Window Shopping: Ay Caramba Ikea
As mentioned in our crazy-weekend-teaser post last Thursday, we slipped through two different Ikeas in two different states two days in a row (one just to poke around and the second to decorate Carrie’s awesome new high-rise apartment). Well, here are a few photos we snapped during our just-browsing trip. What’s not to love about these fabulous finds? Oh Ikea, you’re the banana to our peanut butter sandwich.
First we have this awesome red glass hutch. We’ve been oggling this thing since last year so it had to make our Ikea favorites round up:
And wouldn’t it look awesome in a living room with these punchy curtains…
… and these sleek little red side table lamps?
If the rest of the room was neutral, those few pops of color would really go a long way- all on an Ikea budget!
And speaking of implementing a few Ikea ideas en masse, we love these hanging basket pendant lamps with the punchy table runners and the slate blue color on the back wall (Try Benjamin Moore’s Bella Blue for something similar). It’s practically a room to go!
If you’re looking for something a bit softer, these new tone on tone botanical curtains totally had us at hello:
We also loved how these two curtains came together to form a gorgeous layered look. The top panel is a sheer with some white swirls and we just placed it in front of a leafy green curtain for ooh la la elegance. We love the almost-lattice effect that it evokes:
And sticking with the patterned golden-green accessories, we love this geometric duvet cover that adds modern jute-like movement to any space- all for just $19.
And for slightly more than $19, this amazing kitchen concept had us drooling. We especially loved the oversized dark pendants and cabinets paired with the super light countertops and mosaic backsplash. Dramatic but still totally liveable and classic.
Here are two oversized pendants again, this time in white above a gorgeous oversized parson’s dining table. A piece like this wooden beauty will virtually never go out of style, and we love the curvy chairs they paired with such a boxy table.
Look there’s John, being reflected in one of the best Ikea deals ever. This floor mirror is giant. It’ll practically double your room’s perceived size. And it’s $99 (as opposed to this dead ringer from CB2 which is $300 more!). Heck at that price you can get two to flank your media cabinet or even splurge for a sconce for either side like they did below.
There were also tons of fun finds in the marketplace, like these intricate and exotic little elephant drinking glasses…
… and these delicate printed OJ glasses (we actually snatched up a set of six for $6).
And you guys know we’re suckers for all things natural- so these woven planter baskets get us every time. We love the idea of using them beyond the holding-plants agenda, like as chic little wastebaskets or even a place to corral magazines next to the couch. Heck you can even top some of the bigger ones with a round of glass to create a super cool living room side table.
And on the subject of woven wonders, have you guys seen the latest basket pendant that just came out this month in the new catalog (the hemisphere-shaped beaut on the right)? We love the vintage-modern-meets-beachy vibe that it has going on.
And we can’t forget these oldies-but-goodies that we’ve been loving for ages. White Ikea planters are so cheap (sometimes under a buck!) and so sleek for popping plants into throughout your home that you really can’t go wrong snagging a few each time you visit. Plus they can also be used a chic little storage containers for everything from toiletries to keys. We’re always sure to have a few extras on hand… just in case.
When it comes to rugs, we must admit that sometimes we think Ikea is hit or miss, but this bold and gorgeous orange-swirled circle rug is a showstopper in any room (check it out in one of the homes we House Crashed here).
And this little square rug woos us to no end. If only our bathroom was bigger- how cute would two of these look in front of a nice big double sink? Sigh.
So that concludes our camera-in-hand-Ikea roundup. For more info on the items featured above (prices, measurements, etc) just head on over to Ikea’s website- or better yet, swing through Ikea whenever you get a chance. We like to think of it as the equivalent to a ball pit or a moon bounce for adults. There’s just so much zipping around and grinning like a fool.
And while we’re on the subject of favorites, sound off about your favorite Ikea items (old or new) and feel free to include links to them so we can all check ‘em out (either in your flickr photos of your home or on the Ikea website). Think of it as a book club meeting except it’s an online Ikea catalog club gathering. And of course we should point out that we are in no way affiliated with Ikea nor are we receiving any compensation for this gushing little post. We just like ‘em and we think most of you guys do too! So let’s chat Malm and Lack and all those other funny names that have become a part of our decorating vernacular. Spill the Expedit beans.
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Comments
I love everything you pictured. Makes me want to go to Ikea right this instant! Your site is such an inspiration.
Thanks!
Last time my husband and I went to Ikea, we almost broke the car! We loaded it down with so much stuff, it just couldn’t take it. Thank God we made it home…
Ooh! I’ve been dying to share my latest decorating project with you – because you were the inspiration behind new window treatments that finished the room out awesomely! The bulk of the room is Ikea furniture (some old, a couple of new) including my DREAM chaise lounge I snagged at the as-is and dyeing a white slipcover the perfect (for me) shade of green. If you’ve got the time, please take a look at these three posts:
As-is chaise slipcover dyed: http://candiedfabrics.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/ta-dah-slipcover-complete/
House rearranged, new Ikea shelf combines perfectly with old ones: http://candiedfabrics.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/books-moved-entire-house-rearranged/
Window a la Sherry & John compeltes the room: http://candiedfabrics.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/getting-it-done/
Thanks for providing such awesome inspiration – your window dressing posts were just the thing I needed (well, that, and some awesomely discounted bamboo blinds!)to get my room finished! WooHoo!
