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Using A Display From The Gap As Home Art

A couple of weeks ago we were at the Gap and I spotted this on the wall.

Gap Poster

It’s a bicycle from Public Bikes that was disassembled and shot for this in-store display (thereby they’re not for sale). I thought they were pretty darn good looking. I’m more of a bike admirer than an actual bike rider (apologies to my cycling enthusiast father), so I feel like a bit of a poser saying this, but… I really want those posters to hang in our house. Not sure where, but somewhere. Here’s a better shot of one of the panels from the Public Bikes blog.

Gap Public Bikes Panel

I talked with the manager at my local Gap and they “made a note” to call me when they’re done using them for display. This was promising because I expected to hear “sorry, we’re not allowed to give those away” (which I’ve heard at other stores when I’ve asked, like Target). But it wasn’t totally confidence inspiring either – because it sounded a bit like a “don’t call us, we’ll call you.” So I also decided to randomly tweet about wanting them once the store is done with them, and a Gap manager elsewhere heard my plea and is going to try to snag me a set once they’re bumped for holiday decor. Oh the power of Twitter. Who knows if it’ll actually work out, but I gave it the ol’ college try.

Is there any store display out there that you’ve been admiring (or thinking about recreating/DIYing)? Perhaps something at Anthropologie? Have any of you used actual store decor in your home? If so, how’d you go about getting it? Was tweeting involved? Or just regular old fashioned in-person asking? We always hear about folks who just get a call weeks or months later when the store is done with something (like friends of mine who got movie posters from Blockbuster when they were finished displaying them as new releases). Fingers crossed…

Comments

  1. Kit says

    Years ago, (when I was in my 20’s and I’m 50 now, so really, really, YEARs ago) a local store had sequined, life-sized penguins and glitter frosted polar bears in their Christmas display.

    I fell completely in love with the penguins and so desperately wanted one that I was in the store every couple of days begging and cajoling the manager for one (and this was AFTER he said yes – I didn’t want him to forget me.)

    Anyway, I finally got the penguin (after Christmas of course) so put it away for the next year’s Christmas decorations. And when I pulled him out the next year, I was all “Why did I think this was so awesome, again?” lol

    I put him on my front doorstop next to a teeny Christmas tree with a santa hat and the next morning, he was gone. Apparently, someone else thought he was awesome even if I didn’t. I like to think he is still living happily in that thief’s house.

    (a girl can dream)

    Reply

  2. Jessica says

    My bff is an interior designer for Anthropologie….if you guys ever find something there that just screams “you need me”….be sure to post about it and I’ll see what I can do! ;-)

    Reply

    • Jessica says

      Sure is….I love watching her pinboards on pinterest….even just seeing what inspires her is incredible!

    • Meredith says

      Oooh…would you share what her Pinterest name is so others can stalk…I mean, follow…her? (If it’s her name-name and you don’t want to disclose I totally understand, I just love following people on Pinterest!)

  3. Melody says

    I still use my Christmas decorations that I snagged from Bath and Body Works circa 2005. I have several garlands and ornaments that I took home when working there my senior year of college! I’ve found comparable garlands at Pottery Barn and other high end stores, but they run around $80-100! I’m happy with free :)

    Reply

  4. Holly M. says

    My best friend’s mom snagged a giant Chick-fil-a ad with a cow holding a sign that says “Leafy not Beefy” which hung on my dining room wall all through college. It’s great because I’m vegan. I would still have it up if I could find a good spot for it (even better if I could hide the Chick-fil-a logo).

    Reply

  5. Amy @ this DIY life says

    Oh…my…word. I can’t believe the timing of this post! We were at an Applebee’s earlier this week and found out they are remodeling and selling all the store decor. My BIL and SIL got a few pictures off the wall and we now have a Tiffany lamp that is waiting to be hung in our dining room. They were taking donations for St. Jude’s in exchange for the decor so we scored our lamp for $10 and they even included the light bulb for us :)

    Reply

  6. Allison says

    I once fell in love with and inquired about a 6′ tall silk orchid at Hallmark – sounds wierd but, trust me, it was gorgeous. Sadly the manager fell in love with it too and was planning to take it home with her.

    Reply

  7. Rachel says

    In college I worked for Bath & Body Works, and they’re always doing food/sweets related displays (like the candles this fall). One season they came with these cuuute plate stands that I took home once we took them down. I use them for parties and decorating my table. Other than that, it was mostly a lot of plastic boxes with paper inserts – not very fun. I would have loved some of the Christmas decor, but that wasn’t ever up for grabs.

    Public bikes are very cool looking – I really want one! The posters would look great in your house.

    Reply

  8. Evin says

    The Gap store by us had a charming woodland and owl display a couple months ago with fun cutout owls that would coordinate with our nursery theme. I asked and I felt the same doubt. In the end, they disappeared mysteriously before I could have a chance to give them a home. But the manager was very helpful and didn’t laugh which impressed me to no end.

