Trick My Brick

December 15, 2010 5:12 PM

The Brick House is a design blog by Morgan Satterfield. The subject? "It's pretty simple: just focus on not spending over $100 on any one item."
posted by bhamrick (57 comments total)

Am I the only person who vastly prefers the "before" shots? Great concept and all, but this could have looked so much better.
posted by Go Banana at 5:20 PM on December 15, 2010 [3 favorites]

woah - I just bought the parts to make that lamp in the dining room. the parts were just under $100 - here's the instructions
posted by thetruthisjustalie at 5:30 PM on December 15, 2010

On the other hand, the lamp in the guest bedroom is well over $100. I know, because I've wanted one for several years. (Maybe Morgan can get me a deal from her supplier?)
posted by spacewrench at 5:33 PM on December 15, 2010

spacewrench - If you're talking about the Nelson pendants I'm pretty sure she found them vintage for some absurdly low price. As well as the other lamps actually. She has some kind of thrifting magic. (I say this as a longtime reader, and jealousy-haver towards this gift!)
posted by grapesaresour at 5:40 PM on December 15, 2010

It would be helpful if the "Before" photos actually lined up with the "After" photos so you could tell the difference between them.
posted by Deathalicious at 5:41 PM on December 15, 2010 [4 favorites]

Do I completely agree with their choices? No.

Have I fallen in love with the basic premise? Hell yeah. My living room rug was less than $100, and it completely transformed the room (along with furniture repositioning that it enabled), so I can get behind this idea, and I think perhaps I will for future remodeling.
posted by davejay at 5:43 PM on December 15, 2010

There's like 10-20 grand in midcentury designer furniture in that house. I call bullshit. Nobody fucking finds an eames lounge chair for 50 bucks, I don't care how many thrift stores you go to. That was even a plot point in a mediocre Douglas Coupland book from 10 years ago, and that kind of furniture has only gotten more expensive since then.
posted by dersins at 5:43 PM on December 15, 2010 [15 favorites]

Man, she must have a hell of an inside connection with Steve Jobs to get that iMac for less than $100.

But seriously, this smells so much like another one of those 'minimalists who only need their iPads and iPhones to function' stories that I'm getting skeptical vibes galore despite the aesthetic beauty of what was accomplished.
posted by dubusadus at 6:03 PM on December 15, 2010 [5 favorites]

In theory, my house works on the $50 version of this, but without such designer-worthy results. It's "eventually the dogs will ruin it all anyway" design.

I covet the entire "before" kitchen, although I'm happy to see they did keep the countertops.
posted by bizzyb at 6:04 PM on December 15, 2010 [2 favorites]

Sometimes I feel bad about myself that I can look at pictures or blogs like these and so quickly and confidently say to myself "The people who live there are surely insufferable and I would prefer never to hang out with them." But then I realise that these same unfair prejudices help to prevent me from accidentally hanging out with those people and I feel better.
posted by 256 at 6:09 PM on December 15, 2010 [2 favorites]

Those deals are out there, you just have to look in the right place at the right time.

The parallel-universe me who's a billionaire, who started out giving seed money to Jobs and Wozniak from his paper-route savings, totally agrees with you.
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:18 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

It looks great. Those are some impressive consumerism skills.

But seriously, this smells so much like another one of those 'minimalists who only need their iPads and iPhones to function' stories that I'm getting skeptical vibes galore despite the aesthetic beauty of what was accomplished.

They're not minimalists. They're cheapskates.
posted by meowzilla at 6:19 PM on December 15, 2010

Sadly, this blog's mission statement reminds me of a "design on a budget" story from the NY Times. In particular,

Of the five designers who agreed to participate, most wanted special dispensations, like the right to treat leftover materials lying around their offices as free supplies. They were told they could, but were asked to do it sparingly, and to hew as closely as possible to the spirit of the test. Even then, only one managed to come in below the $300 mark.

I hate to be cynical about something I think I admire and enjoy, but a lot of these design-on-the-cheap tales seem to ignore or carefully disguise the hidden costs involved.
posted by Nomyte at 6:31 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

I think she's got a great eye, but plenty of those items cost over $100, if you read carefully. It's a nice blog, and considering she's in Hemet, CA, her luck is pretty great.
posted by Ideefixe at 6:35 PM on December 15, 2010

Those deals are out there, you just have to look in the right place at the right time.

