The Smart Guide to Shopping at IKEA

Recently the new IKEA catalog came out.  I always enjoy looking through the catalog to see what is new, but I'm always disappointed when I go to the store and see the aisles of particle board, plastic and future broken items.  I have developed some "rules" for myself when actually making a purchase and I thought I'd share them with a small series.

First up is furniture.  There are a lot of things to avoid at IKEA, if you look carefully at a lot of their furniture you will see it is made of paper.  I'm not a fan of particleboard of any sort, with it's formaldehyde content and smell, but it is certainly more sturdy than paper. So, if you are looking for something to keep for a while, real wood {at IKEA this generally means pine} or wicker is the way to go.  I actually own the little rocker below and, except for the fact that it has been used as the world's most expensive scratching post, it has held up well.

Natural wood & wicker: STORSELE chair / HEMNES Side Table / GULLHOLMEN Rocking Chair /
STORNÄS Buffet / STOCKHOLM Chair in green

What do you think?  Do you have particleboard furniture from IKEA that you stand by?  I admit to having an ALEX drawer on casters and, it's cute on the outside, but crumbled on the drawer corners as I assembled it.

Bernhardt Contract - Apel

Bernhardt has a new little stool {or new to me} called the Apel.  They aren't really anything earth-shatteringly new but they are certainly something nice to have around if you're looking for portable seating {these are intended for an office but could certainly work elsewhere}.

 Plus, I love the felt and the contrast stitching on the little green one.  That color combination makes me very, very happy.

Thrifting :: Tons of Furniture Edition

I found a bunch of great furniture on my last trip out.  It's actually from two thrift and one consignment shop - I've been busy.

This evil cat looks familiar and makes me happy to look at.  I almost got it for my niece but this was a new consignment shop for me and their prices were at the top of what I would pay for things {new} and I already have Christmas presents.

There's something about curled wicker that draws me in.  I have some end tables with the curved wicker curlicues but my last cat used to work really hard to bite them off {she didn't ever even scratch things but she really wanted the nibbly bits on the wicker dead} so I hid them.  I'll have to drag them out and use them again.

These chairs are quite nice - I think there was a whole set of 6 which is a rare thing it seems.  They'd be nice with the wood refinished or painted and some new seat fabric.

This is an amazing sofa below.  The curved lines, the rolled arms that go straight into the rolled back, the deep tufting.  Contrary to what the picture shows, it's a deep deep red which is a great color.  It's so gross that I itched for two hours after seeing it, but if I needed a sofa I'd buy it and throw the cushions away and rip the fabric and foam off while it waited for reupholstering.  I'm super happy with my own sofa though so this will wait for someone else.

Thrifting :: Consignment Edition

I popped into a few thrift and consignment shops last week and found mostly nothing special but there were a few things I really loved.

This waterfall desk is really great.  With the veneer pattern being so nice, it should be back to working condition with a tung oil treatment and perhaps a bit of stain.  The drawers were nicely dovetailed and I love the simplicity of the pulls.

 A bamboo vanity!  It's super 80s but I really like it and it was in excellent condition {with the exception of the bench seat}.  It wasn't cheap though.  The classic dresser to the left was very nice too, you can kind of see a sliver of it in the photo.

I fell in love with this hefty ash tray.  I think it's the bright orange and white combined with the metal that I loved and it would be great for holding paper clips or keys at the front door.

These 70s lamps {I want to call it a chandelier lamp} with the hanging smoked glass disks make me really happy.  Again, not cheap but in perfect condition.

Thrifting :: End of the Summer Edition

My wrist is still healing but it's doing a bit better now so I thought I'd do a quick post on my latest thrifting finds.  A few weeks ago I popped into one of my favorite thrift shops and found a few things I would have loved to take home with me. Two things did come with me, and I'll post about them later, but here's what stayed behind.

The first is an inexpensive solution to the strangely popular "boob light" you find in new houses everywhere {and sadly, a lot of my apartments}.   The faceted glass makes it look fancier than it actually is.  There were two similar fixtures there, but this one had a dangly bit on the end.

 This headboard caught my eye and would be great for a kid's room.  I would paint it since the wood color is a bit 50s {or perhaps that more gross 70s shade with the black flecks added, I forget} but in the right place it could go as is with a bit of a tung oil polish.

This rattan rocker was so great but it was broken.  If I could have found a reason to take this home with me I would have, so it's a good thing it felt like it was going to flop over when I sat in it.

