apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Have a variety of levels of wear. Everything in the room shouldn't look the exact same age.

Also, avoid overdoing it with the matching sets, especially chairs and couches. The worst catalog homes I've seen have been the result of it being obvious that 80% of the items in the room were bought from the same vendor and at the same time.

I would also suggest avoiding recognizable items like the Poang and Expedit if you can. They're nice pieces, but people will immediately ID them as Ikea and then go on to recognize all of your other Ikea stuff.

Time - I go through enough emotions when it's put together. I love it, I hate it, I'm embarrassed by it, I grow bored and spend money on other passions while I see what works in the room.

Plants, plants, and more plants - plus all the real life crud that goes with them. Catalogues throw in architectural plants with no concern for light or growth. I have great sun, so I host a bunch of idiot-proof plants. I also throw castors under a bigger plants and scoot those fsuckers around the room to follow the light.

One-off color matching - matchy-matchy is understandable when you're coming out of upheaval. Time allows the colors to fade differently, newer items to enter, and older items to get reshuffled or given a holiday.

A freak piece is wonderful. I have a chair my aunt gave me. On two occasions she herded three of us thinner adults into her dainty painted windsor chairs right before her obese friend visited for St. Pat's dinner. He was given the sturdy mission oak armchair by default - he'd broken two other chairs.

Honestly, if my place looked like that picture I wouldn't complain.

Except for the POANG. The POANG is a no.

For Ikea I always think their textiles are a giveaway, particularly the cushions.

I like the idea of mixing the provenance: some items we're going to buy from big box retailers because of value and accessibilty, utility and function. Other items we'll inherit or forage or salvage or find. I have long loved and valued the idea of vintage.
Another element of the "catalog room" are black and white photos and matching frames as the primary art statement. I get the whole thing about displaying candids of kids and family members but don't get that as primary art statement. There is so much art out there accessible and affordable both new and old, why the one dimensional choice? I'm turned off when I see too much of it. It registers ennui.
Finalize: personalize. If you golf, note that somehow in your decorating style. If you're into horses, bring that in. If you lived in Thailand for 6 months, bring it, don't suppress it. Personalize your space and make it uniquely your own. A catalog will never be able to do that for you.

My husband and I renovated our apartment using hacked Ikea kitchen cabinets topped by Billy bookcases and often I wonder how many people in the world are living in the exact same apartment setup. But surprisingly, most people ask if the "built-ins" are custom, I think it's because they are filled with personalized stuff that draws attention more than the furnishings themselves. So I agree with ShellyinMSP, personalization is the way to go and when in doubt like JoeyBrill said, add plants!

you have chosen my favourite picture out of the entire IKEA catalog... I am currently in the process of renovating my apartment and have decided to filla wall of billy bookcases on the strength of this picture

Mixing is key, and I agree with avoiding the expedit and the poang

Man, I've got a POANG in my living room. Sounds like I better get rid of it before I'm the laughingstock of the neighborhood! ;)

What's with all the Poang hatin'?!?! It's a super comfortable chair and I know several mothers who love them for breastfeeding and for rocking the little ones to sleep. I had one in the birch color with lime green cushions in my last house and I wish I had kept it. I've been thinking of getting one for my bedroom for the reading nook. It's super comfortable and a classic in my eyes.

Agree with yolio that sets are really bad.

To me it is important to have at least one piece of furniture or decoration that doesn't seem to fit in with the overall style, thus keeping a room from being bland.

Hehe, *don't worry so much about what other people think about what you have in your space. It's YOURS and unless you are a follower of home fashions (most people are not) no one is going to know where you got your pieces. Everyone has unique pieces acquired over time that makes our spaces our own.

*Except for Nevis (LOL) and Monica, POANG?! We need to get out the pitchforks and torches and hunt these two down!!!

I have got TWO Poangs... I guess there is no hope for me... ;-)

Do your own version of things. My apartment is "Minnie Mid Century" in the small cool Tiny apartment catagory. Pillows similar to the large throw pillows on my love seat were featured in several magazines in yellow and white. I made them in black and white, from remnants found in a fabric store. The pillow covers cost me about $4 each to make.

I spotted 6 framed watercolors featured in Elle Decor by artist Julian Schnabel. I liked the arrangement, but not the actual paintings, so I did my own version which are watercolors of my favorite NYC buildings from the '50s and '60s. Cost - $6 each!