No fucking way. Sorry, but there's thousands and thousands of dollars of vintage furniture in that place. I look EVERYWHERE where I live for this stuff and you just can't find it easily or cheaply - and if you do, consider the opportunity cost of spending 3 days looking for an Eames lounger. $50 turns into $1500.

Even the blog says that they find 'most' of their stuff in thrift stores etc. but I'll bet it's the small stuff.

Teak dining table - $1200
6 Eames fibreglass dining chairs - $1800
Eames rocker - $350
Teak cabinet in dining room - $1000
Florence sofa - $2000-$3000, or $1200 from nood (it looks like it's from nood - I have the same one in the loveseat)
Teak sideboard in living room - $2000

I could go on but I think you get the idea. Check out FullHOUSE Modern consignment in Vancouver for an idea of pricing for this stuff. They ship this stuff in from Denmark as it's not available here 'in thrift stores'.
posted by jimmythefish at 6:39 PM on December 15, 2010 [2 favorites]

I much prefer the original fan to the weird lamp, and the checked floor of the kitchen to the black vinyl. A black vinyl floor, really? Ugh. And, yes, I really do wish the photos matched up the Before and After better.

That said, I do like the living room. Hard to believe what's been done with that budget of $100 or less per item.
posted by misha at 6:43 PM on December 15, 2010

jimmythefish, don't forget the cowhide rug, which could easily go for a few hundred bucks.
posted by misha at 6:52 PM on December 15, 2010

There are people who spend more than $100 on a chair or rug?

...consider the opportunity cost of spending 3 days looking for an Eames lounger. $50 turns into $1500.

Not to pick on you specifically, but I really hate opportunity cost calculations. If I actually stayed home from work for 3 days to look for a chair, then yes, I lost $1500 or whatever. But if my real alternative was eating nachos in front of the TV, then I didn't. I mean, if we are going to calculate the things I hypothetically could have been doing, rather than actually doing, why not say the cost was infinity dollars since I could have been inventing a time machine to go back to the Big Bang and buy it all up before anyone got there?
posted by DU at 6:58 PM on December 15, 2010 [3 favorites]

I can't think of any painted brick that holds up well. Once it starts to flake or dent and then gets repainted it starts to look like a lumpy mess.
posted by waterandrock at 7:06 PM on December 15, 2010

Two Shade sails, one with custom brackets...that's not under $100. I think there is a trade for advertising on The Brick House blog deal going on with some of these furnishings.
posted by misha at 7:07 PM on December 15, 2010

Oh, I see, "You’d be surprised by how well you can stick to it, but of course there are exceptions. Sometimes I will sell a bunch of furniture to raise funds to buy something big like a sofa. Or I tend to trade and barter furniture with folks as well."
posted by misha at 7:09 PM on December 15, 2010

jimmythefish, you're doing it wrong.

If you look, you can find stuff. I bought 5 late 50s Jacobsen Ant Chairs for $34 each a few years ago and sold a single one of them last summer for $400. Found 'em on Craigslist, which is also where I sold the one. The difference is that the person who sold them to me didn't know what they were and listed them as "bent plywood chairs". If you search CL and other classifieds for words like Jacobsen, Eames, Miller, etc., yeah, you're gonna pay top dollar because the seller knows what they have.

The red chairs behind those ant chairs? Paid $200 for them on CL, including delivery, where they were listed as "funky 70s foam chairs". They're Kuzuhide Takahama Suzanne Lounge Chairs. I sold them two years later for $1250 using the same photos my seller used to sell them to me. I just listed the correct name in the ad.

This "old arm chair with faded leather"? It's an Arne Vodder wing tip chair--original, down-filled leather with copper legs. I have twice turned down offers for $3000 for it.

