I think the essence of rooms/homes that have successfully "quirky" style is the fact that they seem to develop naturally. Instead of trying to hunt down items, I'd personally suggest taking the time to just let yourself come across them. When you see a piece that you really love -- buy it. If you aren't totally in love, and it doesn't fully reflect part of who you are-- then leave it alone. Frequent yard sales, flea markets, craigslist, ebay, etsy, and salvation army for unique finds instead of typical big box stores. Whimsy isn't something you can really ask folks to source...

MyAliya's comment is totally spot-on.

I join Aliya too. But I'll try to give you some interesting pix of Parisian stuff found in the Amelie movie (Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, on of my fave movies).

Well said, MyAliya.

laundry hampers, trash bins = think outside the box! A laundry hamper can be anything that holds things, and a trash bin can be anything that holds thing AND is wipe clean.

I don't know if this is helpful, but have you seen the "living in" section of design sponge? Here is the Amelie post: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/08/living-in-amelie.html

I absolutely agree with MyAliya. I also remember thinking, while I was watching the movie, that her appartment looked like that of my grandmother, saturated colours and old looking things. So, beyond and appart from looking for what makes your heart sing, check the flea markets or look for materials like tin (storage for the knicknacks), enamel (kitchen utensils) and glass, wood and of course porcelain (oh, the possibilities). Hope this helps a bit.

I agree with frequenting flea markets, thrift stores, goodwill, salvation army, yard/garage sales.

I would add that you can also find some fun and quirky stuff on UrbanOutfitters.com and ModCloth.com

Other than that, think outside the box a little bit too, like AnnabelVita said. Repurpose some of your fun finds in unexpected ways.

I love that stuff too! Good luck and have fun evolving the style! :)

P. S. AT just posted a House Tour that was really cool. You could use it for inspiration: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/amy-keiths-candycoated-dollhouse-house-tour-145181

yes, websites like urbanoutfitters, enthropolgies and wisteria have funky accessories.

anthropologie for high end, urban outfitters for mid-range and fleamarkets/thrift stores for cheap.

Huh, if you frequent yard sales, flea markets, craigslist, ebay, etsy, and salvation army etc., are you then not hunting?!

Anyway, the Amélie style is about old stuff, lots of saturated colours - particularly red and green - different patterns and stuff that doesn't match.

basicfrenchonline.com has small housewares, linens, etc. great stuff.

I was always really inspired by her apartment too! I agree its really a labor of love to achieve, Ive done alot of buying lamps and mirrors with good lines and either spray painting them or leaving them shabby depending. I feel like im almost there but you have to commit to hoarding little fabulous/beautiful junk! I always vote thrift stores, since the money usually goes to charity and its easier on the environment, plus amelie would approve of good deeds! best of luck!

My Question is, where to get those beautiful wallpapers! I have scoured the Internet looking for vintage French wallpaper but haven't found anything so bold or saturated.

if you watch the special features on the dvd they go into depth on the choices they made with set design. a key element was the red/green contrast. other than that i would say just collect romantic antique and vintage furniture and odds and ends. i always loved the paintings she had in her room. soo whacky. http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl2/6/61259/13_2009/2b2617d705c9cc49_michaelsowa.jpg

My favorite thing is her cobalt blue lampshade, so amazing...so hard to find!!

You can also find great dog portraits like hers on etsy and my series of art called gigi wouldnt be a bad addition either [plug] lol http://www.society6.com/studio/gigiseries

Anna Europe,

RE: "Huh, if you frequent yard sales, flea markets, craigslist, ebay, etsy, and salvation army etc., are you then not hunting?!"

no, actually.... hunting is MUCH different than simply browsing... in the same manner that "hunting" for a boyfriend/girlfriend is different than going out to a museum/bar/party/ gathering etc and just seeing what happens with no expectations...

start with a similar, bold color scheme and mix of mis-matched patterns. then just naturally develop the 'weird' factor during your visits to the flea market.

rini&muggins: that could be an interesting rit dye project!

@thecraftybandita: GOOD POINT!!! love it!

Agreed with everything already said, but another consideration is lighting.

The tone of the light throughout the movie is quite green, making everything look atmospheric and mysterious. Maybe a green lampshade or two will cast light that helps achieve the look.

http://decorology.blogspot.com/2008/10/amelies-adorable-apartment-lots-of.html

Start by painting the window/ door trim and find an ornate jewel toned wallpaper. Incorporate gold mirrors, frames etc.

LOVE Amelie! :)

There is a website selling quirky homewares and the coolest lamps from France called http://www.goodgracious.co.uk

I have got some fab things from here!

It looks weird to me, but in case you want the same paintings: http://kingofsenses.blogspot.com/2011/02/paintings-on-amelie-poulins-apartment.html

I think we all have an intrinsic "style" within ourselves. Let passion do your picking.....one day you will step back and look around you and you will see yourself.

I disagree with MyAliya. What's the point of a design blog to ask for tips if the advice is "get you own style"?

MG108,

because it's a bit tragic to see someone about to cross the thin line between authentically quirky and contrived...apartment therapy, to my knowledge, isn't about copying what you see...it's about infusing different elements and inspiration into one's own living space to create a home that is as unique as the dweller(s).

Liz wrote: "I want to capture the ornate, charming, quirky and UNIQUE style of films like Amelie" -- so my advice to her is to look around and wait for items that speak to her... that way it doesn't look like she raided her local anthropologie/urban outfitters. I totally stand by what I said to her. It wasn't snarky or condescending -- I myself am still in the never-ending process of finding my personal style. But asking someone how to make one's home look like someone else's isn't really going to help -- with purchases from all of the "right" stores, eventually Liz's home might look like Amelie's...but isn't the point for Liz's home to look like Liz's?

Ok, I think every single one of the readers have missed the obvious: the bedroom featured in the movie is a SET. She's not a real person, and the bedroom in the photo above was DESINGED, not collected. So, yes, Liz, you CAN create that room, or one like it.

My suggestions: Start by deconstructing the room. The bed, interestingly enough, does not have delicate scrollwork. It's oversized and bold, strong, confident. There's nothing "girlie" about it.

The wall paper is not floral, nor is it chinoiserie style. It looks to me like a fairly bold art deco pattern.

The colors are bold and saturated, but the hues have a bit of black in them. The red looks like a tomato shade to me, the green looks deeper than kelly, not quite forest. I think the trick here is to work your palette with complimentary colors and then accent with metal. This is a very warm room, so red, green, and brass/gold all work without looking like christmas.

Accessories: contrasting that bold bed, bold wallpaper, bold color, and bold gold picture frames are some really delicate and hyper feminine touches like those lamps. Note that all of the quirky art comes together because the frames are all gold. Also note that the bedding is all solid -- no prints! If this were an Anthropoligie ensemble, there'd be prints and mix-matched embroidered pillows, etc.

In summary: In my opinion, the room is surprisingly masculine -- it's the lamps that make it a woman's space, and the artwork gives us insight into the character's ironic sense of humor and delight in the unexpected.

If I were to create this room for myself, I'd start with a bold metal headboard and wallpaper, and then develop my palette for the bedding and other furnishings from the wallpaper (remembering to really look for contrast in upholstery and casegoods), and then choose accessories and art from there.

Have fun!

PS

The other readers have suggested thrifting and flea-markets to find eclectic pieces. You might also consider garage sales and craigslist.

If you're really going to pull off this effect, really understand that Amelie is also an accessory in the room. The space expresses the duality of the character: she's delicate looking, almost like a porcelain doll and her frilly bedside lamps. The set designer contrasted this with her internal world: Rich, bold, daring, spontaneous, etc. Look to your own personal dualities to achieve a design that is authentic to you.

But Oddly, Urbancricket -- you've seemed to miss the obvious: Liz was asking for online sources to shop at, not a deconstruction of the aesthetic. :)

Obviously the look CAN be re-created. No one argued that...

I adore the movie and it has inspired my style a bit. I agree with making yourself available to all sorts of resources and you'll find peices that reflect you. In watching the commentary with Jean Pierre Jeunet, he revealed that a lot of inspiration for the sets came from painter Juarez Machado and his use of colors. You can see how they would throw in blue objects on a mostly red set, etc. Maybe you should check out the artist for inspiration too.