I bought antiques last summer, and I thought my IKEA days were over and then brought a craigslist leather POANG in.

As a cat owner, the best way to have a leather chair is the POANG, IMO. Replaceable cushions, leather is dyed all the way through, and the back of the cushion exposed in the back of the chair is neutral scratch-friendly fabric.

The lines of the antiques are simple and don't look weird with the chair.

Don't get me wrong, I suggest avoiding the Poang *if possible* - I, on the other hand, have 2...with the matching footrest (though the thick headrest does a major number on my neck).

I love this thread. I have long been a fan of IKEA, for their accessibility and ability to translate high end designs into an affordable solution.

While I personally have shunned the POANG (I had forbidden an former roommate from allowing it in the living room, I have the same thoughts about papasans,) I do agree that each space is different and should be a personal thing.

My current space is furnished with a lot of IKEA and people are always shocked when they learn the truth. As mentioned, be sure to mix things up. An IKEA sofa with a vintage chair. Billy bookcases (which look better with the glass door options) filled with old and new books alike.

One thing I NEVER purchase from big box stores, however, is artwork. I feel that artwork should be a personal touch, whether self created, picked up at a local art fair or even a collage of things you enjoy.

I have a lovely mid century danish chair, but the cushions were beyond redemption. One day in as-is at Ikea, I bought a set of black leather POANG cushions, sans headrest. They fit the MCM Danish chair perfectly, and you can't even really tell.

So, in effect, I guess I've got a Semi-Poang.

I've been trying to mix and match... but it's not easy on a tight budget. I've been searching for example for a small bookshelf that would serve as a landing strip/end table. Not easy, believe it or not... the ones that would fit and look nice? starting with 100$. so Ikea wins again, even if I really tried not to buy another expedit ;-)

I don't have a car, live far from flea markets and thrift stores. Craig's list would be fine - but again, without a car - very difficult. So ikea really saves me. Thanks to my friend I got at least sofa plus recliner and dining set in a second-hand store, so at least that's differs..
I try to decorate in my own style, using own work, strange finds... but in the end - I have expedit, I have Poang, malm bed... no way to escape ;-) and as it's my first apt - I love it, I am so happy I am able to fill it in step by step.

I really like Ikea's style and for the time being I am glad it's around.

I also own a Poang chair as a memory of the days when I was poor. I still like it as Monica says as a very comfortable chair. I think the key with it is to redo the fabric (for people that are more mature than 1st year students). Get a really good fabric and redo the cushion. I will do just that and place my son's bedroom.

sets are a yawn. agree above.

I didn't know that buying Ikea was a sign of being poor... and here me being so happy I can actually finally afford ikea... ;-)

and I am not changing my fabric. even though I believe I am much more mature than a 1st year student...

Rule 1: Never under any circumstances have an Eames Lounge Chair, Noguchi Coffee Table, Panton Chair and Saarinen Tulip Side Table in the same room!

Rule 2: Get a copy of a DWR catalog [any of them will do] and do NOT reproduce the rooms.

Rule 3: Avoid filling rooms entirely with design "icons". One "icon" per room should be the rule of thumb...everything else should be unexpected or somewhat difficult to identify.

Rule 4: Mix old and new...antiques with modern [this is critical].

Rule 5: Avoid bare walls at all costs! Get some artwork, the bigger the better...nothing spells sterile like unadorned walls or walls with teensy, tiny little things slapped on them.

IKEA has its place. Everything in modeation (spoken like the ture Libra that I am).

My 2 tips:
1 - barter skills. If you've developed any sort of skills that can be bartered, then do it. I've got a sewing room and skills which are envied by many. But my 1/4" drill is pathetic. I've made drapes in exchange for handyman services, use of a pickup truck, etc., etc.
2 - barter time. Even if you feel you haven't developed any DIY skills or assembled any great tools yet, you can always barter unskilled labor. I've done that, too.

I love my Expedit, the key to personalizing any bookcase is to fill it with YOUR stuff. No one in the world has the exact same books I have (decorating religion quilting) or the stack of journals I wrote as a teen or my collection of family baby pics or my accessories or my vintage aqua typewriter sitting on top.

As long as you don't have the complete matching headboard/dresser/nightstands/wardrobe/dressing table (my friend got a matching 6 piece bedroom set when she got married and they were all MASSIVE peices) and even if you do end up with a matching set, move some pieces to the other rooms and I think you are ok.

