Author Topic: Mustachian Interior Design  (Read 2955 times)

JLE1990

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Mustachian Interior Design
« on: March 30, 2018, 11:05:17 AM »
So I want to change the interior of my little studio. The problem is that it is very expensive. For a 5x7' rug it's $150+. Even making my old own table out of industrial piping and 3x6s was still over $100 in supplies. Does anyone have good advice for creating an interior that looks nice without spending a ton?

Awesomeness

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2018, 11:11:59 AM »
I am a huge Ikea fan.  If you have one near I highly recommend them.  They have a discounted ding and dent room where you can find some great values.

Lowe’s and Home Depot will have value rugs sometimes for that size but much cheaper than that. Also Sams club occasionally sells nice rugs.

That table sounds really cool.  Make a couple extra and sell them at a profit and that rug will be “free”!

Basenji

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2018, 11:27:10 AM »
Freecycle. Nextdoor (free section). Yard sales. ASK-friends and family if they are decluttering.

okisok

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2018, 11:40:34 AM »
Estate sales
FaceBook Marketplace
Thrift stores
FaceBook Buy Nothing Groups
Freecycle
Craigslist
Salvage stores
Flea market
ebay
Habitat ReStore--great for wood, pipes, and furniture
TJ Maxx/Ross/Tuesday Morning, if you're in the US
Curbs on big trash day (look at your city's website to find out when, and I'd focus on the ritzy neighborhoods and college areas near the end of term)
Gift wish list--if your birthday/major religious holiday/milestone event is coming up, register on Amazon or Anthropologie or wherever you find the perfect item, and let everyone know that you have your heart set on item XX and you're saving up for it. Some of my friends eventually got their coveted Pottery Barn couch by telling everyone that they were saving up for one. All those $20 & $50 gift cards can add up.
Gift card arbitration--find the perfect item at particular store, then purchase discounted gift cards from Ebay, Gift Card Granny, or other aggregator sites.


Figure out how you want your space to look, then visit some of these options to see what's available. Pinterest is great for that.

Word of mouth. Mention to friends, coworkers, acquaintances, anyone, that you're looking for an 8x10 rug with some black and white. You might be surprised and be offered several. You never know whose MIL gifted them a rug they hate, but it's great for your space.

In my case:

My solid oak antique Victorian-style dining room table was free from a friend who was moving and didn't want to transport it.
The chairs are antiques from a flea market, $29/4.
My two matching West Elm loveseats, solid wood coffee table, and matching hutch were $600 on Craigslist because the seller treats himself to new furniture every two years and just wants it gone. He even threw in a framed movie poster that I later sold for $30.
The 8x10 wool living room rug was $40 on Craigslist.
My side chairs were off Ebay for 2/$99, including shipping.
The two original framed paintings were 1) free, for helping a local artist with her show, and 2) gifted to me from a friend who got me another of her works after I raved about the first.


Hope this sparks an idea!

Cranky

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2018, 12:28:13 PM »
IKEA, thrift store, ask around, and generally - keep your eyes open. My dining room rug was $29.99 at Aldi's.

shelbyautumn

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2018, 12:48:04 PM »
You should be able to find a rug for cheaper than that. Rugs USA is a great website and they frequently have 50% off sales - I just got a beautiful 9x12 rug for less than $190. They have 45% off everything right now.

I've found the large majority of my home decor from TJMaxx/HomeGoods, Ross, and Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist.

Good luck!

gutts

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2018, 03:21:56 PM »
If it is not your property, don't waste your money. Save to buy something nice once you settle down at your own place.

G-dog

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2018, 03:27:10 PM »
@pbkmaine can hook you up with ideas.  This is her jam.

Khaetra

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2018, 03:54:38 PM »
My place is kind of bare because of my 100% rule, meaning if I don't love something 100% (decoratively speaking) then it doesn't come home with me.  How are you with plants?  I love Ivy's because they play nice with my allergies and add some greenage to the place.  I agree with gutts to not go overboard (decorating can get expensive even in a small space) but a couple small things can liven up the look for not much money.

pbkmaine

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2018, 04:10:51 PM »
G-Dog sent up the bat signal. My comment is that there’s a lot of expensive new crappy furniture out there, and a lot of beautiful inexpensive old stuff. Okcisok gave some good advice. We did very well asking around. Our living room furniture, which is August Brandt Ranch Oak, is comfortable, indestructible, highly collectible, and cost us nothing, since a family member did not want it. I have a lovely old maple desk that my dad refinished for me 40 years ago. I spend 75% of my at-home time, however, curled up on a futon with a wooden frame someone gave me 30 years ago.

living small

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2018, 08:51:10 PM »
Everyone ^^^ above has great ideas! This is where I have gotten most of my furnishings too!

I love to keep an actual list of all of the items that I am looking for. It helps me to stay on task at the above mentioned stores. Taking it a step further, make sure you have measured your space in advance so you know what will fit, and bring a small tape measure with you.

For example, I have been looking for a cabinet to store additional glassware in. I hadn't found anything for about a year. Then, on a whim, My DH and I were looking in a furniture resale/thrift shop and found something that we could refurbish. It had a few dings, and I thought the price tag was too high ( even for an Ethan Allen piece, a good brand). The owner had me make an offer, and I walked out with exactly what I was looking for for $100.  We are refinishing it now.

So, make an offer when you can, don't be afraid. You might get a great bargain!

Noodle

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2018, 08:54:47 PM »
Picking a theme really helps pull scavenged/thrifted furnishings together. For instance, all my furniture is light wood. All my picture frames are plain black with white mats (if it's good enough for a fancy art museum, it's good enough for me...). Etc.

Also, for things that you really want to buy new (because of bedbugs, etc.) try websites like Overstock but wait for a holiday weekend. I got my rug at a good discount on one of their holiday sales, and it was considerably cheaper than at Amazon or one of the chain stores.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2018, 06:00:33 AM by Noodle »

frooglepoodle

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #12 on: April 03, 2018, 06:00:46 AM »
Many great tips here. I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned that you can sometimes pick up clearance-priced floor models from furniture and home decor stores too. We got our sideboard this way and it’s one of our favorite pieces of furniture in our house.

JLE1990

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Re: Mustachian Interior Design
« Reply #13 on: April 03, 2018, 11:51:35 AM »
Thanks for all the tips! I wanted to do a little spring change without killing the budget.

So far I have:
Ding and Dent room at IKEA
Estate sales
FaceBook Marketplace
Thrift stores
FaceBook Buy Nothing Groups
Freecycle
Craigslist
Salvage stores
Flea market
ebay
Habitat ReStore--great for wood, pipes, and furniture
Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist
And just generally checking around for the clearance or highly discounted items at stores.

Thanks again, I'll go down the list till I find everything.

 

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