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So I am trying to come up with a solution for my living room. I have a fairly long wall where I currently have my TV placed and I have a 1990s builder grade house in Texas with no built in storage space of any sort. I remodeled the kitchen a few years ago and added an island and bar countertop where the fridge used to be. I would like to build or commission, or buy an off the shelf solution that would add a low-ish set of cabinets along this wall to mount the TV and store AV equipment, game consoles, etc. I think it would also be nice to have some book shelves or display shelves on this wall. My dilemma is figuring out if, years ago I screwed up by adding this bar and if there is actually space to ever have bar stools there. In addition, my wife and I would like to get a new, longish sofa/sectional, probably with a chaise on one end. I have modeled out my house, roughly on Sketchup, and then grabbed some random, pre-modeled furniture including the cabinets, bookshelf, couch, and stools. I've pasted those below. Can I get some suggestions on where to start looking or what might look good here? Should I be trying to hire an interior designer for this? I don't have a grasp of what that would cost and if it's worth the money. For the entertainment center and bookshelves, the thought has crossed my mind of constructing the lower cabinets and shelving myself with baltic birch ply, but I've gathered that lumber is still quit expensive and that may be difficult to source. I would also need to buy some additional woodworking tools for that project, and I don't know if my finish carpentry would look good enough or not. For a couch, my in-laws had offered to pay up to about $5,000 as a wedding gift for a new sofa or furniture. So maybe consider that as a budget for that piece. I've looked on the various direct-to-consumer sites, along with Room and Board, DWR, etc., but I think DWR is probably out of that price range. TL;DR What do I do here to make my livingroom look good, and be a practical space?        
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Aug 6, 2021 08:04
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BigFactory posted:If the couch is placed where the current couch is in the photo, I don’t see why you couldn’t use the bar. Maybe look for low profile stools without a back or with a small, low back. I have a similar situation in my house where the bar side of the kitchen island is along the main traffic path (not as tight as your situation, but same idea), and we just spent time finding the right stools to make it work. Being choosy about your couch will be super important too. You might not be able to go with a big, oversized sofa or you’ll end up making the living room feel tiny. You might want to ditch the idea of the chaise right off, or at least the idea that it’s something you absolutely need. Yeah low back stools are a good start since they would tuck away under the counter. I think you are probably right about nixing the chaise-- and maybe I just aim for getting an extra long sofa that's still good for naps. Or possibly a sleeper sofa. Here's the issue: My house is about 1600 sq ft with the living room being the most spacious of the 1 story homes I've seen in my neighborhood. Since my wife and I both work from home, both spare bedrooms are our offices, and we both do some PC gaming so both rooms are occupied, and the TV doesn't have another place to be set up short of the master bedroom. But you've identified most of the points I'm struggling with-- that is not going overboard and suddenly making a large-ish room feel cramped or small. hypnophant posted:Have you considered: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/tv-media-storage-14885/ We installed a Besta system in my mom's house a few months ago now, and the construction and materials are pretty flimsy feeling. I'm very happy with the Ikea kitch (Sektion) cabinets and hardware, but the Besta line of stuff is that cardboard/corrugated paper construction with plastic fasteners and cheaper quality hinges. It doesn't feel like it will hold up or last.
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Aug 6, 2021 17:50
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actionjackson posted:I have some concerns looking at this picture. The first is that there appears to be very little space between the back of the stools and the back of the sofa. You always want 36" minimum I'd say. It appears to be about 18-20" based on the other measurements. As it is now, if people are sitting on those stools, no one is going to be able to pass through behind them. Could you give me the following: Again the stools, sofa, and media unit in the drawings are just stock models I found in Sketchup. Currently I just have an Ikea-hacked media stand, and the couch I have is pushed farther back-- since there are no stools to use at the bar. I'll insert some measurements from the wall where the media unit would be to the bar. 