    Reply

  9. Rie says

    I love, love, love all things bicycle-related. The gelateria chain Paciugo has cool bike-related posters in their stores, and one of the managers got me in touch with the artist who created the posters for one of their Chicago locations.

    Another display that was so adorable but I never got around to asking about was a set of brightly-colored, bowling-pin-like penguins at Puma stores. It looks like someone actually had a nice set shipped directly to them from the Puma folks (http://www.notcot.com/archives/2009/12/puma-penguin-ar.php). So jealous!

    Reply

  10. Sara says

    I worked at Outback Steakhouse for 5 years and at 3 different stores (and I could still eat it every day of my life – so yummy!) and when I left my store in Colorado to move to Boston, my boss let me take the upside down map as a parting gift. Most Outbacks have a “MacArthur’s View of the World” upside down map with Australia on top framed somewhere on their wall. Ours was down for some fixing at the time and I got to take it with me! I eventually purchased a large IKEA poster frame for it, cut the matting down to size, and now it hangs in our guest bathroom. I love it and everyone is also so intrigued by it!

    Good luck getting your art from Gap! My fingers are crossed for you!

    Reply

    • Emily Z says

      I love maps, too. The school at which I teach is getting torn down and rebuilt next year. All the pull down maps are outdated, so I’m going to get them.

      I’m also taking the solid wood shelves with coat hooks and the solid wood wardrobe that’s huge. Love it.

  11. Ruthie says

    I work in the music industry so I can usually get dibbs off the old album prints on the walls. One problem though- they are usually ginormous which makes for good pranking material-especially the ones circa 1990.
    Does anyone have a cardboard pop-up of Middle Earth?! That would be stink sweet!

    Reply

  12. Laura Herring says

    The photography studio I worked at during college received cardboard cut outs from the movie “Rush Hour” out of the blue one day, still no clue who sent them. I took Chris Tucker & Jackie Chan to college with me that year and my roommate and I spent the next several months using them in various practical jokes. I tucked them in her bed when she was gone, she put them in the back seat of my car in a dark parking garage, etc. We had so much fun with them!

    Reply

  13. kimberly says

    One of my book club friends has some awesome Christmas decorations/displays that she scored a few years in a row from Starbucks–if they’re just going to throw them away why not? :)

    Reply

  14. Sarah says

    Love the art! Could be cool in the office with the pops of green, maybe too much green though? I bet you could DIY something similar by finding it on the cheap (Goodwill) and then disassembling it to snap a photo. Could be fun with electronics.

    Reply

  15. Betsy says

    Oh yes!!! In the mid 80’s, I had this thing with Lionel Richie during the “Hello” era. And there was a life sized Lionel Richie cut-out stand (think enormous cardboard paper doll) that I begged and pleaded with a record store (remember those???) to give me. And, they let me have it. So, embarrased to admit it….but oh, how I loved Lionel. He stood in our basement as my friends and I drooled, I mean, admired. Guess my Mom thought his silhouette was good for scary off burglars.

    Reply

  16. Elizabeth says

    I scored an old display table from American Eagle, albeit totally indirectly. An old co-worker had worked at AE and got the table when the store was redecorating. When she was moving and actually leaving where we worked together, I scored it as part of a yard sale she was having. It’s almost like a kitchen table only not as deep. It’s been the perfect desk and craft table.

    Reply

  17. Sarah Mc says

    This is so funny because I have been pining over a giant Chick-fil-a cardboard cow for months now. Unfortunately, when I asked the manager about it she told me they re-use the cow and just attach new clings to change out the promotion. Wha-wha-wha. Oh well, hopefully I’ll find a giant cardboard cow somewhere else…

    Hope you get your bike picture!

    Reply

  19. Bee says

    My boyfriend is a huge video game enthusiast and the employees at our local Game Stop have given him the giant promotional cutouts and posters they have once they’re done displaying them. At first it was kind of awesome but now our house is like the Final Resting Place for Fictional Characters.

    Reply

  20. CT says

    I have a piece of the Gap in my house actually — I scored on of those large 5’x2′ drawers on wheels that sit under the display tables (usually full of all the extra sweaters or V-neck t shirts that are on display above). In STL, we have a place called Warehouse of Stuff (they’re online — http://www.warehouseofstuff.com, get ready to fall down the rabbit hole) that buys whole store’s inventory or whatever when it closes so I got it from them. You can even buy a lifeboat from the old demolished President Casino. Good times.