Candy
Love it love it! Thanks so much for the links! Gorgeous job with everything.
xo,
s
Hi there-
The thing I often lust over from Ikea is the Extorp sofa bed in the black and white floral fabric. For some reason I just love it! I first heard about it in Real Simple and have been wanting it ever since. We don’t have an Ikea near me, but when I do get a chance to go when visiting other states, I love hitting up the picture frame aisle. The cheap wooden frames are perfect for painting and crafting into something special.
PS–I loooooove that hutch! Great find.
Lucy
You guys make Ikea look fun…I go there…and am so overwhelmed that I am lucky if I leave with 1 thing!
Love your blog!!
~Amy
Question: Do you know the name of this curtain? I’d love to have my boyfriend track it down for me but I’m having no luck with the website right now.
There is (brace yourself) NO IKEA in Louisiana… I moved to New Orleans not knowing this and so have been making do filling an entirely new apartment, since the closest IKEA is in Houston, and I’m originally from California and didn’t think to bring furniture with me at all.
Hmm, we don’t recall the name but we’re sure if you check eBay for ikea curtains you might be able to hunt them down. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Oh, I really have a problem with Ikea. I just recently got their latest catalogue and already it’s dog-earred, written in, spilled on, and you know, suffering from basic wear and tear from being flipped through too many times. If I lived closer to one, I’d probably be broke (mine’s almost two hours away!!!).
Oh well, just wanted to say I’m soooo jealous.
What an awesome post! Great reminder to visit Ikea in person – the website doesn’t do it justice.
Just for fun, here are some pictures of an Ikea catalog from the 1960s! http://tinyurl.com/ktfk9a
Happy Ikea-ing!
Great finds! Those soft botanical curtains would go perfectly in our bedroom, but I’ve been looking on the Ikea site and can’t seem to find them? Do you happen to know what the name/style is? The photo was too small for me to see that part of the pricetag.
Thanks!
Hey Lisa,
Those curtains are all over the store (and even in the catalog if I remember correctly) but we don’t know the name off-hand. Maybe you can google “Ikea curtain” on ebay to see if they come up with a name or just hit up the store and snag them there? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thanks for the curtain advice! I haven’t had any luck online, so I guess I’ll trek on up to the store. Always a dangerous prospect as far as the wallet is concerned!
I found your site through this entry. I was Googling the green geometric duvet cover from Ikea and this was brought up in the search engine. So glad I found your site! You guys are so inspiring, even for a 21 year old college student still living at home. I can’t wait to get a house and start decorating! In the mean time, I still have my room. I was wondering though… and for anyone who has that green geometric duvet cover shown here, what other colors would look good with it? I love it and I want to get it for my room, but I can’t figure out what else would go with it, like curtain colors, etc. Anyway, if anyone is willing to shout out advice I would greatly appreciate it!
Hey Danielle,
So glad you found us! So many colors will mix well with the green geometric duvet color so try layering tans and chocolates and creams for a look that’s sophisticated and elegant or even bringing in pops of orange or lavender for a bit of vibrancy and fun. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thank you so much for the quick response and the advice! It definitely will help me get started. Can’t wait to see what more amazing things you guys do to your house. Hope you are enjoying the end of your weekend! Thanks again for the help.
hello younghouseloves! i’ve been reading your blog for a while now, and i have to say — i really, really enjoy it. you two are very creative.
i have a small question – i’m looking for a west elm parsons look-a-like desk for my new (first!) apartment. i love the west elm desk, but i’m fresh out of school and can’t afford to spend $300 on one piece of furniture. i checked my local craigslist, but no luck. the student desk on overstock was my second option, but they’ve been out of stock for a while now.
do you have any suggestions for a parsons look-a-like desk for about $150 or under? i was thinking ikea — any clue on which one would look best?
i was looking for a white color. no longer than 48″.
Darn, we were going to suggest the Overstock.com one. We do know from experience that things can appear to be out of stock for months but they actually come and go, so checking more frequently might help you score that desk after all. As for Ikea, we don’t have a specific link, but they offer desks where you can pick the top and combine it with any legs. So selecting a glossy white top with simple white legs (they offer metal ones that you could paint white) could help you achieve the look on a budget. Hope that helps!
xo,
s
thanks for the (quick!) response. i very much appreciate your help. i’m going to keep an eye on overstock.com and craigslist. i think i’ll also make a trip to ikea to check out the glossy white desk tops! thank you :)
younghouselove, guess what! I was able to snag a white parsons desk off of craigslist for $100 :) I just picked it up tonight… but I’m wondering: is there a way to know if this is truely a west elm? it was advertised as such. and unfortunately there’s no “logo” of some sorts on the desk to prove it.
it looke just like the one of the website, same measurements and all. however it is not super super bright white. but instead has a bit of an off white tint to it if that makes sense?
Great score! We have the real West Elm one and have heard about some pretty good replicas being made by overstock.com. The main difference (or so we’ve heard) is that the replicas aren’t super shiny and they come in more of a matte finish. The real West Elm babies have a super shiny lacquered finish, so if yours feels smooth like a credit card (as opposed to a little gritty like painted wood) then it’s probably the real thing. As for the color, ours appears to be bright white, but not blindingly so (perhaps a bit of an off-white tint is a correct description). Oh and if the legs look a bit less chunky then the one on westelm.com that’s another tip off that it’s a replica. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Robin,
Thanks for all the info. My sister-in-law lives in Brooklyn, so I guess I’ll have to arrange a visit to her & load up my minivan!!
Thanks again!