Year: 2015

Planty Wishes for 2016

livingroomwindow

The livingroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Planty wishes for 2016! This is my livingroom window presently. The big fig-tree. I hope it will get bigger and that its three (3) figs will eventually get ripe. I also hope that my stephanotis floribunda (I’ve got two, one hanging on the curtain-rod) will grow and get flowers again. I might have to replant it in fresh soils though some time in February.

livingroomwindow

The livingroomwindow 2015. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The lamp on the on the bench in front of the livingroom-window i won exactly one year ago in a competition on a blog I follow. It has finally found its perfect place here. The fig tree has a special flower-lamp to give it extra light. On the wall to the left I have hung a tall and thin mirror to get more light into the livingroom. In this case, it gives more light to the plants.

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Bedroomwindow. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

In the bedroom I made a small change. I moved the “gullranka” (Epipremnum aureum) from hanging in the window on the curtain rod to the top of the wardrobe in the background. One of my planty wishes for 2016 is that the two white pelargonias I keep here will survive until spring and get bigger. It is a very good sort. They made it over the previous winter and became really nice outside over the summer, despite it being a lousy summer.

gullranka

On the top of the wardrobe. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

In my planty wishes for 2016 are that it will survive there and get enough light there. Remains also to remember to climb up and give it water now and then…

olivetree

Olivetree in the bedroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I also wish that the small olive tree in the bedroom window will grow and bloom again. It bloomed this year, but the flowers fell off after a day or two. No olives… I keep the olive tree outside on the patio over the warm season. The rest of the year it lives indoors.

cactus

Cactus in the bedroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My smallest (not so small any more) cactus is growing. I wish it will get flowers again in the spring as it did this year. It still looks healthy, but I know it doesn’t get flowers every year. It all depends on light conditions and room temperature.

cactus

Cactus in the bedroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My bigger cactus keep getting babies on it. I use to pick them off now and then. It gets too crowded in the pot. I might save one of two tand start a new cactus-plantation. I see one there with roots hanging from it. There is also a dried out flowerbud on it that will never become a flower that needs to be removed.

figtree

Figtree in the livingroom. Photo:@nini.tjader.2015

In the kitchen I just wish that all my plants will survive the winter and live into spring and the lighter season that is coming. The big amaryllis will not, it has soon seen its end. These are the last flowers on the red one. The white one died the other day. Another plant has also disappeared in the kitchen, the hanging plant that used to be on the black piedestal where the amaryllis now stand, tje Australian Violet. Had to discard it.

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Kitchenplants. PHoto: ©nini.tjader.2015

Some of the hanging plants need to get larger pots eventually. Question is, where to hang them then? Wish I will find a place for them. Might be possible in the leftside kitchen window when the star comes down.

Essentially, my planty wishes for 2016 is that the plants I have now will all survive the winter. With the darkness we have over winter, that is always an open question, will they live or will they die…

kitchenwindows

My kitchenwindows. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

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Posted by nini in House plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

New knitted pillowcases

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Knitted pillowcases. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

At the end of October I bought some very thick yarn, with the intention to knit (or crochet) pillowcases from it. The result can be seen above, two pillowcases.

I have always liked knitted pillowcases and have long intended to make some.

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Cotton yarn. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

It is woven yarn, recycled cotton. Very thick. Called ECO Yarn. Its use is limited, but it is good for pillowcases, baskets, small mats and other such stuff. It is fast work, but it gets heavier and heavier the more you knit. Not too heavy though.

yarn

Cotton yarn. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I bought it at the Sewing and knitting fair in Stockholm at the end of October from Lankava.se. It is an ECO Yarn.

I used two different knitting methods for the pillow cases. One is made with garter stitch, the other with moss stitch. Both very simple. I closed the ready pillowcases by simply inserting one thread of the yarn along one side, through the meshes. Then made a knot at the corner where the opening was to be able to find it later if I would need to open up the pillowcase for washing for instance. They look the same on both sides.

If you don’t want to knit as much as both sides, make only one side and then put some suitable fabric on the backside of the pillow case.

I like the structure of the finished pillow cases. Simple to make. Only hard thing was to find out how many meshes to put on the knitting stick. Took some tries and redoing before I found the right size. The size of the knitting sticks used for these two pillowcases is 15 mm.