    I put a (very bad) picture of it in a blog posting a while back — http://livinganalog.com/2011/09/22/music-room-comes-back-to-life/

    Thanks for the Friday fun! Cheers to a great weekend.
    CT

    Reply

  21. jill says

    I saw a display in West Elm a few months ago – of paper airplanes pinned to a wall above a desk. It made me think of the 100’s of paper airplanes my 7 year old son makes and I clear off his dresser and put into a shoe box. I’ve been planning to pin some to his wall since.

    Reply

  22. KC says

    One of my best guy friends in college worked at Express. He used to snag all the women model posters when the store no longer needed them. He bragged about how many were displayed in his bedroom. And he wonders why he couldn’t get the real thing….

    Reply

  23. Devon @ Green House, Good Life says

    Stay on it like, uh, one part of an analogy on another part of an analogy. I tried to snag some really cute bunny decals that Target had on their doors last Easter, and despite asking in advance and checking in at three stores the day after Easter, I wasn’t able to get my hands on any of them. (They said they had already thrown them out, or sent them back to the mother ship, or various other excuses.)

    Reply

    • Lisa says

      Everytime I walk into Target, I just look up and see such delightful, artsy, great art pieces. I once asked for some snowflakes that were hanging (to be used for a charity tea) They refused and told me they HAVE to destroy the artwork because they have it copyrighted. :(

  24. heather says

    In highschool one of my friends really wanted a poster, but the theatre wouldn’t give it to her. So what did we do once she realized it was gone? She dumpster dove.

    And won.

    Reply

  25. Kate @ Bread & Chocolate says

    I had a similar experience in West Elm. Over the summer they had these graphic frames for sale (black and white stripes, chevron, etc.) I wanted the frames, but I really wanted them with these interesting whale charcoal drawings by a Brooklyn artist.

    The manager told me to come back in July (when they’d be swapping in the early Fall decor). Sure enough, she let me buy the frames and keep the drawings. It helps to ask!

    Reply

  26. Michelle Kemper says

    My dad used to work at Select Comfort and he scored us 2 5′ in diameter metal discs with stars cut out to be hung over light fixtures. I’m still looking for a room to hang one in my house. Oh and since it was a mattress store they had a life size sheep made out of wood and real wool. That was in our living room for a number of years. A little quirky, but we loved it!

    Reply

  27. lilcg says

    many years ago, when I was in college, I picked up a door sized diplay poster for eloise in paris at a local barnes and noble. I asked the manager and they kind of gave me this weird look, but about a month later I got the call!

    I moved it around the country a couple of times and considered getting rid of it, but I had a vision of it hanging in my future daughter’s bedroom and just couldn’t part with it. and now it is hanging up in her room and I am so glad I asked for it and held on to it!

    Reply

  28. Amy says

    I recreated the Anthropologie rolled and dyed paper display for Christmas decor last year, and might do it again. Did you all know they are hosting free window display how-to classes all over the country?

    Reply

  30. kathy says

    Man! I have NEVER thought about store decor prior to this post. I am going to do some serious hunting post-Christmas for decorations! Since we just moved into our house this year, I don’t have any decor and refuse to pay full price. GENIUS!

    I am now regretting all those years I worked in retail and didn’t take anything!

    Reply

  31. James says

    I know Macy’s has an entire staff for their decor, they had these dali-ish ceramic animals in a tiffany blue that I would’ve loved to have a few years ago. I talked to them but they never returned my calls. On a happier note I have no where to put them in my new place, so it worked out in the end?

    Reply

  32. Kim at Yellow Brick Home says

    That poster is AWESOME. It totally makes me want to do something like that with a real bike for ourselves! We’re total bike nerds since we live in Chicago, and we ride our bikes most places! Our wedding was even bike themed, and we saved the wheel from one of our wedding props, but it’s STILL just hanging out in the office with no place to live, even though I mentioned it on our blog OVER a year ago:

    http://www.yellowbrickhome.com/2010/05/05/wheel-as-art/

    Okay, I’m totally pinning this for future inspiration. Maybe rather than sell another one of our rotating bikes, we can keep it and make some sweet DIY art.

    Reply

  33. Erin says

    some stores have really cool room dividers. I’ve been eyeing them for years but i don’t know how to get them myself… Our local Borders and World Market went out of business this summer. :( They were selling book shelves and displays but no room dividers.

    Reply

  34. Hannah says

    Oh I can’t stop imagining them in your office, one on each side by the window facing the garage. The mere though of it is killing me! It’d be so, so cool.

    In case you do get your hands on them (here’s hoping that you do *fingers crossed*) please hang them up there? And then take them down in case you find something more to your liking. :)

    Reply

  35. Willa Jean says

    I’ve never tried for store decor (but might sometime); but here’s an historical note: in the fifties my mother fell in love with a gravy boat in a magazine story, wrote to ask where she could find one like it. No letter in reply, but she just chalked it up to “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Months later, a package arrived with the gravy boat in it. A phone call established that it was gratis. She’s 97 now, but the very nice gravy boat still sits in the dining room cupboard!

