Interior Design Q&A: minimalist midcentury maximalism

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Interior Design Q&A: minimalist midcentury maximalism

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BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

hypnophant posted:

I�m using hue smart bulbs for this, with their stick-on remote wall switch, but it would be cool if there was a wired wall switch replacement or cover for the rooms that haven�t been smartified yet

If you just want to switch the lamps, you can get wifi-controlled plugs which you can switch remotely

If you use hue bridge and compatible lights and have toggle switches, the Lutron Aurora is very cool. If you have decora switches there are a million options.

And there are definitely smart switches that will give smart functionality to dumb lights, and I�m sure control compatible smart outlets with the same switch. Most smart switches require a neutral wire, though, so you have to check if you have one before you install.

BigFactory fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Aug 5, 2021

# ¿ Aug 5, 2021 18:12

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 23:49

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Wallet posted:

I don't want or need any kind of smart functionality, I just want to be able to wirelessly control an outlet with a regular rear end lightswitch really.

Like this?
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-...wE&gclsrc=aw.ds

# ¿ Aug 5, 2021 22:32

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Wallet posted:

Sort of. If I'm being picky I'd like it to both be a regular rear end light switch and a remote control for an outlet, but I don't know if they actually make such a thing.

Doubt it. Just hire an electrician to put your outlet on the same circuit as the light switch.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2021 22:45

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

MetaJew posted:

So I am trying to come up with a solution for my living room. I have a fairly long wall where I currently have my TV placed and I have a 1990s builder grade house in Texas with no built in storage space of any sort.

I remodeled the kitchen a few years ago and added an island and bar countertop where the fridge used to be. I would like to build or commission, or buy an off the shelf solution that would add a low-ish set of cabinets along this wall to mount the TV and store AV equipment, game consoles, etc. I think it would also be nice to have some book shelves or display shelves on this wall.

My dilemma is figuring out if, years ago I screwed up by adding this bar and if there is actually space to ever have bar stools there. In addition, my wife and I would like to get a new, longish sofa/sectional, probably with a chaise on one end.

I have modeled out my house, roughly on Sketchup, and then grabbed some random, pre-modeled furniture including the cabinets, bookshelf, couch, and stools. I've pasted those below.

Can I get some suggestions on where to start looking or what might look good here? Should I be trying to hire an interior designer for this? I don't have a grasp of what that would cost and if it's worth the money.

For the entertainment center and bookshelves, the thought has crossed my mind of constructing the lower cabinets and shelving myself with baltic birch ply, but I've gathered that lumber is still quit expensive and that may be difficult to source. I would also need to buy some additional woodworking tools for that project, and I don't know if my finish carpentry would look good enough or not.

For a couch, my in-laws had offered to pay up to about $5,000 as a wedding gift for a new sofa or furniture. So maybe consider that as a budget for that piece. I've looked on the various direct-to-consumer sites, along with Room and Board, DWR, etc., but I think DWR is probably out of that price range.

TL;DR What do I do here to make my livingroom look good, and be a practical space?

If the couch is placed where the current couch is in the photo, I don�t see why you couldn�t use the bar. Maybe look for low profile stools without a back or with a small, low back. I have a similar situation in my house where the bar side of the kitchen island is along the main traffic path (not as tight as your situation, but same idea), and we just spent time finding the right stools to make it work. Being choosy about your couch will be super important too. You might not be able to go with a big, oversized sofa or you�ll end up making the living room feel tiny. You might want to ditch the idea of the chaise right off, or at least the idea that it�s something you absolutely need.

I don�t know how big or versatile the rest of your house is, but maybe you could move away from the idea of having the focal point of your main living space be an entertainment center. We took the tv out of the first floor living room and I think it was a great decision. in your situation, you could still have a bookshelf or a credenza with a stereo or something against that living room wall, but for seating go with a small loveseat and a couple smaller arm chairs, maybe a coffee table. They wouldn�t need to all be pointing at the back wall because there�s no tv there. People could be sitting at the bar and in the sitting room area and it would feel like one space instead of two. Could the guest bedroom split time as a tv watching room on a smaller scale? Sleeper couch, downsize the TV if you had to, that sort of thing. A lot easier to set up surround sound in a small room, too. Kitchen looks nice!

