Back in June 2008 I wrote about an Ikea Hack of mine involving door stops and a Lack shelf to sit my TV on. I submitted the image and link to one of my fav blogs, Ikea Hacker and after a very long wait, in December they published an entry about my idea which got mixed ("I am shocked, SHOCKED, that somebody let's a non-Ikea product into their life..." Jon) but mostly positive responses. Since then, not only has 95% of new blog traffic come from that page, but people have adapted the idea for their own use. I'm really impressed by these example, all using a variation of the idea as a computer stand. How great is technology in the 21st century where we can share these ideas like this. I love it.
I might just have to do this for my computer...
Thanks to Brian, Patrick and Frank Zen for the images above.

Labels: black and white, computer, ikea, Ikea Hacker, lack wall shelf

As I have an Orange themed house warming party coming up at my place this Saturday night, my eyes have been trained to pick out anything orange and my brain is automatically converting it to how it could be used for the party (eg. orange squeegee-mop: a mohawk for a monster costume). When driving home from Bunnings a flash of orange caught my eye in a pile of unwanted bulk-rubbish, I slammed on my breaks to investigate.
Attached to a very worn and broken wooden lamp stand was a slightly bruised but ultimately awesome large 1970's lamp shade. What a find!
I ripped it away from the lamp stand (which I probably should have grabbed too and attempted to repair) and made a detour to Ikea where I bought this Januari Floor Lamp Base. It's shiny stainless steal (not the terrible matte silver that Ikea do so much of) and I think the combination modern base and retro lamp shade look great.
Now all I need is a couple of orange bean-bags... Hmm...

Labels: furniture, green, ikea, interior, Januari, lamp, my new apartment, orange, red, retro

Just thought I would share the way I have set up my dining setting in my new place.
Last time I didn't show you my Mart Stam chairs (bargain of the century: leather is in perfect condition, slight rust marks on the chrome but only $20 for all four on eBay!) and they are super comfortable to sit in too.
I have tied it all together with a giant fresh leaf from a tropical plant (called???) in a retro red vase and some lemons in a teak nut-shaped bowl from a second hand store. The table is the extendible Bjursta.
Behind the setting is another screen-print by The Little Friends of Printmaking called Pacific Jamzzz. This one I put in a larger Ikea frame, Ribba, and filled it out a bit with red framing card.
I really enjoy mixing old and new and I think it all comes together very nicely.

Labels: art, Bjursta, black, chair, decor, ebay, ikea, Laos, Mart Stam, my new apartment, red, retro, Ribba, screen printing, The Little Friends of Print Making, vase

Romp started out as a store for 'modern kids' in Brooklyn but is now completely online so now their range of quirky collectables are available to the world. As they say on there site:

Romp is about play – from play with toys to play in the design of our homes.

And I would love the chance to play with these colourful owls to enhance the design of my new place. I can see the spot they would fit right in on my white malm chest of drawers in my bedroom.
The owls are made by Kirsty McIntosh from cut wood, painted and collaged with patterned retro inspired papers. Hoot hoot!
Check out Romp for kids and adults alike.

Labels: ikea, owl, romp, sculpture, wallpaper, wood

Inspired by Ikea Hacker, I have a hack of my own to share.
I made this so my DVD recorder and sound system could sit neatly under my plasma, which sits on top of an expedit 2x4 bookcase. I bought four modern, aluminium rubber-tipped door stoppers and fixed them to the bottom of a lack wall shelf using the screws provided. The door stoppers just happen to be the perfect height for the DVD recorder and sound system and the width and finish of the lack shelf matches the expedit bookcase. Perfect!

Labels: expedit, ikea, interior, lack wall shelf

I came across Yvestown's expedit shelf on Ikea Hacker.
What an elegant solution for the back of the shelves! I have my TV and dvd player etc sitting on my (4x8) expedit shelf and am always shuffling cords behind bigger things so I don't have to see them.

What do you Expedit?
Topia7: Orange retro vases on red tiles

Thanks to Damian Hopper for including a link to my blog on his!

Labels: decor, expedit, ikea, interior

I just received the orange jug with little cup (front) from ebay and it was enough to put the rest of my orange vases, of this shade, together, separate from the other retro amber, red and yellow orange ones to make a little collection of their own. They are sitting on some red Bendigo pottery tiles that my Grandma bought in the 70's and I rescued from her old shed (with her permission).
Expedit shelves from Ikea are great for making space for little collections.

What do you Expedit?

Labels: decor, ebay, expedit, ikea, interior, retro, vase