SummerTroll

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Willy Wonka IKEA Tour

Cory Hagen, my IKEA soulmate!
Check out his designs at
TinyModernHomes.com

In response to a question I posted on the DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts Facebook page back back in July (see "IKEA & Tiny Houses"), Cory Hagen of TinyModernHomes.com, decided to lead a pied piper's tour through IKEA last Saturday.

Thirty-five of us bravely set out through the rain and high water to gather at IKEA. Despite our best efforts we continually blocked the aisle as we navigated the maze and amazing showrooms. Some Enthusiasts were lost to shopping wonder, so only 24 of us corralled in the cafeteria for lunch at the end.

Cory started off the tour by provided an informative introduction as well as a handout that people could download before the tour. (Click here for the handout Cory put together.)

Before we all went on our collective merry way, Cory insisted we each grab a map. Not only is it important to understand the layout of IKEA's stores, it's also essential to know where the 'shortcuts' are location.

IKEA Layout Map
Image Source: IKEA pamphlet, IKEA, Frisco, TX (8/20/2016)

Here are the highlights from the IKEA Willy Wonka Tour:

1. The Tiny House couch is the FRIHETEN.

It's just so versatile because it has more than one use. Multiple use furniture is very important in a tiny house and I use this couch in mine.

FRIHETEN couch looks like a normal L-shaped sofa.
It expand to a sleeping platform equivalent to a full or queen size bed.
There is additional storage under the chaise section. I store my bedding here.

The other nice aspect of this couch is that it comes in a flat pack. Living in a tiny house makes getting large pieces of furniture difficult to get into the house. With IKEA furniture, you can bring the pieces in as you are building the furniture inside the house. It still has some challenges, but a lot easier than trying to fit an 7' long couch into a house that only 8' wide.... just saying.

Many pieces of IKEA furniture are also "hack"-able. (For more information about IKEA hacks visit my previous post "IKEA & Tiny Houses")

2. Get ideas from the showrooms.

The show rooms at IKEA are very well designed. You will see the same piece of furniture or accent being used several different ways. This will help you explore your options when designing for your own tiny home. I especially like to examine their micro living quarters of 270 sq. ft.

3. The Tiny House table is the NORDEN.

This table closes up tight and
can expand to seat 6 people.

3. Don't be space specific. Re-imagine how furniture can be used.

While in the kitchen section, I reminded people to think about the 'problems' of their tiny house. For example, I ran into issues of not having a closet or any way of hanging up my clothes. I ended up using IKEA kitchen rods to hand a few clothes flat against the wall in the bathroom.

4. Ask for design help.

The kitchen showroom area has computer stations and assistants that can help you design your space. IKEA cabinetry is easy to use because even though they may be standardized in sizes, the option within the standardization provides many different design options when combined in various ways.

5. The Tiny House kitchen sink is the NORRSJON with the VIMMERN faucet.

The sink is actually a HILLSJON because it has a second sink.
Without the second smaller sink it is like the NORRSJON.

6. The Tiny House bathroom sink is the LILLANGEN...

LILLANGEN sink is compact,
easy to install and versatile -
notice the towels hanging beside it.

7. Think about how YOU use your space.

For instance... Do you really need a sink in the bathroom? What do you use it for? Brushing your teeth, washing your face, shaving, etc. Are these things you can do at the kitchen sink which is probably 3 steps away? If you do need a bathroom sink, think about putting it in the shower area rather than its own little area. This will save you room.

I personally love IKEA for many reasons. Another happens to be because they have a webpage dedicated to "Small Spaces." There you will find an excellently produced video which walks you through IKEA design concepts and how they re-imagine the purpose of a room and the furniture within.

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DFW Tiny House Enthusiast at IKEA, Frisco, TX
#tinyhouseIKEAtribe

***

Those are the highlights from the #tinyhouseIKEAtribe and now I'd like to invite you to the Tiny House IKEA Challenge. The person (or group) who turns in their Challenge sheet with the most points by November 1, 2016 at 4:00 pm will receive your choice of hand-crocheted scarf, handmade olive oil base soaps, a handmade basket (all made by me) or your choice of a 8x10 photo from my Studio page. By the way, if you use examples from this blog points will be deducted!

