IKblogEA

Ikea Wish List: MOLGER series

2006-08-27T23:38:00.001+08:00

Molger bathroom series

I want the:
- shelving unit
- mirror cabinet
- storage stool.... if there's any space left
- bench.... ditto the last one

Helsinki Hotel Room

2006-08-15T22:33:00.000+08:00

Helsinki Hotel Room
Originally uploaded by FJ!!.

The apartment is still stuck in limbo. Oh well, I'm attempting to revive blogging from Flickr to avoid the death of my inspirational juices.

Notice the clean lines, space and separation of living areas (work, couch, sleep), and generous use of modernist lighting on all functional reas (work area, couch, and bedside lamps). Flooring is very breathable. So is the window and balcony window, to create illusion of space in an otherwise cramped area.

Very scandinavian.

a month away?

2006-04-16T23:58:00.000+08:00

MKLand has promised us Flora residents that the F block shall be ready by next month. I am preparing for that. Both my wife and I are anxious to move into our new home, as well as anxious about the payments we will need to start our life out there on our own.

Everyone has different degrees of comfort. It certainly does not help me to prepare a budget as though I have RM100,000 in the bank and I am willing to pay RM50,000 for the electricals, fittings, furniture and other homey stuff. So naturally, we went window shopping.

We calculated that the basics will cost us at least RM7000. This includes a fridge/refridgerator unit, a washer, and a dryer. No kitchen yet. And since we already have a bed, some lighting, a steamer, a toaster, a juice maker, and some other stuff, I think we'll be OK in terms of urban survival for the first few months.

The other day I had to pop the question to a friend of mine, who happens to be a consultant for kitchens and restaurants. RM4000 is "a very small budget" for a stove hob-exhaust fan-oven combo. I scratched my noggin. His one cost RM12000, and that was just for a stove hob and the exhaust fan. I scratched my noggin again. I proceeded to ask no further.

Later in the evening, my mom suggested I should just go with a cheap RM50 brandless dual-burner stove top. I was thinking more along the lines of some cheap-ass pasar malam single cookers that have as many holes as a fly has compound eyes. Those are the ones good char koay teow sellers tend to use. I thought it might help my cooking. Mom retorted something along the lines that implied my gas tank will empty faster than I can finish cooking a proper dish.

So....... I don't know. It's hard to compare RM-thousands worth of stainless steel metal and cast-iron grill and a RM50 cooker that simply does its job.

But then, how do you compare washing machines? I guess since I am trained in the ways of electronics and electricals, I have some vague idea. But only for a bit.

I just get really tired and frustrated that Malaysia doesn't have a website that helps me to do comparison tests on electrical appliances and home furnishings and gas cookers of different brands and models. Thankfully, the ESH guy was pretty knowledgeable, but I'd have to take his word for it.

Bah....... one more month to go.

home appliances

2006-03-26T12:47:00.000+08:00

It kinda sucks that Malaysia (and a lot of asian countries) don't have review sites on appliances like cookers, stoves, washing machines, and the like. Searching google is like the needle-in-a-haystack thing, since models sold in the West tend to be different than the ones exported to or made locally here.

Anyway, it's great that the salesman from the local ESH in SS2 gave us a very comprehensive run-down on the appliances. Here's a quick summary:

Washing Machines:
Electrolux remains a good brand for washing machine, and hence commands higher prices. Recently over the past few years, the LG brand has become a strong alternative for affordable and feature-rich washing machines. These go for about RM1.6k and above... depending on the load size (which is about 5.5kg to 7kg). To wash bedsheets and table cloths, you probably need something like a 6kg or 7kg load washer. And front-load washers tend to be a bit more delicate on clothes compared to top-loading ones.

Dryers:
Get an electrolux. The ones with more features are more expensive, but they may be worth it. Prices start from RM1.6k.

Fridges:
Japanese brands have been generally known to be offer the most reliable and feature-rich refridgerators for years. I used to own a Hitachi that lasted us eons. It seems now that Toshibas have become a popular choice, and they've got some plasma technology thingy that gets rid of odors and kills germs. My mother-in-law says that's just a gimmick. The recommended size for a couple starting out in a typical apartment unit is about 400litres, which goes for about slightly less than RM2k.

Dishwashers:
Up until that point, I was pretty much set on getting an Electrolux dishwasher. The man told me that Fagor actually offers better features and quality at a lower price. There's only one stand-alone model, and it's made and fully imported from Spain, and sells for RM2.4k.

