Posts tagged chair
Stylish and cheap finds: I’m settled in, and I love my room!
14 years ago
Hey, guys! Sorry about my long absence, but I’ve been busy with adjusting to classes starting, living off campus for the first time and on my own, and getting settled in. My apartment is really close to campus, and I bike to classes every day (which I find exhilaratingly fun). Things are going pretty smoothly now that me and my roommates have a regular system for groceries, eating, etc. (They’re molecular genetics, microbiology/pre-pharmacy, and chemical engineering majors so our lifestyles and life views differ considerably), and I LOVE living off campus and having my own space.
But let’s talk furniture. It’s what I’m here for. And that’s most important. I go to the Ohio State University–which is considerably out-of-state–so it was logistical puzzle assembling all my room furniture while my roommates simply brought a lot of their stuff from home. I was on a budget of money and time and limited truck rentals. PLUS, if not most importantly, I had to take responsibility for my design decisions. I owed that to myself and everything I held inviolable. I mean, I am practical and stuff, but for me, I rather have peaceful, empty space than something that I hated. Also, my parents are traditional Chinese, so I had the added pressure of being extra cheap. YET I PULLED IT OFF. It was a bit stressful at times–decisions were sometimes made after flustered hesitation (bless the friends that came to IKEA with me), and it took negotiation with my mom about prices, but I absolutely adore everything in my room, and all purchases totaled under $300.
Unfortunately, I can’t put up pictures of my room until I find a camera that captures the sunlight just right. (That might sound snobby, but the digital camera I have right now is REALLY, REALLY bad. It, like, makes stuff darker or lighter than it actually is.) But what I CAN do is list all the purchases I made and give rave reviews of them. But first, I would like to say a few things about IKEA.
- IKEA is amazing.
- IKEA is cheap. (Prices and quality are Asian mother approved.)
- IKEA is easy to put together. (My mechanical skills aren’t bad, but still. Really easy.)
- IKEA is well-designed.
- IKEA furniture has energy. (Seriously. I see the expensive stuff in up-scale contemporary stores, and most of it feels empty and soulless. You’re much better off getting an equally well-, if not better, designed cheaper version of what you’re looking for at IKEA, where pieces have the fun vibe of creativity and innovative design. Or maybe I’m just weird. Whatever.)
Bed:
I went creative (okay, fine, I did copy my friend) and opted for a sofa bed instead of a regular bed.
BEDDINGE LÖVÅS sofa bed $199 (For the LÖVÅS mattress and the Ransta dark gray cover as shown.)
I always keep it folded down, and I love it! I’m probably going to always get this sofa bed for myself no matter how rich I am. Why my bed is so amazing:
- it is a beautiful, black slab of serenity and calm
- the LOVAS mattress (the firmest of the BEDDINGE mattresses) is really nice to sleep on. I didn’t think it would be at first, but I actually like harder surfaces
- it’s simple like a platform bed
- it can double as a couch if need be
- it comes with those two pillows. I know.
- it has so much space!!
Desk, Chair, and Lamp:
All IKEA, of course! And all stylistically coordinated! (But not in an annoying way.)
VIKA AMON/ VIKA CURRY table $19.99
RICKARD swivel chair $20.00 JANSJÖ work lamp $9.99
Notes:
- Yes, the table is nice and sturdy. (Better on hardwood floors, of course.)
- The chair is actually a bright red. The picture’s color is off. And the work lamp is the same bright red.
- The work lamp is bendy!
Storage:
SKUBB organizer with 9 compartments $4.99 SKUBB box $7.99 (for 4)
Target Itso storage series- itso Cube White $9.99
Notes:
- The SKUBB drawers go inside the organizer.
- Check out Target’s customizable itso storage collection! I got three of these boxes and pinned two of the them together. The third I use as a nightstand.
-Beryl Zhao
Ideas from IKEA: I prefer the word ‘frugal,’ thank you very much
14 years ago
Finally! My 2011 IKEA catalog came in the mail! With a generous glossy, full-color 300+ pages of home furnishings amazingness, it did not disappoint. I pored over it, impressed with the company’s commitment to innovation, an environmentally-friendly mindset, and affordable design. Now, being from Kansas City, Missouri–with the nearest IKEA in Chicago–I’ve never actually been to an IKEA store. I’ve heard about them, I’ve read about them, and I’ve seen one on TV (from this one scene from 500 Days of Summer, a movie that I’ve only seen bits of), but never have I actually acquired the IKEA shopping experience. Hopefully, this will change next month when college starts up again, and my roommates and I hit up the IKEA in Ohio for the purpose of furnishing our 4 bedroom townhouse apartment. We’re college students with limited funds; therefore, our budget ranges from “Hey! Pull over! There’s a plaid armchair by the side of the road!” to “Please, sir. The stuffing is coming out a bit. Surely you can give us a discount.”
Even though we will be cutting some serious cost, style does not have to be completely sacrificed. Luckily for the design-conscious and financially-unconscious, I found some affordable (for others), stylish pieces from IKEA that looks like they cost much more than they actually do. Here’s a small sample. Take a look. (Wanna check out the catalog yourself? Visit IKEA’s Online Catalog.)
Tips for the design and budget frustrated: Even if your stuff is crappy and inexpensive, keeping your house clutter-free and purposeful will result in a space that will look better than the vast majority’s. Cherish what you have and make it a point to feel good about everything you buy. Treat and arrange everything as if they were all expensive designer pieces. Because one day they will be.
Left: VATE table lamp ($9.99) Right: VATE table lamp ($12.99): For that exotic flair in a dark room.
EKTORP TULLSTA chair ($149): For an instant, stylish pop of color! Will work in both modern and traditional rooms.
Left: NISSE folding chair ($12.99) Right: JEFF folding chair ($9.99): Yay! Folding chairs don't all have to look bad!
VIKA AMON/VIKA LERBERG table ($39.99): If you want a workstation that really looks like a workstation!
HOPEN bed frame ($149 full): A twist on a modern platform bed.
KLOBO loveseat ($149): Clean and solid. Reminds me of a marshmallow. Throw on some pillows or a throw for color.
LACK series wall shelf unit ($49.99), coffee table ($19.99), side table ($9.99): For a minimalist look.
-Beryl
The Chippensteel 0.5
14 years ago
The Chippensteel 0.5 is a chair designed by Oskar Zieta. Its an obvious match for his Plopp Stool which launched a couple years ago.
In fact, this chair is made with exactly the same production technique called FiDU as his Plopp Stool. FiDU is an abbreviation for German “FreieInnenDruckUmformung” – the Internal Pressure Forming. It means that two shapes cut from steel sheets are welded around their edges and inflated into a 3d object under high pressure. I really like the simplicity of this technique and Oskar seems to push its boundaries to the limit, however I’ve yet to see an interior designer incorporate both the Chippensteel and the Plopp into a room properly.
Pharell William’s Tank Chair
14 years ago
This is Pharell, the voice behind the band N.E.R.D. (No One Ever Really Dies) and the Neptune’s producer (thin Snoop Dog’s ‘Drop it like it’s Hot’). He is beautiful and amazing!
He’s been getting into furniture design, making his second chair titled The Tank Chair.
This modern, and somewhat clunky Plexiglas and leather chair will be on display at the Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin at design miami from December 1st to 5th, 2009.