# ¿ Aug 6, 2021 12:20

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

actionjackson posted:

I have some concerns looking at this picture. The first is that there appears to be very little space between the back of the stools and the back of the sofa. You always want 36" minimum I'd say. It appears to be about 18-20" based on the other measurements. As it is now, if people are sitting on those stools, no one is going to be able to pass through behind them. Could you give me the following:

length of media unit
distance from media unit to back of sofa
distance from back of sofa to back of stool (when stool is in use, not pushed in)
dimensions of the sectional

There�s a bunch of weird stuff going on with the sketch-up I think. The media unit as shown is 26� deep - that can�t be right, or at least you can certainly get much shallower furniture than that. 14� sounds more like it to me. So just making that change is moving the couch at least a foot away from the island without changing the distance from couch to media unit. I don�t think the space is actually as tight as the drawing makes it look. All he really needs to do to make it work is not get an oversized couch and gently caress with the placement until it�s a good balance between distance from the island and distance from the tv. Or completely reconfigure, which is what I would do. But I don�t watch much tv, so having a big tv in my living room is not something I�m interested in.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2021 20:02

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Sirotan posted:

Bought a white couch today. Got 48 hours to decide whether I've made a terrible decision or not.

Do you have children or outdoor pets? Or eat on your couch?

# ¿ Sep 6, 2021 02:26

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

marjorie posted:

Hi thread - I'm moving into a new house soon and trying to work toward having a purposefully designed space (not so much, "everything matches perfectly," but something where it's not just stuff I've accumulated randomly over the years). I actually really like the general style of the current owner, so I'm including images of the living room spaces as they appear now (apologies for realtor style photos). Assume none of that is staying (besides nailed down fixtures).

As a start, I plan to get a couch and chair (for the fireplace area), and a bar (approximately where the piano sits currently). I'm thinking of putting my existing audio stuff on the fireplace side as well (speakers on either side of the fireplace or on the edges of the mantle if they fit, record storage and turntable\preamp maybe to the side under the window or in the corner where that display case is sitting? Feel free to suggest placement for those things). For the couch, I prefer leather, and have been gravitating toward the chesterfield style, but I'm open to other styles if recommended. For the chair - no idea, just something comfy\cozy that fits in? For the bar, ideally something big and tall enough to sit at (e.g., two stools, which I already have), rather than just a cabinet.

I'm trying to figure out which pieces to prioritize, and where I should look for them, since my budget may only allow for purchasing a couple items at first (probably looking at 5-7k at first, preferably on the lower end of that range; then later next year I could drop another couple thousand for some additional item(s)). I'll list some questions; I know it's a lot, so I would just love any thoughts on any of them (and let me know if I need to provide more background\info).

1) Are there other major\minor pieces I should be prioritizing (coffee table, side table, lamp, ??), or is it okay to focus on the couch\chair\bar for now?

2) Just putting a bar in that space where the piano currently sits will probably leave a lot of open area. I thought it might be ideal to have some type of seating that can be easily moved into the fireplace area when entertaining (the front door is between the two spaces, so that is an area that would be generally left open, but could temporarily provide space for more seating). Any thoughts on what could be used for that and still be stylish for the space? Basically two or so seats that are easily movable but not just like card table folding chairs. I know the bar stools could achieve this, but lower seats are probably more comfortable out in the open.

3) Further to that, for the pieces I mentioned, or any others that should be prioritized, what styles would work best in this space? I guess I'm sort of looking for search terms to focus on. Ideas on colour\materials are also appreciated.

4) Where would one find such styles of furniture? In other words, am I probably going to have better luck in second hand furniture stores, or are there online outlets for these styles? Or are there companies that make new furniture in styles that will work well here?