The deals are had when the person is clueless and just wants to get rid of stuff. And yes, it takes hours and hours to find the stuff that cheap--but that doesn't mean that it costs you more. Time is only money if you would have been spending the time making money. If my choices are playing Wii or surfing online for cool furniture... I'm not any poorer for having done the latter.
posted by dobbs at 7:12 PM on December 15, 2010 [10 favorites]

Not to pick on you specifically, but I really hate opportunity cost calculations. If I actually stayed home from work for 3 days to look for a chair, then yes, I lost $1500 or whatever. But if my real alternative was eating nachos in front of the TV, then I didn't.

Well, it's still an opportunity cost whether you like it or not. Spending time looking for furniture is work, and work has a price. If these people are professionals, that's a lot of missed billing time. Eating nachos in front of a TV isn't work, and won't find you a $50 chair.

I mean, if we are going to calculate the things I hypothetically could have been doing, rather than actually doing, why not say the cost was infinity dollars since I could have been inventing a time machine to go back to the Big Bang and buy it all up before anyone got there?

Well, you could do that, but of course it'd be pointless. Opportunity costs are generally calculated compared to what you could be expected to make for a given time at work, vs. spending time working on something else.

Work is work, and these things are very useful when considering how to best spend your time. If this person is a lawyer and bills $300/hr and spent a day looking in thrift stores to save buying a chair for $1200 and actually bought it for $50, it's actually a losing proposition compared to doing what they're best at and buying the chair for more. That's how economies work - specialization of task. It's really the thing to do.
posted by jimmythefish at 7:19 PM on December 15, 2010

Well, it's still an opportunity cost whether you like it or not. Spending time looking for furniture is work, and work has a price. If these people are professionals, that's a lot of missed billing time. Eating nachos in front of a TV isn't work, and won't find you a $50 chair.

I am the logic police and unfortunately I have to write you a ticket.
posted by jeremias at 7:27 PM on December 15, 2010 [9 favorites]

I'm not sure if I would have had the reaction I did had I not known about the "under $100" conceit, but looking at the after photos, I was struck by how... cheap it all looked. I'm all for getting a bargain, and if you can find a nice piece of antique furniture for under $100, and restore it, more power to you. But money often does buy quality, and sometimes it needs to be spent.
posted by crunchland at 7:27 PM on December 15, 2010

Nobody fucking finds an Eames lounge chair for 50 bucks, I don't care how many thrift stores you go to

I too find it a stretch that they'd find all that stuff for less than $100 a piece, but I suppose it's possible. Some people really don't know what they've got and/or how to sell it — or they just can't be bothered.

However, in my experience — and I visit a thrift shop at least once a week — usually thrift shop piece needs work, which can get expensive, or you never do find what you want when you're looking for something specific. I have a buttoned tub chair I bought for $15, and by the time I brought it home in a taxi and reupholstered it myself it cost $190. I searched thrift shops as well as many retail stores for years for a china cabinet and never could find one that would work for my space. I finally found one for $750 in an antique shop. It was perfect and I bought it immediately. I bought a 1912 Heintzmann piano off Craig's List, and of course it cost way more than $100, but it was still a great deal. As for finding rugs in thrift shops — I've never seen a secondhand one I liked at all. Mine were all bought new. And yes, it could run into hundreds of dollars per rug. Probably part of the problem is I don't care for modern furniture — I like more traditional, detailed stuff, which costs more.

Also, their place was in great shape to start with. It mostly just needed paint. What they're really doing is decorating and furnishing their place, not renovating it. You can do that pretty inexpensively if you have a good eye and like rummaging through thrift shops and browsing Craig's List.
posted by orange swan at 7:28 PM on December 15, 2010

I am the logic police and unfortunately I have to write you a ticket.

I'll see you in court. I'm separating work time vs. leisure time. Eating nachos = leisure. Looking for cheap furniture = work. Where's the faulty logic? That we should always be working? Try that and see how it goes for you.
posted by jimmythefish at 7:32 PM on December 15, 2010

I think Morgan is very creative, I really love her plumbing pipes bookcase and her chandelier.
posted by francesca too at 7:38 PM on December 15, 2010

jimmythefish, looking for furniture is only work if you call it that. Or are paid to do it. If you spend your leisure time doing it because you want to then it's leisure. Or a hobby. If you think searching Craiglist for furniture is work yet surfing Metafilter is leisure... well, you're playing semantics. And to your own detriment.
posted by dobbs at 7:39 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm separating work time vs. leisure time. Eating nachos = leisure. Looking for cheap furniture = work. Where's the faulty logic?

