(Part 2) Best products from r/InteriorDesign

You can do vintage/boho eclectic and mix it with minimalism to get the look you want. Vintage does NOT have to mean cluttery which is what typically produces that clausterphobic and cramped feeling you're trying to avoid. You're going to want to find and use pieces that provide organization and have ways to tuck away smaller things you need/use.

My suggestions!

Keep an eye out on craigslist for free or SUPER cheap area rugs, especially ones that have old-fashioned patterns, etc. Stick to one color (I think red would look super awesome what with your wall color) and put them on your floor, layering some edges if you must until the floor is covered.

For dressers since you said the room is small, you should consider picking one that can do double or triple duty. If you select a secretary desk dresser you'll get a dresser, a desk, and a shelf all in one piece of furniture and the look is very vintage. Even if you purchase a brand new one like this one, you can cheaply switch out the pulls for antique looking ones (look for brass either at a hardware store, or a salvation army/charity shop, or ask on craigslist or freecycle!) and use some sandpaper to rough it up. For a chair, I recommend a minimalist style of stool and for when you want your back to be comfy, use a lap desk and work from bed (assuming you have a laptop).

Utilize under bed space for storage and to keep your room looking clean. Buy flat containers and use them.

I looooove ILikeWhereThisIsGoin's bedroom ideas, but my idea for the bedside table is to locate or purchase a shipping pallet and with relative ease you can turn it into a wood bedside table that looks awesome and vintage and is also super cheap!

I love to use plants to decorate.. I use fake plants because I'm a black thumb, but IMO whether real or fake you should have some plants around your room. If you go with my secretary desk idea, I think some ivy-ish looking plants on the top ledge would look fantastic, as would something like a spider plant.

For art, you're in luck! Peruse salvation army stores, garage/tag sales, and check out craigslist looking for "traditional" art people want to chuck. You can either look for some big pieces or you can get a bunch of small pieces and make a photo wall arrangement on one blank wall as a sort of statement.

For bedding, if you utilize underbed storage, you need to have a bedskirt (it will also add to the vintage feeling). I think this one would look good, and then have white bedding (from the sheets to the comforter), and white curtains. Add a vintage-y throw pillow and then some sort of throw blanket or afghan (crocheted or knitted) for even more texture. HomeGoods is a good resource for this stuff (and anything decorative you'd like).

My final bit of advice is this and something I've learned having moved a lot and had lots of different spaces to experiment with interior decorating and design.. you need to approach items you're considering adding to your room as one piece of a much larger puzzle as opposed to just, "Do I like this bed? Do I like this pillow?" I know it seems silly but it's very easy to end up with a weird modge-podge of stuff that ends up just looking like American Basement more than anything or you end up with a bunch of stuff that all looks alike and is bland as hell. A pillow that, were it sitting in an empty room, makes you go "meh" may be the PERFECT pillow for your room because it works so well with whatever else you've selected. Some people never really get the hang of doing this (my fiance is terrible at this and thankfully he trusts me enough that I incorporate his style but do not get his input on most of the decisions and he's thankfully pleased with my results), some people it comes naturally to, and a lot of us have just had to really keep this in the front of our minds and train ourselves! If you have any friends who's homes/rooms/apartments are a style similar to your own or are even just well put together, consider getting their input (tell them what style you're going for, of course) when bringing it all together if you're not sure!

Oi vey. It's like they're trying to make it soul-crushing.

I think the lighting may be the worst part, but it's so hard to choose. WHY ARE THERE SO MANY LIGHTS IN RANDOM PLACES?

God, this place is upsettingly terrible.

My advice: skip IKEA and other stores, and head straight to auction houses and/or craigslist. I have gotten amazing pieces for SO cheap. Seriously.

My last venture to my local auction house, I got a 50-year-old hand-woven Indian quilted/embroidered tapestry (looks kinda like this, but way better), that's about 10 x 10 feet, weighs 30 pounds, a 12 x 9, handwoven Persian rug from the 50s, and a 200-lb, hand-carved coffee table made from antique Morroccan doors, inlaid with brass details and richly carved.

The grand total for these 3 gems, which I will keep forever, was 600 dollars, including the AH cut. The table alone is worth 3 grand, and that's for a smaller, simpler version of the one I have.

I also picked up a gorgeous armchair in mint condition on Craigslist for 45 dollars, plus 20 for delivery to my 3rd-floor apartment.

You'll have to be patient, and dig around, but it's worth it.

You can totally find things that fit your style, as well. If I found things for my very particular, niche tastes, so can you! :)

Also, I highly recommend buying a handful of cheap tapestries on amazon. I used them in my old shitty apartment to really amp it up. They look great, are light, and easy to put up. I put one on all 4 of my walls (4 of the same) to create a "wallpaper), then draped an extra-large one over my ceiling to give it a tent-like feel, throwing in battery-operated yellow string lights for extra oomph. It was SUPER cozy, and cost my like 60 bucks total.