5) Further to the above, I realize my budget isn't great, but is it realistic for these main items? I don't expect fancy or expensive antique furniture, so are there likely to be more budget-friendly items that are still nice and match the style I'm going for here? Or should I re-evaluate? For example, I do have a dark leather couch and a glider rocking chair that could provide immediate seating for free - should I spend my budget on the bar and whatever additional\accent pieces you guys think are important, then upgrade the couch\chair later? Or do you think the couch\chair\bar are key, can be bought within my budget, and it's okay to add the other pieces later?
Here is a picture of my current couch and audio stuff by the way.

Like I said, I'm totally new at this, so I appreciate your patience!

I like the rugs in the pictures. You should start with good rugs.

# ¿ Nov 9, 2021 23:36

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

marjorie posted:

You know, I thought about that too. The thing is, I have a dog that sheds like crazy and I was worried the rugs would be difficult to keep clean vs bare wood floors (I've heard about washable rugs like ruggable, but wasn't sure if that was just guerrilla marketing and not quality rugs).

I would much rather have a dog shed on a rug than destroy hardwood floors with their nails. Rugs can be cleaned.

And if you don�t mind cleaning carpets, you can get very nice, usually very large oriental rugs for free on Craigslist. They�re up all the time. People move and don�t want to lug a stinky 100 LB rug with them. Like 100% wool, vegetable dyed, 60+ year old rugs. And if they�re real gross or stained or the colors are just dumb, take them outside on the driveway and soak them, shampoo them, and bleach them. You can overdye with whatever color you like.

BigFactory fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Nov 10, 2021

# ¿ Nov 10, 2021 00:54

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Anne Whateley posted:

How do you dye a 100lb rug and get it to set?

Put dye in an airless sprayer and spray with the rug damp, rub it in to get it even (I think I used a long handle rubber squeegee thing, but a stiff bristle broom would work), hose it down until the water runs clear then do it again to get the color how you want it. It�s something you probably need a driveway for.

# ¿ Nov 10, 2021 01:29

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Anne Whateley posted:

How has yours lasted? Using an all-purpose dye with no heat, acid, or fixative seems like a recipe for a super fugitive, crocking mess

It�s been about 2 years or more with no problems. Doesn�t transfer, hasn�t faded. It was in a super high traffic room for a while too. I used rit and I�m pretty sure ifollowed the instructions and made it on the stove like normal, and then transferred it to a pump sprayer.

# ¿ Nov 10, 2021 01:55

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

marjorie posted:

Oh, I'm such a dummy, I never considered Craftsman as being an interior style term too. I'd say that's most likely the style of house - I hear that thrown around a lot around here to describe the older houses, and since I'm in the pacific nw that seems to be in line with the definition in the article you linked. It's a 1910 bungalow, pretty much laid out like a 2x4 square - two bedrooms in the back, bathroom\office in front of that, kitchen\dining in front of that, then the living areas I showed up front. Gable roof overextended to provide a front porch with two square columns as support. The front is difficult to photograph because of plant life around the place, but here are some additional pictures of the interior:

I'll take a look at craftsman style furnishings. Maybe there's a decent used market here. Also, what's the best way to identify the type of wood in the interior (the moldings\doors or whatever, not the flooring), or how would I go about trying to match\complement the colour?

It�s probably oak.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2021 18:19

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Phanatic posted:

Everything else I can find with a drawer in it is counter-height, which is unsuitable. Anyone know a good place to look for something similar, except solid wood? Unfinished would be fine, too.

Find something you like that�s counter height, as well as a saw.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2021 02:38

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Phanatic posted:

The stuff I can find that's counter-height and has drawers isn't the same style (which isn't a deal breaker) and has the drawers considerably further down. Like, a saw isn't going to help with this:

Yeah, an axe might be better for that one.

