This week I got round to finishing my ‘dress up room’ as I like to call it! I’m so delighted and thankful I could take over a whole bedroom for all my bits! Having the job (and addiction!) that I do I have A LOT of products! So it was time to get things in order. About a year ago I bought the dressing table (here), mirror (here) and stool (here) in Ikea. The main reason I bought these particular ones were because of the neat size, I hadn’t a large space to fit an extra dresser at the time so this worked perfectly and the stool fitted neatly underneath. So a few weeks ago I took myself back to Ikea (this sounds like an advertisement for them now I know! It’s not I assure you!) They just had everything I needed to kit out the room I wanted to achieve. Plus you can’t beat their prices. I already had the mirror so I wanted to get the strip of lights to go either side of it. I had seen them on so many Pinterest boards. God Pinterest is addictive but so good for getting inspiration.
The lights (see here) have to be wired so make sure you have someone that knows what they’re doing to help you. If you can do it yourself I applaud you!! Luckily for me my hubby is brilliant at all things DIY and put everything together for me in a few hours. I think he was pretty proud of his work, and rightly so. Those chest of drawers (see here) looked like a task and half to put together! You have been warned 😉 They’re a brilliant size though and hold loads. I’m really happy with them. I love love my large mirror (see here), it’s huge and looks really well. I was going to hang it but then after looking at it for a few days I liked it free standing up against the wall. The little RIBBA ledges (see here) are great, they’re so neat and perfect for displaying pictures, ornaments or perfume as I’ve done. I got the zebra rug from Ikea because I thought it was fun and perfect for a room like this. It was only €30 too! Behind the door I have a butterfly door hook that I bought in Dunnes Stores years ago- on that I have two jewellery holders that I got in Penneys. I
love these, it’s an easy way to see things and they’re kept tidy. On my shelves on the wall I have a black and white frame from TK Maxx, they have brilliant household things. The little jewellery plate with ‘P’ on it is from Marks & Spencer. The ‘P’ in lights is from Harvey Norman. The see through boxes are from Ikea- they’re great for holding jewellery. The mirrored drawers are from Next as is the large mirror-although I have them a long time now. On my dressing table I have my brushes in Ikea plant pots. The other holders are a mixture of TK Maxx, Ikea and old candle glasses (if you wash them out with some soap and boiling water the candle wax washes off easily) The little bird and tea light on my chest of drawers are from Dunnes. The colour on the walls is called tempting taupe by Dulux. It’s nearly finished now- I’ve ordered a couple of prints from Etsy that I’d like to put on the walls. What I’d really like to add is an amazing chair. T
he stool is fine and suited when I hadn’t much space but I’d love a statement chair. I’m on the hunt. I’ve seen a few online but they’re way too expensive. I’ll keep looking, I think hot pink would be cool. If you see anything let me know 😉 Action FiguresVideo GamesBikes & Ride-onsElectronicsBuilding SetsLearningGames & PuzzlesOutdoor PlayVehicles, Hobby & R/CPretend PlayArts & CraftsPreschoolMusical InstrumentsStuffed AnimalsCooking for Kids Hot WheelsMinecraftLEGOStar WarsTransformersTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles we got what's hot! Blast from the past In 2010, 197 million copies of the IKEA catalog were printed world wide (that´s more than 3 times as much as the bible). The catalog now comes in twenty languages. Of course, this wasn´t always the case! The first IKEA catalog was published (only in Swedish) in 1951. Since then, the (success of the) IKEA brand and its catalog has evolved quite a bit – and trends along with them! These fantastic excerpts from the 1973 IKEA Catalog was spotted in a swedish blog called Retro!
– I find them really fascinating and cool – Do you think we´ll see these trends at our local IKEA´s any time soon? All pics via Retro!Do you know that your couch may be toxic to you and your kids? A weak federal chemical safety law and poorly designed state fire safety standards fail to protect Americans from thousands of dangerous chemicals like fire retardants. Ten years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and health advocates forced fire retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, from the market. These chemicals were showing up in people’s bodies, and research suggested that they disrupted hormone signaling and children’s developing brains and nervous systems. In 2008, EWG testing found that toddlers’blood contained nearly three times the levels of PBDEs of their parents’ bodies. While most PBDEs are no longer used in couches, the broken federal chemical law allows other potentially problematic chemicals to be substituted.
Last year, EWG teamed up with Duke University scientists to look at concentrations of these alternative fire retardants in more than 20 mothers and children. The urine of every mother and child tested yielded evidence of exposure to TDCIPP, a cancer-causing fire retardant. In fact, when the participants’ bodies were tested for a chemical biomarker left when TDCIPP breaks down, the study found that the children’s bodies contained five times the amount of the chemical in their mothers. In the most extreme case, a child had 23 times the level measured in the mother. Here’s the bad news: The Toxic Substances Control Act is a badly broken federal law that allowed this to happen. Now for the good news: Thanks to a key policy change in California fire safety standards, mainstream furniture manufacturers like Pottery Barn and Ikea now produce sofas and sectionals without flame retardant chemicals. Suddenly consumers can choose from a multitude of fire retardant-free furniture options.
Even more good news: As of January 1 of this year, furniture manufacturers must label products they want to sell in the state of California, clearly indicating whether each piece contains flame retardants. These revolutionary changes will take the guesswork – and the chemicals – out of sofa shopping. Make sure your new couch doesn’t contain fire retardants While the manufacturers listed below have eliminated chemical flame retardants from products manufactured after January 1, 2015, they may still sell their 2014 stock (with the exception of Room & Board). It’s important to visit the store or call customer service to confirm that the couch you purchase has the new label and was manufactured in 2015. The new label should read: “The upholstery materials in this product contain NO added flame retardant chemicals.” Where to find couches without fire retardants 1) Room & Board Room & Board led the pack on this issue by stopping the use chemical fire retardants in all their furniture in July of last year.
According to its customer service representative, all its sofas are free of chemical flame retardants. The chain has hundreds of leather and fabric sofa options, many in the $1,000 to $3,000 range. Hutton Sofa in Vick Velvet Finding a non-toxic sofa doesn’t have to be expensive. All Ikea couches manufactured after January 1, 2015, are made without chemical flame retardants. But until Ikea sells out its 2014 stock, check product labels to ensure that you are buying a 2015 flame retardant chemical-free model. As of January 1, 2015, all newly manufactured Crate and Barrel couches contain no chemical flame retardants. Since many Crate and Barrel couches are made to order, you will likely get a newly manufactured (and free of chemical flame retardants) couch, but you should still double-check with customer service that yours is not a 2014 leftover. 4) West Elm and Pottery Barn Same goes for West Elm and Pottery Barn: according to their customer service representatives, all couches made after January 1, 2015, do not contain added chemical flame retardants.
Again, check with customer service – or the TB 117-2013 label – to confirm that your sofa was made in 2015. Hamilton Leather Sofa in Tan Design Within Reach sells select sofa collections made without flame retardants. According to its customer service, these include the Bantam, Camber, Flight, Goodland, Parallel, Portola, Raleigh, Reid and Soto Collections. The company uses the new TB 117-2013 label. Check for it when purchasing your couch. Bantam Sofa in Black Design Within Reach TB 117-2013 Label “The upholstery materials in this product contain NO added flame retardant chemicals.” Other manufacturers to consider include: La-Z-Boy, The Futon Shop, Dania and Scandinavian Designs. If you have your heart set on a couch made with fire retardants, it is worth checking with the manufacturer to see if you could get a custom-made couch. Even if the answer is no, it is important for companies to hear that this is an issue that consumers care about. For more information on where you can find fire retardant-free furniture, check out these great resources: