Art updated for #13

I got crazy last week and updated the painting in my room by dumping a whole lot of green paint on the existing canvas. Then I smooshed it around. Let it dry. Hung it back up. And am contemplating.

I think it needs some gold leaf. 

NYC on the street: Chrysler Building

The view from the 69th Fl of the Chrysler Building

Friday I went to the dentist....in the Chrysler Building. I seriously didn't know I was there until I walked into the lobby and saw and explosion of Deco goodness. (Note: when you're 5'3" you miss a lot of what's going on overhead)

Here's some of the snaps I took with my iphone in the elevator and lobby. I'm definitely returning to get legit shots of the ceiling mural.

The Chrysler Building is located on the intersection of 42nd St. and Lexington Avenue. It was built in only 2 years, completed in 1930. According to Wikipedia, it was built at the rate of four floors per week! From base to tip, the Chrysler Building stands at 1050 ft and is the 4th tallest building in the city.

It was designed by architect William Van Allen who, in the race to build the highest skyscraper in NYC, secretly built at 138 ft spire inside the frame of the building in order to surpass a rival project at 40 State St. It was the first man-made structure to surpass the 1000 ft mark, however, this accolade was not rewarded--owner Walter Chrysler refused to pay his architect fee (There was speculated financial drama with the building's contractors)!!!

This building is absolutely breathtaking and the views are simply amazing. Since this is a full-functioning office building, you won't be able to get a tour like the Empire State Building, but I recommend taking a gander at the lobby. 

More hippie ish

Source: nastygal.com via Courtney @bigbeigebox on Pinterest

This is on its way from LaLa Couture. See? I've lost my edge!

Flokati Rugs: A sign I may be turning into a Hippie

Ok, what gives? Your self-proclaimed, "Queen of Darkness" is pulling away from the crisp, geometric prints and moving into gauzy territory. Just today, I purchased a white, gauzy sundress with bell sleeves. Really!?!?

I think it started with seeing this at IKEA this weekend:

Yep, that's right. $80 bucks for 4x6.

I've even started pinning Flokati rugs! What?

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Courtney @bigbeigebox on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Courtney @bigbeigebox on Pinterest

Source: timothywhealon.com via Courtney @bigbeigebox on Pinterest

Who am I?

I know absolutely nothing about these rugs so here's what I found, according to good old Wikipedia:

"A flokati rug is a handmade shag wool rug. Making flokatis is a long-time tradition of the Vlachs in the Pindus mountains. The natural color of a flokati rug is off-white, but they may be dyed different colors. The entire rug is wool, including the backing from which the tapered shag emerges. After the rug is woven, it is placed in the cold water of a river to fluff the shag. They continue to be handmade in the mountains of Greece and are regarded as desirable in American modern decor and children's rooms." 

Interesting. Weave the rug, submerge in river.

Aside from the logistical, pragmatics, these rugs are a great way to introduce texture (lots of it!) into a room. They're reasonably affordable without having to sacrifice quality on the lower end of the spectrum (as seen at IKEA). Since I have a very hairy dog with black hair, this may not be an option for me...but I'm DYING to use this in a space that's a bit cold and modern. Can you imagine what a great tactile oasis this would be for the toes in a bungalow with concrete floors?

Do you have a flokati rug? Please share links in the comments below. I'd love to see how you style it!

The BBB Guide to Surviving IKEA

Having as 13 apartments and a limited budget, I know a thing or two about how to make IKEA furniture work in a home.  I've visited numerous IKEAs around the country: Boston, CT, Phoenix, Florida, and just this weekend I braved the Brooklyn, NY location. Not only did I survive, I thrived! 

A very happy Courtney this Sunday after 2 hours in the Brooklyn IKEA. 

IKEA isn't the nightmare you hear about from your friends if you plan ahead, and work your plan. Here are my tips on surviving IKEA.

