Furnish Your Apartment Without Breaking The Bank

If you're sprucing up your property to sell, let or simply live in it, it doesn't have to cost a lot to look good. Nicole Swengley goes in search of chic at half the price

The credit crunch means that fewer of us are moving home or undertaking major refurbishments. But it's still possible to refresh your property's interior even on a restricted budget.

	Chic styles from Ikea

Anyone looking for high-style designs at minimal cost should check out the supermarkets' home ranges. Asda, for example, sells a glossy black mushroom lamp at £15 (above right) which wouldn't look out of place in a chic hotel, while Sainsbury's has attractive ceramic vases from as little as 75p.

"There's no reason to be out of fashion or compromise on style and design," says Simon Stevens, Sainsbury's head of home design. "Our in-house design team has put together four looks to revamp your home without breaking the bank - rich purples and gold for an opulent feel, monochrome black and white for a contemporary look, teals and inky blues to refresh your bathroom or bedroom and rustic greens and chocolate to snuggle up with downstairs."

Sainsbury's style-conscious designs include velvet cushions, in warm berry colours, at £5.99 each; chenille throws at £14.99; shaggy chenille cushions, £8.99; metal table lamps with red or black shades, £14.99; and tall metallic vases for £4.99. Black candle-holders with matching candles are just £3.99. An eye-catching mango wood sculpture costs £9.99 - the same price as a four-pack of champagne flutes.

Tesco has drawn inspiration from the fashion catwalks this autumn with dramatic purple vases, £4 to £10 each; tall glass vases in green, brown or amethyst, £8 each; and ceramic vases and bowls with a retro-looking orange/green glaze (above right) for £6 to £8. Its sophisticated lighting range includes an all-white table lamp for £45 and a table lamp with a circular smoky-glass base, £50.

Tesco vases

New accessories can refresh a room without going to the expense of changing an entire scheme. Asda has chic ceramic oval-based table lamps in black or red, £15 each, tall metallic vases, £7 each, and a £5 pack of three small ceramic vases. Cushions include a retro-style wave pattern for £4, cerise-coloured silk at £4 and a black cushion with dramatic gold flocked design for £6. Bed linen starts at £10 for a double duvet set and even a pair of leather chairs costs only £160.

For seriously low prices, check out discount stores such as Matalan, which has a range including scallop-edged mirrors, £10; hammered metal bowls, £10; and chenille cushions with Art Deco-inspired patterns, £8. A modern table lamp with adjustable stand and cream shade costs £20, while a patchwork bedspread is £30.

	Cushion from Sainsbury's

Clever storage ideas include a set of three wicker chests for £30 and a pair of storage trunks at £20. It also offers basics at rock-bottom prices - dinner plates are £2 each, four-packs of mugs £4, while four-packs of wine glasses cost £8.

Homesense, a value discounter that arrived in Britain earlier this year with stores in Gloucester, Northampton and Manchester, offers a huge range of homeware at very low prices. The stock at each store changes regularly so it's worth snapping up bargains when you see them.

On the high street, Marks & Spencer has a metallic teardrop lamp, £15; silk cushions at £9.50; tapered bud vases, £5; classic etched wine glasses are £5 each and Ruby china starts from £5 per plate.

More vases from Tesco

"A chic home doesn't have to break the bank - there are heaps of ways to decorate your home on a budget without compromising on quality and style," says Sally Bendelow, head of M&S home design. "The majority of our cushions are three for the price of two and our Furniture-to-go range has essential pieces from £119 which are delivered free to your door within two weeks."

If you want to replace a sofa or armchair, it's worth visiting Ikea, where the latest designs include the Karlstad two-seater for £269, while the armchair costs £189. Meanwhile the Lillberg sofa-bed costs a very reasonable £215. A matching sofa (two-seat, £120; three-seat, £165), rocking chair, £85, and armchair (left), £50, are available in this range.

But if you're after colourful modern dining or kitchen chairs then head over to Habitat and check out Verdi, £69, in fuchsia or dark green plywood; Zucco, £99, in red nylon, and Palocco, £129, in transparent red or amber polyester.