I still have some yarn left that I don’t know what to do with presently. Too little for yet another two-sided pillowcase, but maybe enough for a one-sided.

knitted, pillows

Knitted pillows. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in decoration, DIY, Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, 0 comments

My red and white amaryllis 2015

amaryllis

My red and white amaryllis 2015. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Amaryllis are beautiful flowers. I love amaryllis. Every year around this time of the year I try to have at least one amaryllis, usually red. Or one read and one white. Discovered the white amaryllis just last year. I then fell in love in one white kind called Alfresco. I have one of those also this year. And four red ones called Merry Christmas. They have the most beautiful flowers. Fascinating to look close at. Here is a bunch of pictures of this years amaryllis’.

They will not last over Christmas. I enjoy them now, standing on my kitchen table where I can enjoy them each time I sit down there to eat.

Click on an image to see a larger version and to get the possibility to move one image at the time.

Posted by nini in decoration, Flowers, House plants, 0 comments

Xmas-Moose in Stockholm

moose

Xmas-moose at Nybroplan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I was in town yesterday at an Adobe Lightroom seminar. Unusual to have a seminar on a Sunday, but… The theater was filled to the last place.

When we were done it was pitch dark outside so took the opportunity to go take photos of the Xmas moose at Sergels Torg and Nybroplan.

moose, sergelstorg

Moose at Sergels Torg, Stockholm. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Unfortunately Sergels Torg also this year is filled with building materials and various constructions for the tram-station to be there. Which means you have find a moment between cars passing by and people among the moose in what in other seasons is a fountain to be able to take a picture. At Sergels Torg there is mother+father+baby moose and a couple of fir-trees.

moose, sergelstorg

Moose at Sergels Torg, Stockholm. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Some think that the moose aren’t appropriate for Xmas decoration in Stockholm. Or that they are ugly. I don’t. Rather a couple of lit moose and fir-trees than a lot of Santas and stars or similar in various colors. Of course, moose have nothing to do with Xmas, but that is exactly what I like about these decorations. The light up the place and are fascinating where they stand. Especially if ti is really dark.

This year there were seven (7) moose at Nybroplan. Last year there were five (5) I think.

moose, nybroplan

Xmas-Moose at Nybroplan. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

I only had my mobile (iPhone 5S) as it was unsure when I left home if it should rain or not in the evening. But using the iPhone was fine. (The rain started when i was waiting for the bus and almost home).

moose, nybroplan

Xmas moose at Nybroplan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The moose at Nybroplan are mightier than those at Sergels torg. There is more of them (and no fir-trees) and it is darker there. They come in a group and look like they are on their way into the center of town…

moose, nybroplan

Xmas moose at Nybroplan, Stockholm. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I shot the moose also last year. It was then published at my Swedish blog. I called it “Älgarna demonstrerar”/”The moose are demonstrating” because I came to think of a an old song from the 70-ties with that name when I at first saw them. The song and a video on YouTube can be found here. Last years pictures were shot earlier in the day with more light. The darkness of yesterday was better for showing the lit moose.

moose, nybroplan

Xmas moose at Nybroplan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in Various, 0 comments

Magazine racks of various origins

magazine rack

My inherited magazine rack. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This is my inherited magazine rack. It comes from my parents and I have seen it all my life. It is made from bamboo and still going strong. It will probably last longer than I myself live… I still think this is a beautiful magazine rack. Despite being used for decades it has no damages at all.

magazine rack

My inherited magazine rack. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I usually do not keep magazines in it… They tend to curl up in there. Presently I keep the connection cords from the TV to my MacBook Pro in it.

magazine rack

Magazine rack at Designtorget. Photo Designtorget from the internet.

The magazine rack above can be found at Designtorget. It costs SEK 395. They call it Tipack. Very simple. Right? Not sure I would like to pay SEK 395 for it though.

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Magazine rack from Designtorget. Photo from Designtorget on the internet.

Also the magazine rack above is from Designtorget. Also costs SEK 395 like the other one. It is called Journal. Very simple too. Compare these two to the one below.

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Magazine rack from Ikea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This one comes from Ikea. No, they do not sell it any more. I have had it for several years. It was meant to store magazines in until you carried them out to the recycling-container. The small hook at its back was meant for keeping a roll of cord for binding them into a bundle to carry them out. I think I paid something like SEK 39 or so for it. Very reasonable price…

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My magazine rack with magazines in it. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This is how this rack looks with magazines in it.

Any less decorative than the designer models above from Designtorget? Not in my eyes. They are all black. Lacquered metal. This one is normally used in my storage room and for its original usage: to keep old magazines and newspapers in until I cary them out to the recycling-container. But it could in my opinion serve as a magazine rack in a visible place any time.

