Ikea Billy Bookcase Hack

I have a big blank wall in the dining room that just screams for a china cabinet.

(Here is where I would post a picture, but unfortunately the boyfriend borrowed my camera and now it isn't working.  He's up there with my mom, who breaks something every time she visits - this time the vaccuum cleaner.  They're both lucky I love them so much.)

I've been halfheartedly searching Craigslist for one, but not finding anything I'm in love with.  The problem is I'm very torn between doing something big and ornate, like turning an old armoire like this one into a china cabinet by adding some glass.

Or getting an ugly square oak entertainment center (which are constantly listed for super cheap) and painting it to look similar to this:



But I stumbled across Maillardville Manor's gorgeous bookcases in her library and now I'm sold on an Ikea hack.  (What's with me and Ikea these days?  Can't I go a post without mentioning them?  Obviously not.)

She took five Billy bookcases and some trim and made them look like built-ins.  Here's the full tutorial. 

I would love to do this same set-up, but with the 80-inch tall bookcases instead.  Then I'm thinking of mirroring the backs and maybe even doing a few glass shelves and/or doors on the two bigger bookcases.

Billys aren't the best for a china cabinet because they're only 11 inches deep, I think.  But since most of my "china" is barware anyway, I think I can make it work.

Barstools

We have a small breakfast bar area between the kitchen and dining room.  Unfortunately, because we don't have barstools, it has become "the ledge to put stuff on and leave it there forever."  So, I'm on the lookout for barstools that will hopefully increase the bar's functionality.  Although (let's be honest), I'm pretty sure it'll always be a little bit of a catch-all spot.

The boyfriend is very excited about the barstool shopping experience.  Why?  No idea.  But he's very opinionated.  I initially wanted to go with these stools from Overstock.



Overstock's Tabouret 30-inch Stools

 They're very similar to the Tolix stools, but only $102 for 2.  I like their industrial vibe and I definitely want stools without a back.  The boyfriend quickly vetoed them.  I think his reaction was something like, "Those are the ugliest stools I've ever seen in my life."  No go.

The boyfriend keeps bringing up his mother's barstools, which look very similar to these (also from Overstock).

Metropolitan Red Barstool

I have to admit, that they're incredibly comfortable.  She moved a couple of years ago to a place without a bar, but has been hanging on the bar stools.  So I think the boyfriend thinks he can talk her into giving them to us - and free is nice.  But they're just too contemporary for me.

Last weekend, I spotted these cool stools at Ikea.  And (big surprise!) the boyfriend doesn't hate them.

Ikea Dalfred Bar Stool

They're not insanely comfortable, but they adjust up and down which is a must with kids of varying heights.  And they're only $40 a pop, which isn't too shabby.  I think we've found a winner, but (as always) until we buy them it's still up in the air.

Ikea Trip(s)

I'm out of the hospital and feeling much better.  So good, that I went to Ikea twice this weekend.  Which is generally how many Ikea trips I make in a year.  However, our new house is MUCH closer to Ikea - as in, it doesn't feel like I should devote an entire day if I want to go shop there.  Just another reason why I love our new house.

I went the first time because my mom and sister were in town and wanted to go.  Luckily, Ikea has wheelchairs that you can borrow, so I got to relax and ride through the store like a queen.  I mostly picked up kitchen stuff, but I also grabbed a couple of green fitted sheets and pillowcases for my son's room.

They're "Last Chance" - so if you like them, hurry and go get them.  They didn't have any flat sheets at my store, so I'm going to have to work something out.

The next day, the boyfriend arranged to meet a seller from Craigslist at Ikea to buy some golf clubs.  And since we were already there, I talked him into going in and getting a couple of more sheets (can't be too careful when they're on clearance).

The sheets are "Dvala" and the best part is that they are only $4.50 each twin fitted sheet and $5.99 for two pillowcases.  I'm sure they're like 50 thread count or something, but we've had bedding from Ikea before and never had any problems.  I'm super happy about the color - a really saturated grass green that just pops. 

