ikea

Apr

2018

Sofa in place

The new sofa is in place. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

New sofa in place

It all went very fast after I decided which sofa to buy.

On Thursday morning (April 5th) I decided to try to sell the old sofa on Blocket.se. Two hours later I had the first respons asking me if sofa was still available. I answered yes. About an hour later I had the next response which said if it was still there they wanted it and could pick it up the same evening. So I agreed to sell the old sofa to them and agreed on pickup-time. They came in the evening, picked the sofa up and payed it via Swish, without any arguing about the price. The first contact I had in the morning by that time came back (via email) and wanted me to reduce the price. I then told her that the sofa meanwhile was sold and picked up. Two other also contacted me by that time.

I’ve thought it is impossible to sell sofas via Blocket.se, but this time I was wrong. And I’ve never sold anything via Blocket.se that fast before.

Livingroom without sofa. Photo ©nini.tjader.2018

So there I was Thursday evening without a sofa. Looked really empty.

On Friday, when back from the gym, I went directly to IKEA to buy the new sofa. Delivery was ordered for the same night between 17.00-21.00 hours. It arrived at 19.00 hrs. Two very helpful guys in the car carried it all in and the biggest parcel they carried all the way into the livingroom even though I had only ordered and paid for delivery to the door and no carrying in. Thanks guys! Much appreciated.

That same night I took away all the plastic and such from the parcels but did no more.

Assembly of new sofa going on. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

In the morning (Saturday), I got the pillows into their covers and everything laid out for the assembly of the sofa itself.

The new sofa ready to be assembled. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

After having breakfast the neighbour came in to help me with the rest of the assembly. The main parts of the sofa is impossible to assemble by yourself. You need to be two to do it.

The new sofa assembled. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

After struggling with it for a couple of hours, with a break for waffles with whipped cream and strawberry preserve and coffee outdoors in the afternoon, we finally were done.

Those screws that hold the sides together with the main part of the sofa are really hard to fit and get firmly screwed into place. One of them was impossible and is only loosely there (the one in the upper right back). No matter how much we tried to get it to stick where it should it wouldn’t. It is the one fastening the righthand side-piece at the upper backside (against the wall). I hope it doesn’t matter.

Sofa assembled and in place. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The new sofa is the same model as the old one, a Karlstad from Ikea. This time a 3-seater. The old sofa was a 2-seater (no longer sold by Ikea). I wanted a 3-seater so I can have a night guest should I need to. This is big enough for sleeping in when pillows are removed. The light-grey cover can be washed in the washing-machine if needed. Only problem is that you have to take the entire sofa apart to get the cover off, except for the pillows.

New sofa in place, pillows placed. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

The loose pillows (same ones as in the old sofa) were placed in the sofa. Plenty of space left as the sofa is longer than the old one.

The new sofa with its pillows and throw. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

To protect the brand new sofa I put a throw by the end of it where my feet usually land. I hope Gustav, neighbours cat, will not have too dirty feet when he comes in and wants to be in the sofa… It has a 10 year warranty but not against dirt on the cover…

I am happy with my new sofa. It will probably be my last sofa.

Mar

2018

Sofa time again

My present sofa, an IKEA Karlstad 2-seater. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

It is sofa time again.

Sofas come and go for various reasons. I think I remember most of mine… so not THAT often. But now it is sofa time again.

Presently I have an IKEA KARLSTAD 2-seater. The 2-seater was discontinued quite some time ago and is no longer sold. The 3-seater is still sold. My Karlstad sofa has one cover in grey and another cover in white. The grey one needs to be cleaned by a laundry and the white cover can be cleaned in a regular washing machine.

I switched to this sofa after some time in my present flat. When I moved in here I hade a 3-seater sofa from MIO which was much too big and clumsy for the smaller livingroom in this flat. It was almost impossible to get rid of that sofa. Tried to sell it at Blocket.se. No deal. In the enda after much trying I gave it away for free to a neighbour whose son needed a sofa. Just to get rid of it. It is hard selling sofas – or even giving them away – on Blocket.se. There are too many sofas there. I am personally a bit suspicious of second hand sofas as you have no idea what has happened to their cushions… So no wonder they are hard to sell.