This means that I have to save a lot of money. Ugh.

drilling holes therapy

2006-03-11T16:16:00.000+08:00

I don't know why, but I never liked the idea of drilling too many holes into a wall. I'm always afraid that I'm drilling at the wrong place, or that I won't be able to patch it up the same ever again, or that there's some kind of stigma that I'll somehow degrade the structural integrity of the wall.

Plus, it's my mom's house. My room, but I'm living with my parents now, so... I don't fancy drilling holes into other people's walls.

Is there a way to prepare me for my new apartment, where I may eventually have to drill a hole into a wall to put some shelves, cables, lighting, what have you?

Maybe I should just throw away the stuff I don't need first. My room is becoming too cluttered.

ideas from bangkok

2006-02-21T22:52:00.000+08:00

I was in Bangkok recently and having heard that they produce some neat interior decor, I asked the 43places community about where I can shop for interior products. They gave me three suggestions:

- Siam Discovery Centre
- Suan Lum night bazaar
- Chatuchak weekend market

Since I wasn't there over the weekend, I went to the first two places, and it was a very rewarding experience. The Discovery center has some really neat designer furniture and decor, which are matched with high prices.

At one particular outlet, I was drawn to their Eva Solo collection on sale. Actually, it was the Cafe Solo coffee maker that made me drool. It didn't come cheap (RM300+), but it looked like it could last a lifetime in my home.... and sometimes, that's what matters the most.

Anyway, I moved on (didn't have much cash with me). Habitat has just opened a new outlet in the asian region at the Siam Discovery center. They have some really cool stuff from their own production houses, and they do sell stuff made by some great names in the design world.

Other places of note are Fai Sor Kam and Panta, which feature real made-in-thailand designer furniture and decor. It was worth going there to take a look, even though my aim was to go budget shopping in Thailand.

Anyway, when it comes to budget shopping, Chatuchak seems to be the best deal in town. Unfortunately we weren't able to book across weekends, so we settled for stuff at the Suan Lum night bazaar, which was equally interesting.... especially since many of the things sold at Chatuchak can be found here.

Here are some photos I took of the place:

(you can view more at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaremfan/)

gray walls

2006-02-18T13:09:00.000+08:00

Many asian chinese use white as their dominant shade of color in their homes, which is funny cos most whites use colors and wallpapers on their walls. When mom used to buy paint, she would pick out beige-y colors and variations of off-white colors, which to the naked eye, doesn't really make a difference..... it's still white.

White is fine if you have tons of furniture and decor that are colorful and can mix and match very well. White is not fine when you're trying very hard to make large sections of your home look different and create a feeling of space and warmth.

Enter gray. Because it makes my furniture stand out more, and it helps me not to focus on a large bright wall, which has grown to be dull and uninspiring after years of living with that color.

Here's what one person thinks: article

I'll probably mix the gray with a blue. Actually I'm not intending to paint the whole room gray. Just one section. I'll paint the other walls a shade of light steel blue or sky blue or powder blue. I guess even if I don't mix the gray with blue, the blues will reflect off the other walls onto the gray.... though I'm not sure how that will turn out... but I'm willing to try.

I've got a deep red armchair, and I'm planning on getting a white hall rug. I also have a lacquered pine leksvik coffee table, all of which should go well with the blues and grays.

All I need now is that darn apartment.

running out of juice

2006-01-12T10:32:00.000+08:00

I have nothing left to blog about! oh no! maybe it's because I'm too fussy about what to write, having reached a certain standard of published content... or maybe my life really is that mundane... or maybe I'm just too shy. Whatever it is, I don't have anything worthy to put down here, because well,..... one of the main blog audiences is me, and I don't read this blog every day. The rest of the world account for about 19 people, on average.

There has been some stuff going on in my life that I'm not at liberty to mention here, so in a way, it is quite frustrating. The stupid apartment is still not complete, and we've been told it's going to take a few more months, and I'm just about ready to kick some corporate balls. Some good news is that some Block E residents have reported the availability of Streamyx broadband (which seems more like cacatband nowadays).

Anyway, that gets me thinking that I have a few more months to think about how to decorate my apartment. I'm in the process of acquiring an espresso machine thanks to my dad. Give me a moment.....

hhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeehhehehhehhehhehehheheeeeeee...........

I just had to do that.

