Thursday, January 7, 2016

Hallway

      Hello!
      I'm gonna start the house tour with the hallway, so you can see exactly what I see when I get home.
     My husband and I live in an one bedroom apartment that measures 53 square meters (approx. 173 square feet), balcony included.


      This is the first thing I see when I open the front door. The DROPS Collage frame is from Ikea and it displays 7 photos of my husband and I. Through the door you will find the kitchen and behind the door on the right is the bathroom.


      The arras is called The cafes street and was given to me by my grandmother, who handmade it.


     As I walk in, the hallway extends to the right. There, an Ikea BRIMNES Wardrobe with 3 doors holds our shoes and jackets. The drop zone for my purse and any small thing from our pockets is the LINDVED Side table from Ikea. This table was one of the centerpieces at our wedding; dressed in red lace, holding pens and cards so that guests can leave advice for the bride and groom.


      This is another view of the wardrobe, from the kitchen door. The painting is a wedding gift from the arts teacher that both my husband and I had in high school, where we met.


      And now, my favourite part of the hallway, our chinchilla, Ozzie.



      Closer to the bathroom door, under the side table, we hold our chinchilla supplies (food, bedding, bath sand). Above the table is a chalkboard/magnetic board from Ikea, called LUNS, that functions as a command center and as the place to keep our bills and shopping lists.


     This is the view from the bedroom door. A HJALMAREN Towel rack from Ikea corrals our umbrellas and my little purse. Under it, a VARIERA bag dispenser works its magic and keeps our home a little bit tidier. The open door leads to the living room, where you can see the BILLY Bookcases.


      A sneak peek of my next post.
      Thanks for spending this time with me!
      Let me know what you think; please share your thoughts and ideas below.
      Have a great day!

Monday, January 4, 2016

New Year, same person

      Hello everybody! Happy New Year!
      As a New Year's resolution I want to write more often on this blog. I am still new at this, so please be patient...
      I have decided to show you my apartment, room by room. I'm equally anxious, as I am thrilled.
      You will hear from me very soon.
      Thanks for spending this time with me! Have a great day!
     

Sunday, September 20, 2015

9 ways to improve your home

      Hello! In this post I will share with you 9 easy ways to improve your home.
      These methods will brighten up your home, give it a fresh vibe and make it look classy and expensive.

Change the light fixtures
      A very important element in any house is the lighting, so if you want to make a small change with a big impact I suggest you start searching for a light source and buy one right away. This is one of the easiest ways to refresh your home and make it more welcoming. If you need any help with choosing the right light fixture, you can see this handy guide.



New window treatments
      Another simple idea to make your home look better is controlling the amount of light that enters through the windows. You can achieve this by renewing your window treatments. As I was saying, lighting has a big impact in creating a nice atmosphere, so be sure you use layers to filter the sunlight.



And for help:


Install new hardware
      This one is the best example that a small change can make a big difference. By just changing the hardware on your kitchen cabinets or dressers it will look like you have brand new furniture.



Paint an accent wall
      Painting an accent wall will increase a room's natural beauty and value. And painting just one wall is less of a hassle than doing the whole room.



Paint your kitchen cabinets
      This one may require a little bit more work, but it's totally worth it. Just look at the before and after photos below.



Buy new towels
      There's nothing better than a new, soft towel to spoil yourself with after a long, relaxing bath. Buy new towels and get rid of the old, tarnished ones to make your bathroom feel like a spa.


Buy some new bedsheets
      Just like with the towels, there's no better feeling than having new bedsheets. Throwing the old ones and buying soft, comfortable new bedspreads will freshen the bedroom.




Buy matching hangers
      Get rid of the visual clutter and buy some matching hangers that will make morning routine easier. By having matching hangers, your closet will look and feel elegant, better organised and sophisticated.


      I have found that these velvet hangers are the best. The smooth texture prevents slipping, while their ultra thin design maximizes closet space.


Line the bottom of your drawers with pretty contact paper or fabric
      A quick way to spruce up your drawers is to line the bottom with contact paper, fabric or gift wrapping paper. This way you prolong the drawer's lifetime and make them easier to clean.



      Thanks for spending this time with me!
      Let me know how you plan to improve your home; please share your thoughts and ideas below.
      Have a great day!

Saturday, September 12, 2015

About Silver

      Our beloved chinchilla died last night :(
      I'm in so much pain, every time I walk through the hallway (that's where his home was) I get reminded that he's no longer with us...the house will be a lonely place from now on.
      Goodbye Silver, you will be terribly missed.