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Magazine rack seen from above. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in decoration, Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, storage, 0 comments

In the kitchen

plants, kitchenwindow, kitchen

Plants in one of my kitchenwindows. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

The above is one of my kitchen windows. My hanging plants there are getting big.

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Kitchenwindow November 11th 2015. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On November 11th the other kitchenwindow looked like this. And the amaryllis on the table were all very small them. Since the light in the window had a sudden death and could no longer be lit so I removed it.

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Kitchenwindows 2015-11-11. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The two windows are cornered to each other which give real good light in the kitchen.

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Oxalis on the kitchentable. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My oxalis has been moving around from one to the other and is now on the kitchentable. Seems that is the best place for it. For a while there I thought it was dying. Since it moved to the table, a bit into the kitchen from the windows, it came to life again.

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On the kitchentable. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Above some of the items kept on the kitchentable.

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On the kitchentable. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Some more items on the kitchen table… The radio is partly giving up. It has a rechargeable non-removable batteri, which enabled it to be move from here to elsewhere. It has stopped recharging the batteri and now only functions with the electricity cord put into the wall. No more radio in the bathroom.

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Oranges on the kitchentable. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On and off there is also a bowl of oranges, or grape-fruit, or clementines on the kitchen table. I have two of those thread bowls. They are excellent for keeping fruit in as they are airy.

pastajars, kitchen

Pasta jars. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I keep my different kinds of pasta – yes, I eat pasta. love pasta – in various glass jars. Pasta is decorative. The jars are kept in an old Billy bookcase I have in the kitchen for cookery books and other stuff that belongs in the kitchen.

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Tea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My collection of teas are kept on these small shelves from Ikea (they no longer sell them). Well… not only tea. Bottom shelf to the left is a jar with cocoa, and the red one to the right on the same shelf contains regular coffee (which I almost never use nowadays s I use coffee capsules).

Experiment. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Experiment. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

In one of the kitchen windows I have an experiment. When we cut the bushes outside the house, I kept some of the sticks we cut off. Wanted to try if I can produce new bushes from them. I know it sometimes works. at this time of the year (winter) the sticks are red. I put them in a vase with water that I change regularly. Now, a few weeks later, one of the sticks got leaves… I see no roots on the sticks yet, but…

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Amaryllis 25th November 2015. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

My amaryllis on the kitchentable are growing. Too fast again… The tallest one has started to show its red flower.

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Star in the kitchenwindow. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

As it is the season for stars in the window one of my kitchen windows got the big, white star that I had in the bedroom window last year. No space for it in the bedroom… The light from it when the daylight is gone is nice. I control that with a timer. We need those lights in this dark season.

star, kitchen, kitchenwindow

Star in the kitchen window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

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Posted by nini in House plants, kitchen, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 2 comments

New, oval plates

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The old plates. Photo:©nini.tjader.2015

For years now I’ve been looking for oval plates. I’ve hade those grey ones from Ikea for ages, but never really liked them. That is, I’ve never really liked the look of them. I’ve always liked their size and how much you can put on them at the same time.

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The old plates. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

They are heavy. The surface started looking cracked (if you look closely) quite some time ago. I normally like the color grey, but not on these plates. Problem was, there were no other oval plates to be had when I bought these ones at Ikea years ago.

plates

New oval plates. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

But last week I found the perfect plates. At Åhléns. SEK 149 a piece. I was in town and thought I’d look if they had any oval plates. And they did. Called “Bon”, one of several models in a whole series of plates.

plates

The new plates. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

They are white, simple and oval. Just the model I’ve been look for the last couple of years.

plates

New, oval plates. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Perfect. Just the right size to have salad, potatoes and a steak on them at the same time.

I didn’t look closely on the other plates of the same series, but I will next time I’m in town.

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More new plates. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I recently also bought two new plates at Ikea. Also oval, but with a higher edge.

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New oval plates from Ikea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

These ones are good for wetter food or pasta with a sauce or a salad.

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Oval plates from Ikea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Used them last time Ulla was here and we had meat casserole which was rather wet. They are too narrow though for salad, potatoes and a steak.

plates

New plates. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

It isn’t easy to find nice, oval plates. But don’t give up, they are out there. I’ve seen several over the years when I’ve been looking, but then most of them have been too big and not meant to eat from but only to server from. My new ones of course can also be used for serving the food, but they are also the right size to eat from. Depending on which food of course.

And I love white plates. Not colored, not patterned. White.

