There were two store tours on my list, and I chose Ikea. You’ve read about the baskets before.
Who doesn’t love Ikea, and who doesn’t like affordable storage solutions? I’d never been to an Ikea store before, so it was on top of my list during last month’s visit to U.S. I happened to visit two Ikea stores. Not such a big fan of their furniture, but their organizing and cast-iron cookware section is another story. Going by news source, it will be another two years before Ikea opens its first store in Noida/Gurgaon (I’m not sure which one as the job postings say Gurgaon).
So, here is a virtual tour until then…less of words ..more of pictures. The highlight, of course, is a beautiful, well-planned 390 sq. ft home with a kitchen, living/entertaining section, bed and a bath.
Black Magic: a summer setting at the entrance of every store.
Every store has a small model home. The stores around Los Angeles had a 390 sq. ft set up. I couldn’t believe my eyes it was this small and kept going around in circles ..you know enter through the kitchen and exit out of the bedroom and again enter through the kitchen. Funny and crazy, I know…but I just wanted to take it all in. A real example of small is beautiful. This is the entryway leading into the kitchen followed by the living section at the back…
To the side of the kitchen is the bedroom; adjacent to the living and bed is a small bath. As you can see, the bedroom has ample storage on the top.
What type of kitchen do you have? L-shaped, U-shaped, galley..each has its own distinct advantages. Have you given enough thought during the planning phase as to
- where the cooking area should be
- where would you stock spoons, and large utensils (under the stove section?)
- where would the oven and microwave go (storage for baking essentials under the appliances)
- where would you stock dry grocery
- where would the small appliances such as mixer/grinder/blender/food processor go
- what kind of drawers you would need
- how far would be the cleaning and waste bins be
Here are a few layouts ….
This one is my dream kitchen but probably in black and not the natural wood color. Love it for its pantry space.
A parallel or galley kitchen – neat segregation of work space and storage.
Do you visualize yourself chalking down menu, recipes, shopping list on the board?
Open plan with an island..imagine this opening into backyard full of vegetable/fruit trees
Sleek and modern U-shaped kitchen
Did you enjoy the tour? Talk to me..what kind of posts would you like to see here…
Image courtesy:
Taken by me at the Ikea stores
7 Comments
Hi laksh,
If you were to move into a new apartment/villa, who wud you employ to do your woodwork, kitchen cabinets and where would you choose your lightings, where would you buy your wall treatments, etc. ? It would be great if you could brief us about the best in business in Bangalore today, the pricing and a good analysis of what to do and how to do? Also, if you could show us examples of what's in vogue currently , that would be fantastic :-)
Thanks,
Vandana
Kitchen I would go with a carpenter. For the other rooms, the ready-made ones, probably from Urban Ladder, for the finish, primarily.
Hi laksh,
Your blog is amazing! It is rare to find home decor blogs in India.
I would wish to see more of decor ideas/plans… with resources available in India. As most of the time I feel sad for not finding pretty things which are easily available in other countries (e.g your basket hunt ;) ) Maybe more Indian home tours.
But please it is your blog and you should write whatever you like.
I Love Love Love IKEA. When we were in US, I would go to IKEA not for buying anything, but just to roam around the store and to have a look at their model homes. I would often gasp at the way and planning that the whole house would be planned in a mere 500 sq.ft. The white kitchens that I have seen at IKEA are by far the most memorable ones for me. Whenever we think of our kitchen overhaul the white island kitchen is what we aspire for. With this post of yours, you have again reminded me of those days…
Dear homevironment: I'm glad you were able to relive your old memories through this post. Agree with you 200% on the island kitchen. I felt like I could never have enough of going around the store.
Welcome here, Zaina and thank you :) I'll definitely have these points in mind for the upcoming posts. Please feel free to ask if you are looking for something in particular.
Hi there
Such a visually appealing blog. Home is the place where you find the peace you look for throughout the day in your busy schedule. If you have a place that looks as good as these pics, you are so lucky. I have a humble abode and I use a simple mantra that has found importance in a lot of lives these days- Aromatherapy. I use reed diffusers and scented candles and the way the aromas soothe my nerves is amazing!
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