We Break for IKEA

Yesterday, in the very midst of our weekend project (painting the den), D. sidled up to me and proposed that we take a trip to Ikea. What do you think I did?

I was feeling pretty listless in general and not bubbling over with enthusiasm to wash the walls with TSP. (D's attitude: "Why do we have to wash the walls at all?" My response: "I don't know, because it says so." D: "It doesn't say it on the side of the paint can." Me: "Hrmph!") And you know how I feel about Ikea. I jumped up and down and squealed with joy!

We then had to spend an hour talking through whether it was really a good decision to leave off our work and drive 70 minutes each way to wear ourselves out looking at furniture we probably wouldn't buy. So we made an agreement that we HAD to buy something. Now that's the kind of shopping trip I like!

The vision of all the things I want danced around in my head, like it was May Day morning. I especially didn't want to move the old, uncomfortable sofabed and nasty rug from the previous tenants back into the newly painted den. I gathered up all of our room measurements and floor plans, and off we went!

Ikea was swarming with people. Columbus Day Sale, dontcha know? We sat on lots of sofas. We fingered lots of area rugs. I dispiritedly sorted through the pathetic towel selection. We walked back and forth the entire length of both levels of the store many many times. We were exhausted by the end. But we did actually manage to spend an enormous sum of money.

We invested in a starter set of Effektiv shelving in Antique Stain. They should reach floor to ceiling on one wall of the "library," which has somehow become known as "D's Office."

Here's a sample pic from Ikea:
We'll post ours once D's office is painted (maybe a navy blue or a deep red) and the shelves are assembled and installed, but in the meantime, we have to get back to sanding, washing, and priming the den!