Ikea for my bedroom

My husband grumbles at the mention of Ikea.
He rolls his eyes if I want to go browse, and he complains about everything there.
I am not sure where his disdain came from, seeing as how one of our best set of bookcases, which we have had over 12 years, came from there.  He just has a chip on his shoulder.

I am lucky in that I have sisters that share my love for Ikea with me, and one sister came with me on a recent trip.  Before I knew it she talked me into buying 2 dressers that I realized would be perfect for organizing my bedside.  With an enthusiastic pep talk she convinced me we could build these dressers before my husband even came home.

Here are the details and my tips to you:

Don't be stressed when you start your project

This is what my dresser looked like out of the box. Yikes.
We sorted through the items and organized them, and worked together.  This pile of pieces brought me slight anxiety, I am not gonna lie....


Follow the steps, read the instructions

The images of the screws, nails, and bolts are actual size, so you can compare side by side and make sure you are using the right piece for the step.  I am not real big on building my own stuff...like EVER...so this helped me feel like I could break down each step and do the right thing.
There are steps that use two people for bigger items- definitely get a helper. Don't think you balance large items by yourself.  I did learn this one the hard way after my sister had to leave.

Stick with it - the final result is worth it

Ikea dressers used as bedside nightstands

Truth be told it took me 2 1/2 days to finish my dressers.  I only had my sister's help for a few hours,
and then I got sidetracked, so I had to step away from my project. (another reason to strictly follow the steps, so you can always pick up where you left off.) I was actually proud of myself when I finally got them finished.  Hubby was out of town, so only one of us had to tiptoe around the piles of dresser parts scattered around the room.

I fell in love with these dressers in the store because of the color- they match our walls and I love their clean look.  I tend to lean toward ornate and shabby items (thus the light board above our bed) and my hubby loves clean lines- these dressers made us both happy.  He was surprised and really likes the finished look the dressers added, which made me even more happy with the leap of faith it took to buy and build these.

A good idea he had, (which I adore more than I ever thought possible) a hidden mounted surge protector.

It sits right at the side of my headboard, so we can light our wall mount and my night stand lamp with the switch.  You know those nights when you get cozy, only to realize someone needs to get up and turn off the light, or sit up and switch off the lamp.  No more. Now all it takes is a stretch of the hand to switch it all off, although let's be honest...some nights even that feels like a chore......
(note: don't use this to charge your phone if you turn everything off at night. Plug it into a wall so it is charged in the morning...duh.....I learned that one the hard way)

For my birthday I was able to convince him to take me back to Ikea for matching shelves.
I have always loved the thought of a reading nook, and I need a place for my books to make that happen.

We ended up not only getting 2 shelves, but also new curtains for our windows.

I am still in the process of sorting through my books and arranging my shelves, but this little space has already made me so happy. (note- side desk found on the curbside on garbage day- I used spray paint to make it over)

side by side book shelf corner

After moving to our home over two years ago it has been a process to make it feel like ours.
These projects weren't that expensive, and I sort of have to ask myself why I waited so long.
If you need a few basic furniture items  to help you complete your space don't forget the awesome deals at Ikea that can be used as your staples.  If your hubby is the type to roll his eyes...just do it without him, but don't tell him I said that.


and don't forget to enjoy your space