1. Plan ahead: There are three things I do before shopping at IKEA- I shop online first so I can narrow down exactly what I'm looking for when I hit the store. This keeps you on budget and increases trip efficiency. Everything you need to know about that piece of furniture is listed on this page: the dimensions, available colors, as well as its availability in your local store. Compile a list of the make and model of furniture that you want. The items often have quirky, Swedish names so writing this down helps.

Second stage in planning is making sure the furniture works in your space. Take the time to plot out where your furniture will be in your home and explore the possible scenarios of your space. Believe me, you do NOT want to schlep a heavy IKEA box home only to find out that the piece doesn't work.

2. Get acquainted with the store layout: IKEA's showroom and marketplace floor are designed to lead you past every single piece of furniture they sell. This winding labyrinth layout has been hugely profitable for IKEA, as it confuses shoppers and urges them to grab items and go because they may be too hard to find later. My tip for staving off impulse buys is to stay the course as you wind through the showroom. If you're pressed for time, make a beeline to the department you need and utilize shortcuts to minimize distractions or getting caught up in showroom traffic.

Ottawa's IKEA Showroom Layout c/o GirlAboutTown.com

If this is your first time at IKEA and you have an hour plus to spare, it's worth taking a stroll through their showroom to see how their products play out in real life. This is your only chance to see their furniture up close and personal where you can see the quality of the piece you're looking for. Test it out-play with drawers, sit on mattresses. IKEA items are shot very well online and sometimes the piece is not what you expected. This could be disappointing or pleasantly surprising.

Also, they do some really great small apartment vignettes. For example, I stumbled upon a mocked up 300 sq ft apartment that was entirely furnished (from foyer, to bedroom, to bathroom, and kitchen) with IKEA products and the utilization of space was genius.

If you're pressed for time, or if it's absolutely bananas in there, skip to step #4&5.

3. Track the location of your items: While you're in the showroom, make sure you record the location of your items. Most pieces of furniture, with the exception or oversized items, are accessed in the self serve furniture area. This is indicated at the bottom of each item's tag, usually in red.

You will need to know the asile and bin numbers. The item number above is also handy if you need to inquire about the status of the item in stock. My tip is to take a pic of the tag with your cell phone for easy reference later in self serve. 

c/o dottywymandesigns.blogspot.com

4. The Marketplace: Ah, this is where the magic happens. If you're looking for rugs, kitchen items, lighting, or bedding come here first and skip the showroom. You can access the Marketplace by walking through the checkout line and past the Self Serve Area. Make sure you bring a cart!

Gorgeous Flokati rug for under $100 I saw this weekend!

5. Self Serve Furniture Area: If you're coming to IKEA with your list of items and you know that they're in Self Serve, skip the Showroom and enter IKEA through the check out lines (yes, they say "Do Not Enter" but ignore this) to get there. This is going to shave 2+ hours off your time here. If you know the name of the item you're looking for, it's often very easy to walk through the aisles of Self Serve and find what you're looking for. Furniture is often grouped together by model and the room that it serves, so you'll likely be able to find your MALM dresser if you locate where the MALM items live.

c/o ericadukes.com

If you're coming from the showroom, use your pictures of the aisle and bin numbers to find your furniture. Here's what you'll see:

c/o ericadukes.com

Be sure to grab the right color if your piece of furniture has multiple options. You can see in the pic above that this Lack table comes in the birch veneer color, as indicated on sticker on the label. Also, some items come in multiple boxes so make sure you get everything.

6. Check out and RUN!!!!!: All the homework and navigation strategy is an attempt to cut down on the time you spend hunting in IKEA because often the checkout lines are long and slow on the weekends. This is the only thing you cannot control during your visit here. My suggestion is to make sure your small items are on the top of your cart so you can feed them to the cashier first to get things going. Also, make sure that all the labels are facing the same way to make it easy for the cashier to scan your big boxes.

Success! An entire office outfitted for under $500. Shopped on a Sunday-stress-free to boot!

So there you have it; my tips to make IKEA a stress-free and efficient visit. Got any nightmare stories or tips to share? Please comment below!