 60... 1932 with Isamu Noguchi's coffe table... 1944
After WW2 with the introduction of better plastics and a new material, latex foam. Designers were encouraged to created radical new designs moulded in new shapes that were not possible in wood or metal. Isamu Noguchi, Arne Jacobsen and Pierre Paulin are just three of the many designers who created upholstered items with softer sensuous lines.
from left to right
Eero Saarinen's Tulip chair Model 150... 1955
Charles & Ray Eames DSR chair.... 1948
Pierre Paulin's Orange Slice chair... 1960
PT. 3 Up Market Style for the Financially Challenged
=== Classic Modern ===
Le Corbusier's Grande Comfort chair... 1928
...The International Style
This style has simple clean linear lines... featuring leather, chrome and glass
from top to bottom
Le Corbusier's Grande Comfort chair... 1928
Eileen Gray E.1027 glass table... 1930
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair... 1929
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair... 1929
Marcel Breuers Wassily chair .... 1925 ( perhaps the icon of all icon's of modern design)
PT. 2 Up Market Style for the Financially Challenged
=== The Roots of Europe's New Cutting Edge Style ===
For centuries Europeans have been buying furniture made by local artisans. The best have been passed on from one generation to the next. It is not surprising that the designers and makers of this furniture have earned respect over the last few centuries. So it should also not be surprising that the new furniture of the 20th century like Art Deco and Modern eventually found its way into the homes of these same families. In short Europeans expect that there fellow countrymen can...will and do make and design new furniture the best of which will be added to the mix.
Likewise there has been a respect for the buildings over the ages ...both domestic ,commercial and industrial ... many have survived and have been continually altered and re-purposed. Add to all this ...the "green movement" of reuse and re-purpose ...it seems inevitable that this evolving grass roots style ... is now being consciously emulated.
=== The New Eclectic ===
I have heard this style described as " classic modern ,combined with thrift store finds and the best of what's new" ....which is hardly unfair...as that is exactly how I emulated the style and furnished my home.
There are six key elements used in the style. There is Classic Modern which is almost always represented in some way ...even if it is just the odd piece. Antique and traditional vintage pieces can be included. The next three elements are unusual, Institutional,Commercial
and Industrial. These are usually vintage pieces and are nearly always re-purposed and used in new ways. And 'the best of what is new' this includes critically acclaimed pieces like Philippe Starck's 'Louis Ghost' chair to nothing more then the latest trend in paint colours..
fabrics and flooring.
Philippe Starck's
Ghost Chair <<<>>>
=== Classic Modern ===
I have seen places that do not use this at all but that is rare. These are often the pieces that one is first introduced to by the movie industry...one person once described it to me as "Jame Bond " furniture. It is currently very popular to use these pieces for the furniture in TV commercials ,talk show and news cast sets. CNN are using chairs from the 'Aluminum Group"designed by Charles and Ray Eames....they were intended for domestic use either indoor or out but have had a greater success as desk chairs for the corporate office .
Most people are surprised to find that many of these pieces were first designed and made between 1925 and 1935. Latter after WW2 came to an end in 1945 other icons were added to the list...up until about 1970. These pieces have been in and out of production since they were first manufactured...and most are in production today.
They fall into two categories. "The International Style" and "Organic Design"
For centuries Europeans have been buying furniture made by local artisans. The best have been passed on from one generation to the next. It is not surprising that the designers and makers of this furniture have earned respect over the last few centuries. So it should also not be surprising that the new furniture of the 20th century like Art Deco and Modern eventually found its way into the homes of these same families. In short Europeans expect that there fellow countrymen can...will and do make and design new furniture the best of which will be added to the mix.
Likewise there has been a respect for the buildings over the ages ...both domestic ,commercial and industrial ... many have survived and have been continually altered and re-purposed. Add to all this ...the "green movement" of reuse and re-purpose ...it seems inevitable that this evolving grass roots style ... is now being consciously emulated.
=== The New Eclectic ===
I have heard this style described as " classic modern ,combined with thrift store finds and the best of what's new" ....which is hardly unfair...as that is exactly how I emulated the style and furnished my home.