That browsing Craig's List or checking out thrift shops is work. You may think of it as work because you don't enjoy it, but I think you need to realize that other people often do love those activities. That's the most enjoyable part of my renos for me.
posted by orange swan at 7:44 PM on December 15, 2010

I found the estate sale while sitting on the couch, watching television, and aimlessly surfing the web. I wasn't eating nachos, but I was drinking cheap Mexican beer.

That browsing Craig's List or checking out thrift shops is work. You may think of it as work because you don't enjoy it, but I think you need to realize that other people often do love those activities. That's the most enjoyable part of my renos for me.

I understand, sure, but this has little to do with the renovator's expressed intent (and subsequent discussion) of specifically not spending more than $100 on something. mattdidthat, congratulations - you found something. That's totally different than setting out specifically to set time aside to work in finding something for a set price. Enjoyment has exactly zero to do with it.

These people may also enjoy what they do for a living, but as soon as you set a price to it, the activity has an economic value, and must be considered work.

If this discussion centred around the enjoyment of finding things for cheap (and that was mentioned in the original post too) but didn't have a monetary value attached to it, sure I could see this. But, you can really boil this post down to: Cheap stuff if you work at it (as was advised by dobbs above). Work has a price. End of story.
posted by jimmythefish at 7:50 PM on December 15, 2010

If this person is a lawyer and bills $300/hr and spent a day looking in thrift stores to save buying a chair for $1200 and actually bought it for $50, it's actually a losing proposition compared to doing what they're best at and buying the chair for more. That's how economies work - specialization of task. It's really the thing to do.

That's true if you make $300/hr and have more business than you need walking through the door, so that there is always more available.

If you describe yourself as a "Designer, writer, photographer, stylist, snuggler, jack-of-all trades blogger," you are probably billing slightly less than $300/hr.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 7:58 PM on December 15, 2010

This blog is proof: just because something is retro doesn't mean it is classic.
posted by dydecker at 7:59 PM on December 15, 2010

I'm separating work time vs. leisure time. Eating nachos = leisure. Looking for cheap furniture = work. Where's the faulty logic? That we should always be working? Try that and see how it goes for you.
posted by jimmythefish at 7:32 PM

It's going great, thanks for asking. I'm on salary (and forbidden from taking a second job or running a business), so the only way my time off of work can do anything for me is if I'm looking for deals on CL and ebay and yardsales (and fixing my own cars and house, and making from scratch what I can't find or afford). Just about everything I do for leisure is work for someone else - building old cars, welding and machining, blacksmithing, gunsmithing, fixing up the house, cutting firewood, raising ducks and geese, gardening... I can't stand relaxing, if you aren't actively doing something to make things better, entropy will make sure you are falling behind.
posted by 445supermag at 8:37 PM on December 15, 2010

But, you can really boil this post down to: Cheap stuff if you work at it

Really, what I think it boils down to is that there are two kinds of people who like to brag about what they paid for their fancy designer stuff-- those who brag about how much they paid for it, and those who brag about how little they paid; both types tend to exaggerate.
posted by dersins at 8:42 PM on December 15, 2010 [4 favorites]

I don't get the hate here. I like Morgan's blog and her style (except I'm not keen on wood burl furniture but whatever, tastes differ). Is she lying about how much her things cost? I have no idea and really don't care that much either.

Also, I have a gorgeous teak table and chairs I got for $A125, in Australia, where the thrifting is terrible because we didn't get much of that whole cool mid-century modern phase you guys up north went through. And my opportunity cost was the fact that my husband randomly walked into a second hand shop one Saturday* and saw the table and rang me and asked if we should buy and then we bought it.

