IKEA Finds

- Interior Design
IKEA My Best Friend

I finally had a chance to make it to IKEA the other night, which was wonderful because going during the week is much better than fighting the crowds on a weekend. Anyway, I’m actually glad I didn’t make it there before because I know how this would have gone down if I went the week after we moved in: I would have bought a ton of stuff that didn’t work with the rest of the apartment or that we don’t have a place for. Waiting until now has allowed me to realize what areas of our apartment need more decor, what items I really want and what is worth investing in.

The thing I’ve realized over the past two and half years when it comes to home decor, is that it is better to save up or wait to find the perfect item than to force things into your space. I did this A LOT at our old apartment and I would be happy for two weeks and then want to change it up again. I will always want to rearrange or change things up, because sometimes it is just nice to do so, but I want to have pieces I LOVE and that will last us a long time. For the time being though, our living situation is temporary. We don’t want to rent forever (or at least I don’t think) so finding decor we love that fits in our space now is still important.

Anyway, sorry I just wanted to share that I am trying to not just buy things to fill space. In fact, I would have bought at least twice as much from IKEA if I was in my old mindset. What I found at IKEA are things I needed to help organize our space or make it feel more like home.

Lamp Base & Shade : I tend to go to bed earlier than my boyfriend, but like to flip through a magazine or read beforehand. I haven’t had a lamp by my side of the bed in years and well, it is a pain in the butt to get up to shut off the floor lamp. This is a smaller lamp, but just perfect for a bedside table. Our room is gray, black and white themed, so the silver base and patterned shade add a nice contrast while still fitting the color scheme.

Artificial Plant : Well, according to my boyfriend I went wrong here. He hates artificial plants, but I LOVE greenery indoors and would accidentally kill a real plant. This one is reduced to $29.99 in stores right now and is higher quality than some of the other artificial plants available. I love it because I think the palms against our dark wood laminate floors almost make it feel like we are at some sort of resort/getaway. It really makes our space feel more homey. It is something I think he will just have to deal with 😉

Black Storage Boxes : Okay, let me just tell you I almost bought storage boxes at Target, WalMart, you name it. But every time I almost did, I remembered how much cheaper they were at IKEA. I needed these to store things in my closet, including all of my clutches and winter gear (hats, mittens, etc.) I want them to look nice and help me organize, but they aren’t going to be out in the open, so I couldn’t justify spending $9.99 on one large bin, especially when I knew I could get TWO large ones at IKEA for the same price. YES you have to assemble them, but if I can do it, anyone can. They look really nice in my closet and are quality enough for my purpose. I would not recommend them for being out in the open, especially if you have kids or pets.

Red Vases & Fake Flowers : I have been searching for the perfect artificial flower/vase to place on the counter in our bathroom. I want to hang up some art pieces, but it needed a bit more color and life in there right now. These red vases are gorgeous (I bought the clear ones) and I bought three cream colored flowers to place in the tall vase for our bathroom. Works perfectly with our gray/burgundy color scheme. Also, going to look gorgeous for the holiday season! You simply cannot beat this price, I mean seriously, where can you get vases and fake flowers this cheap anywhere else? And they look nice!

Storage Drawer on Wheels : Okay, so I went into IKEA with the intention of buying this storage drawer for our filing needs. The problem is that it just looked like poor quality, and I could already tell that the surface/top of it would scratch easily (also you can easily see into those small drawers from the outside). So for $10 more, I got something a little smaller, but a lot nicer.  I liked this file cabinet (same quality, color and style) but it is too big for our space right now, it would look really out of place and doesn’t have a nice drawer for office supplies. I also bought this organizer that is nice quality and will be easy to clean for the top drawer of this. Again, old mindset would have bought the cheaper one because who likes spending money on boring storage things? But the fact is that we will be able to have this forever and will help keep our papers organized. And then someday we can add a file cabinet if and when we need it (hopefully a bigger office space too 😉 )

Floor Lamp : This lamp is more for looks than practicality, but we already have a nice floor floor lamp, so I wanted one to place near our TV that added not only light, but also helped decorate the space. I liked the coloring of the cover, and it looked a little higher quality than some of the cheaper options. I’m sure this is something we won’t have forever, but it suits our space now and I love it!