Here are my rules:

Take time to look at things other than catalogs - collect images your love - get a sense of your own personal style and how you live in your home when planning your purchases. Too often, that catalog look comes from an absence of ideas.

Don't buy too many items from one designer or manufacturer. Similarly, don't buy 'sets'. Collect slowly instead of 'doing' entire rooms at once.

Get inspired by your local resources. If you live in a great area for antiques, start antiquing. Find the best flea market near you. If you live across the street from a great furniture store, develop a relationship with the staff and shop their floor samples.

Plants, art, pillows, throws, books, and textiles are touches that really personalize even a relatively neutral background and keep it from looking boring.

I was looking around my house the other day and wondering how it is that I know I've spent in excess of several thousand dollars over the years at Ikea, yet I don't really readily *see* any of it.

I mostly shop antique stores for furniture items like dining tables, credenzas, etc. I fill in the blanks with textiles. I never ever ever ever buy "art" from a store. It's mostly art that I've exchanged with friends or bought at art walks, galleries, etc.

All of that mismashed together works for me. I get lots of comments about my home being cozy, but it doesn't look like an Ikea showroom.

Why in the world would you want to "avoid" the catalog look? I say, bring it on! Your home can be warm and lived-in, but neat and sophisticated. A lived-in space doesn't have to look like a college dorm.

btoddster, that is great to know, thanks!
I wouldn't have thought of that, but there are often frames of those chairs around, so now I know I could put one to use!

I'd say avoid the Eames DAR, DSR, DAW..., and especially the Eames RAR Rocker in baby blue with a sheepskin thrown over it - or you'll suffer from the "Domino staged look" which can definitely compete with the "catalogue look".
That said, I'm now shopping for a DAW, just can't decide on the color yet :-) maybe blue... and then a little woolly comfort to top it off...
And yes, we love the two Expedits that fit our living room perfectly and are a home for most of our books - and the nearest IKEA is two countries away (we live in Europe), so it was an effort getting them.

Original Art! It will instantly personalize a space and distract from your Poang chair and Expedit bookshelves.

You know, I agree that the design icon catalogue look is actually somehow worse than the ikea catalogue look, it looks far more impersonal.

Now that I think of it, the Poang might be just the thing of the little nook at the corner of my billy bookcase-filled library...

Original art, your own books and the funny looking chair you found in grandma's attic .... but the expedit remains my pet peeve, especially the big square one

I have a big 4x4 Expedit room divider and I love it.

I also have a second-hand sofa with throw pillows from target, and a funky-crazy afghan that's older than I am (and still has a scrap of yarn tied to one corner that I put there to secure a blanket-tent I made when I was five.) And a good-quality unfinished bookcase that I've been planing to finally get around to finishing for ten years. And a couple of things from Pier 1 that are showing their age.

I don't think the goal should be to "avoid a catalog look", but rather to avoid a place that looks like *someone elses* idea of what a home should look like.

...Whether that "someone else" is saying "your home SHOULD look like a page from a catalog" or saying "your home should NOT look like a page from a catalog".

I once posted on another decorating forum that I wouldn't want my home to look like a magazine and EVERYONE WITHOUT EXCEPTION disagreed with me! Judging by this article and alot of responses here, I guess I'm not alone! :)

we are a mass culture--almost everything we own or eat is mass produced! we certainly don't want to be completely standardized & look like we live in an ikea or dwr catalog but we need to come to terms with the fact that we, & the things we buy, are not completely unique or original. thinking that buying vintage somehow makes you more individual is just a myth.

Hey! Don't equate papasan with POANG!
Does the low end non-POANG, POANG cost? I have two. ugh.

Haven't time to read all the comments, so someone may have posted this, but don't forget the curb. One man's trash might be -- just MIGHT be -- another's treasure.

All of my basics are IKEA—simple birch Billy bookcases, super simple lamps, a basic (no headboard even) Sultan bed and mattress. But everything else is carefully edited from all over—a sheepskin rug I got for Christmas as a kid that still sits in my living room, a crazy old telephone I got at a flea market, a Noguchi coffee table that was my big splurge when I got my first place, dishes and utensils my cousins sent from France, etc. My whole apartment's furnishings cost less than if I had done the entire place in Pottery Barn, and look fantastic, because all the big pieces are from Ikea and the rest was handmade, bought at flea markets, or on super sale.