*Which he liked to do, on his days off, just for fun.
posted by jasperella at 8:59 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

With that guideline, two years is pretty fast – I'm impressed. I would have thought at least 3-4.
posted by sojournr at 9:27 PM on December 15, 2010

It helped that they were able to start with an impeccably maintained mid-century bungalow. That stove looked immaculate.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:32 PM on December 15, 2010

Sweet jesus people. It's a blog written by a funny girl who likes thrifting and is trying to re-do her house on a budget. The $100 thing is a rule she tries to stick to for herself.

I think the framing of this post made it sound more like one of those "OMG I LIVE ON A DIME A DAY" things and it's not. It's just someone on a budget who likes thrifting. Jeez.
posted by grapesaresour at 9:38 PM on December 15, 2010 [2 favorites]

It helped that they were able to start with an impeccably maintained mid-century bungalow. That stove looked immaculate.

Um yes. The stove they bought on craigslist, and that has an oven that doesn't work!
posted by grapesaresour at 9:57 PM on December 15, 2010

Hey, the good stuff is still out there, cheap or sometimes even free if you've got a good eye and some luck. We found our Eames lounge chair on the side of the road the night before trash pick up. It's a fake, though!
posted by Scram at 10:25 PM on December 15, 2010

Is this about filling a house with stuff just for the sake of, well, filling a house with stuff? I have to say though, I am envious.
posted by mister-m at 11:15 PM on December 15, 2010

it takes a seriously weak mind to be that afraid of color on the walls...
posted by sexyrobot at 11:47 PM on December 15, 2010 [1 favorite]

What collective nerve did this post hit, exactly?
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 12:39 AM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

as soon as you set a price to it, the activity has an economic value, and must be considered work

Hmmm....this would imply that one should calculate potential lost wages for sex, cooking, snuggling the cat, driving...

And, since I make my living writing, I should be calculating potential lost wages for this post.
posted by jrochest at 1:33 AM on December 16, 2010

What if I'm looking for deals while at work?
posted by Hicksu at 1:47 AM on December 16, 2010

On the $100 rule (from their actual blog:)

To clarify – the $100 rule is mostly a guide to keep budgets on track. It’s not so hard and fast, but gives a sense of where your boundaries are and context for certain purchases. I find it helpful, but there have been times I violate it of course. It’s like a mental wallet strap.

It sounds more like a rule of thumb to help them keep their spending down, rather than a gimmick for a "challenge" blog.

I like what they've done with the place myself. It's stylish and clean-looking.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 1:50 AM on December 16, 2010

Wow, I've been following The Brick House for about a year. Reading the comments here, I can hardly believe we're looking at the same blog.

The blog always seemed to me like it was written by somebody who loves modern & 70s stuff, and can't afford a whole lot, but strives to still make a formerly very rundown house into something livable and stylish. (The before photos of the place made it look like a shithole before...kudos to her and her partner for their efforts!)

I never once found Morgan's writing pretentious at all, and I often found it quite funny as well. For me, it's one of the more readable house-remodeling blogs out there (a lot of the blogs I read are way too precious for me). I might not totally share her love of vintage, but I totally understand the obsession with trying to be creative on a limited budget.

I think her blog rocks.
posted by The ____ of Justice at 2:10 AM on December 16, 2010 [2 favorites]

The biggest problem I have with it is that every single wall is painted brilliant white. Which makes it look like any other interiors spread in any interiors mag.
posted by rhymer at 2:11 AM on December 16, 2010

WANT. I love this blog. Just to echo what others have said, there are deals out there for modern furniture if you are willing to look. I have amassed a collection of free/cheap chairs, including a knock-off Eames lounger that I found in an alley and reupholstered, several Eames shell chairs and a tulip chair. I am officially not allowed to add to the collection without removing something.
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 2:36 AM on December 16, 2010

it takes a seriously weak mind to be that afraid of color on the walls...

Add me to that weak minded set, then. I see a lot of colored walls, and people get it right only some of the time. I like the cleanness and light of white or off-white walls, and I (probably like the writer of the blog) enjoy changing paintings, furniture, and decoration a lot more than I like repainting an entire wall.

tl;dr: colored walls have become a really lazy default way to decorate, and often get used without adding much.

