Creating Space In The Family Room With Ikea Expedit Units

Have A Smaller House And Need More Space?

I love using cubby wall units. I’ve used the Ikea Expedit shelves for several areas of my home. In the garage for my bedroom, mud room and in my actual office, that I don’t really use anymore (I have gone back to my mini office in the family room, to be near the family).

Now I have gone out and gotten a couple more of the large 5×5 Expedit units. When I make the drive to Ikea, I usually have a big list; since it is over two hours away from me. On this trip I bought two of these! I got a white one for my kitchen (that post will be coming) and I got this one for my family room. I painted the wall deep brown that is on the long end of my family room that runs into my kitchen.

The other thing I did with this unit was to put it on casters. The reason I did that was two fold.  One, because this unit is large, when it is in “guest” mode (I’ll explain in a min) it covers a heater vent. This will still allow that heat to escape and not be completely covered up by the unit. The main reason I put it on casters is so that I can easily move it when needed.  You see, I again have created a mini “office” to work.

This is how the unit is the majority of the time. It is scooted up so that I can access the cubby units for work.

It works great for me. I have my essentials at my finger tips.

I know that it doesn’t look the best when people come to visit, so I also have a “guest” mode.  When we have guest over, I can simply pull the unit over on the wall so that it isn’t up beside the couch.

This works great for me. I also have a smaller 2 cube unit that I have as a side table. I have one of the bins on the top of it that I use for my trash can. Below it I have a portable file that I can access.

It’s a solution that works great for me. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a decorating diva, nor will I ever be. I am very practical with what I need and cost. These units are very sturdy and work great for what we need them for.

This is not a review that I did for Ikea Expedit Shelves, nor did I get compensated in any way for it. I just used them, love them, and want to share what works for me.

 

 

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Ideas for Kitchen Shelves

Short On Space In Your Kitchen? Add Shelves!

I’m having this issue myself.  I have a small galley style kitchen with a small pantry.  With seven people living in our home, we end up with a very cluttered pantry and cabinets really fast.  I want to add some shelves (I’m thinking Ikea Expedia shelves) to help out.

I love the look of this. I wouldn’t take the doors off my new cabinets, but I think I can achieve this look with the Ikea shelves.  Mine would be on one end of my kitchen.

I found all these photos on pinterest.  But these photos were taken from the sites themselves and all link back to the original source.  You can find these photos and many more on my Kitchen pinterest board.

Photo can be found on  Better Homes and Gardens.com   It is also on my kitchen pinterest board.

 

I think this is also a really cool look.  These are metal shelves that someone has made look really cool! lol But for me personally I don’t know that this solution with the metal tins would serve the purpose I need.  But I certainly like the look.

This photo can be found on Apartment Therapy.com.  I also have it pinned on my Kitchen pinterest board.

I have a lot to think about with how I want to add more space to my own kitchen.  My pantry drives me crazy. It is kind of tucked back in and the space is small to get back to it.   I wish I could take off the pantry door and add some space that way.. and I might still consider that as an option.  But along with that I have some space on the opposite end of the kitchen from the pantry that I have some wall space to work with.  We have a small eating table there for the kids to have snacks at, and also a small pie safe with plastic dishes in it.  I would have to remove both of those items in order to use one of the Ikea shelving units.

Any ideas?

Organizing and DIY Monday Link Party – Week 18

Springtime Can be Busy Time! Organizing and DIY will help

 

How is the spring finding you? Busy? Anyone graduating soon? Weddings to plan? Vacations to go on? It seems like so much starts happening this time of year. If things are organized, it certainly helps. DIY projects can help save you money!

We have one graduating this year and have vacation coming up in just a few weeks. It is amazing how time is flying by!

Thanks for linking up to my blog last week! I have three bloggers that I am featuring because I loved what they linked up.

Julie from Redhead Can Decorate did an entire kitchen make over. It looks awesome. I’m going to go back and look around her blog some more, her premis is that she can decorate for affordably.

I like some of the ideas that Dagmar from Dagmar’s Momsense found for organizing. She found pictures from around the web of things she would like in her perfect house.  This shelf has magazine holders as the base for storage. Cool idea!

Closets! Who doesn’t like organized closets? Margo from Joyful Homemaking redid her closet for $150.

Link up to my Linky Party! I’d love to see the ideas you create yourself or find from other inspiration online!

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (url code under button tab )
3) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or crafts or decorating are WONDERFUL!
4) No sales pitches or web sites.
5) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.
6) By linking up to my post, I might use your pic (with link and credit to you) next week in my post!

 

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s on this post please Click here 
This party will be open until May 13, 2012 at 11:59pm est.

The Power Shelf Review

This is a power shelf…kind of interesting isn’t it? It is a sturdy metal shelf that replaces your old outlet cover. You just take out the screw and pull off the old cover and replace it with your shelf. You can use it for anything you would like to plug in. Phones work great of course, but clocks, handheld games or ipods, be creative!
I really like the design that there is a place to wrap your cord around the neck of it so that you don’t have those “dangling cords” that you so often have. There is also a little slide resistant pad you can put on your phone or device to keep it from slipping….but I didn’t see a need for it. Mine sat just fine without any fear of falling.

I also tried my little power screwdriver on it and ended up using it for that rather than my phone. I have this outlet in my kitchen and I keep my phone in my office to charge.

The only problem I came across with this particular model was that  I did not have enough outlets at the higher levels where I would want to have my phones. But….they have taken care of that issue. If you look at their products, they have some that are a long neck and you can place them so the shelf is on the top (not bottom like I have it in my pictures) so you can make use of the lower outlets. (Brilliant) This is the Original Power Shelf, they have them for many other purposes; laptops, power cords, ect… and Lynn Fetzer Westmeister also has a new one coming soon that I think looks wonderful…it is for your curling irons and blow dryers!

You can see a review on CBS 2 Chicago TV on it here and also the TV commercial for it.

To Purchase Your Own: Go to Buy Power Shelf to see the products and see where to purchase.

The original power shelf is $15.95 (plus shipping)  but be sure to check out all the other Power Shelves there are.

To Win:

Required:
1) Go to Buy Power Shelf and tell me which power shelf you like the best. Come back here and leave me a comment.
2) Your e-mail needs to be either on your comment or easily accessible in your profile.

For Extra chances to Win:**Each of these HAS to have a separate comment written please. (I know its a pain, but other wise you won’t have as many chances if you don’t)

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See….lots of ways to enter to win!

This contest will run until 11:59pm on Thursday November12th, 2009. THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. ANY COMMENTS THAT COME IN AFTER 11:59pm est on Nov. 12 will not be counted.

This is open to US mailing addresses only. One person per mailing address only.
You will have 48 hours to reply to my e-mail if you win to be eligible. If I don’t hear back then I will go to the next winner.

Disclosure policy

Ikea Expedit

Ikea Bookshelf – Great Organizer

I could spend all day in an Ikea store. There are so many cool ideas and I see something new every time I go.

I love this piece! It is so functional. The cubbyhole’s can keep your books neater than a regular bookshelf. You either need bookends or you have all your books fall over when you take out several on a regular bookshelf. You have spaces to display things and the size of the cubbyholes are big, so that taller books and albums will fit.
I would love to see this in a playroom. It does come in white so that it may go better in a playroom with that.
You can add either doors (like on the bottom ones) in different colors, or you can get the little bins to go in to hold little things. It would work especially well if you have several ages of kids. The younger ones can use the toys at the bottom but would be unable to access the upper levels (where games that had small pieces and books could be kept).
If and when I get a different office, this piece is going to be in there! (At least I hope so).

You can get this at Ikea.com