March 27, 2008
During my most recent trip to the Baltimore Area, I was able to go visit my favorite store in the world – Ikea! My purpose on this visit was to purchase a couch I had wanted for about 2 years now. While the color that I wanted had changed (due to the original color no longer available), my fondness for the Tylosand couch did not waver. Here is a picture of the couch in our living room.
The couch is a sectional and can be divided in the middle into 2 separate mini couches. It may look a little small in the picture, but it is 94″ long (7′ 10″). The color is a deep violet-red. As you can see with Veda on the back of the couch, our cats are fond of it too. Also, in the picture, you can see our little, inexpensive, storage ottomans that I found at Bed Bath & Beyond and maroon curtains from Hancock Fabrics.
One of the best things about Ikea furniture is on the wood does not come from intact natural forests, they apply the German E1 standard to wooden products, they apply the Finnish regulations to their textiles, and they do not permit the use of paints and varnishes containing formaldehyde additives. The German E1 standard for wooden products and Finnish regulations for textiles are currently the strictest within their field worldwide. This along with so many other reasons is why Ikea is my favorite store.
February 26, 2008
Sometimes it is hard to get started when you are getting out on you own – balancing what you need and what you can afford. I have created a list by room on what are generally the essential pieces in a room that most people need. I have labeled some items optional since there are things that you really can live without when you are on a tight budget. The same optional items can be worked around with a little creativity.
Items by Room
Living Room
Couch
Entertainment center
TV
DVD Player
Curtains/Shades
End tables (Qty. 2) (optional)
Coffee table/Storage ottoman (optional)
Lamps (Qty. 2) (optional)
Rug (optional)
Wall Art (optional)
Office Area
Desk
Chair
Computer
Lamp
Bookcase (optional)
Wall Art (optional)
Kitchen
Dishes
Flatware
Cups
Wall Art (optional)
Dining Room
Table
Chairs (Qty. varies)
Side cabinet (optional)
Wall Art (optional)
Bedroom
Bed
Curtains/Shades
Dresser (optional)
Lamps (Qty. 2) (optional)
Side tables (Qty. 2) (optional)
Wall Art (optional)
Bedroom – Child
Bed
Dresser
Curtains/Shades
Lamp
Side table (optional)
Wall Art (optional)
Bathroom
Towels
January 15, 2008
I like to vary what I put up on the walls of our home. I am going through a Japanese style phase right now. I had been using bamboo table runners on my dining room table and sideboard, but had recently replaced them with cloth ones. And, I found a bamboo pole out in our garage. So, I strung some jute through the table runners and tied it to the pole. I then found wooden curtain brackets and attached them to the wall in the best places determined by the length of the table runners and the bamboo pole. I placed the somewhat heavy pole and table runner hanging art on the brackets and it turned out really nice. With lighter wall paint, the wooden tapestry would have really stood out, but I really like it.
December 7, 2007
When I first bought my house, I thought it would be neat to do an underwater themed bathroom. I painted the walls and ceiling a dark blue and that was as far as I made it. I purchased the fish decals to stick on the walls, but could never bring myself to actually stick them to the walls. A bunch years went by and the bathroom was still dark blue and very dark. A change was needed – a nice neutral change.
The result…
