As is tradition when shopping at IKEA with Kyle, our first stop was the cafeteria. After devouring plates of meatballs and glasses of lingonberry juice (apparently I could eat 15 Swedish meatballs) we headed to bedroom wardrobes, but not before making a quick detour to look at cribs(!).  I’ve been eying the new Sundvik style since my last trip to IKEA, which comes in a gray-brown (for some reason that color doesn’t show up on the website) and looks similar to the much more expensive Oeuf Sparrow crib. Well, similar enough when there’s a $600 price difference at stake. So even though it felt way too early, we agreed that we could just keep it in the box and return it if we found something we liked better. Unfortunately, when I went to look up the aisle and bin number the tag read “temporarily oversold”. Of course.

After a few more diversions, we finally made our way to the sparse and rather neglected Stolmen display. After about 45 seconds of deliberation we decided it was worth a shot and I tracked down an employee to look up the information. I could tell he was reluctant to design an entire wardrobe system so when I told him I only wanted three drawer units, he looked at me with a raised eyebrow but also let out a sigh of relief. It was Sunday night and he didn’t want to be there either.

One night last week (while Kyle played catch up on the first season of Downton Abbey) I went to town assembling the three units. (The boxes had to be opened in the living room and then Kyle handed the individual pieces up to me.) Overall, I’m happy with the quality and design. Because they’re designed for clothes, the drawers aren’t meant to hold a lot of weight, but that shouldn’t be an issue for most office and art/craft supplies. (By the way, who let that crazed racoon in the house?)

The big dilemma now is legs. Although they look ok sitting on the floor, I think they would look better at least 4″ above the floor. At this height, the units would also clear the base trim and sit flat against the wall. I’ve been looking (ok, dreaming) for a way to use hairpin legs somewhere in our house and originally I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. But after realizing how many I’d need (8 if the middle unit shared a pair of legs with the one next to it) the cost added up quickly. So I’m now brainstorming other, less expensive ideas.

We’re also looking into a few options for the desktop. What would you think about some reclaimed wood and steel? Yeah, I thought so.  =)

Felix has been my little “helper” during this process – playing in the empty boxes, stealing hardware and getting all up in my business. Actually, he’s been especially “helpful” in general lately, so this picture is a good reminder that he does have his cute moments.

So back to the loft…a few weeks ago I wrote about how we decided to convert our mostly empty loft (which we’d been using as extra sleeping area for guests) into a studio/office space. I’ve been pinning different ideas and so far this is the image that has struck me the most:

[note: all images are linked]

With our limited head height and restricted access, we have to think short and small. Similar to this photo, the most logical arrangement would be to have a desk or work surface against the taller gable end wall with low-slung shelves flanking one or both short walls.

As a reminder, here’s a wide-angle shot of our space:

[It looks bigger in this photo, but the footprint is only about 13'x13'.

I also pinned this image because I love the idea of having a chaise or bench that could double as a twin bed if someone needs a place to crash. I'm not sure if we'll have enough space, but I like the possibility. [The other option is to leave enough floor space in the middle of the loft that we can still inflate the Aerobed that is currently up there.]

This floating storage featured in an Apartment Therapy house tour was also appealing, especially with the mix of drawers and larger cabinets.

Unfortunately, after checking out the resources section I learned that it was made by the Italian company Vitsoe and was (no surprise) not affordable. Not even close.

Without a good affordable option, the other alternatives were to build something or buy something used. But with the looming basement project and a few other DIY ideas for the loft and nursery, I couldn’t really ask Kyle to whip up 20+ linear feet of storage.

So last weekend I resolved to hit up some local second-hand and salvage stores in hopes of a lucky break. I went to Goodwill (the big one, in South Seattle), Second Use and the RE-Store. I found plenty of cool things, but nothing that would work for the loft. In addition to our short wall height (about 32″), whatever we use also has to fit through the floor opening.

Disappointed but not deflated, I decided to hit up IKEA while I was in the area. Kyle wasn’t with me, so I took iPhone photos of any possibilities.

