No matter what design phase I go through, whether it be ultra-modern, vintage, or antique chic, I always end up coming back to Ikea. Probably because it’s a nice mix (well, usually) of all of the above. Here are just a few inspiration pictures I’ve had saved to my computer for sometime now.

Okay. White kitchen, grey walls, tile backsplash, green plants…SOLD. Seriously, this sort of style/scheme is probably what would make up my dream kitchen. Maybe.

Ever since the 2007 catalog came out, I have been obsessed with this model home (see past the jump for the kitchen and kids room that also go in this house). It’s the one in the first few spreads of the catalog. The entire house is mostly neutral colors and very cozy looking. You really have no idea how much i want to live in it.

AHHHHHHH. Abstrakt red, how i love your glossy, candy-like door panels. I would kill for a modern red kitchen like this, but I’m not sure how long I’d like it. I have a tendency to constantly change my mind, so I’m not sure how a bold move like this would work.

Once again, with the white, birch, grey, and green plants. Seriously probably one of my most favorite coordinations. With grey/white/neutral furniture, changing a rooms mood is as easy as changing the color of the curtains/towels/pillows/duvet/whatever.

Read the rest after the jump: (more…)

After fixing Windows on my iMac, I finally got to install the Ikea stuff pack for the Sims 2, that I downloaded like two weeks ago. As someone with an [unhealthy] Ikea addiction, I’m highly disappointed with this addon. Sure, there are alot of things I love: LACK, MALM, and STORM. But the number of things missing outweighs those that are there.

Where is PAX? I want some sliding STORDAL doors with frosted glass, and fun racks and drawers inside. And dining room tables / chairs? What about JAMSUNDA! FORSA! BJURSTA!

The biggest thing I would’ve liked to have seen would be an extensive Ikea AKURUM/FAKTUM kitchen cabinet selection. It would be nice if they included most of their frame options, with a ton of door panel options (a LINJAR blue kitchen in the Sims would’ve been a great memorial, seeing as how it is being phased out in the real world).

6/10 Overall? There’s a ton of stuff that I love, but is it really worth the $20? Not really. Maybe $10 at the most. Buy it / pirate it—just don’t get too excited.

I know I haven’t gotten into the rant here yet, but those of you who know me in the real world, know that I am obsessed with 1. getting my own house 2. Ikea.

After finally hitting up the heavenly warehouse that it is the other day, I got to see the sommar (summer) products hands-on. I think I’m going to buy a bunch on my next trip, even if I need to keep them until I move out. And here I go saying it: I want my own house.

I want a cozy little area in my backyard (maybe even a greenhouse) where I can string it to hell with lights and lanterns. I want to grow it into my own little forest with trees and plants in every nook and cranny. I want long panels of brightly patterned fabrics to hang from the roof like sails in the wind.

And when it grows dark, I want to dim the lights and let the fireflies take the lead accompanied by the sound of crickets.

I want to have camp-outs and run barefoot through the grass to a little hidden site where my friends waiting around the fire with marshmallow.

I want every summer night to be a mini-vacation—a getaway—and when it’s all over, I’ll lazily walk up the stairs, crawl into bed and get ready for the upcoming day.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

I’ve been waiting for this expansion all my life.

If you haven’t heard, the newest expansion pack for the Sims 2 (well, stuff pack) is going to be all furniture / home accessories based off real life Ikea things. All the favorites seem to be there: Malm, Poäng, Lack, Expedit, Klippan, and that creepy-ass heart pillow.

Naturally, I’ve been staring at the same screenshots and renders on the Sims site for the past week, drooling and counting down the days. There’s just one thing that bothers the hell out of me. Some objects are out of proportion. Take a look at the lack side table, in real life, it is slightly shorter than it is wide, but the Sims version is noticeably taller.

Also, the Malm beds aren’t as low as they appear in real life. I’m assuming there’s some sort of predefined height for all bed tops and table tops, so maybe that’s why they’re the way they are (perhaps if they were lower, objects set on top would hover at the preset height)? I have no idea how the Sims works, so that might be the reasoning—or the 3d modelers are just idiots.

Cue my friends reading this and calling me a nerd for bitching about this. But whatever. It’s my hot body (and birthday.