I've never really been into recreating rooms from magazines because I never have the same rooms or use them the same way to begin with! I prefer going about it rather the opposite way - evaluating how I want to use a space and then picking up details in an illustration that might fullfill them - ie. hey, look! that end table would hide all my bedtime reading material. I really think it's better to start with your own room than the magazine's.

But good tips for adapting a style or layout to your own needs/space. I would add that you need to be aware of the light in your rooms and whether it is appropriate for color schemes you may like in an illustration.

I believe that many people attempt to slavishly copy the exact elements in the room - as evidenced by the questions we get here: "What is that paint color?" "Where can I get this rug/wallpaper?" "Who sells this sofa?"

...when it's really the effect and feeling they're after - which is really never dependent upon gathering specific items into a space.

As usual, bepsf is absolutely right.

And too often, what we love about a room in a magazine is it's 12-foot-ceilings, huge windows, or period details -- things we can't go out and buy in a store.

Re "Do I already have furniture that I can substitute? Perhaps your couch, with a little reupholstering, can work in place of that special order Italian model."

I am a HUGE fan of reuholstering (waistline aside). I found an upholstery shop tucked away in a seedy part of town, off the beaten path. The storefront is a really a workroom, the place is a wreck, and I'm sure their rent is dirt cheap, but wow! they do great work. They usually work with designers rather than the public only because the public doesn't know they're there. And lucky me, they charge me the same as those "in the trade."

There is a misconception that all upholstery work is expensive and not worth the price. Some upholsterers are very expensive -- often because they are located in high-rent districts, sell overpriced designer fabrics, or spend too much on marketing. Some even charge the public more than they would charge interior designers and pocket the mark-up, just because they can.

I've recovered two antique armchairs ($150 ea for labor), one 1940's sleeper loveseat ($400 for labor), one 60's davenport ($200 in labor) and two MCM arm chairs ($75 ea for labor, plus another $125 to refinish them). The couch and antique chairs were found/free/inherited, and the MCM chairs were $300 on ebay, and the davenport was $35 on craiglist. So for just over $1200 plus fabric (on deep discount), I've got 6 fabulous furniture peices.

I also recently bought an upholstered headboard for 40% off retail. For $150 in labor 'm on my way to way to a gorgeous new bed.

So Pishaw! to those who say refurbishing isn't worth the price.

P.S.

I disagree with the idea that just because someone wants to find the same sofa or the same paint color that they are therefore slavishly trying to copy a room. I think that's unfair and unfounded. I've shopped for specific pillows and lighting that I saw elsewhere and used them in entirely different ways than as originally viewed.

Hi kimg924,
I recently purchased 2 retro chairs with hairpin legs that will need reuholstering. I plan on using an awesome Maharam fabric that I already have. Is the upholstery shop you mentioned anywhere in LA/OC area by any chance?

Doesn't hurt to ask... : )

I've used photos from magazines to recreate something I liked in a room -- for instance, took a photo from Domino showcasing a beaded-board wall to Lowe's and asked them to point me to the material used for the border/shelf. They did so happily. We put it up in my bf's bathroom and painted it dark blue (pulled from his shower curtain) to cover up where his wheelchair hits the walls.

But recreate an entire room? Nah.

Help please...

I'm new to AT so bear with me. Yes, I have a notebook filled with clippings. But I'd like to create a virtual file where I can save my favorite ideas and info from AT.

I'd love some recommendations on how to proceed.

Thanks!

I take inspiration from magazines and picture whenever... I love surrounding myself in beautiful things and gazing through a magazine brings a lot of beautiful scenes to my eyes. I often get enchanted by the pictures and unrealistically want to get the one item which doesn't fit with the rest of my things, but there is no harm no foul in that!

s7mylsup, these are two ideas i use daily with regards to all the good information on the AT site. Bookmarks in my browser - I've created folders for each room inspirations, consumer merchandise and crafty ideas... it takes up a lot less space and often a lot more helpful than just a picture. Inspiration board - I looove taking on the role of my own personal interior designer(with all the help from AT) and print stuff out to go with the rooms in my space. clipboards work wonders!! :)

i agree with bepsf (as usual). its so much more important to figure out WHY you love the room (you love). why is it working? what about it is appealing to you. not really the specific furniture used but the look, style, feeling it achieves and evokes.

Kimg is right. I'm a big fan of re-covering and buy fabrics at Michaels or on eBay. I like Molino Upholstery in Hacienda Heights.

i'm more likely to take elements from a room. e.g. if i'd never thought to hand a picture in a certain way, use a table in a certain way, didn't realize certain colours would work so well together. i wouldn't want to copy or try to recreate a room from a magazine, for me that is too impersonal.

i agree with kimg924 too. sometimes i'm interested where i can purchase a particular item, not because i like the room its in but because the sofa, chair, table, rug, etc appeals to me and because i would just like to have it in my home.

Like kimg924, I'm from The Sartorialist school of inspiration: it's not the look, or even the feel of the look that I care about, but the details. For the most part, I already have a clear idea of how a room should look and feel. I just troll around for things that would look good in that idea-of-a-room (or an alternate that would exact the same effect). I think it's more criminal to attempt to recreate a room's feel and effect, as if how a picture made you feel necessarily translates to how that space in three dimension would make you feel. Or recreating a style, as if the picture is some sort of an answer to an aesthetic equation.

modernmecca, Sorry, I'm in Salt Lake -- it's probably not worth the 10 hour drive from LA to here to get your peices recovered. But shop around. A single chair shouldn't cost more than $300 including welting and new stuffing.

s7mylsup, I think domino offers a virtual style tray, and you could make one using flickr. I wish AT had a way to "save this post to my favorites" -- but alas, they don't.

I send myself "daily doses" via email and include the link back to the post. Of course, this assumes that that post will be available indefinitely. If you really want to save it, print it out or save the page as a web archive to your local machine.