Back at Ikea, the £49 Majby rattan armchair will be available from October along with Henriksdal, a traditional upholstered dining chair for £65. A new textiles range at Ikea includes Jorun Lov, a bold floral curtain design, at £45 for a two-pack, and Jorun Stra, a swirly wave design at £11.99 for a two-pack. Cushions in the same range cost £4.99 and a square 90cm rug £18.99.

	Palocco dining chair at Habitat

It's also worth checking out the Argos furniture range, which includes a beech-finish coffee table, £19.99, and three-shelf pine-finish bookcases from £9.99. Good-value dining sets, such as a rectangular pine table with four matching chairs or a circular glass-topped table and four metal-framed chairs, cost £99.99 per set.

With the digital switchover already under way, it's a good time to check out Argos's low-priced television sets such as the Mikomi 15in digital LCD TV, £129.97, or Bush 15in HD-ready digital LCD TV, £169.99. Digital set-top boxes for adapting an old-style analogue television cost from £16.85.

As for kitchen electrical, Argos has cordless kettles from £4.92 goods, and toasters from £3.94. Now that's what I call a bargain.

Assembly Required.........

September 15th, 2008 Dawn Posted in Blessings Abound, Blog 365, Blog Stuff, Champagne Time!, Frankie, Julian, V-e-ntage, Work |

Today, my old desk got kicked to the curb. The hutch part fell over this morning, knocking everything off into a heap with a massive crash. Nice way to start a Monday morning.

Anyhooo….

I paid a visit to my BSF Best STORE Forever), Costco this afternoon and bought a shiny new one. It’s dark brown and matches our bedroom furniture and it’s lovely. There were two VERY heavy boxes and the label said “some assembly required”. Ha. More like “one million tiny bits to separate and try to put together”!

After Joe and I lugged those suckers upstairs and dragged the old desk pieces downstairs, I began my assembly…pffft. I got to step 2 (of 26) and lost my patience. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how numbers 32 and 33 fit together. There was a diagram AND written instructions, but I just.couldn’t.get.it. Sigh. I looked at the clock and it was 2:45. Nice. Frankie would be home in 20 minutes. He ROCKS at this crap.

At 3:10, Nicholas comes in, sans Frankie. Crap. Cross Country tryouts started today. Frankie wouldn’t be home until 3:45. Crap. Crap. Crap.

I made a couple of business phone calls (from my office floor, with no desk) and FINALLY, Frankie arrived. I called him upstairs immediately. Poor kid didn’t even have a chance to grab a snack. Luckily, he advised me that he had no homework (except for Kumon) so I chained him to my bed asked him kindly to please help. He took one look at parts 32 and 33 and put them together. Little turd.

He then proceeded to put the desk together, methodically, piece by piece. That kid is amazing. He hardly even needed the instructions. We stopped at 5:30 for dinner and then he was back at it, this time with a little help from Joe…well, Joe just did what he was told by Frankie…and by 7:00, I was putting all my books and pens into my new cupboards and drawers.

Julian was extra-tired tonight because he woke from his single nap at 1:00…usually he either takes two naps or he goes down later for his one nap, but he was out and about with Joe and his Mom today, so I ran out of time to put stuff away…it’s just piled on my desk now. Sigh. Busy day tomorrow.

In other news, tomorrow is our School Council AGM…that means that it’s my last meeting as Chairperson. Praise.the.Lord. It has been really hard for me to deal with a baby, a full time job, two older boys AND being Chair of the School Council. I totally bit off more than I could chew with that! But, I think I made a difference. I did my best and I really think I did a pretty good job. Heck, at our school, stopping the parents on Council from killing each other is the main objective!!! So far, everyone is still alive and kicking…knock on wood.

Finally, this post is my 999th. Nine hundred and ninety-nine posts. Wow. That’s alot of blogging. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed typing them. I also hope you will be here for my NEXT 999!

Toodles.

Compliments of www.mywhinecellar.com

GET YOUR NEW 2009 IKEA CATLOG MAILED TO YOU FREE!!!!

GET YOUR NEW 2009 IKEA CATLOG MAILED TO YOU FREE!!!!