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Aug 7, 2021 01:46
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I actually have this 8'x10' rug, currently, but I'm all for big rugs: https://www.homedepot.com/p/nuLOOM-Lexie-Ombre-Black-8-ft-x-10-ft-Area-Rug-RZBD15A-71001010/206985036 I'll take a few more looks at sofas to get an idea of dimensions and see how the measurements look sometime this weekend. Do y'all have any suggestions of particular couch/sofa/sectional brands or stores to look at? I did discover the bougie-gay-tiktok where a guy described how to order sectionals from Restoration Hardware's manufacturers in China. Specifically, I located one selling the Cloud sectionals. For a 4-piece (3 meter long with one chaise/ottoman) set, they quoted me $1600. That is with two caveats: https://hzvangogh.en.alibaba.com/pr...ional_sofa.html 1) I assume that the RH models are stuffed with goose down, and this was with a foam cushion + duck feathers. 2) They haven't gotten back to me about a freight of shipping fee yet. I'm familiar with cheap feather-stuffed pillows to know that that is not going to be anywhere near as comfortable as goose down, but it is a neat thought. Edit: I found this last night and like it, or the general idea quite a bit: https://rexhillstudio.com/lowstoragebench MetaJew fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Aug 7, 2021 |
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Aug 7, 2021 03:45
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actionjackson posted:dwr or blu dot for modernism, also considering you have a good sized budget. We've got a DWR and Blu Dot in Austin-- and all the models you've shown look prrreeety good. I'm a big fan of Danish/MCM, but that one seems a little on the short side. I'll try to check them out this weekend. Although our Public Health department has been sending out messages to stay home, and our governor is a shithead. 
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Aug 7, 2021 19:26
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We checked out the New Standard at Blu Dot and the Outline, among others at DWR. They didn't have the Costura on the floor, but my wife liked the Outline and the New Standard. The New Standard is something like $1200 cheaper and feels equally nice for a similar dimension. Assuming the chaise model will fit in our living room, I think that's the one we're going to purchase.
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Aug 8, 2021 00:05
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actionjackson posted:the new standard is what I have. the maharam fabrics are really nice. Can you take a look at the New Standard product page? I don't think it's offered in the Maharam fabrics. Edit: Oh, it's offered for the sofa, but not the sectional/chaise version. I want to say the person working the Bludot store told us that that fabric offering was coming in later this month. I will need to call them or something. Edit to also say I think I'm gonna pick up this for our bedroom to go at the foot of the bed: https://www.dwr.com/living-benches-stools/softbench/2197526.html?lang=en_US MetaJew fucked around with this message at 23:34 on Aug 8, 2021 |
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Aug 8, 2021 23:31
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actionjackson posted:cool bench, I'm a big softline fan Is there any reason to call/go to DWR to purchase that bench versus ordering it online? Will the sales associated haggle at all or throw in any free extras, or am I just helping them get a commission? I haven't purchased any "highish-end" furniture since I bought my bed from from Room and Board 10 years ago, and that was done entirely online, too.
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Aug 11, 2021 00:36
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actionjackson posted:They can give 10% off when it's normal price, but during the sale it will be the same discounted price you get online. Yes they get a commission if you order from them. It is nice to actually go into the store once and develop a relationship with a salesperson though. They will also be able to send you a list of floor sale items each month. There's a (very small) chance that this item might even be on floor sale right now, but don't get your hopes up! Good points. We did check out the floor sample list, and picked up a small tray for $16 to put keys and stuff in. It would be cool to get more info on other samples that go on sale. We saw that bench in person and I'm satisfied with the light gray color. They didn't mention it coming in colors other than the two listed on the website, but that's good to know that there are potentially more options. I also talked to the Bludot associate and they confirmed that they'd have a 20% off annual sale in October, and they would contact me in September for pre-orders so I think that's when we'll pick up the New Standard. She told me that the New Standard sectional would "eventually" be offered in the maharam fabric, but not until sometime in 2022 and I don't think we necessarily want to wait until then. Of course, I guess we could do the couch and some sort of ottoman, but I'm not sure if I like that idea or not versus having effectively a daybed.
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Aug 11, 2021 06:08
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actionjackson posted:yeah I have the sofa. keep in mind that all blu dot stuff is 20% off in October (I would double check with them on this, but it was last year) My cat approves of the softline 
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Aug 23, 2021 03:30
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actionjackson posted:yeah I have the sofa. keep in mind that all blu dot stuff is 20% off in October (I would double check with them on this, but it was last year) We ordered the New Standard in Spitzer Gray with the chaise with the 20% off sale-- which was a wedding gift from my in-laws, but I'm very annoyed at the cost of freight/shipping handling given the price. When they were taking my payment info at the store they asked if I wanted the additional service of in-home delivery and assembly, and the salesperson said it was an extra $140. That didn't seem awful to me since they didn't mention anything about a delivery charge. After looking at the weight of the sofa and dimensions, it doesn't seem all that difficult to move into my house, so I declined and passed my credit card. The shipping and handling fee charged was $377-- which seems excessive. I don't recall paying that much for my entire Ikea kitchen or my Room and Board bed frame. Anyway, we are also looking at some sort of long, lowish credenza to go in the dining room. I'm not sure if we we'll pick something from Blu Dot, as well, look at DWR or just keep an eye on craigslist for some vintage Danish piece. DWR had a floor sale item a few months ago, but I suspect it's sold off by now. My wife also really likes some of the mirrors Blu Dot has, but at $700 I don't think I could be convinced to pull the trigger on one. Maybe if they also came up as a floor sale item. Even then I'd want to see a significant discount. Are there any good alternatives to these? https://www.bludot.com/large-mirror-mirror.html https://www.bludot.com/tdh-leaning-mirror.html The Ikea Hovet and Ikornnes come to mind, but both are sold out. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hovet-mirror-aluminum-40507196/ https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ikornnes-floor-mirror-ash-30298396/
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Sep 30, 2021 06:20
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Quote not Edit: Is there such a thing as a combination roller shade that combines some light filtering/privacy screen and a blackout shade? In one of my guest bedrooms that's used as an office I'd like to install some kind of blinds that will allow some daylight to filter through. My other guest bedroom (also office because we both work from home) faces the front yard and thus I have some conventional wood slat blinds for privacy at night. I have the same blinds in the master bedroom and one or two other windows in the house, but they aren't my favorite. I don't want to have to buy curtains since it seems like it would be tedious to keep them clean and dust free and I suspect the cats or our dog would probably play with them. I'm not really sure what's "on trend" with window coverings but a roller blind seems like the most practical if it can accomplish both tasks.