Here's a few examples. These ones are a bit bohemian, which isn't for everyone, but you can find all kinds of styles. They look better irl than in the pictures, most of the time. All of them are under 20 bucks. These will give your room depth, character, and hominess, and have the added bonus of covering those hideous studs.

https://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Tapestry-Bohemian-Tapestries-Bedspread/dp/B00S3F13PU/ref=pd_sim_201_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GX504YW7ZP2RJFMG6A4A

https://www.amazon.com/Tapestry-Bohemian-Psychedelic-Bedspread-215x140cms/dp/B01HVELW4U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511943524&sr=8-3&keywords=bohemian+wall+tapestry

https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Handicrafts-Psychedelic-Bedspread-215x230cms/dp/B014O6IXXQ/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1511943524&sr=8-10&keywords=bohemian+wall+tapestry

https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Handicrafts-Intricate-Bedspread-215cmsx230cms/dp/B010Q2EBWY/ref=pd_sim_201_34?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5ED3FZQ0GPYKBCZ96HEH

https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Handicrafts-Tapestries-Psychedelic-Decorative/dp/B018B6M5X4/ref=sr_1_48?ie=UTF8&qid=1511943582&sr=8-48&keywords=bohemian+wall+tapestry

https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Handicrafts-Kp726-Bedspread-tapestries/dp/B06XXPXD8W/ref=pd_sim_201_14?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5ED3FZQ0GPYKBCZ96HEH



Also, get rugs. And cheap artwork. And curtains. ASAP.

All can be found cheaply on Craigslist/Auctions/thrift stores even.

Hope this helps!

I'm not a designer or anything, but just wanted to say that I love your house! The bathrooms & kitchen need to go, obviously, but the rest is already beautiful or will be with just a little help. Here are my non-expert thoughts as I daydream about what I'd do if this were my house:

Master bedroom: Love, love, love the French doors and stained glass, and the iron work on the balcony outside. I'd tone the wall color down to a soft blue-green-gray (like the background of the ceiling border) and paint the built-ins and moldings all white. Replace the chandelier with something all crystal like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AU5T5Y2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9FNEyb1M9VBD7. Basically, make everything else much softer, so the stained glass jumps out at you. Most importantly, though--the black fire box attached to the wall is hideous. There has to be brick under there somewhere, right? Take that black monstrosity off and expose or create a brick fireplace. I'd rather have a non-functional fireplace shaped wall feature and use a space heater, than have that black thing there.

The second bedroom looks fine as-is.

On the first floor, I'd want all the paint off the fireplace, and the brass thing off. Rather than move the whole kitchen, I'd pull it out towards the fireplace. This is where you need someone who actually knows what they're doing, but it seems like you could eliminate the little bits of wall that wrap next to the stove and fridge, and run base cabinets out another three or so feet. Move the fridge to the back wall so it doesn't stick out so much, add a narrow island running out towards the fireplace, with a drop in stove. Sink could stay on the back wall, and you wouldn't have to mess with major plumbing changes. But, it looks a bit cave-like in there, so I'd open the ceiling. If that exposes some ducts or the underside of the stairs, then polish them up and make them "features."

I'd do a softer cool tone wall color on the main floor, to balance out the rich warm wood. And in my opinion, you can never have enough crystal, so all the chandeliers would be swapped out with some sparkleys.

But again, love your house! Good luck!

Okay here's my idea of layout:

https://imgur.com/a/t1nMS

I would DEFINITELY move your TV away from the window because it is blocking so much of that lovely light! Look at the shadows it's making on the wall... it'd be a shame to leave it there. But get what you're saying about glare from the window. Any chance that you could mount the TV on the wall? The TV stand could still go underneath it, but you can get cable tidies to hide the cables. Get a nice picture frame or vintage vase/pot or something to sit on the glass TV stand (with the TV mounted above) will draw people's attention away from cables etc anyway.

There was another post on this subreddit today by somebody who had made a cool desk out of IKEA products: https://www.reddit.com/r/InteriorDesign/comments/80qy8v/ideas_for_office_carpet_and_complete_room. Notice how they've used 2x of the little shelving units and a piece of wood. If you don't want to buy the individual drawer units then IKEA do super cheap legs that you can just screw into a piece of wood. You could get the wood cut easily at any DIY place, or Home Depot or whatever. The beauty of this is that you can get it to fit your space perfectly and maximise the room available.

I agree your furniture isn't the most exciting but that's fine - we've all had free furniture! An easy cheap way to improve them is to cover it with a nice throw. Something like this would be simple and much more attractive:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075B5SQMR/ref=twister_B075BG9JG9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

or

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20373065/

Good luck! Your space is going to be great

Hey thanks for the reply and the upvote!


There are two differences that I've seen so far in the Barcelona chairs in the sub $1,000 range. There is "corrected grain leather" and "aniline leather." They both claim to have a frame made of stainless steel.