Ikea Delaktig by Tom Dixon. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

When IKEA announced the release of the sofa DELAKTIG by Tom Dixon my interest was awaken. Finally a clean and simple sofa without any thick armrests and with space under it to make it easy to vacuum-clean the floor. It was introduced on February 9th 2018 in the warehouse. I went there with friend Ulla to have a look at it, sit on it, feel it, experience of that was what I wanted.

Ikea DELAKTIG by Tom Dixon. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

I love it. It is comfortable. It is flexibel. The cover can be cleaned in a regular washing-machine.

BUT, at about the same time, the new brochure for spring from MIO landed in my mailbox. So I had a look at the sofas there. Found one that looked promising and flexible and had covers that can be cleaned in a regular washing-machine. That is actually important as it is very expensive to have the covers cleaned professionally at a laundry.

MIO Clean sofa. Screenshot from MIO website.

The one that caught my eye was called CLEAN and filled all the criteria I had for a new sofa.

So I went to MIO to have a look at it, feel the covers, get some details and sit in it.

Good enough but not a sofa that made me feel that that was the one. Too boring. Too ordinary. Too much like any other sofa I’ve had over the years.

So I went back to Ikea a second time to look at DELAKTIG again.

Ikea DELAKTIG by Tom Dixon. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2018

That is my next sofa. What I love about it is its clean lines, it comfort and its flexibility.

I love the light grey covers and they are washable in the washing-machine at home. To begin with I don’t need more than one lean-to-pillow of the thicker model, and one slimmer armrest. If I later feel I need more cushions/armrests for it, it is possible to get that later. Ikea is supposed to be selling this sofa for at least two years it has been said. So, no hurry.

I only need to decide if I want the smaller 149 cm long model, or the longer 202 cm long model. I have space for either. For the longer one I need to remove one smallish book-case, but that’s all.

First I have to get rid of my present sofa before I can order this one. I will at least TRY to sell it via Blocket.se. If no luck, Ikea can remove it when delivering the new one.

To be continued…

Dec

2017

Flexible sofa daybed from Ikea

Flexible sofa daybed. Photo: IKEA

Ikea recently announced a very flexible and useful sofa daybed. Here in Sweden it will be introduced on Feb 9th 2018 and according to the information be sold for two years. Which means you don’t have to rush it to get one if you want one…

Flexibel sofa daybed. Photo: IKEA

I totally fell in love with it.

On February 9 th 2018 IKEA and Tom Dixon announces DELAKTIG: An open ”platform for life”, based on a frame of aluminium. The idea is that DELAKTIG will challenge design-conventions in the furniture branch and welcome everyine to add functions of their own or totally change it.

IKEA and Tom Dixon have also designed add-ons which complement the platform. The add-ons can be combined in several different ways. Add armrests and a lamp. Add a table and new cover for the back-pillow. Change position of the armrests. Change the armrests. Add more pillows. Or change the cover.

Salestart: February 9th 2018
Salesperiod: 2 years

soifa, daybed, furniture. ikea, tomdixon

Flexible sofa daybed. Photo: IKEA

This one would be the perfect sofa-daybed-guestbed in my livingroom as I see it.

Of course I need to see it in real life, sit on it and feel its materials, see the colors in reality, before I make up my mind. But on pictures it looks just perfect.

Flexible sofa daybed. Photo: IKEA

I like the simplicity and clean lines of it. And I like the flexibility.

Flexible sofa daybed. Photo: IKEA

If I get this one I have to get rid of the KARLSTAD 2-seater i presently have (which I recently had the cover cleaned for SEK945 as it was really dirty). I know selling used sofas online is a more or less dead market and you get next to nothing for a used sofa, if you at all manage to sell it. But to get a new sofa in, the old one has to go.

Sofa daybed. Photo:IKEA

It comes in light grey, dark grey or blue and in various sizes.

Sofa daybed. Photo. IKEA

Download the IKEA_pressmaterial_DELAKTIG_Tom_Dixon_9feb_2018 in Swedish for more details, ictures and prices here.

