Found wood with freebie paints
A cabin, shelter, or tiny home can feel like a cold, hollow shell without some comfortable and well-thought-out decor. It would only be cheating yourself to peter out, toss in the towel, and shortcut things once you’re so close to completing your mini-haven. I also understand that if a decent amount of money and time has been gobbled up by your new project, the last thing you’ll be gung-ho about is blowing a chunk of change on items to outfit your cabin. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve that seem to work well in a financial pinch. These are not one-size-fits-all solutions, but they have worked well for me in the past and might help you, too. Who doesn’t want to save money when decorating?
“PLB” is a term that I started using behind the scenes while doing a good deal of hosting and design work for my YouTube show, then later HGTV and the DIY Network. It began to stick as a catchphrase when we had completed a build and the episode’s remaining funds were low. “Hit it with the PLB!” became the joke — but it worked every time and always made for a cozy, funky, inviting, and uniquely designed space.
So what the heck am I talking about? What exactly does PLB mean? Platypus Liberation Boycott? Particularly Lazy Bison? Nope. It’s the lowest common denominator of decor, the three affordable things I find myself turning to: pillows, lanterns, and books. It sounds crazy, I know, but aside from the essentials you might already have — a bed, a chair, etc. — there are few quicker ways to warm up a space. Comfort (pillows), light (lanterns), and intelligence, intrigue, and eclecticism (books) are all brought forth with this little trick.
To delve a little deeper (not that I want to hold forth on pillow selection here), let’s start with the P. Pillows come in 5,009.3 varieties, shapes, and colors and can be had, or made, inexpensively. Heck, I’ve even grabbed a few pillows and cushions off of trash-day couches before. Egads! Gasp! Calm down. A little time on high heat in the dryer and all germs and threats are usually nullified. Washing pillows in an industrial machine might be a good idea too. As for stains, you’re on your own, so I suggest you employ some selective picking to avoid them.
But back to the point: the P is a means to an inviting end. Pictures and paintings are great, but can you sit on, sleep with, snuggle against, and prop up your head with a cheap Norman Rockwell reproduction? Not likely, and definitely not without getting a kink in your neck. Also, keep in mind that once you tire of a certain pillow’s style, instead of chucking it you can simply slip a new cover over it, bringing some new vibrancy into your home or hut. IKEA has a great selection of pillowcases, and in some wild patterns, too. An obnoxiously pink pillowcase with a modern-art owl on it? Yup, they got it (and I bought it!).
In a tiny house, there’s not much space for knickknacks or things that don’t have a specific purpose. They just add clutter. We have a few paintings and meaningful pieces of artwork in our house, but for the most part we decorated with things that are useful. We kept our kitchen open instead of hiding utensils, pots, and pans in cabinets. Our glasses, mugs, and plates were all handmade by friends or picked out from thrift stores. We love how funky and mismatched they are, and displaying that out on open shelves is part of what gives the room its character. We also tore down some of the paneling in the kitchen and built a spice shelf into the backside of the exposed wall. We keep grains and beans in glass jars on high shelves and hang our pots from hooks on the wall. In the living space, books and folded blankets are like paintings and fill the room with texture and color.
— Christopher Smith and Merete Mueller, producers of the film Tiny: A Story about Living Small
Moving along to the L. Lanterns work in much the same way as pillows: they subtly convey a sense of simplicity, they can be very inexpensive, they give your cabin or hideout a certain glow and ambiance, and they’re versatile in their look. Depending on its style, a lantern can create almost any feel, from rustic or quaint to wild, modern, and daring. In my arsenal of archaic lights, which I’ve amassed over the years, you’ll find ceramic owls, glass orbs, clay classics, vintage Dietz railroad cans, tikilike lights, and even angular modern versions of candle lamps. I might also mention that yard sales seem to be brimming with these things, so acquiring a nice one or two can be quite wallet-friendly. Oil lamps are great too, and some are absolute works of art. Oil lamps give out a lot of heat in addition to light, and standard electric lamps with incandescent bulbs deliver some heat too, perhaps even enough to keep a tiny space comfortable. Note: You must have adequate ventilation and a carbon monoxide detector in a microstructure if you burn oil lamps or candles inside.