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20 Comments

  • Reply
    KizzyDoll
    November 13, 2013 at 10:59 AM

    The vases are so lovely xx

  • Reply
    Jacy
    November 13, 2013 at 10:59 AM

    I love your advice about waiting to buy home decor items until you know exactly what you need and find the perfect piece (and price)! I love home decor but I’m so nervous about actually decorating an entire apartment or house myself haha. It looks like you’ve made some really smart choices that will be functional and great looking at the same time!

    ~Jacy

  • Reply
    Rachel
    November 13, 2013 at 11:23 AM

    My bf hates Ikea. Aka he went in one time and got overwhelmed haha! that storage drawer on wheels is great- you will definitely get a lot of use out of it!

    • Reply
      Rachel
      November 13, 2013 at 11:25 AM

      LOL. Yeah SAME. I have been talking about needing to go to IKEA for weeks now… my boyfriend made it work out because one of his client’s offices is right by IKEA. He met with his client for 2 hours while I shopped 🙂 It was magical! 😉

  • Reply
    Leigh
    November 13, 2013 at 12:03 PM

    I love the lamp and storage drawers. I haven’t been to IKEA in awhile I think I should take a trip there this weekend 🙂

    • Reply
      Rachel
      November 13, 2013 at 12:05 PM

      Yes you should! They have some nice things 🙂

  • Reply
    Bethie the Boo
    November 13, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    I love IKEA. The hubby isn’t a big fan, but we do have a few things from there in our house!

  • Reply
    Nikki
    November 13, 2013 at 1:53 PM

    Ohh I love IKEA. I’ve actually never been to a real store, just ordered online. But I hope to go to one some day! And I feel the same way about waiting to buy the right thing instead of just whatever to fill the space… Love what you got!

    Nikki
    thefashionablewife.com

  • Reply
    ash
    November 13, 2013 at 11:08 PM

    I love the little vases! I can’t wait to hit up Target and Ikea after Christmas. I want to redecorate the living room!

  • Reply
    Jessica
    November 14, 2013 at 12:44 AM

    I just love IKEA! So many cool things! I think you did well with the artificial plant. Greenery makes a room look more alive but real plants are so hard to keep alive! haha… I have a couple that aren’t doing so well at the moment!
    ~Jessica
    Jeans and a Teacup

  • Reply
    Sharon
    November 14, 2013 at 8:23 AM

    I admit half of my furniture is from IKEA. It was a pain putting it together but you can’t beat the price 🙂

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart

  • Reply
    Lindsay Truax
    November 14, 2013 at 9:06 AM

    Love the lamp!!!

    Pinkandnavystripes.com

  • Reply
    Lady à la Mode
    November 14, 2013 at 10:37 AM

    Ikea sometimes has some pretty awesome things! these look great!

    xxx Lady à la Mode

  • Reply
    Ashley
    November 14, 2013 at 11:25 AM

    I love your picks- and am soooo jealous you have an Ikea close by! 🙂

    -Ashley
    http://lestylorouge.com

  • Reply
    fleurani
    November 14, 2013 at 1:07 PM

    Rachel, I used to visit IKEA on a regular basis, since I have moved to the country side and the next IKEA is 1,5 hours away I dont go there anymore, but they have so nice stuff especially decoration stuff 🙂

    ani
    http://www.fleurani.blogspot.de

  • Reply
    anngelik
    November 14, 2013 at 1:19 PM

    Glad you made it to Ikea! If I could love there, I would. I am obsessed with their items. Im excited to shop there for my new apartment next year 🙂

    -Vogue&Heels
    http://www.vogueandheels.com

  • Reply
    Tracy
    November 14, 2013 at 5:44 PM

    I have never been to an IKEA. The nearest location is about 3 hours from my house. I wish there was a closer location. I love your picks especially those black storage boxes.

    Tracy @ Sunny Days and Starry Nights

  • Reply
    Kelly in the City
    November 14, 2013 at 9:43 PM

    LOVE the new attitude! Totally agree. I LOVE going to Ikea but a lot of times I walk out of there with what ends up being clutter. 😉

    <3

    Kelly
    kellyinthecity.com

  • Reply
    Annie
    November 15, 2013 at 7:57 AM

    Loving those lamps!

    Annie
    The Other Side of Gray

  • Reply
    Laura
    November 15, 2013 at 9:50 AM

    Great finds! I love IKEA, but haven’t been there in forever since it is so far away. You are right though, it is better to save up and get what you really want than settle for something not quite right for less. It’s taken us a long time to save up and furnish our house, but it’s just the way we like it now!

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