Dec

2017

New in the livingroom

New in the livingroom. A new curtain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I do not use curtains all that much. When I do, they are usually all white without any patterns or colors.
But… the last time I passed by IKEA I fell in love with a textile I saw. Black and white with a graphic pattern on it. So I bought it.
I bought 2,840 cm of the textile. I didn’t remember the exact height from ceiling to floor so bought more than I needed. It is called INGVILL and is 100% cotton. Total cost SEK139,16.

At first I intended to use it in the entrance hallway, but re-thought its placement and tested it in the livingroom.
And liked it. So after a few seems at top, sides and bottom, and some ironing, the livingroom got a new curtain.
And I love it.

I still have enough left of it to sew a pillowcase as well.
A cheap way to renew the livingroom.

The natural light this time of the year is very poor and almost non-existing which makes it really difficult to take pictures the way I prefer. The lack of light also kills plants. The one closest to the door to the patio is gone after I shot the above picture. It just died.

Detail of new curtain in the livingroom. Photo:©nini.tjader.2017

May

2017

Latest purchases from Ikea

mobileholder, ikeapurchase, latestpurchases

Mobile holder. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

Thought I’d show you my latest purchases from Ikea.

Last time I was at Ikea (about a week ago?) I bought some small items I really didn’t need but couldn’t resist.

The above is a mobile holder of bamboo. The cord for the charger goes out at the bottom middle. Took me some time to find out how to assemble the two pieces… but I managed in the end. There was no instruction. This is not where it will finally stand (on top of a pile of magazines).

lighthouse, candlestand, ikeapurchase, tealightholder, latestpurchases

“Lighthouse” for tealights. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I also bought this black tealight stand at the center of the picture (Ikea also has a larger version for large candles). The one to the left I’ve had for many years and it is not from Ikea. The new one is in metal and you simply lift its top to put in a new tealight or to light it. Fell in love with it’s graphic expression and that it is black and in metal. The head to the right of it is of iron and bought somewhere in Greece.

tealightholder, candleholder, ikeapurchase, latestpurchases

Hanging holder for tealights. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017

I also fell in love with this white tealight-holder. Also in metal, with a chain to hang it in a window or outdoors. This is the smaller model. There is a larger one too. I have presently no idea of where I will place it. Will decide that later on.

That’s how it is with Ikea… hard to just pass and not buy anything.

Sep

2016

Disaster or opportunity?

Black currant stain on daybed. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

I’ve got a stain from black currant juice onto my white cover on my Ektorp daybed…

The other day I passed my Ektorp daybed in the livingroom on the way outside with a glass of homemade black currant juice in one hand. I then wanted to pick up the book I intended to take outside into the sun… The glass slopped… A few drops of the juice landed on the white-covered daybed… And there it is. A large, blue stain on the white cover. Disaster?

Black currant stain on the daybed. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Stains from black currant aren’t easy to get rid of, if at all possible. I don’t know of any working methods to get rid of this kind of stain.

Of course I’ll try to get it off in the laundry, but if I don’t succeed? Is this then a disaster? Or is it an opportunity?

Should I color the entire cover jeans-blue?

I have a second cover for the daybed, light grey, from Bemz. Ikea stopped selling this model of Ektorp daybed years ago, including its covers. Getting a new, white cover is expensive and nothing I presently can afford.

So, should I color the entire cover jeans-blue?

Aug

2016

Carpet in the kitchen – again changing it

LOHALS carpet from Ikea. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Carpet in the kitchen? Yes, I always want a carpet in the kitchen. My floors are rather cold during the cold season, then a carpet under your feet is good to have.

I am again considering a change of carpet in the kitchen. I love the one I bought last year, BUT it is no good in the kitchen. Why? Because it is next to impossible to get the kitchen chairs out when getting up from the table. They get stuck in the carpet. I didn’t know that when I bought that carpet. The present carpet is LOHALS from Ikea, largest size (200×300 cm).

LOHALS carpet in the kitchen. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2016

Many do not have a carpet in the kitchen under the kitchen table, but I want one as my floors are rather cold during the colder seasons and I live on the ground-floor. And it should be easy to clean/vacuum and pleasant to walk barefoot on. The one requirement I didn’t take into consideration when I bought this one, was how hard or easy it was to get the chairs out from under the table.