The old grey oval plates will be thrown out next time we go to the recycling station.

plates

The new plates. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in Ceramics, Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, kitchen, Various, 0 comments

Bye, bye HP – Welcome Samsung

colorlaserprinter

My old HP ColorLaser Printer. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I am finally saying bye bye HP to my old, defect HP color laser printer, and welcome to a brand new Samsung printer.

colorlaserprinter

HP Color Laser Jet 2600n. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I got that HP color LaserJet 2600n for FREE from my last employer (the big daily newspaper) where I worked at the support department. It was going to be thrown out and exchanged for other printers that could be run only by identifying yourself with your card of access to the offices. It was used at the newspaper for a couple of years and have served me well for at lest some seven years or so.

colorlaserprinter

The innards of my old HP color laser printer. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

For quite some time now it has been leaking toner onto the printers innards. This time CYAN. It has happened before, but then it was the YELLOW. I then got a new toner cartridge from the toner suppliers. This time I just gave up. I didn’t want to throw more money after this old printer. Especially as the the HP toners are quite expensive and I have to pay them myself. The toners aren’t even all that good. They are re-filled, re-used ones. I decided already a couple of month ago, when the printer started printing with blue stripes all over the paper, that I would not buy any more toners for it when it would be unusable. (I still wonder though where in the printer it keeps the surplus toner that all lasers produce, the wasted toner powder that is… never found that out).

So I began looking for a new color laser printer. A current one, with features like copy, scan, wi-fi (to be able to print from iPhone and iPad) etc. And it had to be a laser and had to be color. I looked at several ones. In the end the choice stood between a Brother and a Samsung. In the end I choose a new model from Samsung.

samsung colorlaserprinter

My new Samsung color laser printer. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Friday I went with my neighbor (who has a car) to the nearest Netonnet shop and bought a Samsung SL-C480 color laser printer. Welcome Samsung.

So. Now begins that painful period of getting to know all the quirks of this printer… And quirks there are.

samsung colorlaserprinter

Samsung laser color printer. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I’ve always downloaded the latest drivers from provider instead of using the ones provided on an installation CD/DVD. Normally those are newer/updated than on the installation CD/DVDs. So I did this time as well. And then it wouldn’t print anything but gibberish… An occasional page of real print, but most of the time gibberish. Wasted lots of paper on that. Today I uninstalled the printer drivers and installed from the CD instead. Same problem. One page printed, then gibberish on lots of papers before I managed to cancel the printing.

Then I found a trick. Quit the Samsung printer application after one successful print. Start the next print-job. That automatically starts the printer and the print application. And it prints as supposed to, one print-job at the time. Hm.

At least now I can print again and it prints beautifully both in black and color. I don’t know if the printing problems have something to do with my operating system (El Capitan10.11.1) or the Samsung drivers.

The printing problem (gibberish on several papers) appeared in any application I tried to print from. My MBP is still not El Capitan so will test from there when I have installed the drivers on it. I’ll wait for a while with updating the drivers again, now that I actually can print even though it requires a restart of the printing application between each print.

Also tested the copier. Nice to be able to copy in color. Works fantastic. Remains to test the wifi printing and the NFC printing… and the scanning. It installs a TWAIN driver. I thought TWAIN was dead? I didn’t buy this printer for the scanning though as I have an old Canon scanner and VueScan to run it. But I will try the scanning too.

It is nice to finally be able to print at all and not having big blue blemishes all over the print-out… The Samsung toners also cost less than the HP ones.

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Samsung Color Laser Printer. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in Nerdish, office, Thoughts, Various, 0 comments

TBT Work lying down

workstation

Yours truly testing the workstation lying dow.

[TBT THROW BACK THURSDAY] Lately there have been lots of images on FaceBook and other sites of a workstation for working lying down. During the period 1982-04-19 – 1989-01-09 I worked at Arbetslivscentrum, Stockholm (later Institutet för Arbetslivsforskning) as a project assistant (1 year), then administrative assistant, secretary to one of the research directors in one of the research departments. Our department researched in the areas of work organization and computers – coordinator of jobs for the assistants and assigner of jobs to the assistants, economic administration for the department. Parallell to this from December 1984 I was the main operator for the Macintosh installations in the house, responsible for three networks with a total of 70 Macintoshes. All support and installations and internal training programs.

The image above is from 1988. We were testing workstations of different kinds, among them one for working lying down, together with Ergonomi Design Gruppen (EDG). Conditions were very different in 1988 than today as there were no portables, no pads, no smartphones and no flatscreens. We used a Macintosh Plus… and hoped it wouldn’t fall down on the person sitting there testing the chair… You can easily say that we were too early with what we wanted to achieve. Conditions today are much different.

