IKEA & Farmhouse Style, You Say?

Farmhouse and IKEA aren’t two styles that you would think work together.  With our new IKEA that recently opened in Halifax, everyone is pretty excited!  So I thought I’d take you on an IKEA tour of our home to show you ways to combine the clean lined look IKEA is known for with my farmhouse style.

It’s always exciting when a new store opens in your area, especially a store like IKEA which is very well-known across the globe.  I’ve been seeing, hearing and talking so much about it that I thought I need to do a post about it and how I work products from this popular home store into our home.

Now, some of these items are no longer available, but I did link to the ones that still are so you can easily shop these pieces if you want!

This shelf has a great back story, well, one I love anyway!  My friend was heading back east for a visit from Ontario and asked, like a true friend does, if there was anything I needed/wanted at IKEA since she was coming my way.  I knew I wanted it, I had my eye on it, she thought I was crazy but now when she sees it, she gets it.  It’s the perfect spot for my collection of vintage pottery and a few other little things.

Something else I aquired at IKEA and use weekly is my watering can!  I can’t even remember how long I’ve had it but it’s perfect for watering my almost 30 houseplants.  And when I’m not using it, I can use it as a vase, too.  What’s not to love about a galvinized watering can, right?

These little buckets are so cute and so handy.  I’ve stored all sorts of things in them, inside and out, from bath toys to bracelets to plants.  I think the ones they currently sell are red { I think I need some, because, well, red…} and silver!  They’d be good for decorating for Christmas, too!

I think everyone and their dog has a Bekvam stool. I know you’ve seen it.  I got mine unfinished and first painted it black and now it’s glossy red.  When the girls were little, they sat at it like a picnic table and watched TV, eating a snack or breakfast.  Now, they are much too big to fit so we use it as a step stool in our kitchen to get to the upper cabinets or as an extra seat at the table.  I love seeing how everyone finishes them so uniquely that I even started a Pinterest board dedicated solely to the Bekvam stool, which you can see HERE.

We were gifted this angel light many years ago and we have used it ever since as a night light.  It’s perfect for taking along for sleepovers, camping trips and overnight stays at hotels.   Somewhere along the way, Hannah claimed it as her own.  I’m not sure if it was meant for Christmas decorations or not, but it’s a great night light for us. { I love how the green arrow is pointing towards the light – I swear I didn’t plan it that way!! }

These Bekvam spice racks shelves make the perfect spot to store all my mason jars of Miss Mustard Seed Milk paint.  I’ve seen them used for so many different things but this works for me.  Easy to put together, fun to paint and perfect for storing all sort sof things.

This bird print was an IKEA housewarming gift and so then I got Ribba frame to put it in for the living room.  Already it’s hung in a few different spots in the living room, too….I guess I like to switch things up!  The stack of birds always makes me smile.

Back in the studio, I have these storage bins that hold my scissors, measuring tape and other little tools that I like to have near by when I’m working at my bench.  Pretty sure these were studio-warming gifts from Dave & Christine…

Everytime I thing I’m nearing the end of my list, I realize I have more….Like my curtain rods in the living room, Hannah’s duvet cover, the rug in front of the washer and dryer and the pillow I just bought…and that was before we even had IKEA here in the province!!  I can’t even imagine how much more I’ll be buying now that we have one!

Now, I have a wishlist of IKEA items, too.  Like I said, I like to switch things up and I have my sights set on the plate wall in my kitchen….and the perfect farmhouse shelf from IKEA….I can’t help it!! Isn’t it perfect?  My birthday is coming, after all…hint, hint, Mr. Byrne!  Plus, as you wander through IKEA, there is always something that you see that ends up coming home with you!  Lena has a little list started, too, which, of course, makes me happy that she is putting thought into her room and what she wants to surround herself with!  So, I think there might be a little refresh happening for her, too.

So, tell me, what IKEA products do you have that you love?

To be continued,

Lori