Okay, well it’s not quite 2012 but thanks to Ikea, we can start decorating like it. Okay. Maybe that was just a tad too cheesy, even for me. Moving on! Last night, I finally got around to devouring the 2012 Ikea catalog. The very first thing that caught my eye was the quote on the cover: “A home doesn’t need to be big, just smart.” Not only is this my “quote of the week”, but it’s SO true. The quote is very fitting for the cover because after all, Ikea is the end all and be all of maximizing your space and utilizing every square inch. I love the sections in the Ikea showrooms where they show you what you can do with only 300 sq feet. It makes you think, “Wow, I could SO live like this!”.

While flipping through studying the catalog, the folks Ikea seemed to be doing exactly what they do best: maximizing storage.  However, the rooms in the catalog look much more practical and lived-in than I remember from past issues. It was super-refreshing seeing Ikea step up their game like this, and I was so excited about it I just couldn’t contain myself. So without further ado, here are my favorite spaces in the 2012 Ikea catalog…

Overall, this room looks super cozy. It’s the perfect read-a-book-on-a-rainy-day room. As for the individual pieces, I’m especially digging the Hemnes glass-door cabinet to the far left of the room. I would love to find a place for one of these in our house and try out the same contact paper method we did on our back doors. I’m seriously considering it as a paper storage solution in my (currently neglected) office.

When I first saw this photo, the first thing I said was, “Hey, the walls in our laundry room are that color.” followed by “We should totally paint the back door in the laundry room red!”. Greg just looked at me like I was crazy. I’m not sure if it’s because he questioned the color choice, or if he was about to kill me for wanting to pick up a paint brush again so soon! I also really like the giant clock to the right of the door. I actually had the same one hanging in my apartment in college, but I sold it in a yard sale a few years back thinking it wasn’t my style anymore. I was wrong. The man who bought it said he was going to put it in his barn for his cows. As I reluctantly took his $5, I thought to myself, “Cows? Really?”

Well thought-out spaces like this sometimes makes me want to forfeit my big office for a closet space. I’m a firm believer in that you can make a functional office out of any space, no matter how small or awkward, and I think this makeshift workstation is a perfect example. It’s almost like a little treasure box of productive and useful items! I really like how the strategically-mounted glass-front cabinets to the right create a nice, easy-to-reach storage area in the tiny space. The wall-mount light, magnetic inspiration board, small chandelier, and black and white wallpapered wall are the icing on the cake!

What I LOVE about this room is how it’s divided into different zones: dining + homework area (with a window seat!), a reading nook (with lots of natural light), a tv-watching area (complete with a spunky orange couch), and a flex storage space in the corner (with extra seating). Even though it was created as a show piece, the room looks totally livable and real. Refreshing, isn’t it?

So, how about you… Have you seen the new Ikea catalog yet? Have you found any favorite new pieces?

Btw: Sign up to get a paper copy of the 2012 Ikea Catalog here. For you iPad users out there, you MUST download the *free* IKEA catalog app. It’s very sleek and full of iPad awesomness. Check it out here.