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Sep 30, 2021 07:12
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I like the idea, but not a huge fan of the execution. Maybe for now I just get a solar shade roller blind for the back office and don't worry about it matching.
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Sep 30, 2021 21:16
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actionjackson posted:Hey I'm sorry to hear about this. I would honestly call and complain if they did not mention the charge at all upfront, they are generally pretty amicable in my experience. Blu Dot is based here so I've talked to them quite a bit. On their website it mentions they have a flat 9% charge. I guess you're right, but yeah that shipping fee was not communicated to me at all before we decided to order it and I passed my credit card. Sure we got "20% off", but I think a shipping fee based on the total cost of the purchase and not something based on the weight, dimensions, and shipping distance is a grift. At least with Room and Board, I think the shipping fee was either a flat rate, or it was based on the distance from my home to their Warehouse in Colorado or wherever it was. This is offtopic, but it feels like tipping culture in the US where I feel obligated to tip 20% of the bill, but I don't necessarily think the waiter at a more expensive restaurant necessarily deserves more from me when I might get equal or sometimes better service at a cheaper place. actionjackson posted:I got my media unit at a DWR floor sale The wall it would go on is something like 116" wide, I think. The credenza we saw I think was in the mid 70" range, but perhaps we could go longer or find some width that looks good proportional to the dimensions of the room. I think we're looking more for what's called a "sideboard", but I'm not really sure-- i guess it's a matter of the height of the top, but this would be for our dining room-- but likely to store maybe liquor or boardgames or a few things here and there-- or display some art or vases. I like walnut furniture but with only 8 ft ceilings and not a huge house I feel like darker furniture may make the house feel less warm. I am thinking I would like to go with a lighter wood like maple or white oak to make the house feel lighter and warmer. actionjackson posted:When I got a new mirror for my bathroom I got one from glass warehouse which was not too expensive and really nice, they sell through home depot, here's their rectangular ones I'll check these out. Thanks!
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Oct 5, 2021 20:53
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what length and height are you looking for? color?
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marjorie posted:You know, I thought about that too. The thing is, I have a dog that sheds like crazy and I was worried the rugs would be difficult to keep clean vs bare wood floors (I've heard about washable rugs like ruggable, but wasn't sure if that was just guerrilla marketing and not quality rugs). What do I do if I like cool looking rugs, but I have cats that almost exclusively puke on rugs, or a dog that tracks in dirt and gets rugs dirty? My wife is much more laissez faire about it all, and I guess doesn't care so much about our pets getting these things dirty. So, I'm inclined just to live with cheapish synthetic rugs and assuming I will have to replace them every few years. I have/had a coolish cow hide rug that I liked that I learned was very easy to clean when the cats puked on it because nothing stuck to it. Unfortunately the dog found a loose patch and tore it off-- and then went to town on chewing up other parts of it. If I replace that one I guess I will just buy a conventional cowhide rug from Ikea or something. 
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Nov 10, 2021 00:14
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3D Megadoodoo posted:It's good to have dishes that are the same shape, even if the pattern is different, because they'll fit much better in a dishwasher. (If you could have a dishwasher and don't, you're literally killing the planet, thanks a lot.) Also, of course, they stack well in the cupboard. My wife has bought random sized bowls and doesn't seem to be concerned with dishwasher loading efficiency, and I struggle not to lose my mind.
