KellyLS's Profile

Wow, I have pretty much the EXACT same vanity, sitting in my garage and about to be Craigslisted. My mirror is in somewhat better shape, but it's also very old & rickety. This has got me thinkin'!

We're coming up on 2 years since we re-did our tract house kitchen with Ikea. We are very pleased with the durability (we have 2 young children) and it looks wonderful. We didn't use their appliances and hired a contractor for the granite, but otherwise, we (well, my husband) tore the whole thing down to the drywall and did it all ourselves.

Sitting down and using the software, planning your purchase, making several trips to see the in-store options -- it's a process, and was a long time in the making. Still, when the Ikea truck arrived with 2 big pallets full of those flat boxes, everything was there that needed to be. (I also recommend IkeaFans for many many tips and inspiration photos.)

My house is a cookie-cutter tract, and so using Ikea didn't give pause. I can see where that may be an issue with an older, more classic home. Still -- we love ours, and there ain't nothing quite as impressive as watching our Ikea drawers do that soft-close thing with the dampeners. Visitors still say "ahhhh" to that!

In addition to the nice, higher-end design stores mentioned here -- I've had some terrible times going to big-franchise, commission furniture stores (think "Levitz" and the like). As soon as I walk in the door, I'm followed around by a sales guy (always a guy) who talks and jokes incessantly and jumps at anything I give a slight second glance to. If I happen to shop with my husband, I'm often ignored, but have to listen to the salesman trying to buddy up to my husband, with comments like "whatever the lady of the house wants, right pal?"

Worse than going to a used-car lot! Not that this behavior is "customer service" per se, but still, this hard-sell is obviously endorsed and encouraged by the company, to the point that I dread -- and usually avoid -- entering this type of store.

Oh my god. I could write an essay myself on this topic. My daughter has had a big fear of these ever since she was about 3, and didn't weigh enough for the sensor, so it would flush while she was still on. Now my son, who just recently potty-trained, is developing the same fear. Maybe it's genetic.

Whatever the reason, I sure hope there is a special spa-style quiet room in the Great Beyond, as a reward for not losing my mind (yet) while taking my kids to the potty, and keeping one hand over the sensor at ALL TIMES, while the other hand pulls down the TP, helps wipe, and keeps a running commentary of assurance the entire time that YES MY HAND IS STILL OVER THE SENSOR. And no, you will NOT get flushed down the toilet.

Now I'm off to follow that link to the non-auto toilets at Disneyland --.

This is just a little much for the space, for me. I'm wondering how relaxing it will be when the child is older and in need of some down time. I do like the combinations here, but all the accessories (at least that I can see) add up to too chaotic.

Gosh, so much potential in that first picture. I love it...so relaxing. The other shots are just too-tight on your details, and don't say enough to me about the room or rooms you live in.

Too much, too much. The purple, the metal chairs...
I do like the orange against the turquoise kitchen wall, and it's clear you've had a lot of fun decorating your home.

Ah! Thank you, Anne. Guess I should've read the entry a little closer the first time.

Liking this a whole lot, but feeling a bit cranky about those extra 2 shots. No fair! (Not the fault of the submitter, I don't think?)

This is a lovely home, but looks a little neutral for the contest. Also, I can't help but think that it must seem awfully chilly to live here during those Michigan winters.