As for the differences in leather, here's what wikipedia describes:

Corrected-grain leather is any leather that has had an artificial grain applied to its surface. The hides used to create corrected leather do not meet the standards for use in creating vegetable-tanned or aniline leather. The imperfections are corrected or sanded off, and an artificial grain impressed into the surface and dressed with stain or dyes. Most corrected-grain leather is used to make pigmented leather as the solid pigment helps hide the corrections or imperfections. Corrected grain leathers can mainly be bought as two finish types: semi-aniline and pigmented.

Aniline leather is a type of leather dyed exclusively with soluble dyes without covering the surface with a topcoat paint or insoluble pigments. The resulting product retains the hide's natural surface with the 'grain', i.e. visible pores, scars etc. of the complete original animal's skin structure.
Originally, the dyes used for this process were synthesized from aniline through chemical reactions.[citation needed] These dyes used to be called 'aniline dyes' or 'tar dyes'.[citation needed] In modern times, the dyes used are subject to laws and regulations in many countries, and the use of certain azo compounds is prohibited as there are reasons to assume health risks.[citation needed]

I noticed that both sellers have eBay listings as well which means you may be able to get them cheaper on there (personally I like the security of Amazon.com in case a problem arises). There are other sites that carry them as well, I just like to look for ones with reviews from actual customers.

I use blackout curtains in addition to my wooden blinds. They block out more light and heat (when closed of course), help with energy bills, and still come in a variety of patterns/colors (depending on where you get them). They run more pricy than regular curtains but they're definitely worth it to me. They are a bit heavier, too, so make sure you use the rod recommended on the box. I've gotten them at Walmart, but here's an Amazon page to check them out. I have navy ones but I don't think colors matter as long as they have the special backing on them for the heat.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Home-Fashion-Insulated-Blackout/dp/B001A662BE

I think the trouble is whites/creams aren't as inherently light blocking as darker colors so they're not as popular as blackout, more popular as sheers / voile.

Try searching also for "offwhite", "ivory" and "ecru" and just pay attention to reviews mentioning how the color looks IRL

"Offwhite": http://www.amazon.com/Exclusive-Home-Thermal-Grommet-Off-white/dp/B00G24T1WQ/

"Ivory": http://www.amazon.com/Siena-Home-Fashions-Blackout-Curtain/dp/B00LXGUFGY/

"Ecru" : http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Sherry-Kline-Faux-Silk-Grommet-Top-96-inch-Blackout-Curtain-Panel-Pair/8890935/product.html?searchidx=2

FWIW I have these in beige, but they're a true beige not a cream. They block light pretty well. http://www.amazon.com/Best-Home-Fashion-Insulated-Blackout/dp/B003S6O7A2

Lonny is a great online magazine; they have archives of photos on their website for you to go through. And I've really been a fan of Living Etc., a UK-based magazine. It's a little pricey in the U.S. ($9 or $9.50 at Barnes & Noble/Books a Million) so I don't buy it every month.

http://www.lonny.com/
http://www.housetohome.co.uk/livingetc

As for books, my favorites is Decorate (http://www.amazon.com/Decorate-Design-Ideas-Every-Room/dp/0811877892) and the Apartment Therapy books (there's three of them).

Others have already posted to look into "color theory" and some great books. Some other items for your tool box:

A color wheel - basic one here. The back of this wheel shows basic color schemes (like complementary, triadic, tetradic) that can be a first step to selecting a pallette for your designs.

Go to Sherwin-Williams if you have one near you and buy their color fan deck. Theirs is well organized and having all the choices at once will help you guage whether a specific blue, for example, is warmer or coolor than you want. Even if you don't purchase SW paint, many paint retailers can match from the SW color code. If you really want to splurge, you can get a Pantone color fan, but just starting out it's probably overkill.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Buildings-Course-Architectural/dp/0847831124

That one is a good one on how to read buildings. Not necessary interior specific but good knowledge to have.

Another vote for Frank Ching books. I have the Building Construction Illustrated one and refer to it often.

I've attached an Amazon link to the physical one I use for everything.
You can also use an app like color harmony(free in the play store) or just use a Google images result.

Cox 133343 Color Wheel 9-1/4"- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I1TFMK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YyD7CbDZBJFAS

Tribesigns L Shaped Desk

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Got this desk on amazon. They have it in White. Its awesome!!

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limited space then this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015R3SU1U/

Would something like this or this work? I do not need blackout curtains though because all of the houses around here have rolladens. So if there were something cheaper it would be fine.

Which one would look better between these two?

1.http://www.amazon.com/Interdesign-Tuxedo-Shower-Curtain-Inches/dp/B00494FMBA/ref=sr_1_45?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1368997323&sr=1-45

2.http://www.amazon.com/Park-B-Smith-Stripe-72-Inch-Curtain/dp/B001IDYHOI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I'd highly recommend Holly Becker's book Decorate.

http://www.amazon.com/Decorate-Design-Ideas-Every-Room/dp/0811877892/ref=la_B004D1J1HK_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347398529&sr=1-1

Yeah, maybe get a few of these

And get that White Falcon on display!