Thursday, August 27, 2015

Uses for Ikea's Raskog Cart

      Hello! Today I will show you lots of ways to use the Raskog Cart from Ikea.
      This piece is useful in every single room of the house, such as:

In the kitchen
      The Raskog cart is sold as a kitchen cart and on that note I should start here.


      Cabinet space is a luxury for most of us, so you can use the cart to store bulk pantry supplies. You can roll it to the counter for easier cooking, barely removing food containers from their home. 


      The cart can also be used to stock your pantry vegetables  (awesome if you have a walk-in pantry) or just as extra shelf space, if you have a very small storage area.


      The open design is handy for cooking supplies too. 


      This cart can also be used as a lunch station. Since lunch bins, food containers and other on-the-go supplies never seem to have their own space, you can make the cart their permanent home. With all the supplies in the same spot, the kids can start packing their own lunches.


      Stash it under the counter as extra storage for plates or an extension to the pantry, as seen in the 2013 Ikea catalog.


In the living room
      As a bar.


      The Raskog makes for a chic vintage-looking bar cart when outfitted with glassware, fresh fruits and bottles of some favorite spirits. Check it out in action on Azul Home.


      Turn the Raskog into a stylish bar cart, filled with all the supplies for a fun night.


      Alternatively, turn it into a hot chocolate station in the winter.


      Painted a cheery yellow, the cart brightens a living room corner - and is just waiting to stash your remote control too.


      Use it as a side table in your lounge room, perfect for extra storage.


      The Raskog is stylish, but still decidedly utilitarian, which makes it the perfect place to 
create a little herb garden.



For outside entertaining
      Use Raskog as an occasional party cart, wheeling it out to the patio or deck when entertaining outside. Fill it with plates, cups and napkins like this party on Sweeter than Cupcakes.


For craft supplies
      Corral all your sewing/knitting supplies into one place to make it easier to pick up where you left off anywhere in the house.



      Of course, the light blue shade is the perfect base for a cheery craft cart - this one is stocked with a bevy of crochet supplies.


      We can't all have rooms devoted to our hobbies, but the cute cart turns any corner into a place to sew. Feeling hack-y? Flip the top bin to ensure a flat, steady surface for your machine.



      Create a craft station full of all your supplies, perfect for scrap booking. This would also be perfect for kids craft supplies.






For kids
      Create an art supplies trolley to keep all their supplies in one place for easy relocation around the house, and so the pens and paper always have a home.


      Use the cart to create a mobile homework station that can easily be moved from the kitchen to the dining room to wherever else your kids like to do their homework. This way there are no excuses for not doing homework, all the supplies are right there!



      Another beautiful way to organize your kiddo's art supplies.



      The deep sides of this cart makes it great as a catchall for toys. Or fill it with books, like Michelle Mendenhall on Pinterest, for a portable kids' library.


      To keep story time spontaneous (but ensure books won't clutter every free corner of your house), file your kids' favorite reads in the deep bins.


      Or for little kids, use the Raskog  as a portable changing station or supplies centre.


      Fill it with supplies to make any area a changing table, like this one on A Little Delightful.


      Tiny people use tiny things. New moms and dads can fit all of baby's essentials into this slim cart to wheel around the house. Fill it with baby clothes (like Taylor Sterling showed off on Glitter Guide).


In the bedroom
      Use the Raskog as a bedside table.


      Raskog as a nightstand? Sure! It’s the right height for most beds and looks great beside the bed with a few books and magazines stashed inside.


      You can use it to create some accessible (and movable!) storage in your wardrobe.


      Store all your beauty and hair products in one place!


      This clever blogger used the cart to categorize her beauty routine - and even doctored the side with a bin for her hot tools.

In the bathroom
      Use the cart to store your extra toilet paper and towels, handy if your bathroom doesn’t have much cupboard or shelf space!


      The tidy bins keep additional towels and toilet paper within easy reach.





Use it for cleaning supplies
      A rolling cart is the ideal solution for holding cleaning supplies. Stash everything in one spot in the mudroom or cleaning closet like Jen of Tatertots and Jello, then wheel it out to whatever room needs sprucing up.




In the garage
      Use it to store your tools, making it easier to locate them while working on a project.


Anywhere You Need Extra Storage
      Craft rooms, workbenches, closets...the possibilities are endless. The deep shelves on the Raskog can collect nearly anything. Check it out in use as a prop shelf in The 36th Avenue blog studio makeover.


      Thanks for spending this time with me!
      Let me know how you use the Raskog cart; please share your thoughts and ideas below.
      Have a great day!