Turn A New Page

 Sometimes looking for a design inspiration means looking no further than your mailbox, stuffed with decorating catalogs that promise to make your home a wall-to-wall showcase.  But even if your dream room is right there on page 57, getting it into your home isn't always easy or ideal.  It can be expensive to pay for every detail, and you run the risk that someone you know may have the exact same "unique" design in their home.  So look to those catalog pictures as a guide you can adapt to your own style.

 In this case, an antique door -- discovered for $25-- sets the backdrop for the arrangement.  You could  pay up to $100 for a catalog version of a stylish shabby burlap tablecloth, or buy it yourself for about 3 dollars a yard.  This homemade version took just three yards that were washed and dried, and the  frayed beautifully in the process.

The coffee table shows how to turn the expected upside down - it holds a $7 wall shelf that takes on a new look and purpose when flipped over.   Below, on the table , old boxes found at antique stores showcase special books and serves double-duty as risers for other decorations.  

Taken as a whole,  this approach mirrors catalog ideas, for a price that may be less than one or two things you'd order - with no added on shipping costs.  In the end, the dream room will look like that design on page 57, only better because this one is all yours.