Updates to this post address the controversy surrounding the use and reuse of other people’s content on the Internet.

We’ve published a follow-up post addressing the legal and ethical issues raised by readers. We welcome your feedback on that post. Comments on this one are now closed.

To address questions raised by the original, clarified that images found online for blog posts are, in keeping with the policy of The New York Times, used only if permission is granted by the rights holder.

Flickr has more than 40 million users uploading photos on a regular basis. At last count, there were 3.5 billion photos and videos to view. While many of us use Flickr to share photos with friends (and occasionally with strangers), you may not have realized that the photo-sharing site combined with a photo printer can be an invaluable decorating resource.

I sift through Flickr on a regular basis for images to use as visuals for my blog posts. I use images for my blog posts only if I’ve gotten permission from the rights holder, and I credit all images I find. But as with most things related to the Web, it’s easy to get sidetracked with not-so-work-related search terms like, “kittens” and “vintage bicycles.” Through these bouts of procrastination, I’ve often found stunning photographs, so much so I’ve gotten in the habit of printing faves out and framing them. If a user offers the original resolution for download, don’t let that go to waste. Download, print, frame!

And if you’re wondering about copyright issues (after all, these aren’t my photos), the photos are being used by me for my own, private, noncommercial use. I’m not selling these things and not charging admission to my apartment, so I think I’m in the clear.

Obviously, photographers and others may feel quite differently about this, but it’s a thorny issue: If printing out an image on Flickr isn’t ok, what about Wi-Fi picture frames that stream images from Flickr and display them in your living room? What about Tivoing an episode of Lost and watching it later with friends? (I’ll be following up this post with another post, chock full of answers from legal experts, in the coming days.)

Of all the artwork I have in my studio apartment (there isn’t a bare wall in the house), my Flickr finds get the most attention. Best of all, they were practically free! I use a Kodak ESP7 AIO printer to ink my finds on various sizes of photo paper and frame them in inexpensive frames found at Urban Outfitters or Ikea. The only thing I pay for is ink, paper and frames — peanuts, in my opinion.

While a lot of the images I’ve found are from regular people like you and me, I’ve also found that the Flickr page of the Library of Congress is a wealth of vintage images that make for great decorating pieces. I’ve framed this little number in my kitchen and this one in my living room. Put in any search term and you’re guaranteed to find a fantastic photo with a story.