Platypus's Profile

Just to give you some specifics about your current sofa to TV distance. If you don't move the sofa, you would need about a 70" diagonal screen for your kids to see every individual pixel of their favorite PS3 game (which outputs the highest resolution HDTV signal - 1080p). On the other hand, most sports are broadcast in 720p format, so you could satisfy the football/baseball fans in your family with a smaller screen - about 50" would do.

I would put in votes for two similar patterns:

Georg Jensen's Bo Bonfils

(http://www.georgjensenstore.com/index.php?do=product.details&productid=44&catalogid=125&lineid=61)

and WMF's Nomos

(http://www.wmf.com/cutlery-collections/nomos_82511102.html?sid=BC13819B-FFA5-43C4-8DC1-BBD61244089D).

Both are minimalist modern in design but unlike the #4 Arne Jacobsen design classic, are practical for actually eating food. Also, both are award winners - a Danish Design Award for Bon Bonfils and a Red Dot award for Nomos. one problem though, they're hard to find in the US. (We bought our Nomos in Germany, where it's easy to find WMF dealers).

No offence, but this "Scandinavian inspired" posting is a bit lazy. Aside from the over the top Hans Wegner chair at the beginning and the E-bay pottery, none of these items are actually from a Scandinavian country. Why not include items that you might actually find in many Scandinavian homes such as the PH series of lamps from Poulsen and Marimekko wall hangings?

Although it's not technically a recliner, is quite pricy, and comes with its own masculine, MCM design baggage, the Eames lounge chair ottoman is extremely comfortable.

More downscale, but also a bit out of the box, are the Stressless series of recliners - think Norwegian design meets LazyBoy.

Good luck hunting

This is an easy DIY project (we've just replaced 9 fixtures in our apartment.) But I third Charlotte's point.

1) Turn the electricity off at the circuit breaker box (not just the light switch); 2) make sure that your hand held tester works by using it to check a known live source such as wall socket; and then 3) use the hand held tester to verify that none of the wires from the ceiling are "live."

Webherring is right as well. There should be a third wire (usually green) for the ground that connects the junction box itself to the fixture.

Arne Jacobsen's Egg chair looks cozy, but the foam's pretty hard. You would definitely need to add pillows to cushion it. Another mid century alternative would be Eero Saarinen's Womb chair (with ottoman). A great chair for reading picture books to your kid. Both chairs are very well made, but way overpriced.

A more contemporary alternative might be Ligne Roset's Pumpkin chair (http://www.ligne-roset-usa.com/Products/living/armchairs/Pumpkin_1509.aspx)

I would second the vote for Copco. Back in the mid 70's we traded in many of our other wedding gifts to indulge our weakness for Copco's enameled cast iron pots and pans. 30 years later, we still use them everyday - one of the best wedding gift decisions we made.

I would agree with abc123 - I think there is a major difference between "inspired by" and a direct steal. Case in point - The Ikea Poang chair is a derivative of a classic bent wood Alvar Aalto chair designed in 1939 (http://www.artek.fi/products/armchairs/33). However, it's not identical. Rather, the Poang can stand on it's own as a decent design. Compare this to souless direct copies of designer furniture (Eames chairs, Jacobsen's Swan and 7 chairs, etc).

I'm in a point in my life where I am able to buy some expensive "real deal" items. But I still mix those with cheaper things from Ikea and Craigslist that still fit the definition of "good design."

You should try the Poulsen dealers in the DC area. Check the Poulsen web site for a list:

http://www.louispoulsen.com/Modules/StandardPages/Page.aspx?virtualPageId=cb2ebbed-2714-42ab-8768-a61d74d6708d

Alternatively, you could contact Annette Rachlin at Furniture from Scandinavia: (202) 244-7876. She is an expert in high end Danish furniture and is likely to know where you could find the lamp on display.

Yet another vote for Billy bookcases. We've accumulated more than a dozen over the past 20 years and they've held up quite well. (Not perfect, but much better performance than the teak veneer "scandinavian modern" bookcases they replaced.) Expedit has also been a winning design in our household, although you have to be careful of the finish as it's not veneered. Our Malm bed is a winner and our cherished Gulliver crib, is now waiting for grandchildren. We've had 3 Ikea sofas over the past 20 years - with the last one still in reasonable shape 10 years on.

Despite this praise, when it comes to Ikea furniture, caveat emptor is the watchword. You have to do your homework, as the quality and durability of Ikea products varies greatly from one item to another.