What part of the world are you in and what�s your budget? It�s possible that if you want something really simple you could have a local carpenter build you something without breaking the bank. Or if you live in PA you could hit up some Amish folks.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2021 02:47

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

fletcher posted:

Cross-posting this from the Home Zone thread:

I wanna do something with this wall in the family room that has a fireplace and built-in entertainment center:

There's a big sectional couch opposite of this, and I guess the main goal I'm going for is to get a TV that is bigger & centered on this wall. The height of the current TV is good, just needs to move to the left. Center of the couch is basically looking right between the fireplace & TV.

The fireplace is wood burning, which I'm never going to use as-is. If I converted it to gas I might use it once in awhile but not really as a heat source.

Guess I'm looking for some ideas of what might be possible here. I'd be tempted to just seal off the fireplace & built-in (maybe leave part of it as a media cabinet), then I could put a bigger TV right in the center of the wall and not have to worry about the big shroud around the fireplace getting in the way of my desired mounting height, as well as heat from the fireplace messing up the TV.

I would paint the bookshelf to match the fireplace, get rid of the tv and put other stuff in there, and get a rug. The wall color is pretty beige too.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2022 02:42

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

fletcher posted:

Thanks for all the input and suggestions!

On the right side of my pic it's just a short wall then it opens up to the kitchen:

The wall off to the left side of the pic is completely filled by windows & the door to the backyard.

Behind it is just an exterior wall, with the bump out for the chimney & built-in:

I'd also like to put a cat tree in this room

I like this, but I feel the TV ends up being too high if I keep the fireplace. I don't want to have to look up at it.

That would be cool, something with a smaller footprint like that would allow me to keep some sort of fireplace. Ideally I don't want to be doing something too weird here that makes it harder to sell this place in the future (not planning on moving but not planning on being here forever)

I was thinking something like this maybe:

Are you moving the fireplace 6� to the right in that mock up? How do you do that without moving your chimney? Replace with electric?

# ¿ Jan 29, 2022 19:14

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Justa Dandelion posted:

This might not be the right place to post this but my wife and I just moved into a less sprawling house and the kitchen is tripping me up. Can anybody point me to an actually good article or book on home kitchen layout/organization? I am hitting a wall with Google where I can only find cutesy Pinterest storage "hacks". I'll attach some photos in an edit from my computer in case anybody has any practical tips. Pardon the boxes and clutter, we're in the "everything is here, oh crap everything is here" stage of the move. I know we have enough space between the kitchen and pantry but I'm struggling to not repeat the nonsense cupboards and drawers that have been my kitchen life the past 5 years.

Edit:

It would be good to see it with everything put away. It looks like there�s plenty of storage space just not a lot of countertop space.

One of the best things i ever did was get stuff off countertops with dedicated places to put everything. There is an outlet in the pantry closet so the microwave goes in there. The stand mixer, food processor, blender and crock pot all have homes in cabinets and get put away when not in use. Coffee is a French press that gets put away. So there�s just a toaster and electric kettle out on counters and it makes food prep that much easier.

They make cutlery holders that fit in a drawer so you can get your big bulky one off the counter. Stuff like that. Just go through all the things that you think you need on a counter, or would put out on a counter if you had more space, and brainstorm how you could get it put away. Might not work for everything but the one thing you have going for you is cupboard and pantry space.

BigFactory fucked around with this message at 00:17 on Feb 1, 2022

# ¿ Feb 1, 2022 00:15

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Paul MaudDib posted:

anyone know a place to get a midrange version of this farmhouse dining table? I don't want MDF/sauderwood tier stuff here but this vendor is solid wood and I don't need that either. I'm looking for something around the 36x60 range - needs to be at least 30" wide.