Ikea LOBBÄK carpet. Photo from Ikea.

The carpet I am considering is the Ikea LOBBÄK carpet, size 200×300 cm, price SEK799. It is supposed to be beige. On the PR-picture above it looks more greige (greyish-beige) than on the pictures on the websites. On the picture on the Ikea websites it looks more brown than beige… Need to see it in real life to be certain of the color. I am no fan of either brown or real beige.

Ikea LOBBÄK carpet. Photo from Ikea.

Apart from that it looks flat-woven enough to be able to move your chairs from out under the kitchen table. They didn’t have it in the carpet-department when I visited Ikea on Thursday, though it says now on their site that they do have it (only four of it, but still…). It is supposed to withstand dirt, rain, snow… and can be used outdoors as well as inside. Sounds like a good carpet for the kitchen.

The present carpet in the bedroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

The plan is to move the carpet from the kitchen into the bedroom and exchange the blue carpet there.

Carpet in the bedroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2016

I think it will be good in the bedroom. It is larger than the present one, but there is room enough for it (I have measured the space). It will also make my blue bedroom a bit lighter I think. The present blue carpet there needs cleaning and might not survive a cleaning. It is a very cheap carpet I bought many years ago to have on the floor in my then kitchen when its regular carpet was to be cleaned.

First of all, I need to visit Ikea again and see the LOBBÄK carpet in real life. Then we will see.

LOBBÄK carpet. Photo from Ikea.

PS. 2016-08-27 Visited IKEA the other day and they had one (1) left of the LOBBÄK carpet so I could take a look at it in real life. It looks fine. Less brown than in their website images. They aren’t really in store yet, but will be in larger numbers in about three weeks time. Then I will probably buy it.

Jan

2016

Ikea GJÖRA – an empty bedframe?

GJÖRA bedframe from Ikea. Photo: IKEA

IKEA recently announced a new bedframe among several new items for what is coming this spring. The bedframe/bedboard is called GJÖRA and will appear in shops sometime in Februari.

It is a bit different to normal bedframes. The bedframe is “empty”.

What is the point of a bedframe that is just a frame and not containing anything but empty air? If you put it in front of a window, like in the above picture, of course it doesn’t cover the window and the light, which is good (I am otherwise totally against putting beds in front of windows). But what is the point of the frame? To hang things on it? Your clothes? Decorative items? An extra blanket or throw?

Ikea GÖRA bedframe. Photo: IKEA

I certainly wouldn’t like to have my clothes hanging from the bedframe. Neither on the short side, nor on the tall side. The tall side, by the way, is a bit over-powering and very high.

If the frame is empty, you can as well have a bed without a frame, right? Isn’t the purpose of a bedframe to keep bed-linen in the bed, pillows on the bed and not falling out and to the floor and to protect the wall behind it (if you don’t have enormous bedrooms where the bed can be freestanding on the floor)? If the frame is “empty”, then what?

Ikea GJÖRA bedframe. Photo: IKEA

One of the press-pictures shows it with a kind of curtain on the tall side. Now we are back to olden times when curtains obscured the bed from its surroundings and its content from the room it was in. Google “beds with curtains” for examples.

Instead of hanging the curtain as in the above picture, if it had a textile covering that was put onto the frame and drawn flat from top to bottom, then I would understand this kind of bedframe. The bed itself and the wood it is made of looks nice enough. But the empty bedframes? No thanks. Neither practical, nor useful, nor nice. I can too easily imagine the mess they would create with all the stuff hanging from them. Or falling down into the bed in the middle of the night disturbing sleep.

Sorry Ikea, but this I don’t like.

Nov

2015

New, oval plates

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

Nov

2015

Sofa styles come and go

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

May

2015

New details at home

Hallway clock. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I’ve recently added some new details at home. Not expensive, just nice ones, that I found at Ikea. (And no, this post is NOT sponsored by Ikea. I actually do not have ANY sponsors for my blog – I just blog for the fun of it).

One is a hallway clock (SEK79), pattern designed by Olle Eksell. He is the designer that made that famous poster with the Mazetti eyes on which you see everywhere in interior design. Ikea has made several items that use Olle Eksells figures and designs.