I still haven't found out how to do a proper dropped ceiling. I suppose the best way is to drill metal rods into the ceiling and suspend the frame using the rods. I have to also source for some good multipurpose wood to piece together the frame. I wonder if MDF boards work well for this. If anyone is in the know, do buzz me.

I have, however, found one light shops that carries light fixtures that you can slot into a drilled hole or plaster cut-out... so that it would look like part of the wall. Those things go for like, RM20 to RM30 a pop, which isn't too bad for ambient lighting. You can light up the place like a christmas tree with those. There are spotlights that do that work too.... they serve as good worklights for kitchen use underneath cabinets and so on:

Other ideas I've had so far...... carpets. I'm looking around for a nice, hall-size carpet. Preferrably white, to match the blue-gray walls. I've come across some carpets that are made from some shaggy material, kind of like rastafarian dreadlocks... but bleached in white. A few places (including Ikea) have been selling those. Incidentally, I found a really nice carpet shop in Plaza Damas.... I just have to avoid falling sheets of metal when I'm there. Here's a version of the carpet from Ikea:

I also have to start looking for kitchen cabinets and the like, as well as ovens and fairly cheap cookers or gas stoves for wet kitchen use. There are a good number of vendors out there, but it's hard to match price with quality. I would try to avoid locally manufactured furniture. They tend to have a poor finish, even if the ingredients are good.

I'll try to use this blog as a journal of sorts for tracking stuff I want to work on for the home. More updates to come.

IKEA: The Swedish Feeding Trough - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

2006-01-06T10:31:00.000+08:00

IKEA: The Swedish Feeding Trough - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News: "Furniture giant IKEA lures customers with homey interior landscapes and cheap warm meals. But more and more people are starting to use the stores as an ersatz for social services and babysitting."

I guess a lot more people have a lot less stigma about hoarding free condiments and services offered at this place. You know, I strangely feel connected to them.

For one, I don't get the feeling that Ikea is trying to stop me from having a good time at their expense. The coffee is free (after swiping my Ikea card at the voucher machine), the food is cheap, and the place is well lit and is fairly clean.

It must be the work of an interior designer... I can actually find places I can eat in peace, during a crowded day. Perhaps it's the placing of the tables and chairs, or the height of the ceiling, or the gray panels and walls and dinner table lighting.

I can't say much about the babysitting service. I don't have a baby, though I may revisit this post again in the near future. But the general consensus on this endemic has been right so far. Folks shouldn't be abusing it.

Still, despite these odd occurences, there's something about Ikea that wants you to just lay back for awhile (apart from the reallllllllly long lines at the cashout counter). Love it or hate it, but you can't beat the fact that it's got a selling point.... for almost everyone.

start with the price

2005-12-06T13:24:00.000+08:00

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.

What if?...Ikea PS 2006

2005-11-18T09:56:00.000+08:00

article

Ikea is going for another round of wacky campaigns. A new collection known as IKEA PS 2006 showcases designs inspired by questions such as:

"What if penguins were experts in home furnishings?"

"What if seven bamboo sticks could help you tidy up at home?"

"What if you could cross diapers with milk cartons?"

28 designers stepped up to the task, attempting to evaluate new ways of utilizing materials and designs. It's encouraging that Ikea isn't about leftover designs that are well mass produced.

They already have a website: http://www.ikea.com/ps/

Police bust Ikea-based hash dealers

2005-11-16T15:06:00.000+08:00

1_wa
Originally uploaded by jaremfan.

Ynetnews article

Ikea offers more than just furniture.
I just thought that was funny.
The cops in the photos actually look like they could be drug dealers themselves.
I guess it's all part of the game.

IKEA Celebrates 20th Birthday in USA

2005-11-03T12:07:00.000+08:00

article

It's amazing that Ikea has only been in the U.S. for the past 20 years, when it started out so long ago. When was it that Ikea first graced the shores of Malaysia? Was it 10 years ago? Gosh, I can't remember.

Anyway, they're having a birthday celebration and there's going to be messy traffic all across the U.S. once again.

commercial grade pre-rinse faucet JOY

2005-10-29T00:21:00.000+08:00

HJUVIK FAUCET
Originally uploaded by jaremfan.

I was a Kansas U college student once in my life, not too long ago. As a student, I used to work down at Wescoe Terrace for slightly more than minimum wage, which helped me pay for coffee in the evenings on Mass St.