Ikea Through the Ages

Is there a better design duo out there than Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe?  I love their sense of style, her ability to mix high and low effortlessly, and his wicked sense of humor.

How crazy-awesome is this seating?

Sarah and Tommy recently took a trip to Denmark and Sweden.  While in Sweden they visited the first Ikea as well as the Ikea Museum.  That's right, an Ikea Museum!  He posted these awesome room set-ups that represent Ikea products through the ages.  "Like" him in Facebook - you won't regret it.

The '60s

Ikea - Mad Men style.  Can you believe how awesome those chairs are?  I want two right now.

The '70s



The '80s

This one isn't that different from what you would find in Ikea today - Lack tables and a Klippan sofa.

Has anyone else added the Ikea Museum to their bucket list?

All photos by Tommy Smythe.

Saarinen tables

You learn something new everyday, right?

Well, today I learned what Saarinen tables are.  Modern, but very flexible, they work for lots of different spaces.  I love how they don't take up a lot of visual space.  Of course, I'm not quite sure how to say "Saarinen," so I won't be dropping it into any conversations.  But they're pretty to look at.

I especially love them as dining room tables because they leave so much room for your legs.

Stylists crack me up - who's sitting at these tables?  Thank you for positioning a giant plant in my face.

Or lantern.  Either is weird.

They also work well as coffee tables.

And especially well as side tables.

Real Saarinen tables are pricey.  But Ikea comes to the rescue once again.  Check out their "Docksta" look-a-like.  It rings up for $179. 

All pictures (except the Ikea one) are from DecorPad.

Industrial Light

The overhead light in my son's room is in a bizarre place.

Who puts a light right up against a wall?    The room luckily has some pretty decent natural light, but this placement means at night it's a fairly dark room.  The light is also pretty ugly.  And since I'm going to repaint the lime green ceiling anyway, I decided it would be a good time to get a new light as well.

I knew right away that I didn't want to have the boyfriend (my go-to electrical guy) go through the trouble of moving the light box.  Instead I decided to look for a pendant light that could be swagged out to the center of the room.  I also knew that I wanted to go for an industrial look for a more masculine feel.

Shades of Light had some great options, but they were either too small or too expensive.


Outdoor Bulb Glass Nautical Pendant, $99



Nantucket Pendant, $105



Fresnel Glass Pendant, $189



First Class Period Pendant, $349 (on sale)

I found some cool cage ones on Etsy.



Old Wire Cage Hanging Light, $48



Wire Cage Light, $175

  

But I really liked these two options from Pottery Barn Kids.


Fisherman Ceiling Lamp, $69





Depot Ceiling Lamp, $89


If you are looking for lights, a good tip is to always check out kids' stores.  They usually have much better prices than regular home stores.

I really loved the last one.  But I'm cheap.  Frugal.  Whatever.  And although that's a good price if it was for a house I owned - the chance of us taking it down and moving it with us to the next house are slim to none.  So, that makes $89 (which is a good price) something to reconsider.  So, wanting to pull the trigger but not quite being able to, I looked at one more place.  My go-to cheap home store - Ikea.

My family and friends in Louisiana don't have an Ikea.  The closest one is Houston's (with which I have a love-hate relationship).  I'm not sure why a company with such brilliant ideas can't understand that they would make a fortune in Louisiana.  Just the amount they would have sold post-Katrina would have been enormous.  I know, because my mom had an antique store that after Katrina was turned into a resale shop - people needed everything.  Everyday my mom had customers who would come in saying things like, "I went to make pancakes and I realized I don't have a spatula."  Anyway, Louisiana needs an Ikea - I'm just putting that out into the internet universe and hopefully someone will hear it.

Back on topic, I found this light that not only fit my criteria, it was cheap as well.

Ottava

$29.99 baby!  I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it that same color - I'm leaning towards not but I want to get the room painted first.  So right now it's still in the box (big surprise).