There were two dressers there that I liked, the first one, in dark wood was really nicely made - something you don't find around much.  With some new hardware it would be nice as is.  I'd paint the white one below to keep it from being so "french country" or whatever it is now.

 

Innit

As in I wanna sit innit.

I'm digging out my old photos from the ICFF again and since I have spent most of this summer avoiding the outdoors, I can't wait for fall when I can enjoy the time I am outside.  Maybe I'd like summer more if I spent it in a colorful and comfortable chair? 

The squishy cords of this Acapulco chair are quite comfortable, like those old lawn chairs popular in the 80s.  I think I like the simple round shape of the Innit style {see the yellow one on the right side} the best.

George Sacaris Studio & Faux Bois

I posted about these Faux Bois tree tables last year but I love the new styles out, like the log benches and the metallic mirrored finish.

I still think the brightly colored coffee table and larger sizes would be great in a retail display and the small stumps would make a great bedside table.  If I remember the conversation correctly {this is from the ICFF back in May, so it's been a while}, some of the finishes can even be used outdoors.

Thrifting :: Slacker Edition

I have been pretty stressed out lately and working hard.  Last week I was pretty busy trying to gain access to my email account, working extra hours {many involving crawling around buildings}, and redoing my taxes - the IRS tells me how I've screwed them up every year.  Then there has been all this heat and humidity where my hair takes on a life of it's own.  So I decided to relax instead of blogging.  I feel much better now.

Since it's fun to drive around in a hot car with no AC I decided to stop at a local consignment shop.  I purchased my sofa there 10 years ago for about $200 but after that trips have been more miss than hit.  They had some nice things this time, so here is what I found:

The upholstery is shot on this bench so it's probably not worth the money they are trying to get for it but it's really nice and could look great with some new fabric.

 This midcentury tea and coffee set caught my eye but they were asking $175 for it.  I feel like this is more an item for ebay than a consignment shop but I'd be interested to see if it sells.  I forget the name of it....

 I actually love this mirror.  I'd paint it something other than brown though.

This cute little pie crust table was one of my favorite pieces.  It was also really sturdy for a vintage piece and was one of the most reasonably priced items there.

 Cute little table, I love the drop pull.

I thought these vintage car prints were nice but my photo of them is terrible.  They'd need new frames but could be perfect in the right place.

Tossed And Found :: Don't Look in the Barn Edition

I was cat sitting for my sister this weekend and found these little end tables calling my name while driving to her house. That was mighty convenient since I keep extra things in her barn, so I sent her a text saying, "don't look in the barn", as if she would find something from a horror film inside. Horror films were the theme of last week, I spent 3 days measuring huge office spaces that were vacant but had empty offices, furniture that hadn't moved yet and creepy noises. I was so glad when it was over.

These tables are also a bit horrific but with some sanding, painting and either new or refinished hardware will be great.  I usually hesitate a lot when painting furniture but there's no doubt these could use paint, and lots of it.

Anyone else find anything good lately?

Thrifting :: Tuesday Morning Edition

I haven't posted thrift store photos in a while so I thought I'd put some of the latest up. Just because I'm not posting about going doesn't mean I'm not looking. I don't need anything so I've been trying not to go though.

This dresser is nice.  If I bought it I'd paint it and change out the hardware - or at least change the hardware.

I like this cute little swiveling cane stool - and actually the side table/night stand next to it. 

A terrible photo of a beautiful mid-century dresser.  It was in great shape I love the simple, angular hardware.

Remember my carpet posts from last week?  I kind of want this rug.  It needs a good cleaning but it is probably large enough to fill a room {8x10}.  I walked away but I think about it a lot.

They had rolls of fabric for really reasonable prices.  They were all really traditional but not exciting traditional - although toile is nice.

Marka Moderna

I am in love with these Marka Moderna chairs I saw at the ICFF.  They are loungy,  cheerfully colored and have speed stripes!  They come in solid and perforated metal but I like that the perforated metal would allow some air to circulate, especially if you are sitting on metal on a hot summer day.

Sancal - Tea Chair

I hadn't heard of Sancal before this year's visit to the ICFF, but fell in love with this little Tea chair.

The shape is perfect and I really like the quilted honeycomb pattern of the fabric. 

I managed to get my feet in a lot of pictures on this trip so you may see them here and there when I don't feel like Photoshopping them out.

