New York City Home Improvement DIY Forum

The Staff at EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC is proud to announce another addition to our growing website, which is an DIY Forum that is completely open to any Home Improvement related topics from Ikea Assembly Tips, Kitchen Cabinet Installation Instructions, Plumbing, as well Home Improvement stories or mishaps.


We are a New York City based company and we encourage NYC DIY to come and share your product rating, local stores having sales, the best flea markets in the City, and whatever comes to mind as long as it is Home Improvement related topics.


Our website recieves an average of 3000 unique visitors monthly and we are leasing Banner ads at a discounted rate of only $20.00 per month with a (6) month contract.

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We were Awarded the SUPER SERVICE AWARD by Angie's List for Outstanding Service in which only 5% off companies Nationwide are even considered.

We are expert installers of IKEA kitchen cabinets. As a licensed remodeling company, we have high professional standards and work to provide top-notch customer service on every project we do. Why settle for less?



We can provide demolition of the old kitchen, electrical, lighting, plumbing, appliance installation, wall work, countertop installation, flooring installation, and general repair.



We also offer a low-cost "assisted installation" service for homeowners who want to spend the least on a professional installation result.



Please view our Previous Projects at our website www.ezfurnitureassembly.com

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All About IKEA from Shopping to Return Policies

How to shop

We want your next trip to IKEA to be as pleasant as possible. So, here are some tips on how to shop the easy way at our IKEA stores! IKEA stores have free parking and provide easy access for the disabled. Everything you need to shop is available at the entrance: pencils, paper, tape measures, store guides, catalogs, shopping carts, shopping bags and strollers.




Bring the kids!

The IKEA store is family-friendly. your kids can test all the toys in the children's department or have fun in the free supervised playroom while you shop. (Ask at the store about specific requirements.)


Everything you need!

Besides copies of the latest catalog for you to borrow, the store provides tape measures, and pencils and notepads for you to write down price tag details, like where to pick up your item. And grab a big yellow bag for those smaller items you like.




Relax, there's no hurry

The store has lots of fully furnished showrooms. You can sit on the chairs, lie on the beds and try out everything. IKEA sales people won't bother you. Need help? Just ask.


Price tag information

You'll find lots of details on the price tag - colors, materials, sizes, etc. You'll find the shelf number if you can collect the item from the Self-Serve area or a message to contact staff if you need to collect it at Furniture Pick-up.




Contact staff here

You'll find IKEA staff at information desks with this symbol. They will arrange for you to collect your item at Furniture Pick-up if you need to.


Time for a bite to eat

Our restaurant isn't just for delicious full meals - stop in for a quick sandwich, piece of cake or cup of coffee. Look for the special kids' menu, too!




Pick up your purchases

Check the notes you made of the shelf numbers to find your items in the Self-Serve area. There are plenty of carts and bags to help you get it all to the checkouts. Selected items need to be picked up in Furniture Pick-up after your purchase is complete.


How to pay

Our cashiers accept cash, credit cards, debit cards, and IKEA gift cards.




Take it home today

Since most IKEA furniture is flat-packed, you can take it home today in your car and enjoy it tonight. If you'd prefer, IKEA can arrange home delivery at a reasonable rate - contact your local IKEA store for details.


If you change your mind

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply return the unused item in its original packaging within 90 days unless noted below. A receipt is required for all returns and exchanges.

Mattresses: "Love it or Exchange it". You may return your mattress once within 90 days if you don't love it. Return your mattress with your receipt to the store and select your new mattress. We are unable to exchange your mattress if your merchandise is found to be dirty, stained, damaged, or abused.

Sorry, we cannot accept returns on used bedding (linens, quilts, pillows, and mattress pads), cut fabric, products from the As-Is department, and custom countertops.

Click here for further return policy details.

Creating unique treasures out of wood

Creating treasures out of wood

by Angelica Blenich

Photo by Angelica Blenich

ROCKER’S DELIGHT. Stephen Sprague is all smiles as he strikes a pose in one of his handcrafted rocking chairs. Sprague is a woodworker with a studio located just outside Bracebridge. His furnishings will be on display during the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour on September 27 and 28.

Autumn is just around the corner and Stephen Sprague is surprisingly calm. While a shift in seasons might not normally stress a person out, it could if you were gearing up for the 30th annual Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour scheduled to take place September 27 and 28.

But with less than two weeks to go before the show, Sprague appears both at ease and pleasant.

“When you’ve been doing the show for about 10 years you don’t get quite as anxious,” says Sprague reassuringly. “You just do the best you can.”