KEA 2009 online catalog Get your sneak peek of the IKEA catalog before it arrives in your mailbox! View online catalog

Make a cool coat rack using an Ikea Grundtal

Hang up your coat with a Grundtal

This Hack is compliments of my favorite site: IkeaHack

Another hat and coat solution, repurposed from kitchen items, from Joshua.

He says, "Here in Toronto, we’ve been searching for a coat rack that could also double as a shelf for gloves, scarves, and hats. All of which are necessary for living in a frozen wasteland. The problem was that all the coat racks that also had shelves were either too expensive or too large for our tiny apartment. They just couldn’t fit.

Our solution was to hang a Grundtal Rail and use the Grundtal S-Hooks for coats and hats. This just fit in the space behind our door. For hats and gloves, we hung a Grundtal Dish Drainer from the rail and put a Komplement Storage Box on it to hold the loose stuff.

EZ Assembly Entire House With IKEA For Under $4000!!!

EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC started of as one man, a few tools and a passion to make it a business. He quickly saw the need for his services, and decided to take it one step further and get licensed, insured, and certified by most of the major manufactures. He also did his own schooling in interior design and decoration which has allowed him to meet and make friends with the city's top interior designers. However, for over two years most of his work was Ikea assembly so he knew it inside and out. He did his first kitchen about six months after opening. " I was so amazed at how easy they made the installation. The best part is that many of the condos he works at in Brooklyn have walls that were recently built and are not structurally sound with studs sometimes being 36"-60" apart. However, Ikea's support brace allows me to find a stud and drill into it and if needed make a sister between the two to support the weight. " Anyway, Christopher took us to a house of a past customer's friend who was coming from the U.K. in 2 months and wanted a furnished apartment upon arrival. Money was no object, but me and my past customer decided to do the entire house in Ikea. We did everything from the kitchen cabinets to the wardrobes for under $4000.00. Oh yeah... that also included a plasma T.V. and an Apple Gmac. When he arrived he said I know you went over budget but it looks so great just tell me what I owe. He sent twenty thousand!!! He couldn't believe we only spent under $4000.00 for an entire house. Ikea can make dreams come true!!

One Local businessman welcomes Brooklyn Ikea with open arms

Christopher Purnell, President & Founder of EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC was happier than a kid on Christmas morning when the Brooklyn Ikea finally opened. Purnell is an entrepreneur who has over 10 years of marketing experience and relocated to New York in search of something besides marketing, but just wasn’t certain what that was. While he pondered his next move the bills continued to come and soon he was forced to find something to tide him over until he found his dream job. Several friends suggested Craigslist where he could find temporary work also known as gigs. Purnell said “Right from the door I noticed all these postings for people wanting someone to assemble their furniture for them. I come from a family that is made up of handymen and construction workers hour days, 7 days a week.” It wasn’t long before he realized what he was searching for had found him. So, he went ahead and opened EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC and hired his first helper who is now his project manager, Lawerence Land. Purnell states “we went ahead and got licensed, insured, and built a web site and began marketing our services. It wasn’t long before we had more work than we could handle so we hired more technicians with a background in furniture assembly, repair, or at minimum carpentry skills.” Today Purnell’s company employs a dozen full-time technicians who are certified installers for several manufactures, are required to participate in at least two continuing education workshops per year & meet for a weekly meeting to discuss changes in products, new ideas to improve service, and keep everyone up to date on where the company is at. Purnell himself has obtained a certificate in Project Management, and got his company certified as by the National Playground Safety Council. The company has also expaned its services from just furniture to exercise & recreational equipment, barbeque grills, trampolines, swing sets, outdoor play sets, as well as building custom closets and assembling and installing kitchen cabinetry and works in conjunction with a delivery service that will actually meet the customer at the store and take them home with their purchases for far less than the stores in house service and have their furniture assembled the same day. The company is ranked #1 on both Yahoo & Google, has a 5 star rating on Ikea Fans, and was awarded the “Superior Service Award” by Angie’s List, an independent service that allows consumers to review a company’s rating and reviews from prior customers. Purnell explains “ I believe our success is definitely due to the demand for such a professional service because most of customers work long days, and the time they have they want to spend with family & doing things they enjoy not trying to assemble furniture all weekend. The competition is limited, there are really only two national companies providing the same services but they have forgotten who pays their bills, the customers. Some services that have contracts with a few big box stores have customers waiting 3-4 weeks for an appointment, where our goal is to get an appointment scheduled within 72 hours. I always stress to all my technicians and staff that no matter how many services we provide our most important service is customer service”.

