boston brit's Profile

We have a smallish back porch with a wicker loveseat and bistro set (Ikea Bollo). When we have more than just the two of us, we move the bistro table and chairs over to the loveseat - the table has just enough room for 4.

A nice thing about the Bollo table is that it folds flat, and is inexpensive enough that you could get two or three, then just stow them away when you're lounging outside, and arrange them however you like when you bbq.

If loving Ikea is wrong, I don't want to be right! :-)

Our apartment is a mix. Almost 3 years ago, my partner and I relocated to Boston from Pittsburgh, and had to sell some of our favorite furnishings on craigslist because they were just too big to move and fit into our new Boston place. Boston is much more expensive than Pittsburgh, so we found ourselves in a cramped 1 bedroom filled with a bit of a mish-mash of college leftovers, hand-me-downs, and yes, Ikea.

Last summer, we moved to a much more spacious 2 bedroom place. We furnished our 2nd bedroom (which functions as a guestroom/office) completely with Ikea (some Ikea via craigslist), and I love that room. Yes, it could be a page in a catalog, but we were able to meet all of our needs - guest bed, work space, clothing/book/media/file storage - without breaking the budget.

The rest of our apartment has a fair amount of Ikea, but is mixed in with pieces from other stores (Target, Crate & Barrel, Macys) and a couple of antiques and hand-me-downs. Over the course of our life, I'm sure the percentage of Ikea that we have will decrease, but I think we'll always have some items.

So many people have this perception that everything at Ikea is cheap modern-knock-off junk that will fall apart - but that's only if you buy the cheapest of everything they carry. One of the things I like most about Ikea is that they have a range of price points and styles.

Yes, craigslisting is another great way to furnish on a budget, but as many mentioned above, some of us don't have the means to transport large pieces of furniture across town, or the space for stripping and re-finishing projects.

How on earth did you manage that bathroom picture?? ha ha!

Love the tile - terrific bathroom renno!

Love the fireplace headboard and your dining nook! Very cute apartment.

"I carried swatches of paint, fabric and measurements around for months trying to find the right accessories."

Well, that certainly paid off! Love this place. So pulled together and inviting.

As a fellow renter with a pink bathroom, I'm really impressed with what you did there! That fabric is unexpected, but really works, and I love how you added it to the shower curtain, perfectly level with the counter - wow!

The rest of the place looks great too. A very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Obama had said a while back that they wanted to adopt from a shelter, but were limited on breed choices due to the girls' allergies. And as mentioned above, they did still take in a pet that needed a good home - it's not like they went to the pet store or purchased some ridiculous "designer" breed.

I had planned on getting this as a desk when we moved this summer - until I saw it in the store. I think the legs look really cheap in person - not fun and glamorous like they look online.

"without having to fork over the dough for real books."

But these cost more than real books.... Especially if you buy used!

I think they are cute, and like a poster above, like the hidden/secret element, but buying a ton of these just to fill shelf space doesn't make any sense...

Oops - should say:

Just something alive that you only have to dump some water on once a week will add life to your space.

And apparently the only adjective I know is "great".....