There are six key elements used in the style. There is Classic Modern which is almost always represented in some way ...even if it is just the odd piece. Antique and traditional vintage pieces can be included. The next three elements are unusual, Institutional,Commercial
and Industrial. These are usually vintage pieces and are nearly always re-purposed and used in new ways. And 'the best of what is new' this includes critically acclaimed pieces like Philippe Starck's 'Louis Ghost' chair to nothing more then the latest trend in paint colours..fabrics and flooring.
Philippe Starck's
Ghost Chair <<<>>>
=== Classic Modern ===
I have seen places that do not use this at all but that is rare. These are often the pieces that one is first introduced to by the movie industry...one person once described it to me as "Jame Bond " furniture. It is currently very popular to use these pieces for the furniture in TV commercials ,talk show and news cast sets. CNN are using chairs from the 'Aluminum Group"designed by Charles and Ray Eames....they were intended for domestic use either indoor or out but have had a greater success as desk chairs for the corporate office .
Most people are surprised to find that many of these pieces were first designed and made between 1925 and 1935. Latter after WW2 came to an end in 1945 other icons were added to the list...up until about 1970. These pieces have been in and out of production since they were first manufactured...and most are in production today.
They fall into two categories. "The International Style" and "Organic Design"
PT. 1 Up Market Style for the Financially Challenged
Welcome!
This blog is all about how to turn your home into a place fit for the photographers camera with plenty of that "wow" factor. You will spend no more money then what you could be spending on your weekly visits to the odd coffee shop or buying that extra piece of clothing. You know... that coat that as soon as you got home, you started having second thoughts.
No I am not asking you to save up a lot of money .... the most expensive thing I bought was a sofa for $650.00 and that was after having the fun of buying something new every week ...week after week for several years. How? Well I will get into the details later. With a very few exceptions I paid less then $100.00 for each piece of furniture...in fact many pieces were less then $30.00. Lamps were all less then $15.00 ...accessories less then $12.00 some as low as fifty cents. Yes I said fifty cents!
What is more not only does my place look great ...about 90% of the items I choose will never date or look unfashionable ...making my purchases an investment...and something I can keep forever.
There are over thee hundred million people in the U.S., sixty one million in Briton and millions more in the rest of the world. We all have to live some where...and millions of us have a place that we either rent or have bought... we all furnish it in some way or another...and it is human nature to personalize and decorate it. There are millions of us that prefer to do this in such a way as to make our place not only a home...but a artistic expression of who and what we are.
There are also literally millions of us wish that some day we could have a place like we see in the movies...on TV or especially in the magazines that are dedicated to the pursuit of beautiful homes. But if like me... you feel trapped by financial circumstances that make you feel that such a thing is not in in your immediate future there is a way.
There are only a few things that you must do. First you must be prepared to spend a little time on it every week. You must have the patience to accept it will take awhile to notice a measurable change . You must be able to part with pieces of furniture and other items that do not work, even if you are attached to them because of sentiment... or money invested. You must be capable of putting a few dollars aside... preferably an average of $30 a week...some weeks ten or twelve dollars...some weeks nothing and you save a bit for larger items. ( I did this by forgoing my coffee shop habit... in favour of home made coffee and grocery store treats) Lastly....the big one .....you must be able to expand your tastes to include things that you will at first... .feel are not your "thing". You will probably... like me... change your mind ... or replace only a few things over time.
I am sure that when looking at the pictures of homes displayed in magazines....that ...although you were impressed by the rooms... none were 'exactly' to your taste. You feel that given the same budget you would do many things different. But! I am sure taken as an even trade for the rooms you presently live in... you would be more then happy to forgo your quibbles.
So what is my point? Well I have found that making a room that is fit for the magazines photographer... and with plenty of that "Wow" factor is neither difficult and can be dirt cheap.
I can promise you it will look as good as the ones in the magazines ... it certainly will not look out of place with the best of them.
OK...whats the catch ???