I think it is a fun clock. Not that easy maybe to see what the time is, but… it is decorative.

At first I intended to hang the clock in the bedroom, but it turned out that it ticks. Loudly. So couldn’t have it there. Looks good here in the hallway though I think. And here I hardly notice the ticking. (Gustav, the neighbor cat, noticed it though the other day when he was visiting).

Clock in the hallway. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I also got myself two new pillows with patterns by the same Olle Eksell. Just love those figures. I alos love the price, SEK39 a piece is really cheap.

Pillows. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The black and white one sits perfectly together with my other black and white Ikea-pillows in the chaiselongue.

Also got a colored pillow with his match-stick pattern. Presently placed that in the livingroom sofa. I like that pattern.

There are plenty more products with Olle Eksell patterns at Ikea. Some of them I like, some not. Those with green and orange colors… I don’t like those as I am no fan of green and orange in my home. I do like the match-stick posters, but I don’t know where I would be able to put them if I bought them.

Mar

2015

New shelves in the kitchen

kitchen, shelves, enudden, shelves, ikea

I’ve put up two small shelves in the kitchen. Bought them already before Xmas and have been planning to put them up ever since. Now they are up on the wall. I moved all my different kinds of tea (+ one decorative can with cacao) to the shelves which created better space in the Billy cupboard to the right.

The shelves are white lacquered steel and come from Ikea. They are called ENUDDEN and cost SEK39 a piece. Or USD 7.99. They can be put either as I did, with the sides pointing up, or the other way around with the sides pointing down. I’ve also seen examples when two combined are put with the top one with sides pointing down and the bottom one pointing up. They they can become a good little shelf for pocket books for instance.

Feb

2015

Drawers instead of shelves in the kitchen cupboards

For a very long time I was irritated by my largest kitchen-cupboard. Why? Because it is a lower cupboard stuck against the wall which made it very difficult to see what was in it and to move things in and out of it. I also needed some kind of pantry as this flat doesn’t have one. I’ve so far used a low Billy shelf with doors as pantry. It’s been Ok, kind of, but it took up valuable floor space and it lately began to fall apart (the backside I nailed to the shelves from the back as it kept falling out).

The dining-table much needed to be moved closer to the right to get enough space to sit on the other side. Also, the space to open the door to the cupboard was not sufficient at all.

So I checked alternatives and came to the conclusion that drawers instead of shelves in that cupboard would be a good solution. I could then get rid of the Billy cupboard, move the table to the right, and get good overview in the drawers of the content. The drawers would act as pantry.

Unfortunately I could not use Ikea drawers in the cupboard as my cupboards are from Marbodal and the measures are not the same. That made it much more expensive. I ordered them a couple of weeks ago and got them last week.

Emptied the Billy cupboard, removed the doors, took out the shelves and put the Billy cupboard out into the bicycle shed… waiting for the spring-container for large stuff to throw it away.

All the pantry-content on the table and the floor…

Billy now gone from this spot. I then removed the door and the shelves of the cupboard that was to receive the drawers and cleaned the space.

The drawers came partly assembled so I only had to attach the front and to put up the rails for the drawers.

After some struggle with the drawers I got them in. The pictured description of how to do that was not all that clear, but after some testing and swearing I learned that the rails were to be inside all the way and not out to be able to attach the drawers. Success!

To get the drawers in the right way I also had to adjust the next two doors slightly to get it right.

Mission accomplished, except for the handles.

No, the broom is not standing there any more. It has moved to the walk in closet to be out of the way…

Dining-table was moved to the right and the ceiling-lamp too. It is no longer hard to get in behind the table at the left side.

I then put in Ikeas drawer mats in the drawers and filled them with all the pantry stuff (dry goods). I then created the templates for the holes for the handles and taped them to the drawers. It is a question of measuring carefully and finding the middle of the drawer and the distance from the top of the drawer-front and where the holes for the handles should go. It is somewhat scary to drill holes into the all new fronts…

Had to go out to buy an appropriate drill-head to be able to do the holes for the handles. Below the result after drilling the holes and attaching the handles.