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Jan 14, 2022 18:27
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tetrapyloctomy posted:I installed these and they're great for maximizing cabinet space and ease with regard to reaching the back items. You might be able to reclaim some space with them. I recall seeing these a few years ago while trying to figure out how to get my spice cabinet organized. The price hurts a bit, but if they really are worth it I might finally buy them.
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Jan 15, 2022 21:28
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Wow, that's a cramped kitchen. If it is a one story house, over the stove microwave/range hood combo and add a roof exhaust vent. This would free up some counter space. Mobile kitchen island with a butcher block or other solid top for some food prep or baking needs. You could install a smaller upper cabinet above the existing wall cabinets to get some more storage space or just store items on top of the cabinets, but eventually dust will accumulate. I imagine you could build a rail or shelf to span the cabinets, going over the sink for a little more storage of rarely used items. The pantry looks decently sized. Maybe install some wall cabinets above the refrigerator to get some stuff out of view.
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Jan 31, 2022 20:05
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Getting all my windows and siding replaced and I hate the minimal builder trim around my windows. It consists of some kind of fiberous early 90s MDF style window sill and the 2" wide door trim nailed underneath it. Are there some photos or ideas of how to trim my windows out a little more nicely that I might consider doing after getting the windows replaced? About the only trim style I've seen other than just a sill is the Craftsman style but it wouldn't match my baseboards or door trim. That's another story and I wish I had just gone with craftsman style interior trim but I didn't know any better when I was doing all of that 6 years ago.
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Feb 15, 2022 19:30
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Serenade posted:Getting my cabinetry replaced with something that reaches the ceiling specifically because neither I nor the people who lived here before, nor the people who lived before them, Pfft cleaning the top of cabinets is sisyphean at best. ALWAYS build cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling.
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Aug 31, 2022 17:16
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Cornuto posted:I feel like the ultimate red bathroom has already been done and can't be improved. Please don't tease me with old tweets. I desperately want to see the toilet and the rest of the house.
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Sep 5, 2022 22:24
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While browsing for some cool sneakers I found, that were apparently worn by the Mujahadin, I found an incredible rug being sold by the same seller on ebay.MetaJew posted:Today I learned about the Servis Cheetahs. https://www.ebay.com/itm/195366006667 
MetaJew fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Dec 17, 2022 |
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Dec 17, 2022 21:05
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Quote not edit.
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Dec 17, 2022 21:12
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I would like some assistance on how to best design or layout my living room space. I have a ~191" (15 ft 11 inches) wall on which I have our TV, receiver, stereo floor speakers, subwoofer, PS5, etc. I have been wanting to install some built in cabinets and a bookshelf on this wall to get some more storage space and just have a nicer looking living room. We have a Blu Dot New Standard left chaise sofa which is 105" wide, that's centered in front of our kitchen island, which is just around the same width-- maybe 110". I cannot recall the specifics off the top of my head. I plan to purchase a new 77" LG OLED TV since I've had our 65" unit for almost 12+ years. Now, I know there are brands like BDI which make media center cabinets for audiophile types that can support speakers inside of them-- have good airflow, etc, but I cannot envision a good way to layout the existing space to use something like this + some shelving units. https://www.bdiusa.com/products/corridor-8173-low-profile-modern-tv-stand-entertainment-center I have a friend who is an architect and has done interior and cabinet designs and has told me he would help me come up with a custom design, but life has gotten in the way and he has never gotten around to doing that. I've also reached out to some carpenters that my friend used for his custom home, but over the past two years that I've contacted they've declined taking on a job. The current space looks like this. The master bedroom is through the doorway to the right, the left hall are two bedrooms and a guest bathroom. Blue tape was to try and see just how big the 77" and 83" LGs looked. The sofa is ~10-11ft from the wall.  Old photos of the island when I remodeled the kitchen:   Mock-up using Room and Board Keaton Bookcase/Wall Unit plus an additional floor unit. Each section of the Keaton appears to be about 60" long, so if I did something silly, I could span the entire wall with this system with 10" or so to spare. https://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/storage-and-entryway/bookcases-and-wall-units/keaton-bookcase-wall-units/490495  The problem with the Room and Board option is that their cabinets are probably not really designed for things like stereo receivers inside of them. If I end up with a built-in cabinet option I will purchase some new bookshelf stereo and center channel speakers. I will probably, also locate the subwoofer somewhere in the living room with a remote/wireless unit. TL;DR: I think that I want some sort of long, low built in cabinets around the TV space, along with another cabinet + book/display shelves on the right. How do I figure out what will look good here and what to do?