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Workstation from http://altwork.com/

Above tone of the images from Altwork.com that lately has been seen in various social media and on various websites. If you visit the site, there are more images and a video about the ideas around it.

The image with me in that contraption above was what I immediately thought about when seeing the Altwork workstation. The image of me and our workstation was published in a leaflet about how to make offices better in an ergonomic and organizational way. The leaflet was called Bakom Knuten, News from Knut-Projektet, December 1988. Still today, the leaflet is interesting. Some of those ideas have since been implemented, like working and meeting more flexibly standing up for instance.

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Stokke zero gravity chair. Image from the internet.

We also tested various ergonomic chairs. The one above was good for relaxing or reading, but at the time not something you could use in front of a computer. Today yes, as there are pads of various sorts. Some found it difficult to use and were a bit afraid of using it as it leans quite far backwards.

Stokke kneechair

Stokke kneechair. Image from the internet.

One of them, the above kneechair from Stokke, stayed with us permanently as it turned out to be very comfortable and good to sit on and work. It was relaxing for your back. Trick was to not hang on your knees on it. I’ve missed that chair ever since… (I left that job in januari 1989 to join an Apple Center).

This was a research project. Some of it has become reality since, but not everything. Particularly the design of office furniture isn’t really there yet. Some of the more advanced ideas about how it would come to be in 2003, that were in that leaflet, seem dated today. Development on the technical side also has advanced much faster than the researchers then could foresee. It is interesting to compare the ideas from 1988 with the reality of today. To work lying down still has a long way to go though I think.

Posted by nini in office, TBT, Thoughts, Various, 0 comments

Sofa styles come and go

sofa, karlstad

KARLSTAD 2-seater sofa in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Sofa styles come and go. So also in my livingroom. Presently I have a KARLSTAD sofa from IKEA. A 2-seater (or love-seat as some call them). Presently in its grayish cover. Over summer it was dressed in white.

Before that, I had a MIO sofa called Coffee, that MIO still sell. A 3-seater. That one was way too big for the present livingroom. And I didn’t like its rounded look. I much prefer the straight and simple look that KARLSTAD has. The MIO sofa actually could be ordered with differently styled ends, not all that rounded as the one I then choose.

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The previous sofa. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I gave the MIO sofa away for free when I bought the new, smaller KARLSTAD sofa. First tried to sell it on Blocket.se… None existent market. Too many sofas there. One of my neighbors got it for free (new it costed SEK 10.000…). He later gave it away to his son who lives elsewhere. Nothing wrong with the sofa, except the size of it. A quality sofa…

Now, these more rounded sofas are coming back again.
And Ikea has discontinued the KARLSTAD model.

karlstad

Karlstad discontinued. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

IKEA flagged the discontinuation of KARLSTAD some time during this summer. What I do not understand is why on earth they discontinue a sofa that has been one of their most popular sofas over time…

It is really a pity that they discontinued KARLSTAD. It is a nicelooking, simple sofa. Straight and classy. Much loved by people all over the world. Including me. And it is comfortable to sit in and easy to get up from.

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Norsborg sofa from Ikea. Photo: Ikea.

IKEA replaced it with a new model called NORSBORG. (Which has a 10 year guarantee, so I guess they will sell it for the next ten years at least… regardless of changing sofa styles…).

I don’t like NORSBORG.
At all.
It is too rounded.
Too big.
Not an elegant form (as I see it).
And not particularly comfortable.
Too soft.

norsborgsofa

Norsborg sofa from Ikea. Photo: Ikea.

One detail on the new sofa NORSBORG is that pocket at the ends of the sofa.
Good idea?
Not really.
After putting away the newspaper into the pocket a couple of times… how dirty will it be? Fun idea, yes, but practical? No. A loose pocket to hang over the sofa end is much more useful. As the one I have in the first picture (also from IKEA and not discontinued). Not for newspapers or books, granted, but for all those remotes you have.

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Norsborg sofa. Photo: Ikea.

The NORSBORG sofa also is not all that comfortable.
It is too soft.
Isn’t soft good?
No. It means it is difficult to get up from it.

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Norsborg 2-seater. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I think NORSBORG is ugly…
Of course it is personal what you find ugly or not. But…
It is something with the proportions. And the roundedness…

Maybe Gustav, the neighbor cat, would like the roundedness of NORSBORG, but I don’t.