Confession: even though it’s slightly more traditional I actually like a lot of the Hemnes line. I thought this sofa table was about the right size and shape and appreciated that it is made of wood. The only downside is that I wouldn’t be able to place 2 or 3 of them side by side without a gap between. Also, at almost $200 a piece I didn’t really want to buy 2 or 3.

In the back of my mind I knew that this Expedit unit was the right size and look that I had been imagining for the short wall. I was also intrigued by the new high gloss finishes like this gray (though I do think that the horizontal surfaces would scratch easily). But I don’t know…I’m just not an Expedit girl I guess. I think it has something to do with the proportion of the outside frame to the interior partitions.

Moving on.

I’ve seen some nice things done with the Effektiv line and thought I could just buy several frames like this and install them side by side. At $35 a piece I liked the price but realized I’d have to buy additional bins or boxes to organize everything within the frames. A good solution for books and magazines, but not for supplies.

The Vika Alex line was also on my list (as was the wider Alex drawer unit), but at $80 and $120 a piece, the costs would add up too fast for how many units we’d need (though I do like how they were used in that first image). Besides, we would still need another solution to hold non-drawer items like books and magazines.

On my way out and empty-handed, I decided to swing through the As-Is section just to see.

Well hello. Who are you? You look a lot like that expensive Italian stuff that I pinned. Stolmen? Hmm…sounds familiar. You’re part of a wardrobe system, aren’t you?

Although I try never to do this, I made a second loop through IKEA to investigate the matter further. Sure enough, in a small display next to Pax was the meager Stolmen. Although it’s still particle board, I was impressed with the design and quality of construction. The larger drawer unit (about 44″ wide) is $100 which seemed reasonable since I’d only need 3 to line one of the short walls. To sweeten the deal, there is also this cubby unit which is the same height (though slightly shallower) and would be perfect for books and magazines.

Although the units are meant to attach to vertical posts, I didn’t see any reason why we couldn’t assemble them side by side, either on legs or attached directly to the wall. When I got home, I hunted around on Google to see if the Stolmen had been hacked. Surprisingly, I didn’t find much, but I did find this:

See what I’m thinking?

This 3-unit configuration would cost around $300 for 11′ of storage. Not bad at all.

[Has anyone else worked with the Stolmen products? Thoughts? Opinions?]

We still have to figure out the actual desk part, but we’ve come up with a few creative ideas that could work. One step at a time. 

Yup, we’re going to have a baby! The littlest Zerbey is due at the end of July and we can’t wait!

[Apologies for the annoying vertical iPhone videos, you might want to watch full screen. And yes, next time I'll rotate.]

…

1. Media/guest room: this space would double as a TV room (we’re using the word “media” because the goal is to have a dedicated surround sound system at some point) and a guest bedroom. Ideally, we’d have a sleeper sofa and dedicated storage space that could easily accommodate guests.

2. Guest bathroom: although 99% of the time we function just fine with one bathroom, it would be nice to have a second bath and we see this as something that would add substantial value to the home. (Many homes of this era in Seattle only have one bathroom.) We also like the idea of having a lower tub that Bailey could more easily jump in and out of.

3. Laundry/utility room: our washer and dryer (the same ones that came with the house!) are currently in the basement and will remain in the same general location. However, we’d like to create a more dedicated laundry room with better storage, a large work surface and a utility sink. (When it comes time to replace the appliances we’ll go with front-loading machines and install a counter on top.) The existing footing and column create a somewhat awkward divide in this space, but we’ll probably eventually wall that area off (where it says “storage”) and fill it with deep shelves. While the “short basement” is completely open to the basement right now, eventually we’ll have a single access door near the exterior basement door.

4. Hallway: we debated whether or not the stair should open directly into the media/guest room, but ultimately decided that it would be better to provide more acoustical privacy for movie-watching and sleeping guests. At the end of this small hallway there will be some type of storage cabinet that will likely house linens, extra towels, toilet paper, etc. At the back of the cabinet we’ll design some type of access to the under-the-porch storage area.

As you may have guessed, the portion shaded in yellow is what we’ll be tackling this year. (Click to enlarge image.) We don’t need that second bathroom yet, but we wanted to make sure we had a plan that would allow it to be added in the future. (In addition to spreading out costs, splitting the work into two phases also means we can use the unfinished space as a staging area during construction.)

