Monthly Archives: October 2013

IKEA – Refresh Your Bedroom

English: The IKEA store in Frisco, TX, USA.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When renovating a home, whether you realize it or not you are always thinking in ‘zones’.

There is a zone to store materials and a zone to store tools, you need a wet zone to access water, a zone where to stage the debris etc…

These zones should not conflict with one another and should be organized to maximize work flow.

Here Designer Dad Stephen Saint-Onge from IKEA asks ” Do you want to change your life?” And then continues, “Good design does have the power to change you life.”

He asserts that the by looking at a bedroom in ‘zones’ that are pleasing to the eye as well as functional, one can increase the pleasure of using that space thereby giving you more comfort and rest which in turn, adds more vitality to your life.

Makes sense.

Change your room.

Change your life! 😀

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WARNING! BANNED IKEA VIDEOS: Crazy, Sexy, Cool.


As an American in America you look at the proliferation of IKEA stores  in the USA like the furniture version of ABBA in the 70’s; very popular, trendy, easy on the eyes and rather predictable.

In America IKEA is still some what of a novelty like Swedish dance music.

In Paris, an IKEA kitchen in many, many situations is a necessity.

In America there is no special term or drama in bringing kitchen furniture on to the job site.

Your renovating the place. You drive up. Park the car. Deliver the furniture. No problem.

Here it can turn into cauchemar (nightmare) so huge it has it’s own name.

FLAT PACKING!

Imagine…

English: Logo of Ikea.

English: Logo of Ikea. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“OK, TOMORROW, IF PLAN GOES AS SCHEDULED WE ARE COMING FROM IKEA AND WE ARE LOOKING TO START FLAT PACKING THE APARTMENT AT ONE, FIVE, THIRTY HOURS. THAT’S 3:30 PM. OK?

OK…

GOOD.

THIS HUGE SITE IS ON A SMALL ONE WAY STREET FEEDING A MAJOR BOULEVARD.

TYPICAL FOR THE 7TH….

SO WE NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK IN A ONE BLOCK RADIUS LOOKING FOR PARKING.

NO PARKING?

I CALL IT.

WE SHIFT TO A DUMP AND GO.

DUMP AND GO?

WE STAGE OUTSIDE SO WE DON’T BOTHER THE GUARDIAN.

THIS ONE IS A REAL PIECE OF WORK.

WE DUMP ON THE SIDEWALK,

I GO FOR PARKING.

YOU GUYS START FLAT PACKING THE APARTMENT.

IT’S A FIVE STORY WALK UP TO A HUGE KITCHEN  RENOVATION BUT WE CAN’T USE THE ELEVATOR BECAUSE THE GUARDIAN  IS OUT OF HER MIND.

OK.

HERE IS THE CODE TO GET IN THE FRONT DOOR.

HERE IS THE CODE TO GET IN THE DOOR INSIDE THE FOYER.

HERE ARE THE KEYS TO THE APARTMENT.

REMEMBER. TAKE YOUR TIME

DON’T NICK THE WALLS ON THE WALK UP.

OK! WE READY TO FLAT PACK?!!!”

So in honor of this IKEA craziness we offer the following crazy videos.

BEWARE: A bit racy at points, but nevertheless lots of fun!

Enjoy.

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How To Prevent Moisture Condensation In A Bathroom

Moisture

Moisture (Photo credit: chrisblackburn)

Moisture condensation can be particularly difficult to deal with because it’s not always that easy to notice at first.

Then before you know it there is mold and moisture damage everywhere sometimes so invasive that the only solution is to replace the drywall.

Before you spend money needlessly on a preventable bathroom renovation and repair here are some great tips on how to keep the moisture away and the mold at bay.

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Traveling To Paris? Check Out Airbnb.com

When it comes to accommodations in Paris, nothing  beats https://www.airbnb.com.
Meet Ondine.
In her profile she says
“Hey, I’m a simple and nice person willing to rent my Parisian flat sometimes when i’m away from Paris or just sleeping in another part of the city.”
In her apartment description she writes,
“I sublet my mini-castle! It’s 30sq meters with 1 bed for 2 persons and a couch. The flat is located in the north east area of Paris, but quite close to the center. I will wait for you at home and present/explain you everything, give you the keys and then leave, but if you need anything during your stay don’t hesitate to call me!I hope you’ll have a pleasant stay in my little castle 😉 Feel free ton contact me for further information! – Ondine”Check out the full description and pics of the apartment here.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/531446

Arrondissements of Paris

Arrondissements of Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now guess how much she is charging a night.

It’s 30 square meters.

Very comfortable.

Near the center of Paris.

Guess how much? 200 euros? 150 euros? 100 euros?

She is renting from 49 euros a night! Is that great or what? You are not giving your money to some corporate behemoth. You are giving it to a nice person, a real life Parisian native, and all she asks is that you leave the place clean when you leave.

So if you are planning a stay in Paris, airbnb is definitely an option we recommend you look into.

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How To Install A Shower Door

Deutsch: Duschkabine mit erkennbaren Armaturen...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Woodie with his thick Irish accent does a great job giving a general overview on how to installing a bathroom shower door.

A shower door may seem like a  big task for the amateur craftsmen but if you go slow and follow the directions it can be a valuable investment that will save renovation costs on  possible water penetration of the floor and ceiling in the apartment below over time.

He is absolutely correct for the proper drill bit for the job. If you have just a regular masonry bit you risk cracking the tile.

Tip: Measure twice, go to the shower door store once. If you make double sure you are reading your tape correctly (like it’s 90 cm not an upside 60cm lol…), and make extra sure your measurements are correct, you can be relatively sure that you can pick up the correct size shower door for the job.

Here is an PDF file print out for the video;

http://www.woodiesdiy.tv/page/pdf/65/Woodies_DIY_How_To_Install_a_Shower_Door.pdf

Have Fun! 😀

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