I'm trying to replicate an existing table I've got, it's got planks that are roughly 12" long, maybe pine or maple, and probably a poly finish? It might be wood on wood or something similar. Something along those lines would be perfectly fine. It also doesn't need to be an exact exact match (that picture above is not an exact match either), just something in that style.

https://www.millstores.com/product/extension-table-w/turned-legs

I don�t know if you have a millstores near you or how much shipping costs. I have this table and it�s good.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2022 22:51

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Justa Dandelion posted:

That arrangement really messes with the flow of the room in a way I can't quite put my finger on. It just feels claustrophobic as soon as you want through the door.

For those who asked for some pictures after we unpacked here you go:

the south side from the kitchen entrance

the problematic north side from the same entrance.

the kitchen entrance viewed from the north side of the kitchen

pantry and bunny zone

the cluster gently caress that is our rolling "kitchen island"

coffee zone

adjacent bar

dining nook in living room, pardon the crumbs and food droppings we had a party last night and haven't finished cleaning up.

Our next steps are to place our task zones in the kitchen, for us I think that would look like: washing/drying (dishes and food), cutting/baking, cooking, sauce station, plating/packaging/quick-serve (for lunches and leftovers). We are fortunate to have a small dining nook, a pantry, as well as a coffee station and bar combo area all of which are outside of the kitchen. Organizing purchases will include: a wall mounted bread box; butcher block top for the rolling wire rack island; wall mounted rollers for parchment paper, aluminum foil, etc...; Magnetic tool block; wall mounted holster for spatulas; over oven pot/pan hanger (perhaps a beefy rolling surround platform that the oven can sit on with deployable counters on the side and extra insulation on the fridge side?). Down the line I would like to add a hood vent at the same time as we add a bathroom fan. I say eventually because the ductwork and exhaust does not exist yet.

Thank you all again for the advice and ideas.

If you still wanted to de-clutter your space, there�s more you can do. You have 6 cast iron pans, two tea kettles, a huge 70�s punch bowl, a very crowded coffee bar that takes up a lot of space. That�s just what�s obvious from the photos. Maybe these are all things you want and need, or maybe you could trim down more.

That kitchen island looks pretty useless and doesn�t fit the space well at all, and seems to just be a place to put more stuff in a disorganized way. Better storage in that spot would be useful.

Edit- found a 3rd tea kettle! And a coffee pot and a French press. Could you live with one or the other? Maybe not, but cutting down on all the STUFF you have might be a lot easier than figuring out storage in a small space.

BigFactory fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Feb 6, 2022

# ¿ Feb 6, 2022 20:59

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Turbinosamente posted:

How do you guys handle displaying collectibles/decorative items in your homes? It's a question that's been bugging me as I've been decluttering my stuff too. I'm slightly afraid of having too many knicknack level things in any future house of mine, or that I'll just be left with a core group of very disparate and jumbled items shoehorned on a shelf somewhere.

Is it artwork or are we talking about video game memorabilia and fake Star Trek props?

# ¿ Feb 11, 2022 00:10

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Turbinosamente posted:

Both, though I'm primarily concerned about the overt nerd poo poo. I've got things ranging from paperweights, plushies, other glassware, to anime figures, a pair of kokeshi dolls, a replica pokeball, and a 1930s box camera. I've tried having some boxed Kirby games on display but I didn't really like the look and packed them back into the closet. And I've definitely decided against the wall of shelved manga/video games look seen in so many youtube video backgrounds, so it'd likely be cabinets or other closed storage for that.

This perspective definitely helps, thanks! It's good to have an outside reminder that much of my collecting is not focused enough: I have a tendency to buy things that look cool in a given moment. I'm betting that's why I have such a wide range of things, and why I'm having such trouble with objects I've grown lukewarm about.

Sell it all on eBay and buy one thing with the money

# ¿ Feb 11, 2022 06:44

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Turbinosamente posted:

I cannot do this.

Not with that attitude!

Hutla posted:

If how you're doing it works for you and is sustainable, just keep chugging along. There are some here who have a near religious fervor for minimalism, but instant minimalism really only works if you have the cash to spend on rebuying stuff at will. Throwing it all out to start over isn't something you can do on a tight budget.

