DIY Modern Design

One of the staples of good cheap modern design is to use materials in a unique way. Your local home improvement store has all sorts of materials: wood, metal, plastic, glass. They look pretty normal if you use the products the way they were intended. But they can look exotic and cool if you use the materials for an entirely different purpose.

Something that is usually wood can be more interesting if it is metal. The reverse can also be true. You can achieve some interesting modern effects by using a mundane material for an unexpected purpose.