Saturday, January 11
Jan. 12th, 2025 12:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gottawonderToday I am grateful for:
Warm, though there is a light, constant snowfall that quickly becomes slushy. I reluctantly have Wonder and the ponies blanketed, not because it is very cold, but only because if I didn't they would become completely soaked, which is very bad at 0 C, or hovering close to freezing. They rarely seem to stand inside their sheds, but allow themselves to become soaked.
We didn't rush our day, but did go to the city almost entirely to go to Ikea. That's fine, Ikea on it's own is a lot to absorb.
We had fairly specific things we wanted. We needed a mount for a cupboard we already have for the mud room, that my husband says has been out of stock every time he's called them for something like a year and a half. Miraculously they had them in stock today. Ahem.
We decided to install a cupboard above the kitchen sink, the same as the others in the room (they're Ikea cupboards). The house came with an odd rustic shelf above the sink that the wood is twisted and the whole thing looks like it's unstable, though it is solid. The twist in the wood is just uncomfortable, and the shelf ends up not being that useful. It might be a challenge to take down this shelf, as it looks to be held up by some hefty bolts.
The cupboard will have glass windows, and be used for some of my more decorative things that have been on the shelf, but they get very grungy on an open shelf.
I've also talked about getting a display case for some time, and we got one of those, as well as some of those simple rails for displaying art. We have plaster walls and I loathe putting nails into it, so the rails will let me put up things easily and change them often.
Our shopping was pleasant, as we already had a very good idea of what we were doing there, and we still walked around most of the store looking around as tourists.
I'm always impressed by how they make those perfect little spaces that feel so bright and efficient. Like, if you for some reason needed to have a small apartment in the city that you wouldn't take anything of your own, but needed to furnish quickly, if you had the money you could just order everything in a room you liked and VOILA.
I also was very enamored of the little ceramic dishes made for children, and the little kitchen things (a kitchen sink with cupboards, a little wash basin, pots and pan sets, and so on). Their kids stuff is the best.
I always feel like Ikea is some fantasy village where you walk around and everyone's home is open to the street.
We ate some spicy veggie balls which were tasty. I had never eaten at an Ikea before, I didn't realize what a full menu they had. It makes sense, I know some people make a real mission to go there and shop all day, and there's no point in having to leave for food. It's a literal destination for some.
We still had lots of time, so we went to the second hand book store. I had a good pile to trade in (they accepted almost all of them) and I found a few good books to bring home.
One book was the art of Marie Lannoo, who is a Canadian artist and the book is still fairly new. I hadn't heard of her at all, but the work in the book is very atmospheric and beautiful, and while I know it isn't that big, I think it would look wonderful as wall-sized work.
We came home and ate, and watched "Murder on the Orient Express" as directed by Kenneth Branaugh. It is a fine film with great acting, and is visually very beautiful.
Warm, though there is a light, constant snowfall that quickly becomes slushy. I reluctantly have Wonder and the ponies blanketed, not because it is very cold, but only because if I didn't they would become completely soaked, which is very bad at 0 C, or hovering close to freezing. They rarely seem to stand inside their sheds, but allow themselves to become soaked.
We didn't rush our day, but did go to the city almost entirely to go to Ikea. That's fine, Ikea on it's own is a lot to absorb.
We had fairly specific things we wanted. We needed a mount for a cupboard we already have for the mud room, that my husband says has been out of stock every time he's called them for something like a year and a half. Miraculously they had them in stock today. Ahem.
We decided to install a cupboard above the kitchen sink, the same as the others in the room (they're Ikea cupboards). The house came with an odd rustic shelf above the sink that the wood is twisted and the whole thing looks like it's unstable, though it is solid. The twist in the wood is just uncomfortable, and the shelf ends up not being that useful. It might be a challenge to take down this shelf, as it looks to be held up by some hefty bolts.
The cupboard will have glass windows, and be used for some of my more decorative things that have been on the shelf, but they get very grungy on an open shelf.
I've also talked about getting a display case for some time, and we got one of those, as well as some of those simple rails for displaying art. We have plaster walls and I loathe putting nails into it, so the rails will let me put up things easily and change them often.
Our shopping was pleasant, as we already had a very good idea of what we were doing there, and we still walked around most of the store looking around as tourists.
I'm always impressed by how they make those perfect little spaces that feel so bright and efficient. Like, if you for some reason needed to have a small apartment in the city that you wouldn't take anything of your own, but needed to furnish quickly, if you had the money you could just order everything in a room you liked and VOILA.
I also was very enamored of the little ceramic dishes made for children, and the little kitchen things (a kitchen sink with cupboards, a little wash basin, pots and pan sets, and so on). Their kids stuff is the best.
I always feel like Ikea is some fantasy village where you walk around and everyone's home is open to the street.
We ate some spicy veggie balls which were tasty. I had never eaten at an Ikea before, I didn't realize what a full menu they had. It makes sense, I know some people make a real mission to go there and shop all day, and there's no point in having to leave for food. It's a literal destination for some.
We still had lots of time, so we went to the second hand book store. I had a good pile to trade in (they accepted almost all of them) and I found a few good books to bring home.
One book was the art of Marie Lannoo, who is a Canadian artist and the book is still fairly new. I hadn't heard of her at all, but the work in the book is very atmospheric and beautiful, and while I know it isn't that big, I think it would look wonderful as wall-sized work.
We came home and ate, and watched "Murder on the Orient Express" as directed by Kenneth Branaugh. It is a fine film with great acting, and is visually very beautiful.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-12 08:23 pm (UTC)One has to shop carefully, as some of the stuff is semi-disposable. But it's all very cosy.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-14 07:44 am (UTC)I think their higher end items are quite nice, though.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-14 08:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-01-14 10:56 pm (UTC)We've had a pair of big wardrobes from Ikea for close to 15 years now, and they've been great the whole time. Same with some bedside tables.
Our kitchen cupboards were already in this house, and they are Ikea, and they are the higher end cupboards with the slow close doors and so on. We liked them well enough to get the same thing for the cupboards in the mudroom.
The plain wooden shelving is good too, for basic needs. I have some of that upstairs for organizing craft stuff, and they've served very well.
I think it serves well enough as "real" furniture if you can put it together well, and of course the better stuff they carry IS better.
As for the "temporary situation" aspect of it, it makes a lot of sense for students or people who won't be in one place for very long to buy things there and either sell them or give them away when they're leaving. Things they have no attachment to that can be sold or donated easily.
You'd be surprised at how it holds it's value if you don't damage it, people like the fact that it's already assembled.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-13 02:08 am (UTC)I love that version of "Murder on the Orien Express." The other two films in the series are also quite good.
I haven't been to an Ikea yet, but you've got me quite curious now.
no subject
Date: 2025-01-14 07:42 am (UTC)It can be overwhelming, as the stores are huge, and you literally can feel like you're walking in village.
Lots of people call Ikea furniture "cheap garbage", and some things are maybe on the cheap end of things, but that's because they try to have different price points.
If you look at the higher price points, it's better quality, yet even some of their cheaper things are honestly just fine.
I enjoy all the brightness in the winter.
Also, Ikea has an area near the check outs where they sell floor models of things, slightly damaged items, and discontinued stock.