runner for the hallway

Our hallway needs a new runner. Currently, we're using two overlapping Ikea Alvine runners, which I love, but they are not durable at all in this location. The one closest to the door is now gray, and it has barely survived a month. What we need is an easy to clean, synthetic material instead of indoor-only cotton like we have now. The hallway is 2'6" x 12', so the runner needs to be 11 feet long. I don't have a lot of choices because most runners are 8-10 feet, maximum. I found a website, HomeDecorators.com, that has a good selection of rugs, though most are much to contemporary for my taste, so I've had to spend a long time weeding through all of the rejects. Luckily, we've narrowed it down to two different rugs, both have the same dimensions of 2'3" x 11'9", and they are the same price of $79.99.


For some reason I've been smitten with southwestern decor lately, so I really like the Pueblo outdoor rug.


And then there's the Persimmon rug, which also has a great feel to it!

I think both will hide dirt relatively well, and they're both made of the same synthetic dercion, which I've never heard of before. The boy prefers the persimmon rug, while I am leaning more towards the pueblo. I'm going to have to sleep on it.

Any thoughts?

outbid

I was outbid on my very first auction at Housing Works! This rug would have looked so nice in my living room, but I decided that $150 was my max for a rug less than 4x6 in size. Should I have bid more? The highest bidder's maximum was set way above mine, it's still going now for $159.50. Le sigh.

wardrobe

Ok, I give up. I'm so sick of scouring Craigslist for weeks trying to find a stylish, affordable armoire that has drawers and shelving, that isn't laminate, that's sturdy, and preferably white, to house my printers, scanner and photo accessories. So I'm going to buy the Leksvik wardrobe from Ikea. Technically it's a children's item (the best department at Ikea, in my opinion! haha) but it is not too deep and just wide enough, plus its tall and has shelving inside. And it's not ugly. At first I will put it together and use it, but I fully intend on painting it a color eventually and papering the insides all pretty. Well, I want to paint it white, but I might think of a color, like yellow. Will get back to you on that. But my Epson's been sitting in a box since we moved over a month ago! Oh, photography business? Yeah, right. I'll have to get back to you on that one, too.

the sweetest ikea hack yet

Over at Ikea Hacker, Jules posted one of the sweetest, most creative hacks I've ever seen! Pinot and Dita at Our Artful Life decorated their wall with paint and Ikea fabrics.


So adorable. I am no painter, but I could really see this done on a wall with any kind of fabric to match your decor, and it wouldn't be at all child-like. Especially that tree! I wish I could duplicate it! So pretty.

ikea business

I found a link to the Ikea Business website from a new favorite blog, Linda & Harriett (they make an amazing letterpress 2009 calendar for only $24.) Over at Ikea Business, not only do they have a quiz to figure out what style you are (I'm Scandinavian Original!), the website is mostly video-based, with local shop owners talking about an showing off the solutions they use from Ikea.



I love how Shakti Yoga & Living Arts in Maplewood, NJ uses the stripa shelves to hold business cards, and then bulletin boards above. I found the Ikea Business website to be inspiring, not just for business owners, so take a look over there!

mr. gorbachev, break up this wall!

This is my living room, or at least the right most 70% of it. My living room is an 11x21" box, and the entire southern wall is blank. 21 feet of blank! I know frames should go on this wall, but I don't know where, and I don't know what it ought to look like in the end. I don't want to go overboard with holes and shelving, since we are moving in 6-8 months. I was thinking of getting 2-3 large posters to hang behind the TV, and then maybe I could have a small cluster of photographs and prints in line with the dining room table. What do you think? I'm stumped.

Please excuse the mess! I always forget to clean up before I take photos of my apartment!

(Clicking on the image above should link to a larger version.)

design at school

My favorite professor in the entire college is the head of the film department. Unlike his colleagues, his office isn't stark white and blank, there are several framed movie posters, and each time I go in there, I find myself admiring the decor, for an office!


I love the clocks in a row, though I don't think they are accurate! I'd love to do this in a home, as a horizontal line with 3-5 clocks that are a bit more modern.



I don't remember seeing this poster before, and I love it. It's the Italian poster for "The Postman Always Rings Twice," (1981) starring Jack Nicholson.



The poster for my favorite movie, "Chungking Express," by my favorite director, Wong Kar-Wai. I love the look of matted posters, but this one really works unmatted.



I've got to get me this poster for A Bout de Souffle (Breathless), another favorite film of mine. It's $49.99 on Allposters.com.



This corner needs work, but I love the wooded frame on the left. I know it is of some page from a newspaper, but I don't know exactly what it is or which publication. Anyway, I love to frame historical pieces like that.



And to conclude, this is one of the rooms I have class in. It's what I stare at for 75 minutes, twice a week, and I've always pondered this side of the room. Though not tactfully hung, I love the two frames to the left. And the mix-matched bookshelves. I'm usually one to try to have the same of one kind of item, like chairs or, shelves. But I kind of like this. It works with the shelves so full as they are. I could see a whole wall of different colors and sizes of shelves!