start with the price

My dad's new infatuation is his Port Dickson apartment near the beach, and he's been spending time thinking of how to furnish it and make it more livable. Of course, to dad, that means just buying a couple of lamps and turning it on, and stocking the place with more food and drinks.

The rest of us in the family are a bit more fussy with interiors, so we decided to buy a few odds and ends to spice up the place. A birthday present of sorts.

It was either going to be one big and expensive gift, like a bookcase or something, or many cheap but good looking accessories and furnishings. And since he needed a lot of different things, we decided to go with the latter. And where else but Ikea?

So, traditionally... if you're on a budget, don't expect to buy a nice looking anything. But here's what Ikea offers... in terms of shoe racks:


SANDNES is a shoe cabinet with 4 comparments, storing up to 12 pairs of shoes. Looks a bit too clean and simple for my tastes. It would look good in a recessed wall.

price:USD$129.99


NYLAND is a shoe cabinet with 3 compartments, storing up to 9 pairs of shoes. Comes in either white or antique stain. I like antique stain. It looks warm and pleasing to the eyes.

price:USD$79.99


LOGGA matches very well if you have a lot of brushed aluminium, silver, steel, dark flooring and glass. A bright rug would possibly go well next to this. I wouldn't buy it. But it's within reach.

price: USD$19.99


TRONES is sold in singular compartments like these, or as a stacked 3-compartment unit. Very likable, very popular, very affordable, and very Ikea.

price: USD$14.99

But this is what I got instead:

With the BABORD, at USD$9.99 (it's actually even more cheap here in Malaysia... USD$2.63), I can have a whole wall full of this. I can even stain it with red or black or all sorts of funky colors and I wouldn't need to feel bad that I 'ruined' a completely good piece of furniture. I won't have to worry that all that dirt and grime from the shoes are going to seep into the edges and turn it into a stick of mud. I can bleach it again and again, and I can make it look different every time with a new coat of paint or stain.

And it doesn't look bad at all.