What let me get away with it is that I've kept the color palette pretty neutral—all creams and whites, with a few black pieces (a chair and ottoman, and the coffee table legs). The color in the rooms come from the books and the art—but the art wasn't expensive. Some of it is my own or my mother's, some of it is just paint on a huge canvas that I can repaint whenever I want a radical change in color palette. By making nothing big something that I'd ever want to change, all the changes are cheap, and don't need to happen unless I feel like it and have the money. So—all whites, some creativity, and Ikea!

I agree with some other comments that the main thing is not to lose your own sense of style. It's easy to see a room in a catalog and think "oooh I want that room!" but you're likely to get sick of it and you'll end up with that catalog look if you redo a room all at once or buy too many things from one source. I collect and buy things only when I love them and they reflect my style, over time - my house is a mish mash of styles, colors, and eras, but above all it's MY house.

I guess i'm looked down upon! I have 2 Expedits!!! But i love them...

I've noticed the Expedits in a few design books/magazines/architect's portfolios recently. So now it's becoming iconic...

I agree with dialjforjake and ngchgo --- art from big box stores are generally a no in my book. It makes such a difference when you put things on your walls that really reflect *you* -- your collections, your passions, things that remind you of friends and family, art that you really love -- that you sit in a chair just to look at again and again. I have so many friends who have gone to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought a print of Audrey Hepburn to hang in their bedroom, one of those Fat Chefs for their kitchen (with matching pot holders!), and a Van Gogh Starry Night for above their couch.

None of what is on my walls cost me very much-- but I absolutely love each piece. They're not just space fillers -- they're part of my home, and bring me real joy to look at.

I think it's okay to have your big furniture be generic and neutral if everything else about the room is personal and organic. A room should look like it evolved naturally because of who you are. I think a lot of people go on decorating binges when they first move into a space, and buy everything in one big push. They're not willing to hold out and do without some things until they find something really special. They just want to get something and get it over with.

It's what Stacy and Clinton say on What Not To Wear: things should GO not MATCH. They're talking about clothes but it goes for rooms too!

I think Catherine in London did it just right. She has some Ikea items but she personalized the living room chair with a throw and homemade pillows, and wallpapered (!) the backs of the dining room chairs, which just kills me it's so fabulous. Plus she's got a vintage Bertoia and mobiles and art she created herself... there's so much of her personality in that space, and it all works together. And if you're not a DIYer, Etsy is but a click away.

What's with all the Poang/Expedit hate? Items like that become recognizable precisely because of their popularity. And they are popular because they're extremely practical, versatile, affordable and, in the case of the Poang chair, very comfortable as well.

I'm not advertising the "catalog look", but I think you shouldn't shun any piece just because it's "recognizable". As noted in many of the comments above, there are plenty of other ways to make a space your own.

That being said, I'm with the people who say no to art from big box stores. Furniture should be functional, but decor should be personal.

My answer is always textiles. Throw a quilt over the back of a sofa. Dye slipcovers a nice non-catalog color (Highly recommend Dharma Trading's Procion dyes). Make a few accent pillows out of a uniquely textured materials.

I've got loads of Ikea, and I constantly get compliments on how unique my place is. Most everything has been customized a bit and surrounded by unique accents.

I can't afford anything BUT Ikea or Target. I'm in the process of moving and so avoiding the catalog look is my goal. I've customized bookcases with paint and decals. I also ended up getting 2 very different colors/finishes of a TV bench by accident (there were 2 separate boxes to assemble it) and I went with it anyway and it looks kinda cool. I also have a ton of artwork from friends and my own so I plan to hang them in interesting ways.

I haven't gotten a chance to buy accessories like throw pillows or a coffee table so I definitely plan to go vintage/handmade for things like that. But I think a tad of catalog is helpful in not getting so custom crazy that it looks too hodgepodge. So I'm definitely going to keep a work/desk area and a dining set within catalog realm. It's a zen balance one has to achieve and overall it has to suit you and what makes you happy. After all, you're the one who has to live there.

Hey Graciela,

Give the vintage shops and estate sales a chance. As a single mom of 2 for a few years (happily remarried since last summer) I was definitely on the Target/Ikea budget for a long time. But during some trips down state, neighborhood estate sales, and out to Kane County in the summertime I found substantial antique pieces at Target and Ikea prices. Plus it's more fun to hunt for your goodies, IMO.

A great example for me was this credenza I got from an estate at $150. I was smacked giddy when they told me what they wanted for it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alanawaters/392552199/in/set-72157604071941318/