Design on a Dime Like many young designers paying rent in the Big Apple, Olsen doesn’t have a ton of extra cash to put toward his personal décor efforts. That doesn’t mean, however, he can’t achieve the look he’s gunning for through less expensive avenues. The high-gloss red didn’t only transform his look, but by painting the walls, trim, ceiling, and doors, it absorbed unsightly pipes and sloping walls without requiring expensive renovations. His sofa, covered in a navy velvet, was one of the few pieces he kept from his previous place, but it fit within his new look. Inspired by Diana Vreeland’s “Garden in Hell” and scavenging discount fabric sites, Olsen found Clarence House’s “Mon Jardin Secret,” a glazed chintz with a completely opposite personality from the velvet, at Design Diva Fabrics. At only $18
per yard, he pocketed additional dough by recovering the sofa himself, watching as the chintz inspired the color scheme for the rest of the apartment. Instead of putting down big bucks for an expensive rug, Olsen painted the floor after being inspired by a geometric pattern he’d spotted on a chair on eBay. Closely copying the design but changing the colors, he first painted the floor solid black, then overlaid the mocha brown and cream pattern, pulling the colors from the aforementioned glazed chintz. Olsen tracked down 90 percent of his artwork from flea markets in Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and Brooklyn. When the designer couldn’t find a piece to hang above the couch, he took matters into his own hands, painting a canvas himself after being inspired by a John Little painting from a gallery card.
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Todd Alexander Romano
NYC Antiques Garage Flea Market
Housing Works
IKEA
Pearl River Mart
Gorgeous painted furniture, 6th Avenue and modern paintings, 25th St, NYC accessories Where I discover all my favorite finds
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Lonny
april • may
2010
Manhattan locations Great castoffs, and the money goes to a good cause
Beautiful and The range of extremely cheap what they can porcelain and offer for so little is bamboo blinds astounding