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Aug 31, 2023 19:04
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Sirotan posted:Going to just comment on the BDI Corridor: I have one and the fact that it has hidden wheels on the legs has been an absolute godsend every time I've had to change a cable or hook up some new/replacement piece of AV equipment. It also makes cleaning behind and under it effortless. I also love not seeing my speakers. Yeah I have two friends that have praised those caster features on BDI cabinets. I totally get it and see how they would be great, I just don't know how to work it into my space. I'm working with a 1991 Texas builder home that has basically no built in organization or storage. I've been slowly trying to remedy these problems since I bought the house in 2015. (I'd love to get a bigger home and sort of start from scratch to have a more cohesive design, but property values have shot up so high that I think we'll be living here for the foreseeable future.)
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Aug 31, 2023 19:52
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BigFactory posted:You could save a lot of money by not watching tv or playing video games and spending money on stereo equipment you won’t want to hide in a cabinet cause they look cool. Or you could get a piano for free on Craigslist and put a piano there. Wife and I both play games and stuff so I don't think that's in the cards. Thanks tho.
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Aug 31, 2023 19:53
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ohhyeah posted:Don’t take this the wrong way, but uh what’s the problem? It sounds like you’ve got a decent handle on what to do. I’m not getting why you can’t do the BDI unit plus shelves (too long?) or the Room and Board thing. Have any suggestions on shelving unit that would pair well with the BDI unit if I went that direction? I'm indecisive for sure. My worry is just buying a bunch of random expensive furniture with no cohesion. When I go looking for inspiration on Houzz/Pinterest/Google I get a lot of TV-Too-High stuff and modern farmhouse interior decor that's not my thing.
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Sep 1, 2023 17:34
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I went with Ikea for my kitchen remodel and the delivery portion was a huge pain in the rear end. I think My order had over 200 items, probably 100+ boxes. Everything was delivered via their logistics company, but the delivery dates were sort of questionable. When I finally received a delivery, it turned out that it wasn't my entire order, so I had to wait another few days for the logistics company to drop off the remaining items. Then, when you take delivery you have something like a 48 hour window to do a full inventory of what was sent to you and compare it to your order list to make sure you received everything. I think outside of that window they will make you pay for any additional or missing items. That was not fun, but my wife and I managed to do it. What you don't realize is if an item on your kitchen design somehow doesn't make it to your order list you won't realize you're missing something. This happened to use with the 2 4ft x 8ft panels that you use to enclose the refrigerator. Somehow the person that placed our order deleted those items from our parts list so we only discovered they were missing when we started hanging all the cabinets. Fortunately the Ikea in Austin had the panels in stock, but we then had to go borrow someone else's car because there was no way they would fit in whatever vehicle we took to the store. ohhyeah posted:Someone else will have to help with expensive furniture but I have Ikea recommendations. We installed a Besta entertainment center/system at my mom's house and while it's not unattractive, I was disappointed in the sturdiness of the cabinets versus the SEKTION kitchen cabinets. I think they also would not fit most stereos/receivers so that ruled them out for my purposes.
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Sep 4, 2023 01:55
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We've got the Blu Dot New Standard sofa. The seat covers are all removable but I have no idea if they can be safely run through the washing machine and dryer. I would kind of like to wash them, but I don't want to go and ruin them or discover that I've shrunk the covers by drying them, etc.... So I haven't done anything other than occasionally vacuuming it.
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Oct 30, 2023 02:46
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hypnophant posted:Flush mounts are also very useful if you have low ceilings, so long as you don’t get boob lights and it’s not the only light source in the room. If you have the ceiling height for a chandelier, even better. This is the problem I had with my 1991 builder home in Texas. 8ft ceilings and the only lighting in the house was coming from ceiling fans. I ripped those out and put can lights in every room, but 8+ years later I would like some additional floor lamps or nicer lighting.... But that gets expensive, and I don't have any outlets in the floor so I'd have to figure out how to hide power cables.
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Nov 6, 2023 19:10
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hypnophant posted:How much cheaper is it to put in cans than run some extra outlets I think I've posted a photo of my living room somewhere in this thread but basically adding any floor outlets near the center of the room would require ripping up flooring and jackhammering the slab. I could sneak a cable from our island under a rug to the sectional to put a reading light or something next to it without too much difficulty though. Can lights are very cheap to install. I installed retrofit insulation-contact-rated cans and lights but there are new LED packages that are IC rated that don't require the can so you save at least $15 per light to go that route, I think. Then depending on the can light you want to use the price can very from sub $10 to quite a bit more if you want those fancy smart home lights.
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Nov 6, 2023 21:02
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Duck and Cover posted:
That's beautiful!
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Feb 28, 2024 09:02
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