If he has valuable stuff it would be silly to throw it out. But selling a bunch of stuff to buy a few much nicer things is a form of collecting too. Turn a bunch of
C�s into a B, then turn some Bs into an A. Pretty soon you�ve got a Rembrandt in your bathroom. Sky�s the limit!

Getting rid of stuff just to buy it again doesn�t really sound like minimalism to me, either. Sounds like poor planning

BigFactory fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Feb 11, 2022

# ¿ Feb 11, 2022 17:57

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

actionjackson posted:

pretty much anything you resell is going to be at a sizable loss with some rare exceptions. I think out of all the things I got rid of, almost all of them were for free, and from the few that I managed to sell, the only "big" sale was 300 for a dining table and four chairs.

Depends on what it is. If they�ve got a collection of video game stuff to sell, some of that goes for tons of money and moves fast on eBay (and is easy to ship). If it�s garbage nobody wants then it�s not going to sell fast.

# ¿ Feb 12, 2022 11:04

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Doctor Party posted:

Any suggestions for new home buyer on how to approach buying new things for a house?

The two big things we are looking at are a fence for the back yard and blinds/Plantation shutters/some window covering for main level.

Fence is mainly to keep our kids from running into street which can be a little busy. Privacy from a fence would be a nice additional feature but not mandatory.

Windows I think would look great with plantation shutters. Windows are mainly painted shut and a million years old.

As a newb should I go to home depot and look at options for these? Look for contractors? Find some national fence and or window company? Any specific suggestions or success you guys have had?

Any other first time home owner advice is also welcomed. Thanks ahead of time!

Call a few local fence guys and get quotes, but know what you want first. You could call a bigger fence company to compare if you want, but in my experience local guys have the number usually.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2022 07:50

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Doctor Party posted:

This is super helpful. Of course I know you can measure on Google maps but it wouldn't have occurred to me. Obviously I know it's just an estimate.

We back up to a neighbors high wooden fence. Looks like we are only looking at approximately 150 feet of fence. It's a urban neighborhood with houses kind of jammed in.

Anyway thanks a lot. And yeah I'll get a few quotes for each thing.

Vinyl covered chain link isn�t the most beautiful thing ever, but it kinda blends in somewhat and serves a purpose. Once you get into vinyl or wood picket fence or any kind of steel/aluminum decorative fence you�re spending money.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2022 18:44

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Doctor Party posted:

Yeah I think we'd prefer the wrought iron looking fence. Like black metal with spikes. But yeah we'll get some quotes. If that's crazy expensive then of course that could change our plans haha. I found a few companies after some light googling. So I'll give them a call and see where we end up.

Any thoughts on ability or utility of getting ball park quotes over the phone vs having each company come in person? It's hard for me to take time off so each time I have to meet with someone is kind of an ordeal. But the alternative might be that I get wildly inaccurate quotes because they didn't realize xyz over the phone until they saw it in person or whatever.

1) you could ask for a per foot price for the fence you like and probably get a quote, but the actual measuring will be by them when they�re out there and if there are any weird features they didn�t plan for it�s going to reflect in the bill. But they can probably point you in the direction of their distributor and you can check out their catalogue.

2) any kind of decorative fence is very expensive in my experience. I�ve seen $80/lf installed for 8� tall fence, and that was 2019 pricing.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2022 23:56

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

marjorie posted:

Looking for the thread's opinion on this. I'm slowly trying to furnish my house purposefully, and focusing on seating in the living room. Would these chairs mesh okay in this space?

(Note, the glider and ottoman, and that cheap lamp, will eventually be removed, they're just there out of lack of other options for now)

In case it's helpful, here's how it looked with the previous owner, who had better taste than me.

However, I'm looking to stick with leather (easiest to manage dog fur), and I like the tufted look, just not sure if those chairs are too big\tall or gaudy\shiny for the space. I like the low sit of the couch too - the space is for sipping whiskey and listening to records, so other suggestions of chair types that would work better is appreciated.

