Shopping for the Home : Decorator Warehouse offers low prices on fabrics, carpeting, wallpaper, flooring, window blinds and other items.

Some of you may recall the insiders’ bargain source of a few years ago that was housed in a pink warehouse down town, just off the Santa Monica Freeway. Its name was Decorator Warehouse, and it was a regular stop for sharp bargain-shoppers tracking down upscale deals for the home.

Now we can rejoice because Decorator Warehouse is back, and we don’t have to drive downtown.

Brian Haimovitz has reopened on the Westside with some of the lowest prices in town on fabrics, carpeting, wallpaper and whatever else he can buy at a rock-bottom price. I have visited this store several times since it opened three months ago and have seen the inventory change radically.

At first, it was jammed with 20,000 rolls of wallpaper from a Pacific Design Center dispenser of quality wall coverings; papers that retailed for $10 to $30 a roll were selling for $1. At price reductions like this, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the bulk of the wallpapers was soon gone (although some excellent bargains still remain), and fabrics took over the floor space.

Upholstery fabrics that sell for $30 are tagged here at $15, many of today’s very popular tapestries included. Many of these fabrics are close-outs from some of this country’s finest mills. Fabrics on rolls here are the best deals, sometimes 80% less than the original prices; those on the panels can be ordered at about 40% off retail.

In carpeting, many mills are represented--Philadelphia, El Dorado, Royalty, Catalina--and it’s hard to beat the prices. Figure 10% over cost (this does not include installation or padding), and if you have the name of the manufacturer and the pattern number, the store will quote prices on the telephone.

As an example of the price structure: If the wholesale cost is $10 a square yard, other discounters may sell it for $13 to $15; Decorator Warehouse will sell it for $11. A good-quality, 6 1/2-pound, 1/2-inch padding sells elsewhere for $3 a square yard, and the Decorator Warehouse price is $2.50. Haimovitz takes pride in his installers, many of whom he has worked with for 10 years and all of whom have a contracting license and insurance.

Wood or quality vinyl flooring can be a high-ticket item, so it’s worth spending time and effort on tracking down the best deal. For names such as Bruce, Hartco, Armstrong or Tarkett, figure the same 10% over cost--not including installation. For area rugs over that hardwood floor, check out their selection on the left side of the store. Not a huge selection, but wonderful buys.

Levolor window blinds are a great deal: figure 75% off retail on the Ovation line and 60% off all other hard window coverings, including verticals and duettes (honeycomb style) from Hunter Douglas as well as Levolor.

The prices here on feather or down pillows are some of the lowest I’ve seen anywhere. A standard pillow made of 90% feathers and 10% white goose down is $10; queen size is $11 and king is $12.

This is a spacious store that still hasn’t quite found its niche, but quality for the home at deeply discounted prices is the theme. The fact that the building is family-owned contributes to the low prices, and Haimovitz’s solid connections in the industry along with his good taste should continue to supply all kinds of excellent buys for the home decorator.

Geri Cook’s Bargains column runs every Friday in Valley Life! Questions about shopping may be sent to her, in care of Valley Life!, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Letters will not be answered individually, but topics of general interest will be discussed in future columns. Geri Cook can be heard from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays on KIEV 870-AM.

WHERE TO SHOP

Location: Decorator Warehouse, 431 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, till 3 p.m. Saturdays.

Cards: MasterCard, Visa.

Call: (213) 938-5264.