From what we can see his company has found the recipe for success, and as long as they continue to make furniture requiring assembly his company will continue to grow. EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations currently serves all of New York City, Long Island, & Eastern N.J.. If you are in need of professional assembly and/or installation services you can visit them online at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com.

IKEA Hits Brooklyn! What's The Big Deal????

Hello Everyone! I can't believe all this commotion about Ikea opening in Brooklyn. The worst part is most articles make it sound like they moved into Vietnam in 1968. Brooklyn is beautiful and many great stores are there and I am happy to see the addition of Ikea, but this criticism has to stop. You would have to be a fool to believe Ikea didn't do their marketing homework before going there. I wouldn't be surprised if that location does better sales than Long Island or N.J. They sell modern furniture at affordable prices to me an obviously Ikea it makes sense to put such a store in a middle class working area. It just seems like a shock to everyone that they didn't open in Manhattan. What is your opinion???

Some Papers Are Warning NYC IKEA Shoppers To Expect To Be Robbed???

I saw this article in GAWKER and had to post it! It's like the same old stereo type of the Big Apple is coming back!!

Prepare To Be Robbed, IKEA Customers

The first-ever IKEA store is opening in the borough of Brooklyn tomorrow, a development which has the local media all atwitter. Close to 40 people have lined up for the chance to be the first ones in the rapidly gentrifying Red Hook neighborhood to buy mass-produced Swedish furniture. To celebrate the occasion, the gruff and hilarious Park Slope guy who goes by the name of Blognigger (just to make you uncomfortable) has posted his own Onion-esque take: "Red Hook Blacks Line Up to Rob First 100 IKEA Customers." But he doesn't forget to make the scheduled robberies a multicultural endeavor for the Curbed.com-reading gentrifiers themselves, too:

Surprisingly, not everyone camping on line is African American - two white Park Slope residents, Rob Tanzer, 24 and Jake Feingold, 23, have also joined the group.

"We read about this on Curbed, and we just thought that being on this side of the fence seems like a far more authentic Brooklyn experience," explained Mr. Feingold, "We basically want the black community to know that not all white people are here to displace them; That really, we're part of the solution. And of course we're also down to get paid."

Can You Believe People Are Camping Out For IKEA Opening in NYC????

So the new IKEA store Brooklyn officially opens two days from now, on Wednesday June 18, but as of 11 AM today, Monday June 16, there were already 18 people waiting in line with sleeping bags. Yes, they are planning on camping out. (Does IKEA make sleeping bags, by the way?!)

Sure, IKEA is a popular store. But it’s safe to say that one reason for the enthusiasm is the fact that the first 35 people in line will get a free couch (too bad they can’t sleep on them before the store opens). The next 100 get a free armchair. And the first 100 kids (separate from the adults waiting for the furniture) get a toy.

Anyone having flashbacks to the iPhone mania last year outside the Apple stores?

IKEA's line is clearly driven by the company's incentives to get shoppers to exercise the same sort of cult-y excitement that once was seen only when tickets for rock concerts first went on sale. Now that sort of excitement is seen for brands, not bands. Last year, everyone was wondering how to mimic Apple and its lines outside its stores. Before that, it was how to mimic the fan queues for the new Xboxes in late 2005. Maybe IKEA has figured out how to have the sort of cult-y brand that usually is only found in the tech sector.

But what is particularly interesting is how the IKEA lines differ from last year's iPhone lines. Last year, people could ostensibly afford a $500 phone. This year, with the economy gloomy, they're camping out for free furniture at a store known for its inexpensive goods.

But what both IKEA and Apple share is, of course, their reputations for simple, appealing design. In the case of IKEA, is that what's driving the brand loyalty? Or is it simply the low prices? Would love to hear your opinions.