Okay, so you guys might think I’m completely crazy, but I have a thing for soap dispensers. When I told Greg I wanted to write a post about this, he thought I was nuts. But oh well, it’s Friday, so why not spread the crazy on the internet. After all, it’s the internet.
Around here, we’re partial to vintage-style dispensers and we even like to switch them out once in a while. There are even some great disposable bottled soaps out there that not only have packaging designed well enough to display, but also have some really nice-smelling soap in them. Either way, soap dispensers are an easy way to freshen up your sink area and add a little personality to an otherwise boring space. I think that’s why I like them so much. Does that make me weird? Probably. But that’s okay, right?
Last weekend, as I mentioned in this post, we tried to make it to Ikea (which is about an hour and a half away) to pick up some goods for Greg’s office. Sadly, life got in the way, and we didn’t make it. This weekend, we’re making it a point to get there. Do or die! While I was on the Ikea website last night building our shopping list – which by the way, is a really awesome feature since shopping at Ikea can get a tad overwhelming – I stumbled on my new furniture obsession again… The Strandmon chair!
I love how it can go with so many styles and I’ve been thinking it would look good in our living room next to the fire place. Unfortunately, it’s not available until this Winter, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream about it. Seriously, this isn’t your typical Ikea chair. It looks like a chair you’d find at Room & Board, Crate & Barrel, or even Jonathan Adler, don’t you think?
I’ve been calling this the “Dick Van Dyke Chair” because it looks extremely similar to the one in Rob & Laura’s living room. You guys know by now how much I love classic TV shows (especially The Dick Van Dyke Show and I Love Lucy). So that’s just one more reason to love this chair even more. I’m anxious to see what the price will be on this beauty. Let’s hope that even though it doesn’t look like an Ikea chair, it has an Ikea price tag. I guess we’ll have to wait until Winter to find out. Update: Thanks to Jillian, we now know it’s going to be listed at $279 here in the States. Not bad!
We’ll be back Monday with an Ikea shopping trip recap! Until then, do you have any current furniture obsessions to gush over? Share them with the class in the comments section…
Plates hung on the wall. Love it or hate it? This is one of those timeless decorating trends I’ve been noticing more and more lately… But I can’t decide if I completely love it.
My first memory of seeing plates hanging on the wall was at my great grandparent’s house in Indianapolis. My Great Grandma Henderson was the original Donna Reed – her everyday uniform was a freshly pressed dress complete with an apron and heels. Coincidentally, Donna Reed also had plates hung in her kitchen. These days plates hanging on the wall can come across as super traditional and a tad old fashioned, but it’s becoming an interesting eclectic “granny chic” trend that I’m falling in love with. Plus, I think they’d be a lot of fun to collect over time.
Mix matching colors and patterns is a great way to make a plate collection look collected and unique. Also, a random cascading pattern can bring a lot of softness to an otherwise clean-lined room. I especially love the turtle plate! Image found here.
I love how the plate designs pick up on the Ikat pillows – making this is a great example of tying in the plate designs with the other accessories in the room. Image found here.
Displaying plates in straight lines all the way up to the ceiling is a great modern variation! I love how all of the colors really pop against the white walls. By the way, check out that molding around the door on the right! Image found here.
I really like how this collection is so closely grouped together then there’s one on the top a little farther away. Oh, and did you notice the black and beige bulldog plate? Great modern touch! Image found here.
I love pretty much everything in this room! One thing I really love is the plates hanging on the wall on either side of the window. They really help add some height and makes the eye move up toward the ceiling. Image found here.
There are so many things I love about this photo… the colors, vintage vibe, painted brick wall and most of all, the plates! Image found here.
This collection of white and gold plates look very smart and dainty. I love the idea of mixing in a few “guest book” plates with vintage ones! Image found here.
Black and white plates on a black wall = love! Gotta love some great contrast. It ties in perfectly with the all-white bedding and stark white lamp. Image found here.
I love the look of this plate collection on the dark gray walls. It makes the plates really stand out! …and gives me some thoughts about doing this in our dining room. Image found here.
This group of all white plates is a really great traditional look but the placement makes the whole thing look really modern. I like how they overlapped a few of them here and there to give it a really staggered look. Image found here.