I think those chairs are too tall for that room. The windows are the best feature and they would block them

# ¿ Apr 22, 2022 17:11

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

marjorie posted:

I agree with you about the windows. I was a dummy and didn't realize they actually had dimensions in the listing - the photos may be a bit misleading because it seems they're almost exactly the same floor-to-seat height and only about an inch taller in total height than the glider. However, I recognize that these would have a full back at that height instead of the posts of the glider. If I put them kinda in front\angled relative to the couch (like, the first one about where the glider is but moved back toward the wall the fireplace is on a bit, and the second at a similar angle relative to the opposite arm of the couch), do you think that would still overwhelm the space? Should I strictly be looking at lowboys like this?

(I don't know that I'd go for those because they kinda look wonky and cheaply made, though I may go check them out)

I also like this, but they want $1k and that seems excessive.

E: I could also go funky with this chair:

I think I hate that last chair the least. It would add some color to the room. The picture you took doesn�t do it any favors compared to the artificially bright one from the real estate listing, but you still need to brighten it up. Or go way darker. One or the other. And get a rug.

# ¿ Apr 22, 2022 19:01

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

marjorie posted:

Haha, well hating the least is kinda damning praise - any ideas on an alternative style I should be targeting? Or are my constraints (leather, the existing couch, trolling for used stuff because of budget) just not appealing?

The photo I took is certainly poor quality - a quick snap with my old phone and no light since the shades are drawn. That being said, I agree about the pop of colour being ideal. Especially if I end up mismatching chairs. And agree on the rug, but seating is a little more immediate need, so focusing on that first.

You can sit on a rug.

# ¿ Apr 22, 2022 19:43

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

TITTIEKISSER69 posted:

Thanks to Anne Whateley and everyone else who chimed in. I had lunch with my dad today and asked him when the chairs were made, he says late 19th or early 20th century, they had previously belonged to his then-boss's mother in law. However, in addition to being reupholstered they've also had some (or maybe all?) of the legs replaced. Should I have an appraiser look at them?

They�re only worth something to you

# ¿ Apr 24, 2022 00:30

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

If you want to do the painting yourself and you aren�t much of a painter, white is probably the easiest color to pick because you don�t really have to worry about cutting in perfectly on the ceiling

And I don�t think your cabinets are that bad. I would keep the cabinets and get rid of those horrible curtains

BigFactory fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Apr 24, 2022

# ¿ Apr 24, 2022 22:29

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

wesleywillis posted:

the curtains are staying.

Why?

# ¿ Apr 25, 2022 00:52

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

I was just talking about my ikea couch yesterday because it would be nice to get a new slipcover but it�s discontinued and they�re harder to find. But this couch is comfortable, the right size and proportion for the room, it�s got a slipcover so you can wash it if gets dirty, and it�s been going strong for 10 years. I don�t think it�s bad at all. At some point it�s going to break and we�ll have to replace it but until then it�s fine. I find that lot of �good� furniture is huge and overstuffed which isn�t my thing

# ¿ Aug 6, 2022 11:25

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

KillHour posted:

Why would a couch not be able to ship fully assembled? That's just silly. Obviously, it's more expensive to ship an assembled couch than a flat pack piece of garbage, but places do it just fine. The Luonto I just bought is solid as gently caress.

Yeah, you can ship a car or a 1,000 hp engine

# ¿ Aug 6, 2022 13:34

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

czg posted:

There are third parties that sell custom slip covers for IKEA, even for older models. For example Bemz have a lot of models and choices of fabric.
We�ve used them to keep an old chair going far longer than it should have lasted.

