I HAS IKEA!
On Sunday Artsygrrl and I went to IKEA. For weeks I've been trying to figure out a solution for my desk/AV center. I've been using my my Laver dining table and a old green card table as my desk. I wanted more room in general and my dining table back. I also plan to later reduce my AV equipment a bit with a professional receiver and eventually get an Xbox 'for work purposes'. But first I really needed to get my current living room in order.
My trips to IKEA before haven't yielded results before, but the new catalogue was out now. Artsygrrl was looking around for ideas when she finally gets a place on her own which took quite a while. We got to the desk section and started to work.
For most of the time, I was pretty much sold on the Galant system with a certain configuration of pieces that would fit. I wanted something L-shaped so I could maximize the space while leaving some open room to move around my Laver dining table.
I was sold on a configuration, but there wasn't an IKEA staff member around. Then I saw a table that looked small enough to buy two for an L-shaped configuration, the Fredrik. Did the measurements, and I could get two, get my L-shape, and $77 cheaper! Not to mention that I have a lot of options with these two desks. SOLD.... almost.
We get to the warehouse and find the section, only to have one of the black color and certainly not the birch. Talked to the staff and they said they'll have it tomorrow. Which to me says that they had it up in the high parts reachable only by fork-lift. Walked out empty handed, but with what I want set.
The next day I go alone and go straight to the warehouse. Restocked full of Fredrik's, so I think my assumptions were correct. I don't blame them for not wanting to run a forklift with a bunch of kids running around. Got two boxes and got them in my car.
When I got home, I only pulled one box out to start. After cleaning up the mess of wires and other crap, I started working on building the first desk. Not much trouble at all as the only real heavy part is the top. Moved it in place and things really started looking good. Did another spot measurement and realized the second desk was going to be a bit closer to the heater than I wanted. I never have the thing on. This is California and my PC desktop heats up anyway so I leave it off. Now I really can't turn it on.
Moved the second unit from the car, assembled, and got it in place. After some creative work with the styrofoam packaging to create a guard for my table shelving, I end up with this:
I have my living room back! Plenty of room to accommodate four people to dine with and to move the Laver away to play the Wii with four people. Now to just have more people visit...
Next up: Buying the best A/V Receiver. Anyone have any suggestions?
My trips to IKEA before haven't yielded results before, but the new catalogue was out now. Artsygrrl was looking around for ideas when she finally gets a place on her own which took quite a while. We got to the desk section and started to work.
For most of the time, I was pretty much sold on the Galant system with a certain configuration of pieces that would fit. I wanted something L-shaped so I could maximize the space while leaving some open room to move around my Laver dining table.
I was sold on a configuration, but there wasn't an IKEA staff member around. Then I saw a table that looked small enough to buy two for an L-shaped configuration, the Fredrik. Did the measurements, and I could get two, get my L-shape, and $77 cheaper! Not to mention that I have a lot of options with these two desks. SOLD.... almost.
We get to the warehouse and find the section, only to have one of the black color and certainly not the birch. Talked to the staff and they said they'll have it tomorrow. Which to me says that they had it up in the high parts reachable only by fork-lift. Walked out empty handed, but with what I want set.
The next day I go alone and go straight to the warehouse. Restocked full of Fredrik's, so I think my assumptions were correct. I don't blame them for not wanting to run a forklift with a bunch of kids running around. Got two boxes and got them in my car.
When I got home, I only pulled one box out to start. After cleaning up the mess of wires and other crap, I started working on building the first desk. Not much trouble at all as the only real heavy part is the top. Moved it in place and things really started looking good. Did another spot measurement and realized the second desk was going to be a bit closer to the heater than I wanted. I never have the thing on. This is California and my PC desktop heats up anyway so I leave it off. Now I really can't turn it on.
Moved the second unit from the car, assembled, and got it in place. After some creative work with the styrofoam packaging to create a guard for my table shelving, I end up with this:
I have my living room back! Plenty of room to accommodate four people to dine with and to move the Laver away to play the Wii with four people. Now to just have more people visit...
Next up: Buying the best A/V Receiver. Anyone have any suggestions?