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5 Ideas for Decorating with Recyclables from the San Francisco Decorator Showcase

Yesterday I toured San Francisco's 38th annual Decorator Showcase. I saw the wacky, the inspired, and everything in between--and a remar...

Joanna Linberg

illustration by Clay Seibert

Yesterday I toured San Francisco’s 38th annual Decorator Showcase. I saw the wacky, the inspired, and everything in between–and a remarkable amount of features using recycled materials. Don’t believe a high-end home could have this much reuse? Check the photo evidence below, then tell me which is your favorite.

1. Rug woven from worn out saris

Designer Glenda Flaim‘s guest room used two of these rugs to add color to her muted space. They’re made by weaving old silk saris into traditional or abstract patterns like the one shown here. Dreamy!

2. Spray paint cans as art installation

In a living room inspired in part by street art, the brightly-colored tops of spray paint cans make an on-point art piece. Designer Cecilie Starin paired this with hand-painted wallpaper by San Francisco street art muralist Ian Ross.

3. Tail lights turned ceiling light

This stunning light fixture–another from Glenda Flaim‘s guest room–is formed by melting down tail lights, then respinning them into a shallow dish.

4. Letters decoupaged to highlight paneling

In Candace Barnes‘ entry and staircase, she nods to the history of the home by papering the panels going up the stairs with letters by the home’s famed architect, Julia Morgan. Sure beats a gallery of yearbook photos!

5. Cardboard sculpture

Ok, this might fall into the realm of the weird, but it’s an inventive way to reuse shipping boxes: shape and stable strips of cardboard into striking shapes. These two examples added an edge to designer Jeff Schlarb‘s penthouse lounge.

If you’re in San Francisco, go visit the house yourself April 25-May 25. Buy tickets here.