I wonder though how long the IKEA sofa EKTORP will survive… One of the most comfortable sofas IKEA has. When I was sofa-hunting, and bought the MIO sofa, EKTORP didn’t have any grey covers. If they would have had that then (they do now), I would have bought the much smaller and cheaper EKTORP sofa from IKEA instead of the one from MIO. Rounded ends, but much nicer than NORSBORG. The EKTORP 3-seater would also have been too big for this livingroom though and been exchanged.

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Gustav on my KARLSTAD 2-seater sofa. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2014

Posted by nini in Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, livingroom, Thoughts, 4 comments

#plantshelfie

plantshelfie

Plantshelfie. ©nini.tjader.2015

This is my window in the livingroom, and this is my #plantshelfie. I have a freestanding shelf to house all the plants that go inside over the dark and cold season called winter. It is actually a sideboard.

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Livingroomwindow. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I haven’t filled the entire shelf with plants. Left some space for decorative items. Still, it is a plantshelf, or a plantshelfie (if we speak the language of instagram).

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Decorations in the livingroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The two bubbly candleholders are from Ikea. The vase with a candle inside it is from H&M (but I found it in our wastebins outside). Behind it is a Stephanotis floribunda that I got from neighbours that moved north and didn’t want to bring the plants. I have two now. From the beginning they were four. I gave one to my neighbour, Gustavs owner, and one to my friend Ulla.I really didn’t need four of them.

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Plantshelfie… Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Apart from the Stephanotis floribunda, the fig tree now lives on this shelf. Since it got inside into to the indoor warmth it has begun to sprout figs. Several actually. AsI don’t have a cool and dark place to keep the fig tree over the winter, I instead choose to give it light in the warm livingroom. I’ve placed a special plant-light in the pot. It seems to like that and has grown quite some since it got inside.

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Plants in the livingroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Behind the Stephanotis floribunda is a long pot with cuttings from the Mårbacka pelargonia. Impossible to see them in the picture, but they are there. Three of them. Comes from the two Mårbacka pelargonias I placed on the windowsill over the winter and had to cut down when I took them inside.

Hanging in the window is the second Stephanotis floribunda. Behind the curtain is my biggest and oldest olivetree which also spends the summer outside. since it got inside a couple of weeks ago it grew some 20 cms… So had to cut it to keep size back.

Behind the candleholders is my new quite big corokia cotoneaster (zigzagbush). That one lives inside the year around.

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Plants in the livingroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Some of the outside plants are placed in the bedroom. No place on the windowsill – where the smaller olivetree lives together with two cactus plants – but on the chest of drawers. There are two white pelargonias and the November cactus. All of them living outside in the warm season. They get extra light from the fluorescent lamp, placed on a higher chest of drawers. They need the extra light. This spot is otherwise too dark.

Remains to be seen how many of these plants survive the winter inside. The pelargonias will look tired and ugly for a while, but they usually come to life and come back some time by the end February.

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Plants in the bedroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

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Posted by nini in House plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 2 comments

Pillows and pillowcases

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Pillows and pillowcases. Image borrowed from the internet.

One of the simplest tricks you can use to change the look and feel of a room is to change the pillows and pillowcases in the room. Just by changing their color themes can change the whole room.

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Pillows and pillowcases. Mainly from Ikea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

If your sofa or your chairs are in one color, no patterns, and colors are neutral, it is even easier to create a combination that works well. Keeping the pillows in approximately the same colors but different patterns makes the combinations calm and interesting at the same time.

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Elephant pillow from Svenskt Tenn. Image from the internet.

Pillowcases and pillows come in various materials, patterns and styles. They also come in various price classes.  The pillow above from Svensk Tenn and costs SEK 950. I think that is a ridiculous price for a simple pillow. This is printed on linen. I would never pay SEK 950 for a pillow, no matter it being a famous pattern like this one, or that it covers a down-pillow (just guessing that it does).

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Nadja Wedin pillow. Image from the internet.

Some pillowcases are made by famous designers, like the above by Nadja Wedin. Costs SEK 695. I think that is ridiculously expensive as well.

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Pillow from MIO. Image from the internet.

This one is from, MIO and costs SEK 359. Still too expensive in my opinion.

It is EASY to make a pillowcase all by yourself. The pillows inside can be of any kind and you can find inexpensive ones at IKEA for next to no money. IKEA also has pillow cases for reasonable prices.

All you need to make the simplest pillow case is cloth of the size of the pillow it should cover + some extra for the sewing. If you make a pillowcase in envelope-style, some more cloth than the actual pillow. You can close the pillow case either with a zipper, or buttons, or straps. If envelope style, the cloth itself closes it.

