FROM THE “DUH-WHY-DIDN’T-I-THINK-OF-THIS” DEPARTMENT comes this clever idea courtesy of designers Martha Angus and Phillip King and Metropolitan Home’s Designer Showhouse in San Francisco. To give a boy’s bedroom a clever spin, Angus and King hung striped wallpaper sideways instead of vertically. You could do the same with any striped paper, making a common (and oftentimes inexpensive) pattern feel fresh and bold. I also like the way they incorporated budget  finds, like West Elm’s ubiquitous Parsons Desk, which frequently shows up in high-end interiors, but is on sale right now for a paltry $299.

Photos: Matthew Millman/Metropolitan Home

VISITORS TO OCTOBER’S SEATTLE HOME SHOW 2 got a sneak peek at the new Fortino prefab house from  Ideabox. The two bedroom, two bath rambler measures 1,250 square feet–perfect for a constricted urban lot or a second home in the country. While the rooms’ narrow proportions won’t fool you into thinking you’re in a McMansion, the stylish exterior (covered in fiber-cement siding and an optional corrugated metal) and welcoming indoor-outdoor flow are a far cry from your average manufactured home–plus the Fortino carries Energy Star certification, making it a good green option. You’ll also save some green on the price: just $148,750, with a $6,500 discount available for orders placed before December 14.

 Images: Ideabox 

I HAVE UNRESOLVED ISSUES regarding waste receptacles. I see attractive ones all the time, but I can’t bring myself to spend a lot of money on something I toss used Kleenex in. A recent roundup in House Beautiful, however, proved that stylish wastebaskets can also be affordable. There were attractive offerings under $20 from IKEA (below) and The Container Store , but one of the cleverest entries came from Mollaspace.com, whose $44 Tubelor Trash Can (above) features a colorful sleeve that slides over the inner receptable, allowing you to conceal the plastic-bag lining inside. Now I just need to train my dog not to pick out the trash and spread it around my home ….

Photo: Mollaspace.com/IKEA.com

WHEN IT COMES TO DECORATING, I’ve always been a move-the-furniture-around-the-room kind of guy. But all of that changed when I discovered the wealth of free room planners available online. With these fun, easy-to-use programs, you can arrange furniture icons any way you want atop a scale drawing of your room, then print out the results. I’ve tested a number of these, and my favorites include the Jordan’s Furniture Room Planner (above), Bassett’s Room Designer,  and Better Homes and Gardens’ Arrange-a-Room. All three are super-easy to use, and because there’s no actual lifting involved, it frees your mind to try things you might not otherwise consider. Feeling ambitious? Bo Concept’s Furnish takes longer to master and doesn’t work on Macs, but rewards you with 3-D views of your interior, just like the costly professional programs.

WHEN I COULDN’T FIND A LAMP I LIKED for my living room at a price I could afford, I decided to make my own from an inverted vase (above). Practically any item can be turned into a lamp–from jars, vases, candlesticks, wine bottles and driftwood to baskets and musical instruments. Lampmaking kits are available at most hardware stores for less than $15 and contain wiring, a socket, a finial and a harp (the armature that holds the shade). Directions for making a lamp are included in the kit, or you can consult these easy lampmaking instructions from Lowe’s. 

If you don’t want to do the job yourself, consider hiring a professional (you’ll find them in the Yellow Pages under Lighting Fixtures). The cost will depend upon the business and whether the lamp will need to be drilled, mounted on a base, fitted with a special finial, etc. Figure at least a hundred dollars for a simple project with no base to more than $250 for a piece requiring a custom base and matching finial. Shades are extra.

IF YOU LIVED THROUGH THE 1970s, then you’ll remember carpet tiles as the bottom-feeder of the floorcovering kingdom—aqua and orange pieces of felted rubber that attracted stains and withering stares in equal measure. So I was skeptical when I heard about FLOR tiles—that is, until I saw them. Fun, affordable, and altogether beguiling, this new generation of carpet squares is designed in an arresting array of hip colors, patterns and textures, letting you create a customized area rug or wall-to-wall carpet at an affordable price.

Each FLOR tile measures 19.7 inches square and is secured in place by four peel-and-stick adhesive tabs, so there’s no gluing. The tabs are low-tack, so if you don’t like what you’ve done you can move the tiles around (the adhesive won’t damage the surface underneath). And if a square gets soiled, you simply pull it up and replace it. Best of all, FLOR starts at less than $10 per square, with most designs priced in the low-to-mid teens. The user-friendly Web site, flor.com, includes a gallery of ideas to get you started, plus a design tool that lets you plan your carpet right on the computer. (If you want to see the tiles before you buy, you can purchase a packet of three swatches for $5.) Order your carpet squares online, lay ‘em down, then step back to admire your handiwork. Rarely has high design been so fun and so affordable.

Photo: FLOR

MY EYES ARE STILL SMARTING from staring at the assemblage of gingham and floral tchotchkes that make up Kmart’s new Country Living Collection. Created in partnership with Country Living magazine, the collection is heavy on curtains and tabletop items rendered in shades of red, white and blue. It’s all a bit too Minnie Pearl for my tastes (Kmart has a long way to go if it wants to catch up with Target), but there were a few items that caught my eye. I liked the nickel and black-wood picture frames, and the Begonia Lambswool Area Rug (top) was striking and well priced, at just $129.99 for the 62-by-90 size. For understated chic, it’s hard to beat the Leaf Lantern Collection (above)–and if you buy before October 3, you can get them at half off.

Photos: Kmart