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DIY Decor
Monday Oct 09, 2006.
By Julia Steinberger
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 The season saw me whipped into a sick frenzy of sneaking out to Target, CB2 and Ikea over and over at unthinkable hours, abusing my debit card and always returning home to drag one more loaded shopping bag up my stairs...only to add half its contents to the pile of things I'd need to find time to return.
Ugh. Although assembly-line furnishings can be a blessing for those of us on a budget, their deceptively low price tags often dupe me into carting home way more than I need. The conspicuous consumption finally got to me: My living room had morphed from the comfy haven of my dreams into a major source of stress, and most of the stuff I was buying wasn't built to last through the next move. Dumping money in temporary pieces today means dumping junk in landfills tomorrow, and nobody likes that equation.
I decided I didn't have to choose between living in a bare wooden box or draining my savings into The Couch I'll Never Throw Out. I decided to use patience and a little creativity to give old pieces new life, limiting my need to buy more and add to the junk pile.
The first example is the simplest: Buy secondhand. That doesn't have to mean shabby...not even if you're limited to a futon (like I was, due to my building's skinny spiral stairwell). After a week or two on Craigslist I found a couple in Bucktown chucking the barely-touched futon from their guestroom. It had a cushy, expensive mattress and an oak frame that matched my floors … and at $100, they were practically giving this baby away. I replaced the Southwestern-patterned slipcover with a subdued chocolate-colored one, and was seated in style (not to mention ready for overnight guests).
The second turnaround: Refashion an old piece with new flair. My mom gave me a wooden coffee table she'd had in her own first apartment. Its shape was loaded with personality, but I wanted something more colorful. As a gift, I asked my talented little sister to paint a design on the top. She used acrylics to create a jungle of fantastic-looking birds. I had a piece of half-inch-thick glass that my neighbor was tossing out cut to fit on top to protect the paint (If your tabletop is a standard size like 18 by 36 inches, pre-cut glass can be as cheap as $10 at Home Depot. Check with glass specialists for custom shapes and sizes, which are pricier). The finished product is a personalized piece that reminds me of my family, and that I will happily hang onto.
Finally: Get your memories out of storage. A few years back, I spent a summer directing a kids' theatre camp. A friend had painted awesome customized backdrops on canvas, and I saved a big piece of one scene, hoping to find a way to preserve it. I found the perfect application that would let me hang it up without making my walls look like a scene shop: I made a shower curtain by stitching it between two layers of clear vinyl, poking holes in the top and putting in store-bought plastic rings. This functional scrapbook will make me smile even when the crisp mornings of fall give way to their nasty winter successors.
In the end, I still bought a handful of new pieces that I needed, and I think that's okay. Secondhand shopping can be unreliable for things like beds and rugs, and my building skills are limited. But challenging myself to come up with ideas before relying on the retail crutch shifted my mindset and made me proud of the things I did wind up with.
Itching for a DIY living room all your own? Try these tips for inspiration:
Salvage Sisters: The dynamic two-woman team behind this book offers up loads of ideas worth checking out, from building your bed from empty wooden pallets (you can find them at Wal-Mart) to nailing discarded drawers to the wall for a shelving system that doubles as art. Rack up even more recycling karma by scoring a used copy, $8 on www.abebooks.com.
Estate sales: Stock up on fabric, old furniture, collectibles and art at bargain prices. Check the classifieds for listings, or look online.
Kane County Flea Market: One day, I will make the pilgrimage and come back with a full report.
Craigslist is a personal favorite because it combines the joys of thrifting with the ease of online access. For a truly rock-bottom and revolutionary deal, however, join Freecyle and turn another's trash into your treasure for nada. Apartment Therapy is a boon of a bookmark for checking home-furnishing classifieds and local bargaining events, not to mention a constant source of good (and do-able) decor ideas.
After four greener-than-average college years as a co-op dweller-turned-aspiring-permaculturist, Julia Steinberger finds it hard not to feel guilty about her one-bedroom apartment, daily commute and indulgence in the occasional dollar burger. She'd like to dream that she could live in a tent/treehouse/rabbit hole, but the truth is, she'd rather stay in the city while doing her best to leave a lighter footprint on the earth. You can contact her here.
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