Flickr finds - Ikea's Expedit shelving
Sun, 25 Jan 2009Now that my kitchen is complete, I have been thinking about other rooms in my house that desperately need help. My bedroom is a biggie. It is so hideous right now. Pale yellow walls, and last March I ripped out the huge closet that I didn't need. This is essentially what it's looked like since then.
For the wall you see there, across from the bed, I'm thinking of shelving to house the knick knacks I love but don't go anywhere else in the house, and for all my magazines that to my horror, currently reside in the dungeon/basement. I'm leaning towards 2 white Ikea Expedit shelving units (the 16 cube ones). So for my Flickr finds today, I thought I'd see how people are using their Expedits bookshelves.
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| birds & trees | Chez Larsson |
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| Lil_Miss_Cupcake | I heart Norwegian Wood |
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| jrcraft | paper pony |
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| promosinasnap | my little apartment |
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| yvestown | Super*Junk |
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| korsbarsblom | ernmccc |
scmtngirl
I'd like to use a couple/few cubes along the bottom for cat beds, because I'm hoping it'll get at least some of the cats off the bed at night so I can have room to move. One of the photos above, ernmcc's, shows what I mean, but then I found this one....
Reader Comments (34)
that last image is the cherry on top of th expedit cake :)
a bookshelf there would look great along that wall. btw i love your bench!
jenn
Thanks jenn! That bench has been hiding in the basement for a while now - sad because I love it but I have nowhere to put it.
wow. these guys have used expedit far more effectively than i have. love the one with the little drawers in, i shall look out for these on my next visit!
I love these shelves and have always wanted one! Thanks for sharing all of the pictures!
~Karla
I think you should go for it and get the shelves! They would look great on that wall. I too love your bench! Do you have a hallway or can it go in your entry way some how? It is really a nice piece.. Or even in a bath room with a magazine rack?? I am sensing space is an issue.. ??
Have a Great Day!
Looks like so simple shelf could become great addition to many interiors. Thanks for showing that. I like the idea of such showcase.
Timely post for EXPEDIT! I was searching Flickr last night for same reason!
I just found one white EXPEDIT (5x5) on craigslist, and planning to pick it up today for my basement library area. :)
Are you planning to paint the wall white, and go white-white theme? I'm still deciding if I should paint wall or put a plywood back on to the bookshelf to paint/wall paper it.
Looking forward to seeing your "after" picture!
I follow your blog through Google's Reader and I usually don't comment. I just wanted to say thank you for an awesome post.
Ivy Lane, my front door opens into my living room (HATE THAT) and my bathroom is pretty small...well, the house is tiny so fitting certain pieces furniture is tough sometimes. Definite space issue (house is only 12' wide too).
c, I think i might go with white walls, or pale pink maybe and replace the awful laminate with unfinished hardwood that I'll paint white. I was thinking about wallpaper behind it too - you should totally go with that. :) Because I have to fix the drywall, make the door a pocket door, and redo the floors, it'll be a while before the Expedits get purchased. Would love to see a photo when you've got yours all set up!
Thanks nagnatron!
I've never commented before, but have been reading for about a month, now. Love all the yummy pics you post! I have two 4x4 Expedit shelves in my basement and love them. They are such a great height, perfect for displays on top. We have our collection of old globes all lined up along top.
They're in the basement for the same reason your cute bench is, no room upstairs. Maybe in our next house...
Mindelicious, welcome and thanks for commenting! That is EXACTLY why I want the 4x4 ones, so I can stick my little flat screen TV on top and prop artwork/empty frames there.
I really love using IKEA bookshelves myself and have 2 of the largest EXPEDIT bookshelves and their BILLY ones too. This is such a great line up!
Karen O.
Putting the cat beds in the bottom shelves is pure genius! I think they'd like it too, because cats seem to like enclosed spaces.
I just today decided I would finally get an Expedit. I love the ones that also serve as room dividers. You'd think it would break up the space, but it was the uncanny ability to make a room look larger. Not to mention you don't feel as bad collecting knick-knacks when you actually have a pretty place to put them.
I LOVE mine. I've had it for a year and it looks perfect in my office. I would recommend it to anyone!!
So many wonderful ideas in using this type of bookshelve. I love the way one of the pictures has random wallpaper at the back of the cubes. I definately am going to buy one from Ikea and use it for my little boys room.
Wow, what a great collection of photos. I like these bookshelves and live in a world of books and magazines since I am a voracious reader. But I still find that bookshelves are a necessary evil. I hate the cluttered look they get and find that I am constantly re-arranging to make a functional, constantly used space look good (which it shouldn't have to). I would advise closed shelving as it's more tranquil in a bedroom. I love our bookshevles in parts of the house where I don't look directly at them, like when I walk into a room or facing a sitting area. I have a giant bookcase built in at the end of our bed (far wall, same as your arrangement) and I lay in bed at night reading my book and staring over the top of my book at the constant mess of clutter I can't seem to control. Makes me want to pull my hair out. I am tempted to cover it with a curtain, or use it more for display than function (right now it has constantly-used cookbooks, decor books, magazine files, my hubby's DIY books, etc). I really should move all this oft-used mess into the TV room where the shelves sit behind the sofa and you don't have to visually swell on them.
Just my two cents. Maybe the clutter doesn't phase you -!
PURE INSPIRATION! Thank you for pulling all these together for us.
I, too, have to figure out how best to display all my wonderful treasures without looking like a cluttered mess.
This is a cost effective and totally customizable option for us all. It's great to see how an item like this can be so personalized.
XOXO
ThriftKitty
That expedit has to be one of the best storage-cum-display-cum-room-divider options of the modern age.
Terri - the Expedits in my bedroom will function as storage for my mags, but mostly will serve as display for them and knick knacks in an ORDERLY fashion. Anything ugly looking like some of my cookbooks will stay in the basement. I actually love seeing stacks of books and mags as long as they are arranged very neatly. It'll be organized clutter. I can live with that in the bedroom.
Ahhh. The last pic seals the deal. Yep.
Man...I didnt know it could look that good...I need some now.
I'm late to the party but can I add my 2 cents too that these are such a useful piece of furniture. Everyone has done an outstanding job customising their Expedits.
Fantastic post! The Expedit bookshelf really has become a design classic. It has been on my list of home improvements for a while now too, I must get around to buying it :)
I wonder if my French Bulldog Pipi would sleep in one of these cubes.