That said, I'm happy to join in the hate on the burl furniture. It's ug-lee in a big way. Overall, I found the blog entries that dealt with exterior issues really interesting, because they were working with a really limited set of tools and budget, with interestingly mixed results. The interior stuff was a lot less interesting, more generic midcenturyish with a side of preciousness.
posted by Forktine at 5:19 AM on December 16, 2010

No fucking way. Sorry, but there's thousands and thousands of dollars of vintage furniture in that place. I look EVERYWHERE where I live for this stuff and you just can't find it easily or cheaply - and if you do, consider the opportunity cost of spending 3 days looking for an Eames lounger. $50 turns into $1500.

They're in Hemet, California. California, where way more people bought Mid-Century stuff than just about any other place, and Hemet, which is small and out of the way enough for good thrifting. I can totally believe the prices she pays for things, because I see Mid-Century stuff at bargain prices all the time. Lots of people are not on the MCM bandwagon, especially in suburbia. They get rid of stuff that grandma had because they think it's ugly. Cheap Eames lounger, if you have your eye open. You're comparing that to a store that ships stuff in by container from Denmark? That makes no sense.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:50 AM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

consider the opportunity cost of spending 3 days looking for an Eames lounger. $50 turns into $1500

Generally thrift shop devotees go regularly and for short periods of time rather than spending whole days at it. I pop into my local Value Village once a week for anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes — usually it's much closer to 15 minutes. It doesn't really any take longer than it would to do regular retail shopping - which I hardly ever do.

I don't get the hate for this blog. This woman has good taste and considerable ingenuity, and it's interesting to see how much can be done on a budget. Sure, the white walls and the mid-century modern style isn't everyone's taste (it isn't mine) but that doesn't mean this project isn't a very good thing of its kind.
posted by orange swan at 12:22 PM on December 16, 2010

I don't hate the blog! I admire their industriousness (I never seem to get anything done) and I disagree with some of their design choices (black wall in bedroom, black vinyl flooring in kitchen, etc.), but I still think it's an interesting find.
posted by misha at 12:54 PM on December 16, 2010

I just love blogs that focus on inexpensive/DIY/thrift-store home design and decorating, especially if they feature a lot of before-and-after photos and step-by-step how-to-do-it posts.

My own design tastes lean much more toward the bohemian, colorful, funky, "exotic" and '60s/'70s kitsch. (My two favorite home decorating books are Pad: The Guide to Ultra-Living [thanks, AskMe!] and Affordable Splendor: An Ingenious Guide to Decorating Elegantly, Inexpensively, and Doing Most of it Yourself.) Despite the differences in style preference, I appreciate Morgan's creativity, resourcefulness and general approach very much. It's not necessary to spend a lot of money to decorate artfully and make a home feel luxurious. And she says herself that the $100 rule is "mostly a guide to keep budgets on track...it's not so hard and fast, but gives a sense of where your boundaries are...I find it helpful, but there have been times I violate it of course. It’s like a mental wallet strap."

More blogs like this, please! More more more!
posted by velvet winter at 1:12 PM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

I came across Morgan's blog quite a while ago via Apartment Therapy and saved a bunch of pictures of her house to my inspiration file. Sort of amazing how different the reception was on AT as compared to here - people love it over there, and I've even seen pipe shelving units like hers pop up other places since then. We, too, are planning to build one in the otherwise useless 40-inch-high area under the roof in our 25-foot-long upstairs hallway this winter. It'll be more than $100 but certainly cheaper than paving the wall with even the cheapest IKEA Billy bookcases.

As for the $100 thing, that seems to be her goal but not a hard and fast rule. And it is true, as others have said here, that sometimes you can get things far more cheaply, especially if you can find people who don't know what they have. We just acquired a like-new coffee table via ebay - looks like Craft Associates, but I can't find it in the catalog - from someone in town who wasn't willing to ship, so we got it for a song. I've seen similar ones going for five times the price. It takes longer to find things inexpensively - Pam at Retro Renovation calls it "waiting for the retro gods" - but with some persistence, success sometimes comes.
posted by jocelmeow at 4:06 PM on December 16, 2010

This has been building over the course of about 10 posts like this:

*riotous screaming inhale* BAH!
posted by tehloki at 9:16 PM on December 16, 2010