    Reply

  37. Carolyn says

    As we were building our house it was hard to pick a single color that would run throughout the entire house (our builder allowed one) and going to Home Depot or Lowe’s can be super overwhelming when coming to paint color decisions. As we walked through downtown Seattle’s Banana Republic, my husband and I saw their wall color and trim and loved how it looked together, so I called the Manager and he immediately knew the colors, Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige and Greek Villa. Also I loved the glass backsplash in Giada’s kitchen on the Food Network, so we used glass in our backsplash too.

    Reply

  40. ASrs says

    I work at the Gap in a different state (trying to keep my anonymity). I’ll scope out our bike poster situation today. Sometimes we have extras in the back that don’t make it onto the floor, and just sit until they’re tossed. Legally, we’re not supposed to give any posters away because they “belong” to Gap, Inc. In reality, things “disappear” and “walk out” all the time. Maybe talk to a different manager or try a different Gap if you are concerned you won’t be contacted about when you can find the poster in the recycling bin. It really does depend on who you talk to and how aware of the rules they are. If I can get my hands on one, I’ll let you know. Thanks for the Gap shout-out!

    Reply

  41. Peacocc says

    My wife got a bunch of larger than life-sized displays of passionata lingerie models from a local department store. Nothing obscene – very aesthetic. Now we’re planning to decorate our garage wall with them. The decorators of said department store also hold a little giveaway fair once a year to clear their stocks (which not only is posters but anything you can imagine). Awesome idea!

    Reply

  42. Kristin says

    I work at baby gap and we just throw all the paper displays away. There were some really cool polaroid looking photos in our last display that I got to keep and am using them in my kids room. You should check back with them in about 2 weeks because they should be doing holiday display then.

    Reply

  43. Emily says

    I definitely lust over the Anthropologie displays. Several years ago, I inquired about a lovely paper pomander display in soft shades of white and gray, but was quickly shot down by the two stores in my home town. I ended up DIY-ing them instead. :)

    Reply

  44. Serena says

    When I was in late middle school/early high school, the Ames (yup, Ames) in our town had a life size cut out of Alan Jackson in the men’s department (I think he was the Hanes spokesman at the time?). Whenever we went to Ames my mom would walk through the men’s department-whether we needed to or not-and talk to the cut out:

    “What’s that Alan Jackson? You like my new hair color?”
    “I look too young to have kids this old? You are too kind Alan Jackson.”
    “Oh Alan, not in front of the children.”
    And so on.

    She always said she was going to ask to take him home when they were done with him but she never did. Years later, when Ames was going out of business she often threatened to go dumpster diving out back to see if he was out there waiting for her…

    Reply

  45. Di @ DoofyDizee says

    A very nice manager at Toys R Us gave the hubby & I a life size Anakin Skywalker Poster… We use it as a ‘door’ to a closet (stylin’.

    My BFF also ‘won’ me a life size Yoda from a Blockbuster Display- He made it into my wedding pictures. NICE!

    I believe the trick to getting something from a store is to ask politely & show some cleavage…. Good Luck!

    Reply

  46. Alli says

    Yes! I asked for a HUGE poster of Scott Speedman from the GAP sometime around 2003-2004. They told me that they couldn’t give them to me, but I knew someone who worked at the store. Unfortunately on the day they took them down, they slashed them and threw them in the trash. Sadly, I couldn’t even put the pieces back together.

    Reply

  48. Ehryn says

    Over the summer, I was at Michael’s getting supplies for our son’s “Dr. Seuss” themed first birthday party. I was so excited when I noticed they had Dr. Seuss gear for sale, but even more excited over their displays. So I left my name and number with the manager and lucky for me, the called the day they were taking them down. I managed to snag another set by calling a different location on the same day. They made adorable decorations and what wasn’t personalized was actually used for another little guys 3rd birthday party. Definitely a better alternative than trashing them!

    Reply

  49. Katie says

    I have two of the winter trees from last Christmas at Banana Republic on the wall in my son’s nursery. I had to go to 4 different Banana Republics to find someone who would let me have a couple! As a warning The Gap/Banana/Old Navy group is really protective of their displays as “original art”. One of the stores who told me no referred me to the national art designer for permission, which was denied. So here’s hoping your Gap employee doesn’t check with upper management! Another suggestion, find out dumpster day and the have them tell you when they are throwing them out. Dumpster diving is always a fun activity! Good luck!

    Reply

  50. Ashley Ez says

    My mom was a shoe buyer when I was young, then she changed to fashion merchandiser in a large store. I had ALL kinds of cool stuff from that job. Mostly large flowers and things (4 feet across) that all of my friends always wanted too. I thought I was so awesome. Ha!

    Reply

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