Ikea Style

There's something about Ikea that makes me want to fill myself with Swedish meatballs and fill my trunk with flatpack furniture. I'm not really one for primary colors, so it thrills me that the Ikea aesthetic seems to have matured over the years, embracing subtlety and traditional shapes. Look at all the goodies in the new catalogue!

The Närhet glasses for dessert wines, champagne, whites, & reds are a toast to sophistication.

The Gislev rug is a lot of graphic bang for only 20 bucks.

I can envision either of the new greige-stained Hemnes glass-door cabinets in my bedroom. 

Maybe to showcase a shoe collection?

I wonder if a clever crafter could customize the Florö slipcovered bedframe- perhaps with upholstery studs or ribbon trim?

The new catalogue also boasts some beautiful styling. As if I wasn't tempted enough by the low prices, they have to make everything look so magazine-fantastic.

This is exactly how a nightstand should look!

This is my favorite spread of all. The styling is so of-the-moment, and I love the over-shelf gallery. 

And look: curiosities!

Anyone else crushing on the new catalogue?

Dressing Up the Bed

I mentioned earlier that I was still acclimating to the weather here in Berkeley. That means relegating my black turtlenecks to the back of the closet (with a heavy sigh), and shopping for layers. Same goes for our bed!

I love the notion of outfitting a bed. Duvet covers are like the classic foundation pieces in your wardrobe: the standby pair of jeans that just feels better wash after wash, the crisp khaki shirtdress that looks equally chic with flip-flops or I-mean-business heels. Comfortable, practical, ready to be accessorized.

Neutral linen seems the way to go for a Spring-weight duvet, and I'm seeing it everywhere. 

This post at The Little Big House had me ooohing and ahhing. 

Images courtesy of This is Glamorous and Blueprint Bliss.

And, of course, there's the Belgian Linen collection at Restoration Hardware.

Glorious and far-fetched, at $70 per pillowcase...

Luckily for me, I also spotted the trend at Ikea, where a mere $25 bought me a duvet cover, matching shams, and a new bedding staple. 

It's sweet with country floral pillowcases (made by my Mom)...

And dreamy with velvet shams from Pottery Barn and the West Elm pillowcases that I couldn't resist last fall.

And Matilda approves.

I don't know about you, but I feel an afternoon nap coming on...

In Limbo

Moving has just gotten as real as can be: on Monday we watched all of our earthly possessions rumble away on a truck. I anticipate being tense and worried until I'm reunited with my things on the 21st.

Okay. Nothing. Move.

For now we're squatting in our empty apartment, subsisting on take-out food, two suitcases, a twin-sized bed, and a 10" television manufactured in 1988. I take it back: this is as surreal as can be!

This apartment and this beautiful neighborhood will always be a fond memory for me- our little urban Eden where we were so happy. Our prelapsarian flat:

Our ever-changing decor, and our beloved curiosities.

The newest addition to our dining room, an Ikea Granemo cabinet.

The glass sliding doors are an excellent preventative measure against our feline saboteur.

Foiled again, eh Matilda?

Our living room, featuring a petite sofa from Former Furniture.

Our bathroom, staged for relaxation.

The best seat in the house: our sunporch, overlooking a lovely park.

In Memoriam, Our Wallingford Apartment

Getting Existential, Hopefully Existing Through the Week

My fish, Guildenstern, is dead.

We named our pair of fish Rosencrantz & Guildenstern thinking it might be amusing when they inevitably went belly-up, but no, it was actually just disappointing and sad. Especially disappointing since I caught a rather satisfied glint in Matilda's eye at his funeral, which leads me to wonder if his death was due to natural causes... or if the feline assassin has struck again. 

Adam made me a chicken sandwich to make me feel better. But there was a bone hidden inside.

So, if Boy and Cat are in cahoots, I may not be safe in this house. If they don't kill me, work certainly will! Leeeeetle bit of stress at my 8 to 5 7 this week.

Aaaaaaand, I'm in the middle of a major project! Since Adam was off at Hoopfest last weekend, I tore apart our bedroom, made a trip to the Benjamin Moore mis-tint shelf, and turned my yellow Ikea Hemnes bed...

Lavender.

Well, "Sandlot Gray," to be exact.

I'm totally enamored with this color.

Adam needn't worry about emasculation or such nonsense- this pastel look is actually just the base coat. Next step is to apply a few streaky layers of tinted glaze in "Stardust," a few dashes of pale pearly gray, and a brown wax finish. Basically, I didn't get as much done last weekend as I'd hoped.  But it's not my fault~

Matilda didn't even raise a paw to help.

So, it's off to the purple bed for me- but I'm sleeping with one eye open in case the furry one tries to smother me.

Match Made in... Sweden

Craig's List and I have a very healthy relationship, but I've got to come clean.  I've got a little thing on the side... with Ikea.

When I was tired of sleeping on a floored mattress, Ikea stepped up and sent me the Hemnes canopy bed.  When my life was a mess, Ikea picked up the pieces and neatly stashed them in a Helmer drawer unit.  Ikea, you've been there for me and my wallet.  

That being said, I think it's a little weird to get exclusive with Ikea.  Ikea has been around.  Everybody has Ikea.

So I've set some boundaries to avoid the cheap furniture catalogue look.  I try to avoid large or especially recognizable pieces, like the ubiquitous Expedit bookshelf or Lack side table.  When I do cheat and bring home a popular piece (a-hem, a-Hemnes...), I usually have a major Pretty Woman-esque make-over planned.  

It's a rarity for me to peruse the Ikea catalogue and see perfection instead of potential.  But here it is.  

Perfection = The Ikea Edland Series

Edland Dresser, Chest, and Dressing Table

The Edland Linen Cabinet

How do I love these?  Let me count the ways.  The slim, curving legs!  The smoky gray finish!  The beveled drawer fronts and mouldings!  The contrasting drop pulls!  The flat packages that will fit in my Ford Taurus!

And the best of the bunch?  The Edland Wardrobe.

Oh Edland!  We have so much in common- our love of French Provincial style, our obsession with keeping clothing neatly organized!  If you are anywhere near as handsome in person as you are online... I'd be a fool to not pledge $399 and my eternal love.