I am happy with the result. I finally have drawers instead of shelves and useful drawers for all the dry stuff easily seen and reached. And I no longer have to crawl on the floor to be able to see what is in that cupboard… Neither do I have to remove half the content to get at what I need. This is how it ought to have been from the beginning. By the way, the drawers are self-closing and very silent too.

I still have to rearrange the decorations on the wall now that Billy is no longer there. It looks off as it is now.

The whole thing costed SEK 4215 for the parts from Marbodal. Delivery took about two weeks. The drawer mats from Ikea costed SEK 39 and the new drill head for wood with sharp tip SEK 28. The Marbodal fronts are 13 mm thick. Had I chosen the thicker ones – which they at first quoted to me – the whole thing would have costed another SEK 2000… so I chose the simpler ones, which are the same as the doors to all the other cupboards.

The doors to the Billy cupboard are for sale. Contact me if you are interested.

Feb

2015

Clamp spot-lights

I recently bought this lamp from Ikea, RANARP (above). The intention was to put it in the bedroom over the bench where I have flowers so they could get some more light this dark season. Tested it there but it was no good as I always got the light into my eyes as soon as I entered the bedroom. Because of how you attach it, it ended up here in the end, in the livingroom, replacing a book-case lamp I moved to a bookcase where I had to replace one lamp that had a sudden and final death of the whole lamp, not just the bulb.

I like the form and look of this lamp (Ikea has several other models of it), but… Why does it have to have such a huge label inside it? As it is a clamp spot-light, usually put a bit higher up on a shelf or similar, you see the label inside it when looking up. And why does it have to have such a complicated construction for fastening the lamp to the shelf-edge? I have reasonably strong hands (despite my age) but almost couldn’t get it in place as it was hard work to get it to open up enough to place it where I wanted it. Then it also has a thing you screw up through the fastening to make it sit securely there.

This (above and below) is the spot-light it replaced. Also an Ikea-lamp, no longer sold, much smaller. You screw it into the shelf itself, no clamping. I have several of those, so when one broke, I couldn’t just put a new of another model in its place. On these bookcases, there are three in a row.

Here above the wardrobes in the bedroom, also three in a row (as you can see I am not finished painting the walls in the bedroom yet, one corner and one wall to go). High up, angled to be able to see what is in the wardrobes. And one more over the other two wardrobes in the bedroom (yes, I have five wardrobes there…).

If another one of those spot-lights brake, I will have to find a replacement. And I do not want one of Ikeas cheapest, which i still have one of in the living room and long have looked for a replacement for.

I am not prepared to pay some SEK2000 or so for a designer lamp though… not that I don’t want one, but I cannot afford it.

Might move the RANARP clamp spotlight to this location and find something else to put above the stereo.

My favorite clamp spot-light is the Artemide Tolomeo lamp. It costs around USD 185 though, which is way to much for me. But I just love it. Small, unobtrusive, good quality, nice-looking… Comes in various colors too.

Artemide Tolomeo clamp spot-light. Image from the internet.

Jan

2015

Copy or co-incidential likeness?

There is much talk about copies and originals on many interior design blogs. The question is should you buy the original (often expensive) or a copy (often much less expensive) or ban all copies? After my adventure with the office chair (do a search for “office chair” in my blog for all posts about it) last year (which solved itself in the end), I would never again dare to buy copies of designer furniture or items from those companies that sell them. Even though I can be tempted because of the price.

Sometimes though it is hard to tell if it is a copy or not, or how the designer of the item/furniture got inspired. Take for instance this black vase that I recently saw, and compare it to the one from Ikea. Coincident that they look so much alike? It is a classical form of a vase, but the color and the surface? The Ikea one has been around for quite some time.

Vase from House Doctor. Image from the internet.

Vase from Ikea. Image from the internet.

They are not identical (the one from Ikea is golden inside), but in my eyes they are very similar. In this case the Ikea-vase came first, the one from House Doctor was announced just recently. As soon as I saw that one I thought about the one from Ikea. The size differs very little between them.

The vase from House Doctor is SEK 749 at Blackballon.
The vase from Ikea is SEK 99.
Personally, in this case, I would choose the one from Ikea.

New sofa in place

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