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Knitted pillow case. Image from the internet.

For some time now pillows covered by knitted or crocheted covers have been seen in various interior design magazines and pictures. The above is about the simples model there can be to knit yourself. Why pay a lot of money to buy one? Unless, of course you have no knowledge of how to knit… You only need yarn of some sort (preferably thick yarn) and 2 knitting needles. How you close the cover is up to you.

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Knitted pillowcase. Image from the internet.

If you Google the internet for knitted pillowcases you will find plenty of descriptions about how to make them.

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Knitted pillowcase. Image from the internet.

If course you use colors according to your own wish, and patterns too, just as if you were knitting a sweater…

Or crochet the pillow case. Use your imagination. Pillow cases do not need to be expensively bought.

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Crocheted pillow cases. Image from the internet.

Posted by nini in decoration, Design, Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, textile, 0 comments

The Tube

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The Tube Photo:©nini.tjader.2015

I have this 70-ties fluorescent lamp called “The Tube”, designed by Anders Pehrson for Atelje Lyktan. It is a table lamp, shiny black. I bought it in the 70-ties because I really loved its form and look. It has followed me from flat to flat over the years.

This lamp can nowadays be found at various auction sites for around SEK1000. In various colors. You still see it in various interior design articles. Google “anders pehrson tuben” for more pictures and colors. No, I am not selling… I love this lamp.

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The Tube. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

It was problematic the last couple of years and didn’t really want to be lit. Sometimes I managed to turn it on, and sometimes not. Exchanging the fluorescent light didn’t help.

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The Tube. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Now, when the cold season is coming and many of the plants that I’ve had outside over the warmer season had to be moved inside, I needed some extra light for the plants. The Tube, with a timer, would be perfect for it, standing on the higher cupboard over the plants in the bedroom.

Decided I needed to have it repaired so i could put a timer to it for putting it on and off. Found via recommendations a firm that could do it. They changed most of the electricity inside it and the lamp is now as new. And the electricity in it is secure again. They did a good and fast job for a reasonable price.

It will live on for many years yet.

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The Tube. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, Various, 0 comments

Finally, a new bathroom cupboard!

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My old bathroom cupboard. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This, above, is my old bathroom cupboard. All emptied in preparation for the new one. The light above it broke back in this spring, and I have since not have any good lighting in the bathroom. It is not enough with only the light from the ceiling. My bathroom does not have any windows.

As the cupboard itself was quite OK I first looked for new lighting, including an electricity outlet as there are none in the bathroom. Which means that I had to have a long cord from the nearby walk-in closet every morning to be able to use my hair-drier.

To find just a new light turned out to be difficult for two reasons. The amount of space above the cupboard was very small. The ones I found did not have any electricity connections for hair-driers etc. The attachments in those I found did not correspond with the number of cords coming out of the wall for the light.

So, an entire bathroom cupboard with light and electric outlet had to be found. Found one, ordered it, and ordered also the job to have it attached to the wall and the electricity. The cupboard arrived faster than expected (delivery time was estimated to two weeks, but in reality it only took five days from ordering). Last Friday I got it all mounted and attached.

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The new bathroom cupboard. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

Very happy about it! The quality of the light in a bathroom is important. I can now see what I am doing when in front of the mirrored doors (mirrors on bath outside and inside, like the old one had). The fitter also actually asked, when noticing that I am not all that tall, if I wanted the new cupboard a bit lower than the old one. Of course I did! I am so used to bathroom mirrors sitting too high on the walls for my heights that I hadn’t even thought of the possibility to get it put a bit lower on the wall.

The cupboard doesn’t look all that different to the previous one. It is 10 cm smaller in width, but the the same heights. The light is LED. Both at the top and, new to me, under it, down onto the sink. The doors are self-closing. Still haven’t got used to seeing more of myself in the mirrors, but… Love it!

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The new bathroom cupboard. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The cupboard is called Skärgård from Camargue and is bought at Bauhaus. I ordered the fitting and electrical connection from Bauhaus as well.

Posted by nini in bathroom, Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, 0 comments

Visited the Hem, Villa & Bostadsrätt fair

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Hjältevadshus. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On Thursday, the opening day, I visited Hem, Villa & bostadsrätt. A fair about living and tending ones home. It is an odd fair. It gets more odd for each years that I visit it. This year they even built an entire 200 something m2 villa inside the fair.

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Hjätevadshus. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Nice villa. Wouldn’t mind living in it. I also like the outside veranda.