Lastly, there’s the B. “Deek, I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t have too many of these things already? It’s the era of downloadable books, man! And you’re asking us to harbor even more printed matter?” Relax, relax . . .
Books are another item you might already have plenty of, and you’re bound to find them at yard sales, flea markets, thrift shops, and, naturally, at new and used bookstores. I’ve found some great ones in the sale pile at my town library for 25 cents. I like to think of it this way: these tomes, whether on shelves or laid out coffee-table style, are “useable art.” Comic books are very much the same. Yeah, a good painting or picture is worth a thousand words, as they say, but a book, well, it can be appealing to look it, but it can also be grabbed up to offer thousands and thousands of words. Furthermore, in a pinch you can use a book to stabilize the leg of a wobbly table, swat a pesky fly, throw at a burglar, weigh down paperwork, or, if the book is especially lousy, create heat in the form of kindling. I hear that Snooki’s biography carries a lot of BTUs . . .
I’m a real sucker for old scouting books as well as how-to guides. My rule of thumb: I’ll rarely pay over two dollars for a book, and it has to be something I’d actually be interested in reading or is just so off-the-wall that it’s bound to be a conversation starter, or at least a comical display piece. Extremely dated titles, like How to Cure Gout with Leeches, and Other Such Remedies, and Cinderblocks: The Poor Man’s Facelift also provide entertainment and some kitsch.
In my off-grid cabin up in Vermont, I’ve started a cool little tradition that ties in with my continually growing collection of lanterns. Each night when the kids go to bed, they get to select one oil lamp or candle lantern to leave burning as a nightlight (until we parents go to sleep). One night they might choose to fall asleep to the warm glow of a red-glass lantern, while the next it may be one that bathes the cabin in a blue hue. They take turns each night on who gets to pick. Of course, if they don’t behave Daddy gets to pick his favorite: the dartlike, amber-sided Moroccan lantern — always. Just recently I nabbed a metal lantern shaped like a tiny house, believe it or not, so we might have a new contender for the top spot.
I love the idea of taking vintage picture frames, mounting them to walls, and hanging necklaces and such within the frame on little hooks. You’re outwardly displaying beautiful jewelry as art instead of hiding it away in a box where it’s apt to become tangled. In general, try to store artlike objects in the open. Why shove a nice guitar under a bed, eating up that storage space that could be used for other items, when it could be cradled up on a wall?
— Austin Hay, tiny-house owner/builder
It’s time to stuff a few measly dollars in your pants pocket and have a blast budget-shopping for your little abode’s future decor! You might surprise yourself with how good you can make it look, and for almost nothing. What have you got to lose? Here are some more ideas to get you started.
Old glass bottles are ever-present at junk shops and tag sales. I have some great ones that are loaded with character: a horse-head-shaped liquor bottle, a cobalt-blue paint thinner container, cracked-style glass vases, a green glass truck that once held Avon cologne, a vintage Wild West–looking whiskey bottle, and more. They can hold flowers, foods, liquids, and other assorted items, all while being very interesting to look at — especially if placed where light can pass through them. Budget-wise, you can’t really lose. And if you ever tire of, or accidentally break, your little gems of decor, they’re fit for recycling.
Mirrors run the gamut in looks and style and can make any space feel bigger when used effectively. I’m sure you’ve walked into a bar and initially thought it was twice as big as it really was. That’s the space-trickery of mirrors.
Extra blankets are always handy, and it’s nice to have a few interesting and colorful ones kicking around for cold nights or for a guest to use.
Old paintings can warm up a room and add some vibrancy, and they’re great conversation starters. Back when I lived in Boston, my roommates and I had a ridiculously bad oil painting of a turkey-necked, aristocratic-looking old man smoking a pipe. Who was this guy? What possessed the artist to attempt to capture the likeness of this strange and seemingly random person? Guests would always comment on it. My current home has a still-life painting of a bug-eyed Boston terrier, which gets the same reaction. I found this particular piece at an antiques mall in central Maine. Flipping yard-sale paintings can be profitable too (funds for your cabin?).
