Okay, so I went to Ikea (let's please have moment of silence) with my friend Aibi yesterday and was trying to decide on what to do for an entertainment center. Me shopping is like hit and miss. Sometimes I can walk into a store and look at my options and pick what I want in a matter of minutes (that's how I picked my patio furniture). Sometimes I fret for days or years (I still can't find a dining room table after almost two years). For this entertainment center, I am fretting. I'm so unsure, I can't even plug in my TV yet, but all my favorite shows will be starting in the next month or so and the time to act is now. So here are some options I came up with...please tell me your thoughts...please don't spare my feelings. I need you to be brutally honest. This is an important decision in my life..entertainment is everything.
Are you ready?
Okay, here we go...
This is my current entertainment area...pathetic, I know.
This is one wall of the living room... I'm going to get a pretty picture to go above the fireplace, money has to be saved first though.
This is the opposite wall with the couch. Please ignore the current coffee and end table. Those can be replaced.
This is in between those two walls (you can see the chair to the left and the couch to the right)...it needs something...bad!
Here is what I found at Ikea:Choice 1: Besta
It has sliding doors that can go all the way across the span of the shelves. I like that. I like the dark wood. I also like the fact that I can make it as big or as small as I want depending on what shelves or drawers I get.
Choice 2: Billy
Umm...I just heart this. And yes, I can mix and match. There are tons of other sizes of shelves and cabinets in this style.
Choice 3: Liatorp
I heart this a lot too. I can mix and match this as well but I'm not sure about the white in the living room. I might do it in the bedroom. (That's what she said...I know you were thinking it Alison and/or Erica!)
Choice 4: Markor
This looked a little fancier (but it's still Ikea quality if you know what I mean) and it had a sofa table too that I could put in the blank space between the chair and couch.
So, what do you think?
12 comments:
Sorry, I had to read over the 'do it in the bedroom' comment twice before I got it. My mind used to be much more firmly entrenched in the gutter. I'll have to work on that.
Anyway, your living room seems very bright, with a lot of earth tones. That said, I'd avoid black. My favorite is Liatorp. I think it would work with the tone of the room. Markor is also good because it would work with the browns of the existing furniture.
But remember, I'm a guy, so I could be completely wrong :)
My word verification is iwoiit: meaning, I'd go with it.
I love the Liatorp one, but unless you plan on painting the walls a little bit more of a darker color, I think it might wash things out. Sadness, because that's my favorite one. I'd go with either choice #2 or #4.
That was a perfect "That's what she said." :D
#4 for sure! #2 and #3 will date or tire quickly, I think.
The swedes don't have it all quite figured out yet... :)
Well when in doubt, ask Janette! She will be brutally honest about it! Therefore you can't go wrong. But for the record, I like the last one, I can't remember the name now, but that one I like! Good luck!
BTW, I liked your "that's what she said" you threw in there. I got Patrick a shirt for Father's Day that says that off Amazon, they have TONS of Office stuff!
I like #2, but not so sure about the flowery panels... # 3 is my fave, but I wish it were a dark wood.
I love decorating houses! Anytime you need advice or a shopping partner, let me know, I am IN!
I like number three, but I think you would have to paint the walls something less neutral to go with this one, unless it comes in an oak color. I love number 2 but Matt is right, black is not a good color for that room. Good luck. If you need someone to come down in December and see what you have done, Matt, Will, and I are your guys!
I like 2 or 4
I love, love number 3 (though don't know about the piece with all that glass). And, you could always paint that wall a fun accent color or a much dark shade than what you paint the rest of the room (eventually). I also, though, do like #4. (I will have a similar dilemma in my house with a large wall and tiny tv (for now).) Another thought is to keep your eyes on Craigslist to see if you find any similar pieces that could work for you. Just a thought.
Whatever you choose you need to remember that it will become Millie's personal scratch post. So I say you hit the garage sales early and hard until you've found yourself Millie's next toy that happens to support your TV and DVDs. That or get rid of Millie...
Okay. The spot between the chair and couch ... deserves something special. It may be hard to find, and I doubt you will find it at Ikea. In the meantime, a tall standing plant (like an indoor tree) would be really nice there and would give a lot of warmth to the room. It's also not permanent, so when you find that perfect piece to go there, the plant can go somewhere else.
Next, the entertainment centers. Besta and Billy are a bit too Butch for you, if you ask me. They are very dark and over-powering and I don't think you'd like one huge piece of dark furniture dominating your living room, which is light and airy. Sooooooooooooo. My personal pick would be Liatorp. It's a nice looking piece of furniture, with a hint of antique, and would fit very well in your living room and wouldn't dominate it so much as compliment it. So, I pick Liatorp. Last, Markor ... puts me to sleep. Need I say more?
Well, there's my comments ... almost a week after you went looking, so I expect they are moot at this point. You've probably already picked one. (Hope it was Liatorp.) (Who picked those names, anyway?) Well, if you have, I'm sure you picked well and that whatever you picked will look lovely. Can't wait to see!
I nominated you for a silly blog award. Go look at my page. :)
I was going to suggest you take a look at The Dump if you are concerned about price at all. They have some strange stuff, but in the entertainment center realm there's actually some good solid stuff. Also furniture row is right behind (or west of) the Galleria. There are the usual Freed's etc... but down alpha road are the lesser known places that are always having sales. I have a friend who just bought a computer desk from Ikea and he said it came in a million different parts, so make sure and ask how much assembly is required.
Post a Comment