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Mittens. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Mix that with handknitted, lined with some soft material. The creator of the patterns also made trays with the knitting pattern on it.

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Glass fish. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

What about a large fish in colored glass with enormous lips? Could be bought for SEK100 at the fair.

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Wollen soles. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Or woolen winter soles for your shoes…

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Granit walls. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

On display were also granit walls. Nice ones really.

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Leila in Leilas General Store. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Leilas General Store as a pop-up store was there as usual, and so was Leila herself.

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Leilas General Store. Photo: ©nini.tjader,2015

I am no big fan of what she sells. Too many pastels, and rather expensive. She sold nice jeans-aprons though. No, I didn’t buy any.

The vegetable guy. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The vegetable guy. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

As on any fair in Stockholm, the guys that sell tools to make various things with vegetables was there, showing off what could be done with the tools.

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Wallpaper diamonds. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

To show off current wall paper patterns as small diamond shaped forms… Not really a way to show the wall-paper in my opinion.

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Tray with the advent children. Photo:©nini.tjader.2015

Now that the advent children by Lisa Larsson are no longer produced, they’ve made an illustration of them and put it on a tray… I much prefer them as the candle holders they originally are.

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Garlic grater and jars. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

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Garlic grater and jars. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The stands that sell garlic jars and plates for grating garlic, were there as usual. They appear on every fair I’ven been to the last couple of years. Nice stuff actually.

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Pillows and trays by Nadja Wedin. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Another appearance at every fair lately, is the stand with pillows, trays, cloths, postcards by Nadja Wedin.

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Tray by Nadja Wedin, Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I like her stuff, but they are far too expensive. Almost always very colorful patterns.

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Patterns by Nadja wedin. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

But sometimes also in black and white. She always mixes flowers and animals in her patterns in intricate ways.

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Pillow by Nadja Wedin. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I wouldn’t mind owning one of her pillows. Or two. But I am not prepared to pay something around SEK850 for a pillow…

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Sofa. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This is not a fair for furniture. But there was some. I liked this grey sofa.

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Bathtub in brass. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

This firm, www.sidsid.se, were showing handmade products for bathroom and kitchen. This bathtub in brass was a bit much in my opinion…

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Copper sink. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

A sink in copper…

Items from sidsid.se Photo: ©ninitjader.2015

Items from sidsid.se Photo: ©ninitjader.2015

But they also showed more normal things. like Moroccan tiles and porcelain sinks.

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Brass items. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

And the above items I really like. Have no idea what they are supposed to be used for. Very North African/Middle Eastern items.

lampshades

Lampshades from MIO. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

MIO showed parts of their furnitures and lamps. The two above I like. But I presently do not need any new lamps…

fireextinguishers

Fire extinguishers. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Designed fire extinguishers were also on show. I don’t know if I would like to have fire extinguisher with a skull on… To me, that gives the wrong signal. It is absurd to have skulls on them as I see it.

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Paint samples from Farrow & Ball. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Of course several paint companies were represented at the fair. The above one apparently is new to Sweden. I like the texture of their paint. Not chalk paint, but matte and soft.

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Sweaters. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

What do sweaters do on a fair about house and home? Really? who let those in?

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Trendstefan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I also attended half a free seminar by Trendstefan about current trends in design. Unfortunately I missed the beginning of it as I lost track of time.

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Trendstefan and Doreen Månsson. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Doreen Månsson, often seen as a TV host for various programs, was the host for the seminars and the one posing questions to Trendstefan. I always enjoy listening to him, be it on the radio, TV or as here, a seminar at the fair.

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Bathducks in hottub. Photo:©nini.tjader.2015

This fair always have plenty of hot-tubs on display. Huge things… Above illustrated with a gang of rubber bath ducks floating around in it.

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Bake and chocolate fair. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

In a nearby hall the Bake and Chocolate fair was taking place. Lots of sweets to taste and look at and to buy.

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Chocolatebars. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I bought two choclatebars. One white with raspberries and candied violets, and one dark with freezedried strawberries and blackberries.

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Sugar. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The other thing I bought was Muscovado syrup and sticks with cane sugar.

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Free stuff from the fair. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The above is a collection of some of the free stuff that was handed out at various stands. Lots of sweets, apples, pens,…

This is an odd fair as I noted at the beginning of this post. And I haven’t even mentioned some of the stuff shown, like heat pumps, windows, staircases… or anything else that can be used in a house/villa.

Posted by nini in Fairs, Thoughts, Various, 0 comments