IKEA tour

Picture a house where there is nothing unexpected, where nothing needs explanation.  With traditional furnishings. A showroom-type house.  That may be comforting to some but to this author, soulless, depraved.  

IKEA provides some ideas and inspirations to help round out a house's personality.  The store being of European origin caters in general to small or mid size homes, and apartments.  Not much in the way of banquet tables and large sectional sofas and recliners that you'd see in traditional furniture stores.

First, the CT state seal, explained:

State Flag

actually, the grapes symbolize success or friendship.

The plan is to mix old with new furnishings.  I am in the market for an actual real dining set/table/flatware, bed frame, and small bathroom sink to replace the very small bathroom sink.

IKEA Home Furnishings, New Haven.  Below are pictures from a trip there just to see what might work. Nothing purchased today!  I hope these pictures convey the IKEA experience.

Cafeteria!

Flatware

Upstairs at IKEA: showroom full of nooks with example room setups, furniture, cabinets, curtains and all.  Downstairs: the marketplace with smaller things like rugs, candles, wall art.

Downstairs is also the massive warehouse with unassembled furniture in boxes that you would take to checkout.

The all-important cafeteria including Swedish meatballs and salmon fillets is upstairs, and there is also a monitored kids play area so that parents can take their time.

Map of the Galaxy

Example kitchen setups are in the picture below. You can buy cabinets, shelves, counters, everything individually, mix and match and size to suit your house.

Below is a dining room table possibility.  Somewhat rustic, and sturdy. A table strong enough to allow Greek table dancing would be perfect.

House rules, however, will prohibit table dancing.

It is likely I will get this bed frame.

 

Another example kitchen.  

Shelving

Beautiful lavender dishes. I will probably buy a set!

bins of goods

Possible replacement bathroom sink, trendy rectangular style

Part of the bathroom display area:

A high shelf/coat rack. The actual rack is less blurry.

Lighting. 

..

IKEA's predominant stype is Scandinavian minimalist.  You can see that many of the fixtures are pretty modern, or retro-modern.

Day bed

Below, outdoor furnishings!

Kiosks to look up products:

Swedish food market downstairs near the checkout

Outdoor furniture area

Warehouse area. Racks upon racks and shelves upon shelves, full of boxed unassembled furniture!

All of the IKEA products have Swedish names.  I don't often hear people attempting to pronounce.

I hope you now know what IKEA is all about!

More House Hunting

 Hebron, Connecticut

Split-level ranch for sale. Drove by, didn't see any character.

Somewhere else:

 The latest front-runner, cape in East Haddam, Connecticut

Cons: Closets could be bigger!

Tiniest bathroom sink ever! But not a deal breaker.

There is one bathroom, on first floor, which has a ceiling.

Below, is an extra room off one of the upstairs bedrooms.

View to outside from an upstairs room:

 Upstairs bedroom

Detached garage.  Next door, you can see in the distance that they have a huge barn out back, but not for animals.

Built-in storage at top of stairs:

Furnace isn't very new, but works. Heating is radiators. No heat in kitchen, so the owner uses an electric there.

Well water

Living room with fire place. A wood stove is hooked up in the fireplace.

Dining with built in shelves.

Front room. 

Front door is old. Still uses skeleton-key.

View toward street down driveway

Back yard goes back to a stone wall, then a big field or farm beyond.  Neighbor's barn to the right.

 Neighbor's barn

Outdoor fire place, and neighbor's on opposite side of barn

That is the actual well

 Front of house, looking along street.  The house has about 50 ft of frontage. The lot goes back about 350 feet to a stone wall.  It's a long and narrow half-acre!