IKEA My Loo

IKEA and I go way back. Like, way way back to the summer of 2000 when I was an exchange student living in Belgium. On one of my first days there, my host family took me to the local IKEA, where they picked out all new kitchen cabinets and then we had lunch. Jet lagged and overwhelmed by all of the French speakers, IKEA still managed to steal my heart.

I could spend all day in that place, finding the best deal on stupid tupperware that will probably melt in the microwave, or bags of Swedish fish. I also must eat a meal there when I visit. Steve doesn't take kindly to the aimless wandering or the eating, but he did pick me up a back of frozen Swedish meatballs when he was there last, remember? He really does love me.

Anyway, this winter we're planning on a mini renovation of our bathroom. While I don't have pictures of our loo in its current state, imagine a cheap 1999 renovation: navy blue floor tile, the cheapest vanity, sink, and medicine cabinet available for purchase, and crown molding everywhere.

Replacing the tile is too big of a project, so we're going to live with it and hope that when we go to sell one day, the new buyers will see its, umm, charm. Fortunately it's in pretty good condition. But everything else MUST GO. In searching for new fixtures and furniture, most of what we find (in our budget) is dark wood and bulky, not white and minimal. IKEA has saved the day. Obviously I've just confessed to my love affair with IKEA, but it really is a great place for modern furnishings on a budget.

So, behold our (potential) future bathroom...

Vanity
Part of the Lillangen series. There are many different configurations and sizes of this vanity (as well as colors, but I'm digging the aluminum and white combo). At only $274 for the vanity AND the sink, this is a great deal. Usually they're sold separately and you end up paying a lot more for both.

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Faucet
Of course, you have to purchase the faucet separately. The Dalskar faucet at $99.99 is minimal and modern, easy choice.

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Sink View
As I said above, the sink comes along with the vanity, but here's an aerial view of it. Since there's no real counter space (bummer) they give you a toothpaste holder, soap dish, etc that just attach. For me it's not a deal breaker, hopefully it wouldn't be for others either.

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Wall Cabinet
Right now we have a cabinet above our toilet for storage, in addition to a tall floor cabinet for more storage. The one above the toilet is off-white, the tall cabinet is pure white. Since the wall cabinet is off white and was really cheap, I'd like to get rid of it and hang a new cabinet above the toilet, keeping the floor cabinet. This wall cabinet from the Lillangen series at $49.99 matches the vanity and would give us that extra storage.

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Mirror
As I mentioned, our medicine cabinet is fugly and cheap. We'd like to swap that out with a mirror. While we'd lose some storage, we'd be opening up the room a little bit and be in tune with our minimal approach. This mirror from IKEA is only $14.99 - we'd have to look at it in person and possibly opt for something a little nicer, but you get the idea.

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So there you have it, a new bathroom for $440...plus tax...plus new towel racks...plus paint for the walls...plus a lighting fixture of some sort...plus whatever additional supplies you need to actually install all of this stuff...

This is one of our last big projects to our condo since buying it 2 years ago. Since purchasing, we've painted all of the walls a pale gray, purchased new stainless steel appliances that rock my world, redecorated our living room, bought new bedroom and office furniture, bought a new dining room table and chairs...whew! We still want to replace our kitchen sink, but the bathroom as a bigger priority.

What big home decorating or renovation project is next on your to-do list?