Vintage toys. Even if you’re the serious, far-too-grown-up type who wouldn’t be caught dead displaying some sort of childish, trivial item (in which case you really need to lighten up!), at least consider that toys are art. A lot of planning, design consideration, and time goes into crafting toys. As with yard-sale paintings, my stance is “the more bizarre, the better.” I visited a great tree-house-style apartment in Brooklyn a while back, and I can still picture the little wooden toy robot standing on a bookshelf. This unique piece added color and interest to an otherwise plain old shelf full of books. It sent the message that these people aren’t afraid to have fun. I later found that these robots were made in Brooklyn by a company called Areaware, and naturally I grabbed one up.
Unusual chairs are yet another way to work functional artistic elements into a home. A shell-backed metal deck chair or unique armchair can become a focal point or be used to distract the eye from an undesirable or sparsely furnished portion of a room. Call it dual-purpose decorating.
A funky, homemade coffee table or side table can be fun and functional. The examples that roll off assembly lines and land in department stores usually are pretty boring. Instead, try thinking outside the box to create a visually unique piece with a story behind it. “See that li’l coffee table over yonder? Well, that was made out of an old cable spool, with some roadside wood and some pipe fittings and flanges slapped on for legs.” When I eventually get tired of my recycled-furniture builds, I sell them and begin work on their replacements. Sawed-off tables (with shortened legs) can work as low consoles as well. In my Rock Shed I have a rather obnoxiously orange one that I love.
Under the stairs is a great place for cubby storage, whether accessed via drawers in the steps or just as open shelving, and steps themselves can give you a good amount of storage for bulky items like blankets and shoes.
— Macy Miller, tiny-house owner/builder, blogger at minimotives.com
Wooden crates. I’ve found many vintage crates for free or very little. They’re great to use for makeshift seats, ottomans, or record and book storage and can even be secured to a wall as shelving. Keep them rustic on the outside and give them a single coat of paint on the inside, and you’ll have some truly fun and attractive wall shelves.
Rugs. Don’t be afraid to “rug it up."I love hardwood floors, but they can make a space look and feel cold. Rugs are easily replaceable when they wear out or when you just get tired of them. There are some very unusual ones out there too, should you choose to express your inner weirdo. If you like the rustic look, braided rugs seem to last the longest, especially good ones. Remember that in a small space a rug receives regular heavy traffic, so pick a winner.
A hammock. There’s nothing quite like it. Hammocks are affordable, lightweight, and dang comfortable. Aside from being quickly assembled sleep spots, hammocks can be hung as storage cradles or, in narrower spaces (with ends closer together), as sling seats. When they’re not in use you can leave them half-hung (adding a little pizzazz to a corner), or you can wad ’em up and stuff ’em into just about any tiny storage nook, or even a pillowcase.
Plants, live or fake. Including flora in your little domicile will add a natural, organic touch to the setting and, depending on your selection, might give people the illusion that you have a green thumb! It’ll be our little secret. Live plants can even cleanse the air in small spaces. An array of unusual, recycled homemade pots and containers might be nice too.
Homemade art is another budget decor item that can either go incredibly well or horribly wrong, depending on your artistic abilities or, well, lack thereof. The point here is that you’re adding a one-of-a-kind touch to your home that can serve as a conversation piece and cost close to nothing. You might even try making some swinging wood-backed art that doubles as interior shutters.
Funky window trim or colorful curtains. There’s no rule saying that interior window trim needs to be colorless, bland, and rigid. So why not live it up a little? Natural trim works fine, but add in some color and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results. If you’re not into painting, try going for salvaged wood with a little wear or weathering. New, virgin wood contrasted with vintage, stained, or time-grayed planks looks fantastic — the “coloring” has already been done for you. You’re decorating and enhancing a room by doing practically nothing.
Dare to draw on your walls. Why not? This could be the cheapest wall art of all. It’s daring and unconventional, but any half-skilled artist with a giant Sharpie marker can go to town on a blank wall with interesting results. If you later tire of the work, or you mess up, just paint over it.
