the 2012 IKEA catalog had arrived in the mail...
You see, I am a catalog junkie and this was one big fix that just landed in my lap...I love catalogs for their inspiration of ideas - especially ideas that I can translate to my home. And I love catalogs (and magazines - a close partner in crime) because they are the perfect bedside reading material - short, sweet, nothing heavy duty nor taxing - ideal for the 15 minutes of drowsy time before I fall into a fast slumber.
Way back in the dark ages (before there were personal computers, cell phones or the internet), I learned about IKEA and its clean-lined approach to design. It was 1986 and I had just moved to Seattle...I heard there was an IKEA store in Vancouver (there were none in the US yet) and thought that it would be great to travel to Canada, buy everything I needed to furnish my house and return home...but that situation with duty fees/taxes proved to be a problem...I had to wait...
Fast forward to present day...there's been an IKEA store in the Seattle area for some time - though it is an hour drive from where I live, I usually make a trip once a year for inspiration and usually a few bargain items.
Now, I would never want an entire IKEA house (though the catalog pics can be pretty enticing - come on, wouldn't you love to live in the space pictured on the front catalog cover above...) but I love what IKEA does best - simple, functional, basic design. We have several of their bookcases in our current home - three white BILLY cases in my office, 5 cherry BILLY cases in the Southern man's office, four more BILLY cases in our kitchen for cookbooks (yes, we have a lot of cookbooks!) My studio perimeter is lined with their wood
GORM bookcases - sturdy construction that hold 1000 pounds each.
The light over our dining room table started with an IKEA fixture that I stripped down and then embellished with a junker vibe...
When I rearranged my office a couple of years ago, an IKEA trip provided the finishing touches. Small organizing shelves above the computer printer...
Above my desk, these two galvanized drawer fronts (that they were selling out for $1 each) were turned on their side and now provide a place for inspiration and important messages. The small lip on the back of each drawer panel was hung off of a old yardstick that I cut in half and screwed into the wall. The galvanized clock and picture frame (both from IKEA) complete the set-up.
So I'll be perusing the pages of this latest installment of IKEA love for the next couple of nights...and then making my annual pilgrimage...if I discover a great find, I'll let you know...