I might have been looking at that exact site last night. We checked out a bunch of alternatives. Actual dead stock ikea is stupidly expensive right now, to the point it�s probably cost effective to buy their new couch that looks the same but it�s slightly bigger. But the 3rd party stuff isn�t too bad.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2022 13:36

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

hypnophant posted:

i�m going to level with you: that thing looks wildly uncomfortable. it sounds like you�re happy with it but i�ve never sat on couch with that back angle that was comfortable for longer than about 15 minutes. it looks like it was designed first to ship economically, second to look good in the showroom, and then they did their best to make the horrible design they came up with comfortable with construction and materials but you can�t put lipstick on a pig.

we�re taking past each other a little bit so here�s what i mean about being designed for shipping: the back and sides are completely vertical. the arms, on the models that have them, are less than half the the height of the backs, which are already short, so you can ship two together by flipping one over and stacking them. I bet the packed dimensions also line up nicely with the interior dimensions of a container, but that�s less important. i don�t mean a good couch is bulky because it has certain dimensions, i mean it�s bulky in that it doesn�t pack well; it spills out of its dimensions with things like a sloped back, and armrests that roll over to the outside of the arms; stuff that doesn�t really increase the dimensions but vastly increases the comfort. The human body is difficult to measure and so should be furniture. Your couch, by contrast, is not bulky. It fills up its dimensions exactly and stops there, because it has to for them to get four more couches into the container. it�s cost engineering.

Not every human body is the same, though. A couch that is comfortable for a 6�4 man is not necessarily comfortable for a 5� woman. People have different conceptions of comfort, also. Look at how mattress firmness is all over the place.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2022 16:06

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

mutata posted:

Besides, there's precisely nothing that you can do with the space between cabinet top and ceiling that doesn't look like pack rat poo poo or TGIFridays fan art.

*takes down photos of local sports teams from 1992, a bugle, and a picture of a guitar made out of guitar picks*

# ¿ Aug 31, 2022 18:10

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

Kaiser Schnitzel posted:

The table could definitely possibly be English, and really the dresser too. I associate that style with antebellum America, but we usually copied English styles. It's possible the either was made in England for the American market-the English made and exported alot of furniture in the 19th century- and unfortunately I'm really not expert enough to say for sure. If the secondary wood on the dresser was something other than pine that would help with a more precise origin, but pine was pretty ubiquitous in both countries at that time. The fact that the back is just two big wide boards, the wider dovetails, and the fact that I associate that style with the US make me lean American, but I really couldn't say with a ton of confidence. However, buying a dresser like that and shipping it back to the Mississippi delta is like carrying coals to Newcastle. There are a *ton* of those things floating around the white-columned houses parts of the deep south.

The secondary wood really looks like southern yellow pine to me. Could be wrong, but it�s distinctive.

# ¿ Oct 19, 2022 01:42

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

The Wonder Weapon posted:

There is a lot of wood on the walls though. What does one search for if they want this type of product?

This is a good start

# ¿ Nov 9, 2022 19:21

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

The Wonder Weapon posted:

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not

No, it�s plywood

# ¿ Nov 9, 2022 19:59

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 23:49

BigFactory: Sep 17, 2002

net work error posted:

I'm looking for some home decor items and wanted to look somewhere besides the typical Target, Pottery Barn, etc kinds of places. I was looking at Etsy but didn't quite find what I was looking for. Are there any other home decor sites that are recommended to browse through?

For some context, I'm looking for a "stuff" bowl to hold cables and remotes in the living room that looks kind of nice but isn't made of glass and probably not wood either. A lot of the stuff I found on Etsy was made out of concrete because I guess that's easy but ideally this wouldn't be too heavy. Color wise it would be white/gray/light colors if that helps at all.

Style wise it would be simple but kind of modern and not too large, maybe 8-10 inches in diameter.

e: I forgot the most important part of the question which was that it I'm not looking to spend too much. Maybe like $80-$100 max? I know that's not a very large budget for some home decor.

Maybe I�m just dumb, but why would you want to put cables and remotes in a $100 bowl on your coffee table? Isn�t there a better place to put away cables?

Hit up a couple of thrift stores. You�ll find something.

# ¿ Jan 16, 2023 23:34

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Interior Design Q&A: minimalist midcentury maximalism

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