Tweet Stool

I think my favorite part of the furniture fair every year is the ICFF Studio where up and coming designers show their prototypes and are hopefully matched up with a manufacturer {previous years are here: 2011, 2010 and 2009}.  This year, my favorite was this Tweet Stool by Ji-In Kim.  The piece is a small metal stool with a bird silhouette carved into the seat.
 

The bird silhouette casts a shadow resembling a bird in a cage.  As you sit on the stool to relax, the bird disappears and you "release" the bird from it's cage.

It's nice for outdoors and stacks so it's good for city people with small to no extra storage.  This is such a great piece, I really hope it is produced.

Catching Up On Sleep

I've been trying to catch up on sleep lately and that leads me to become fascinated with bedrooms.  This time it is this bed.

Bristol Bed

Tufting, antiqued mirror and wood legs brushed with gold.  It's so over the top I love it.

On a related note, I was waylaid picking up food for my mother on Mother's Day by a turkey standing in the middle of the road with his tail feathers all out on display.  Every time I crept a bit closer to him he would stare me down and lift his tail a bit higher.  Sadly, a car came the other way and when it drove by he moved over enough for me to carefully go around, and I hadn't yet found my camera.  It made me so happy though.

Bemz & Designer's Guild

I have to admit that I prefer shopping at IKEA for accessories and I don't own any IKEA furniture other than a wicker rocker {that has turned into the world's largest cat scratcher} and a flat file {which crumbled as I attempted to assemble it}.  I'd much rather save and buy something that is made well or buy something used and fix it up so it lasts forever.

Now that that is out of the way, I have to say that I love the Bemz and Designer's Guild slip cover collaboration.  Designer's Guild is one of my favorite fabric destinations and Tricia Guild's books are worth the price - they have some of the most inspiring photos in them. 

Some of the slipcovers come in fairly subdued patterns and colors.

via Bemz

via Bemz

 
But this brightly striped slipcover would certainly make your IKEA sofa stand apart from your friend's IKEA sofa.

via Bemz

Thrifting :: Consignment Edition

Over the weekend I stopped in one of my favorite consignment shops. I was able to walk out the door empty handed but it was a bit difficult.

These pint-sized Thonet chairs are adorable. They were priced a bit high for their condition {in my opinion} but cute nonetheless.

I liked this set of vintage nightstands that had a matching dresser - I love the little ring pull especially.  They would be cute as end tables as well.

I really want this mirror to come home with me someday.  Perhaps for my birthday or if it's still there when the price drops as low as possible.  I play that game all the time and in thrift and consignment shops and I generally lose.  It's just a mirror though.

I thought these were cute with lucite being so popular these days.  It's lucite that's acceptable for boys {and also little girls who love cars}!  Each piece that has a car actually rotates so there are a bunch of configurations, someone just happened to have pushed them all together.  Perhaps a small child who was bored and trying to figure out how to liberate the cars.

Has anyone else stumbled upon a great thrifted find lately?

Wildspirit

Two years ago I found some great stools by Wildspirit at the ICFF and forgot I hadn't posted about them until I found the catalog in my files.  How could you NOT want to look through a catalog with this guy on the cover {his name is Happy and on the catalog cover he's even hypoallergenic for those who are allergic}.  I really just want to grab his ears and squeeze him - in a nice way of course.

via Wildspirit

Back to the design stuff now.  These Spring bamboo stools are amazingly well made.  I remember at the time I saw them being stunned at how seamless the joints are and how good the craftsmanship was.  I would love to have a project where I could use them.

Thrifting :: Mid-week Edition

Along with my clothes shopping this past weekend, I also fit in some thrift store browsing. I didn't find a ton of things I was in love with but I did find some interesting things.

This dresser is huge and well constructed. I love the simple round pulls {though it's missing one} and it has a jewelry drawer too.  For some reason, jewelry drawers make me happy.

I think it would be fun to have a vintage range and this one was super cheap {freezer basket not included}.  It had a sign on it saying one of the burners doesn't turn off though, so maybe it would be more fun to have a range like this if I could actually fix all the problems that might arise myself.

What I fell in love with were these 60s silver ceiling fixtures from Lightolier with four smoked glass globes.

There were two of them and while they are a little bit tarnished they are a great find!

I bet they would be sold on 1st Dibs for 1.6 million dollars.