With out limitless funds there will be compromises. For example in Alejandro Bahamon's book Room by Room there is a room with my favourite desk. Marcel Breuer's S286. It is my dream desk ...I do not own that desk ...a few pages later is another desk. A very nice desk too ...that one I have a close copy of ! I love my desk ...not because it is my dream desk ...but because it is a valid substitute in the same league ...and it cost me $80 .
So ...like me you will learn to enjoy being surrounded by things that are undeniably excellent ...but may not be necessarily your first choice.
Style Is Everything!
There are over 70 styles I could name here and even they could have sub categories.
So... for our purposes lets keep it to a few general styles that relate to the average person.'Traditional' ...a style most people associate with lots of carved wooden furniture of oak,walnut and mahogany in rich dark stains ,Persian rugs,tapestries and damasks. 'Country'...which was derived from the furnishings of the working people of the same era with many of the attributes of traditional but made with inexpensive materials such as pine,cotton and chintz. 'Modern' with a minimum of pieces with sharp clean lines and using a lot of glass,leather and chrome.'Transitional' a current favourite... that is very much related to the 'Art Deco' spin off 1930,s Hollywood. This style takes the designs of traditional pieces and greatly simplifies them.
Then there is what many of us own ...'Eclectic' bits and pieces from many styles.
Lets Pick A Style
'Traditional'? I have seen some gorgeous places in every style . But ...a top notch traditional place is not cheap to do. Sorry...but even the kid working part time at the thrift store can recognize a hand carved dining room suite ...even if it is by trying to pick up one of the chairs...which made of solid wood weighs half a ton.
'Country' can be affordable since it consists of traditional pieces of lesser value and pieces in a very worn condition can work quite well. But affordable and dirt cheap are two different things.
'Modern' can be absolutely cheesy looking if the pieces are badly designed with sloppy workmanship,poor materials and no attention to detail... but the good news ...is that you can often find an absolutely great piece sitting in a sea of decade old Wal-mart items at the thrift stores with a small price tag.
'Eclectic'? Well it covers all of the above and even more. If done right it can look amazing. Its greatest asset to us...is that anything you find in your search either really grabs you are is simply a bargain need not be ignored.It also means that you can keep a few pieces that you may already own.
So...If you want a great looking room ...cheap... 'Eclectic' is the way to go!
Hey! Before I started I was a die hard Traditionalist...antiques or nothing!!!
I soon found that if my room looked like the room on the cover of a magazine...although in my opinion ..some one someone else's room...but still a room with the credibility to be photographed for a magazine...well, ... I soon got over it.
Furthermore my tastes slowly changed....I learnt to really love my chrome and white leather Marcel Breuer B33 chair ...this is virtually a classic modern piece.
I have seen these sell for hundreds of dollars ...paying $8.50 did not hurt convincing me I was on to something.
Marcel Breuer B33
1927-1928
This blog is all about how to turn your home into a place fit for the photographers camera with plenty of that "wow" factor. You will spend no more money then what you could be spending on your weekly visits to the odd coffee shop or buying that extra piece of clothing. You know... that coat that as soon as you got home, you started having second thoughts.
No I am not asking you to save up a lot of money .... the most expensive thing I bought was a sofa for $650.00 and that was after having the fun of buying something new every week ...week after week for several years. How? Well I will get into the details later. With a very few exceptions I paid less then $100.00 for each piece of furniture...in fact many pieces were less then $30.00. Lamps were all less then $15.00 ...accessories less then $12.00 some as low as fifty cents. Yes I said fifty cents!
What is more not only does my place look great ...about 90% of the items I choose will never date or look unfashionable ...making my purchases an investment...and something I can keep forever.
There are over thee hundred million people in the U.S., sixty one million in Briton and millions more in the rest of the world. We all have to live some where...and millions of us have a place that we either rent or have bought... we all furnish it in some way or another...and it is human nature to personalize and decorate it. There are millions of us that prefer to do this in such a way as to make our place not only a home...but a artistic expression of who and what we are.
There are also literally millions of us wish that some day we could have a place like we see in the movies...on TV or especially in the magazines that are dedicated to the pursuit of beautiful homes. But if like me... you feel trapped by financial circumstances that make you feel that such a thing is not in in your immediate future there is a way.