And that’s exactly what Sprague is doing.

Sprague is a designer and maker of fine furniture, with a studio located on the outskirts of Bracebridge. He has been working with wood for more than 30 years, enjoying both the creative and manual aspects to his job, a far cry from the science degree he earned back in the 1970s. But even as a woodworker, Sprague has incorporated his knowledge of biology and interest in the environment into his designs and creations.

“The other aspect of my life that I try to integrate in my work is a small environmental footprint,” says Sprague. “So what you see here is all material that I’ve found myself. I rarely buy commercially harvested timber. Instead, I look for unusual material or material that otherwise might have just gone to firewood, but was perfectly good to build furniture out of. I try to use primarily native hardwoods. Generally I think there is plenty of great material right in your own backyard. Every tree has some treasure.”

It is these treasures, says Sprague, that make for good furniture. Some of the things that can be found inside his studio include a variety of unique and distinct pieces, such as rocking chairs, desks and home accents, all crafted by hand using natural woods and finishes. Sprague believes it is these qualities that are showcased on the tour.

“It’s really nice to have people come in. I probably see more people in those two days than I do all year,” says Sprague referring to the studio tour. “It’s really encouraging to have them come and to see the work and to give me the kind of feedback they give me, and, of course, hopefully they’ll become customers. But that’s not the reason I do the tour. I’d rather have people come in and see how I work and see my shop space, and try to get an appreciation for custom furniture as opposed to going to Ikea or Leon’s, which have mass-produced industrial furniture.”

So far the tour has been a successful component in accomplishing this goal.

“A funny thing happened during one particular studio tour,” explains Sprague. “I met a fellow who worked at Lakehead University with one of my former professors, who is now the president of Lakehead.” After striking up a conversation with this man, Sprague was able to reconnect with his old professor, who in return ordered three rocking chairs and had them designated as alumni gifts given by the university.

But don’t expect Sprague to retire from woodworking any time soon, even with the amount of success he has had.

“Woodworking is my passion,” says Sprague. “I’ll continue doing it until it’s time to make a pine box for myself.”

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

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

5 easy tips to assemble IKEA furniture

know what you thinking: she must having a slow day today. Actually , no. I just heard another customer complained about how difficult it is to assemble IKEA furniture and how much they hate it. (But they are still browsing in the store to see what they can buy! ) Well, a little extra help will never hurt.

If you are a IKEA newbie, I won’t be surprised that you screw up your first piece of furniture. I know I did and I know my hubby did too. My very first piece was Billy book case. Simple enough. I thought I read the instruction careful enough to ensure the success. Nope! I was wrong. I put the shelf backwards and have one ugly unfinished side on the front. The worst part was I didn’t realize that until I put the back on and almost announced success.

Well, that was then…

So I thought, let’s share some insight with newbies and hopefully no one will ever have to return a messed up Billy book case ever again.

1. Open packing carefully with facing all unfinished side one way.
It is rather easy to tell if a piece has some unfinished side. I found it a lot easier to help me create the vision rather than look at the pictures and trying to find out what hole suppose to go where.

2. Also, put sort out similar pieces and group them together.
Not only it help you to understand the pictures better, it also make the pile look smaller and you don’t make a mess in your room. Do the same thing with hardwares so you can easily find what you need when assembling.

3. Read the instruction
Take some time and actually read the whole instruction will help you understand how is the whole coming together. I prefer read the whole thing before I start put anything together. In construction world there is a saying: measure twice, cute once. You are lucky enough because everything is already cute for you here. So read twice and assembling once is the golden rule here.

4. Brainless work
If something doesn’t seem to fit into the whole furniture easy enough, something is usually not right. Don’t force anything. I’ve done this many times to realize that the brainless way of work is always the easiest way. Everything is cut to fit perfectly to each other so there is no reason to push harder and see if something would fit.

5. Don’t use glue
A lot of people like to use glue because they think that is the only way to secure each piece and ensure the furniture will stay forever. My take is no no on that. Glue down each piece will make your fit harder and make the process longer. The worse part is, it is almost impossible to break it down later if you need to without damage the furniture. Besides, you never know if you gonna use the furniture for another use later. So better keep it “loose".

There you have it, my 5 little secrets to make your assemble life easier. We hope you enjoyed it.

Bonus tip:
Always invite friends and families to join a assemble party if you have multiple pieces to build. Not only make the building process faster, it is also a quality time you could share with them and make them proud that they’ve done something for/with you that would last for a while!