Occasionally, I would get my hands on one of these commercial grade pre-rinse sprays. And they are the most fun thing that has ever come to the dishwashing scene.

Now, I really enjoyed the deep sink, three sinks for multiple purposes (one for soap, one for bleach, and another for rinse), but it never came close to the spray.

It had almost every degree of freedom I could think of. And to think that it was available for homeowners like me was too much to contain.

At first glance, Ikea's Hjuvik faucet isn't so cheap at RM700 (for me, anyway), but try googling around for "pre-rinse commercial faucet" and you'll get a better picture.

This thing is selling for at least RM1000 in the United States. Don't ask me why. I guess it's just like a Big Mac isn't the same in different parts of the world.

This goes on my most wanted list for the new apartment.

inspirational sites for modern living

2005-10-26T20:14:00.000+08:00

www.apartmenttherapy.com

I stumbled across Apartment Therapy the other day, through a LYN post for crying out loud. It showcases apartments from all over the place, and people can vote in to rate it. I like the fact that it isn't a interior decorator's glossy album of avantgarde locations. No, the apartments there are really within reach. Real apartments. Real people.

www.mocoloco.com

The other really cool place I dropped into was mocoloco... MOdern COntemporary, or whatever. There are tons of really cool looking stuff here, such as furniture, art, walls, chairs, tables, lamps, gadgets, books, art.... all to give your apartment that moco feel.

photos from flickr tagged with midcenturymodern

There's an huge set of photos on Flickr devoted to cool looking furniture and stuff. It's just overwhelming. Sometimes you just sit there and stare at it for hours. And sometimes you don't.

www.ikeafans.com

2005-10-17T14:52:00.000+08:00

There was bound to be one...
IKEA Fans Website Home Page

This site grew out of specific IKEA threads from the immensely popular that home site forum.

There's not much commentary, but there's heaps of help and DIY advice. I so want my apartment now.

Ikea needs renovation? part 2

2005-10-17T13:57:00.000+08:00

I agree:

article

Why Conran must think outside the shopping box
Ian Watson

DESIGN guru Sir Terence Conran thinks a trip to an Ikea store is about as appealing as a holiday in Baghdad. At Ikea, people suffer “horrible experiences”, he says. Poor Conran. Surely there are more important things to complain about than enduring a visit to Ikea, such as the state of London’s underground, the £5.9bn (E8.7bn, $10.4bn) overspend on defence equipment by MoD civil servants, or even the competence of Sir Iain Blair, head of the Metropolitan Police.

Never having ever been near an Ikea store, I’ll take Conran’s word for it that they’re very crowded and that there are long queues at the check-out desks, just as there are at our airports and railway stations.

Of course to people like Conran, and retailers like Stuart Rose of Marks & Spencer, shopping these days has to be more than just buying a new three-piece suite, a dress, or the week’s groceries. It has to be “an experience”. What tosh. People in their hundreds of thousands visit Ikea and come back again and again to buy furniture that is well designed and value for money. You don’t hear Tesco’s Terry Leahy wittering on about customers enjoying “the shopping experience” at his stores.

Some readers may remember Barbara Hulanicki’s huge Biba art deco emporium in Kensington, London, which was designed to give customers a shopping experience they would never forget. But they did forget the “magic and show business of retail”, as Hulanicki herself described it, and Biba folded in 1975. The toy store Hamleys is one of the most uncomfortable places in London to shop, but the reason it is successful and packed with shoppers is that it offers a range of toy products unmatched by any other store. So does Ikea.

Conran, who created the wonderful Habitat store (now part of Ikea), has written to Ikea’s founder, Invgar Kamprud, pleading with him to put up Ikea’s prices. This, he thinks, would stop ordinary folk going there, clogging up the stores, and leave more space for those of a more artistic bent to appreciate the aesthetics of flatpack furniture.

Ikea is one of the most successful retail concepts ever. Kamprad should write back telling Conran to stop being so silly.

Ikea needs renovation?

2005-10-12T10:17:00.000+08:00

article

Maybe Ikea has a predominantly western outlook, and most of the news I receive about it doesn't come from the East. We're much less bothered about whether Ikea is opening another outlet in the U.S. midwest than they are about global warming. But that's the point. Things aren't cheap here, even at "Ikea" prices. If this Conran guy is right, the Ikea concept of "starting with the price" will find it difficult to gain confidence amongst fans. Anyway, I doubt this will bite. The fact that there are mad crowds of people that stomp on each other to get into an Ikea sale isn't the fact that the service is lousy. Customer service is a management issue, not a pricing one. And it remains varied across the various outlets around the world. Getting a christmas card from Ingvar Kamprad doesn't make me a spokesman on Ikea matters. But then, I'm no Sir either.

where did that come from?