One of the challenges with our basement is that the concrete slab slopes about 6″ from one end to the other. We could choose to level out the entire floor, but this would have negative head height impacts to a space that is already pretty short. Therefore, to create a level floor while maximizing head height we’re going to level out the floors of each room instead. This means we’ll frame out the spaces first and then level the floors, creating a small step at each doorway. 

In lieu of this approach, we also considered tearing out the existing slab, digging down and pouring a new slab at a lower elevation to create a taller basement space. Our main concern with this approach was the amount of work that would be required to gain a modest amount of head height. Because our foundation footing is right below the slab, we’d also have to underpin the existing foundation to prevent unwanted settling or structural failure. Ultimately, we decided that working with what we had would be a smarter use of time and resources.

This project may seem straightforward on the surface, but finishing out a basement is a fairly technical process that requires careful attention to how you handle insulation, waterproofing, thermal breaks, etc. We’ve been doing our homework and discussing the best tactics and will share all the details with you as we go! 

While flipping through one of the sewing books, I came across a section on all the necessary supplies one should have. And that’s when I realized that I was going to need an actual space to get all crafty and what not. For some reason I always assumed that part of the basement would eventually become a multipurpose room of some sort, but we’re just not going to have enough space. 

[Side note: check out this awesome tool quilt that my mom made for Kyle for Christmas! For the record, there is nothing cuter than seeing your husband curled up with their cat and dog under a tool quilt.]

But anyways, back to the matter at hand. In addition to needing a more permanent location for my sewing machine and its entourage, I also wanted a space for all of our architecture/art supplies (which have been packed away in the crawl space for the last several years).

Then I had an idea. Once the basement is finished, we will no longer need to rely on the loft as extra space for guests. Therefore, STUDIO LOFT! So last Sunday I started hauling things up from the basement with an MO to purge and organize! (Kyle was out snowboarding that day – please tell me I’m not the only one who loves to dive into an organization project when I have the house all to myself?)

In the soon-to-be remodeled basement, we had a small bookshelf that housed all of our magazine back issues, remodel books and these cardboard magazine holders. They were an attempt to organize all the important paperwork that comes with 5+ years of remodeling, but I knew the system could be better. So one by one I emptied each holder and went through every single piece of paper.

When it was all said and done, I had whittled everything down to this. Instead of individual files, I’m going to create a master homeowner’s manual. We’re talking 3″ binder here. With colored tabs? Maybe. 

We’ve also developed a small collection of reference books over the years and along with the sewing books, they’ll be moving up to the loft as well.

By mid-afternoon I had made some good progress. Right now I’m just lining things along walls until I figure out the overall design and storage system.

After graduation, Kyle and I purged 5 years worth of architecture supplies and sold what we didn’t want to unsuspecting freshmen. Although neither of us have busted out the acrylic paints in the last 8 years, we might. Someday. (The middle tub is “adhesives”. Always a good idea to have plenty of options when you need to adhere something.)

…and my Dwell collection! I bought my first issue in 2001 when I was a sophomore in college. 2001-2006 is a little spotty, but I have every one for the last 5 years or so. (As I reorganized them in chronological order, I noticed how much thinner the publication has become.)

So here’s the thing – some girls are attracted to guys with fancy cars or big houses…and some girls are attracted to guys with an extensive Chartpak marker collection. True story. As second year architecture students, I used to roll by Kyle’s desk and borrow a marker or two. He was the only one in studio that had the complete collection. Not only that, but he had made a COLOR CHART to go with it. In fact, it was probably at that moment when I thought – back away ladies…this one is mine.  =)

The only other publications we keep are Fine Homebuilding and IKEA catalogs (though I regrettably recycled 2000-2004 during a purge a few years ago).

So the next step is to figure out the overall design and storage system. I have a few ideas but nothing is clicking just yet. It needs to be inexpensive, able to fit through the loft opening, and preferably not too IKEA. (I know, I know…I just knocked IKEA after showcasing the catalogs I’ve hoarded. But you know what I mean.)