Fiddle Leaf Ikea Style

Just popping in from the long weekend for a little public service announcement. Ikea is now selling fiddle leaf figs! They never let us down, do they? Ok... well maybe I feel a little let down when I spend an entire day putting a piece of furniture together...

That pot isn't too pretty, so here are a few other options.

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Adam is heading to Minnesota tomorrow and I have talked him into grabbing me one! Here's to hoping I can keep it alive!

Colorblocking at Home

Art - Serena & Lily / Dresser - Ikea / Lamp - Robert Abbey / Mirror - Serena & Lily

Chair - Serena & Lily / Rhino Bust - Serena & Lily

I know we have all seen the gorgeousness that color blocking can do to your wardrobe, but let's take a look at how to implement this into your home.

I like to find a piece of artwork (or fabric) to serve as my color inspiration for a room and in this case, I went with a piece that is mostly one "block" of color with accents of the other color being used in the space.

From there, choose a main piece of furniture (couch, dresser, bed, table, etc.) in one solid color to provide another "block."

Then accessorize in varying shades of the accent color and don't forget to add in a neutral to ground the space (this can be done with flooring, wall treatment, furniture... really anything!)

Kitchen Makeover

Did you see this kitchen makeover on YHL?? They used an IKEA sink and counter tops, which is exactly what I want to do in our kitchen. After seeing this, my mind just might be made up!

IKEA: Textiles

While at IKEA, I found many new textiles that would work perfectly for our home and our budget.

I knew before going that I was going to be purchasing curtains for the living room, I just didn't know which ones. When I saw the MERETE at $20 for a pair, my decision was made easy. They make such a huge difference! We hung them right below the ceiling to make the room appear a little taller.



Another thing I knew I wanted was a sheepskin. I had a sneaky suspicion that Ellie would love curling up on it for naps and boy, was I right! She loves it!



While browsing through the textile department, I came across these awesome ethnic black and white pillows. They are a really thick cotton and I knew they would go perfectly with my Chiang Mai beauties.



I am not really sure if this counts as a textile, but I figured I would throw it in. This fun, geometric doormat only set us back $5!!!



And the best for last... I saw this 7x9 rug and knew it had to be mine! It goes perfectly under our new dining room table, which I will be revealing next week. {No, it isn't from IKEA!}

Lack Bookcase

The aftermath of the IKEA trip is still present, but we are making progress on getting everything in its place. The first thing we put together was the Lack bookcase.



It will stay in the living room for now until I am compelled to put it elsewhere. I saw this picture of the bookcase in Lonny a few months ago and knew I had to have it!



I still have quite a ways to go...

Meatballs in Paradise

We did it. My ah-mazing husband took me to the happiest place on Earth (forget about Disneyland). Ikea was all I thought it would be and more! We brought home quite the load so I will be posting about all of it as I assemble/put it up.



We were one of the first people to walk into the store (geeks!) at 9:30 so we could grab breakfast on the cheap.



I got in my intense shopping mode and only remembered to snap a couple pics of the showroom.





These are a few of the purchases we made.





We then had to go to the warehouse to find the boxes for all of the furniture we wanted. Adam came in REALLY handy for this part.



And this is the damage we did. All two cart loads full.



We ended it all with a delicious plate of Swedish meatballs. Counting down the days until I get to go back!

Birthday Trip

My birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I have thought long and hard about what I want. I might be crazy and I might not be, but I want to go to IKEA for my birthday! I have never been and I have accumulated quite a list of things I need (ok, want) from there. Thank goodness my sweet husband has agreed to taking me. I thought I would share a couple of the things on my wish list.

DOCKSTA Table
This table will fit perfectly in our small breakfast nook in the kitchen. I am thinking about finding some vintage chairs and repainting/upholstering them to go with it.




LACK Bookcase
This will find a home in my living room on one of the bare walls.



BOMULL Curtains
I will use these curtains in my living room. There are only $14.99/pair. You can't really beat that. These will definitely tide me over until I can afford something different!




KASSETT Box
I definitely need some of these. These could quite possibly make their way into almost every room in my house. In different colors, of course.



BÖJA Lamp
I am not sure where this will go yet but since every light fixture in my entire house needs to be replaced, I am pretty sure we will be able to find a place for it.



As you can tell, I am pretty excited about the upcoming trip. I will, of course, keep you updated on when we go and show pics of what we bring home!

(all images via IKEA)

Brilliant, I Tell You!

Just got home from work and was catching up on my blog reading when I came across this simple, yet amazing product for "cord management" on makingitlovely.com. It is Ikea's Signum Cable Management.

This is a shot from the Ikea Web site, which leaves me wondering exactly how it works?



This is the shot from makingitlovely.com that tells me exactly how it works!



Of course this product is only sold in Ikea stores (not online) along with everything else I want from that store. Maybe I can find one on Ebay? I really have got to make it to one sometime in the near future.