2005-10-11T17:59:00.000+08:00

The chair from two posts back is an eames chair. Actually, it's an eames rocker. For more on "where did that come from?" chairs.... take a look at this. You'll need some spanish.

preparation thoughts

2005-10-08T23:57:00.000+08:00

I just got back from a friend's BBQ cum housewarming. He has a really nice kitchen. Actually, he has a really nice house. It's not a flashy house. But it's nice. It's a place I could actually live in comfortably.

The living room isn't really my style, and the lighting and mood could've been improved, but it's got enough space, ambience, warmth... I'm actually really impressed that he thought through a lot of the things that went into how the house would turn out.

A few things I got from him confirmed my assumptions...

Whacking down walls cost a lot of money. It's referred to as "masonry". It's much cheaper to make a wall out of gypsum board instead of whacking an entire wall down.

Lighting is probably the most important part of the interior formula.

Nice things don't come cheap. Even if there are, they don't come easy. There's a lot of work involved in getting the best deal. And I'm overwhelmed that there are so many things to look into.

But it pays to think it through, because once it's all done, it's going to stay around for a long time.

styles: do they matter?

2005-10-07T14:44:00.000+08:00

Rockr
Originally uploaded by Stebbi.

I didn't think I was that fussy about furniture. Almost everyone around here has large cane sets or faux leather couches, and veneered plywood tables, cupboards and cabinets. Marble, tiled and parquet flooring were common. After all, they were all from the 70s.

Then, it took 20 odd years for us to grow up. Now, everyone wants Italian-styled furniture and minimalist chic or balinese. Of course, to some others, a chair is a chair is a chair.

Does it matter?

I find it weird that throngs of people appear at shopping malls, and none other. There, you find some of the best interior design examples this decade has to offer, and the next. People dig this stuff.

For example, what's a good restaurant versus a bad restaurant, besides the food and service? Why are there still people hanging out at Starbucks even though their coffee is sub-par? It's about that damn couch in the middle of rubber-wood seats and tiny tables that looks so inviting. Not to mention the oval drop ceilings and bright spot lamps.

Ok, so maybe I'm a bit adamant about wanting to get my turn on the couch.

I reasoned, if people could make their homes more inviting, they wouldn't have to go to Starbucks and pine for a couch. I also reasoned that MOST people don't know jack about interiors and decorating them. That's why people WOULD pay thousands for an interior designer.

I don't know about other people, but I happen to love some styles and loathe others. This site has really helped me a lot, although I wish they'd use more hi-res photos. Here's a style glossary that I thought was absolutely indespensable for dumb, financially-challenged folks like me.

I'm all for scandinavian modern and a touch of scandinavian country. So what if it starts with a capital I.

prologue

2005-10-01T01:58:00.000+08:00

The apartment isn't ready yet, and I am on another round of idle thoughts about how my new home will look like. My preface is a 27-year old male, married and employed, and currently living with my parents. I love my parents a lot, but the walls of my room are starting to close in on us. And even though I've been a college student for seven years of my life, clutter is not something I'm coping with very well these days.

Anyway, this blog is and isn't about Ikea. It started out with me wanting to build a commentary about the big blue-yellow company, but then I got lazy having realized that tons of people do that on a daily basis, and sometimes for no particular reason at all.... so I hogged this domain for a good 3 months.

Perhaps Ikea fits very well with my philosophy of living,... that well-designed, high-quality, and highly usable products can and should be affordable and available to the majority of people living on the face of the planet. Ok... maybe quality is slightly questionable. But then another philosophy of mine involves two hands and putting things together. That's one of the motivations for this blog.

Another motivation is that I wanted an avenue to explore my other side. I'm a software engineer most of the time. Otherwise, I just wanna hang out in a home that I really really enjoy being in. Some people go to the movies. Some travel the world. Some hang out at pubs. I just like staying home. It's my mom's fault.

So thank you, Vinton G. Cerf and Blogger, for giving me the freedom to blab. Incidentally, both of them belong to Google.