Okay so LA is a big city so it doesn't make much sense giving out specific stores. I agree with other people that thrift stores are a great resource. Hit up the one's in your area and go to some of the fabulous flee markets in LA. I really cannot think of a better place to look for and find pieces to complete the look you are going for.

Try Etsy and do a few keyword searches for "Paris" "Parisian" etc. I didn't do much digging but it seemed to turn up some cute stuff that I could totally see Amelie buying on the streets of Paris.

I like the vintage look of some of these new waste baskets.

http://store.wellappointedhouse.com/Category/673-wastebasket-sets.aspx

Hoping to see after pics.

Also this AT post may be helpful since you just moved to the area.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/roundup/la-thrift-and-antique-stores-roundup-057220

Hello! I am European and live in Europe, so I can't give you any advice about antique stores in your area but I can tell you that I have visited many houses all across Europe with rooms that looked like Amelie's. In fact, there isn't anything peculiarly French about the decoration, despite the combination of red and green colour, pretty obviously inspired by Modigliani's painting (Modigliani was Italian, by the way, although he became a symbol of Montparnasse and Paris).

So I'll try to be more concrete:
1. You'll need a metal headboard. Some of the items you can find here would do it: http://www.headboardstore.com/Metal.htm
2. Frames: Just ANY frames - old ones or from Ikea - that tou can decorate yourself with gold leaf: http://www.ehow.com/how_7790499_make-gold-mirror.html
3. Red Wallpaper: http://www.creativewallcovering.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=COLORSRCH&&color=_10_ They have over 400 to choose! Use it only on one wall if your room ist too dark.
4. Green and white accents: Go cheap! You can repurpose green wine bottles as vases or candle holders (which is, I think, an all-European-boheme-must).
5. Kitchen: Get one of those curtains! http://practicalenrichment.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/amelie_460.jpg I think Mexicans use them too, so I imagine they're not difficult to find in the United States.
6. Try to recreate a chess pattern with the tiles in your kitchen or bathroom: http://practicalenrichment.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/amelie-kitchen.jpg You don't even need tiles to do it, just tile-tattoos, or you can paint them yourself (and you can do it only on a line or two).
7. Paint some of your doors in dark colours (dark red or bottle green).

And when you have all these "basics", then you should listen to Aliya and be patient, waiting to find objects (lamps, whatever) that you really like and maybe mean something special for you. My idea would be to reacreate Amelie's "spaces" but filling them with your own objects and personality.

I'm looking forward to see the results! Please post pictures!

Vintage ice buckets make nice trash bins for small baths and powder rooms.

PS: I have some French, Italian and Spanish vintage posters in my kitchen and bathroom and I found them in ebay. I think they are very "Amelie" too, like this one http://cgi.ebay.de/11-FRENCH-AMER-BITTER-RED-CAT-VINTAGE-POSTER-/140532613868?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b86582ec
or this one http://urbancidades.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/galcol-1.jpg

Try this! http://www.casasugar.com/Get-Look-Amelies-Bedroom-2972947

Aliya - I agree!
Miss Cosas - great comments!!

I Think focusing on either textures or a palate is a good place to start. Often it is one or both of these things in a place that inspire us. So if you love colors in amelie's bedroom, start there. If you love all the clashing textures, go with that. On a 'sacvaning note' I have a favorite thrift store I visit every week. Sometimes there is nothing, but one week I found an old chandelier, copper teapot, a great chair. For non thrift, google POSH chicago.

Sorry, did you say Laundry Hamper? Could this be more Parisian? http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-RETRO-PEARL-WICK-CLOTHES-LAUNDRY-HAMPER-1950S-/230617686144?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D180650133112%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D9011767642699833983

These are amazing too, but too expensive: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-retro-clothes-hamper-basket-Pink-Peach-Large-/200602729657?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D180650133112%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D9011795286987613702

http://cgi.ebay.com/CLOTHES-LAUNDRY-HAMPER-PEARL-WICK-LONG-ISLAND-VINTAGE-/230615780420?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D180650133112%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D9011811069919661276