Ikea

As part of our Styled by You $500 Giveaway with Ikea, Elka and I have been applying simple techniques to reenvision some of our favorite IKEA products. Today, I'm sharing my second hack project, which was made with IKEA's AINA Curtains in natural ($50 for a pair).

I was inspired by Michael Penney's fabulous dip-dye curtains, but thought that adding an ombré twist would be a great way to tie in the indigo and teal hues from my room. All it took was a couple of buckets, some fabric dye, and a sunny Saturday afternoon to achieve my own boho-inspired curtains. Keep reading to see the big reveal and get the steps to pull it off yourself!

As part of our Styled by You $500 Giveaway with Ikea, Elka and I have been re-envisioning some Ikea products, thinking beyond the flatpack. Today, I'm sharing my first project, which was made with an ÅSELE lamp shade ($15) and a BRÅN Clear Glass Table Lamp Base ($20).

I was inspired by an Uzbeki ikat polka-dot fabric and was determined to re-create the look on my own. I decided to take a block-printing approach to replicate the pattern but needed some inspiration for an easy way to create a stamp. Enter the potato. Keep reading to see how this common household vegetable became the key to unlocking my coveted Uzbeki pattern!

As part of our Styled by You $500 Giveaway with Ikea, Angela and I have been rethinking and restyling some IKEA products, thinking beyond the flatpack. Today, I'm sharing my first project, which was made from the SKURAR Hanging Planter. ($5).

I love this product's design and lacy detailing and have long admired the easy switcheroo that turns this planter into a hanging lamp. At least, it seemed easy when I read about it. But would this project prove to be harder than it looked?

Keep reading to see how my project with the SKURAR Hanging Planter turned out.

Two new outdoor chairs have made their ways to Ikeas around the world, but they haven't landed in US stores yet. While I'm not contemplating a trip across the northern border into Canada quite yet, I am eager to see these chairs stocked in the US. And at least one will be, since it's already listed on the website (just without availability at this time).
While the Hogsten may not have the most graceful name, this gorgeous chair is a total looker. Made from woven plastic rattan, it has an organic look, but its plastic exterior means it is very, very low maintenance and quite durable — an absolute must for outdoor furniture. You can also purchase the matching footstool, which is equally cute. The Hogsten is currently available at a few Canadian Ikea stores, according to the website.

Keep clicking to check out my other favorite outdoor chair from Ikea.

• The Ikea Maskros pendant illuminates these interiors. — Houzz
• Get cozy with these stylish throw blankets. — Real Simple
• 10 spaces with surprising decor details. — House Beautiful
• A transparent Apple store is going to be built in France. — Geek
• DIY this sunglasses holder in mere minutes. — Eco Salon
• Take a tour of Christina Aguilera’s on-the-market home. — Hooked on Houses
• Gather some tips for flea marketing in 2012. — Stylelist Home
• See why Craft and Make have gone black today. — Craft
• Tips for creating the ultimate Super Bowl party. — Country Living

It's easy to have a love-hate relationship with Ikea. The prices are ideal for outfitting lil ones' rooms with practical, stylish furniture, but with that low price moms often have to sacrifice color and design. Sure, you can paint the stark white pieces, but with all of the wear and tear kids put their rooms through, it's only a matter of time before the paint starts chipping and the white under-layer is showing.

That's where MyKea comes in. The Dutch design company has identified the most popular Ikea furniture items and created removable, graphic vinyl prints (ranging from $42 to $65) that can be applied directly to the furniture. With a slew of kid-friendly designs — think the Little Mister and Little Miss characters, SpongeBob, and some fun original creations including DJ equipment, aliens, and numerals — kids' rooms can quickly be transformed to show off lil ones' personalities.

Yesterday we floated the idea that the new design of the Billy bookcase may be leaving the "book" out of the case. But the truth is, people have been using this bookcase for other purposes for as long as it's been around. Take this bookcase's use as a room divider for Mette Helena and her daughter, who share a one-bedroom apartment in Copenhagen, Denmark. On one side of the divider is Mette's sleeping area and an open hanging closet nook. Mette lined the back panels of the Billy bookcase with wallpaper to add a design element to the very practical solution for the shared bedroom. Additionally, storage boxes are covered with wallpaper to prettify the look.
Mette's daughter's bedroom area is much more whimsical than her mother's sleeping area. Various wallpaper patterns are mixed on the walls and the bookcases to create a playful feel and outline the kid's area of the room. Overall, the arrangement is surprisingly airy looking given the dimensional constraints.I'm constantly inspired by small homes that function well and are absolutely lovely to look at as well. It's a hard feat to pull off successfully, and this artistic mom and her daughter have created a practical and pretty space that meets their needs. Nice work, family!

Have you used Billy bookcases to hold something other than books? Tell me about your creative usage, and then take a look at Mette's entire art-filled apartment here.