There are only a few things that you must do. First you must be prepared to spend a little time on it every week. You must have the patience to accept it will take awhile to notice a measurable change . You must be able to part with pieces of furniture and other items that do not work, even if you are attached to them because of sentiment... or money invested. You must be capable of putting a few dollars aside... preferably an average of $30 a week...some weeks ten or twelve dollars...some weeks nothing and you save a bit for larger items. ( I did this by forgoing my coffee shop habit... in favour of home made coffee and grocery store treats) Lastly....the big one .....you must be able to expand your tastes to include things that you will at first... .feel are not your "thing". You will probably... like me... change your mind ... or replace only a few things over time.
I am sure that when looking at the pictures of homes displayed in magazines....that ...although you were impressed by the rooms... none were 'exactly' to your taste. You feel that given the same budget you would do many things different. But! I am sure taken as an even trade for the rooms you presently live in... you would be more then happy to forgo your quibbles.
So what is my point? Well I have found that making a room that is fit for the magazines photographer... and with plenty of that "Wow" factor is neither difficult and can be dirt cheap.
I can promise you it will look as good as the ones in the magazines ... it certainly will not look out of place with the best of them.
OK...whats the catch ???
With out limitless funds there will be compromises. For example in Alejandro Bahamon's book Room by Room there is a room with my favourite desk. Marcel Breuer's S286. It is my dream desk ...I do not own that desk ...a few pages later is another desk. A very nice desk too ...that one I have a close copy of ! I love my desk ...not because it is my dream desk ...but because it is a valid substitute in the same league ...and it cost me $80 .
So ...like me you will learn to enjoy being surrounded by things that are undeniably excellent ...but may not be necessarily your first choice.
Style Is Everything!
There are over 70 styles I could name here and even they could have sub categories.
So... for our purposes lets keep it to a few general styles that relate to the average person.'Traditional' ...a style most people associate with lots of carved wooden furniture of oak,walnut and mahogany in rich dark stains ,Persian rugs,tapestries and damasks. 'Country'...which was derived from the furnishings of the working people of the same era with many of the attributes of traditional but made with inexpensive materials such as pine,cotton and chintz. 'Modern' with a minimum of pieces with sharp clean lines and using a lot of glass,leather and chrome.'Transitional' a current favourite... that is very much related to the 'Art Deco' spin off 1930,s Hollywood. This style takes the designs of traditional pieces and greatly simplifies them.
Then there is what many of us own ...'Eclectic' bits and pieces from many styles.
Lets Pick A Style
'Traditional'? I have seen some gorgeous places in every style . But ...a top notch traditional place is not cheap to do. Sorry...but even the kid working part time at the thrift store can recognize a hand carved dining room suite ...even if it is by trying to pick up one of the chairs...which made of solid wood weighs half a ton.
'Country' can be affordable since it consists of traditional pieces of lesser value and pieces in a very worn condition can work quite well. But affordable and dirt cheap are two different things.
'Modern' can be absolutely cheesy looking if the pieces are badly designed with sloppy workmanship,poor materials and no attention to detail... but the good news ...is that you can often find an absolutely great piece sitting in a sea of decade old Wal-mart items at the thrift stores with a small price tag.
'Eclectic'? Well it covers all of the above and even more. If done right it can look amazing. Its greatest asset to us...is that anything you find in your search either really grabs you are is simply a bargain need not be ignored.It also means that you can keep a few pieces that you may already own.
So...If you want a great looking room ...cheap... 'Eclectic' is the way to go!
Hey! Before I started I was a die hard Traditionalist...antiques or nothing!!!
I soon found that if my room looked like the room on the cover of a magazine...although in my opinion ..some one someone else's room...but still a room with the credibility to be photographed for a magazine...well, ... I soon got over it.
Furthermore my tastes slowly changed....I learnt to really love my chrome and white leather Marcel Breuer B33 chair ...this is virtually a classic modern piece.
I have seen these sell for hundreds of dollars ...paying $8.50 did not hurt convincing me I was on to something.
Marcel Breuer B33
1927-1928
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