Well, after losing our internet for several days (a tragedy I know), we survived and are back in action to wrap up the Ikea reviews from last week.  It’s funny how many things are now effected when your internet is down.   Ok the review..Of the different bed models Ikea carries, I see the Malm most often.  It’s a simple design, clean looking and attractive, although I would assume its popularity is more due to being one of the cheaper beds in Ikea’s line.  We have had ours for a while, and our friends have had theirs much longer.  Generally the reviews are all the same: Nice, but not the best quality (I did say it was one of the cheapest).
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Taking a brief break (until later today) from the product reviewing to post these fun rooms with chalkboard painted walls.   I have been toying with the idea to use chalkboard paint on some of our walls…  My only worry would be whether or not my girls would realize they can’t draw on every wall,  just specific ones.   If painting an entire wall isn’t a commitment you want to make, or if it just isn’t an option, then maybe a smaller scale/less permanent choice like these wall graphics form Firm Living would be better.  Printed on adhesive backed vinyl, these work with chalk and can be applied/removed without damaging the wall.

Images via NYTimes, Ferm Living

The Lack Shelf is one of Ikea’s most popular shelving products.  Available in three standard sizes, people adapt these simple shelves to do a variety of jobs.   The Lack is also available in a few colors, however that has not limited anyone with other ideas in mind (Google painting a Lack Shelf).  Because of the popularity of these shelves, other giant store chains now carry similar products.  The biggest difference being the way in which the shelf gets mounted to the wall.  This is extremely important, depending on what you plan to do with your shelf.   Ikea’s larger Lack Shelves have one of the best strategies to deal with concealing hardware and creating a secure and strong connection (See this previous post).
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My favorite products are the ones that are the most simple, and can do more than one job.  Like most families, we are on a limited budget, with many evolving needs.   So when we do invest in something new, it needs to first be useful (there are way to many products out there that are not), and if possible be useful for more than one thing.   A place where this is especially true for us is in the kitchen.  We spend the vast majority of our time there.  Food is getting prepared or cleaned up, toys are flying around on the hard floor, homework or coloring is going on at the table, and three small girls are constantly running in and out at top speed.   The tools related to all these activities are strewn around everywhere.  Anything that can help organize and streamline the processes here are greatly appreciated.
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Something I am very interested in learning is whether or not products work as they were designed to work.  I love to put products and ideas to the test.  To see how they perform in daily life, under real circumstances.  I want to learn the ways they either succeed or fail, or are re-purposed and given a second life as something other than what was originally intended.  In fact, this is one of the main reasons I started this blog in the first place, to be a test site where consumers and professionals could gather real information, have conversations,  and come up with new ideas.

To get things going we are kicking it off with a week of reviews from everyone’s favorite Design Supercenter: Ikea.   I chose Ikea because it offers products that are designed with a purpose in mind, are mass produced, and relatively inexpensive and accessible.   I want to know if these products hold up daily life, often daily family life (a more rugged existence to be sure).  Also are they easy to use, or easy to assemble?   As the week goes on join in the conversation, I would love to know your thoughts and experiences with using any of these products, and ultimately figure out what works, and what just creates more clutter.

Day 1 | Grundtal Rail

Day 2 | Lack

Sculpture by Claire and Sean, 2006, customized pulp fiction, Ikea Lack shelving

Images via Remodelista,  Apartment Therapy

I would love this blog to be a place you could come to check on a product, and see if it really works.  For the first real product review/comparison I decided on something I have seen and heard a lot about lately.  In fact, I have three of these in my living room.  If you have picked up a design magazine of any kind, then you have seen some version of a cantilevered shelf.  These shelves show up almost everywhere – and with good reason.  They are practical and functional, attractive, easy to install (in most cases), and generally inexpensive.  Overall a great design solution with an ever widening array of uses.   End to end, stacked, staggered, painted, wallpapered, repainted, as furniture… just Google the ways to use one and see all that comes up.   Recently though, I have run across way to many knock-offs that are pretty poor quality, and I thought it might be worth a post to show the difference.
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