My hope is to put together a collection of ideas and designs inspired by fellow Enthusiasts for everyone to enjoy. Be inspired!

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Where Everyone Whispers

I drove to Arches National Park late in the evening, my first national park of the trip. Before I arrived though, I had to travel through Colorado and parts of Utah. That was no hardship.

Let me begin by saying that Colorado was an adventure to drive. The scenery varies from meadows, to canyon walls and highways following the river bends.

I experienced a stillness as I zoomed forward through Silverthorne, Vail, and Glenwood, Colorado. The contrast of Texas' temperatures (well into the 100s) and Colorado's 50-60 degrees brought on feelings of calm and renewal associated with Fall or Spring. The glimpses of snow peaks in the fogged distances were wintry surprises. Colorado was magical not only for its adventurous landscapes but also for its Summer of all Seasons.

Though tucked away from the main interstate, many of Colorado's towns have entrenched themselves into the nooks and crannies of the mountain and canyon walls. Though you may not see them, they are there scattered between the major cities. Cross the state line into Utah and the little towns are few are far between.

I didn't know what to expect from Utah, other than a beautiful national park. My first thought after crossing the state line was, "What do people do here?"... "What do visitors do?" If you really want to experience the beauty of Utah, you have to stop the car frequently. Whereas Garden of the Gods taught me to slow down and enjoy the places around me. Utah brought me to a halt. (Click here for photographs of this trip.)

Without words being spoken, people smiled as they passed on the trail. It didn't matter if you were Hispanic, Biker, College kid, Punk/Goth, Muslim, or White Girl. Interactions were careful, sincere, polite and often conducted in whispers. We all had a single purpose when we stopped, to see an indescribable petrified beauty.

It wasn't until I reached Arches National Park that I realized a silence had permeated the entire trip. At Arches everyone spoke in whispers including me. Even children recognized the reverence owed when witnessing the majestic artistry of the Earth. Arches National Park truly was like a outdoor art museum in which the statues were molded by the science of nature.

Sacramento Scenes

Back of Typewriter - Samsung Galaxy s6

Street Curb Writing - Samsung Galaxy s6

Post Writing - Samsung Galaxy s6

Plywood Eyes - Samsung Galaxy s6

Russian Orthodox Church - Samsung Galaxy s6

Time Tested Books - Samsung Galaxy s6

Saturday, August 13, 2016

South Lake Tahoe Scenes

South Lake Tahoe, NV - Samsung Galaxy s6

Pine Needles - Samsung Galaxy s6

Friday, August 12, 2016

Utah & Nevada Road Scenes

Black Dragon Canyon, UT - Samsung Galaxy s6

Salt Wash, UT - Samsung Galaxy s6

Petrified Reef, UT - Samsung Galaxy s6

Great Basin Forest Fire, NV - Samsung Galaxy s6

Highway 50, NV - Samsung Galaxy s6

Thursday, August 11, 2016

The Trail Less Traveled

Tree, Roots & Rock Formation
Garden of the Gods,
Colorado Springs, CO
B&W - Samsung Galaxy s6

After my incomparable experience at Carlsbad Caverns National Park on a Sunday, I was hoping the Sunday following the Tiny House Jamboree would boast similar results at the Garden of the Gods. That hope was in vain. Maybe if I had gotten up at dawn, but that wasn't to be either.

It's obvious that some people find comfort being in a crowd of people and if I were people watching, this was an excellent opportunity. But I wasn't at Garden of Gods to see people. Like the thousands of others there on Sunday, I wanted to witness the artistry of the Earth. I couldn't fault these people for wanting to see the same visions I did, but I wanted to.

Rather than pout at the people crowding the trails, I took Robert Frost's advice. When the crowd surged right at the trail fork, I went left. As the tides changed and the school shifted right, I went left. When I got stuck in a flock, I slowed down until it passed.

Being with people doesn't usually bother me, especially if I'm traveling with other people. Having companions, either friends, family or strangers is part of the experience and it's built in to my expectations. However, I have noticed that when I solo travel, I have less of a desire or threshold for engaging with others. Hence my annoyance at all the people in my way.

What I failed to realize until the next day, all those people were pushing me away from the popular scenes and forcing me to venture out into parts of Garden of the Gods that I would not have otherwise visited. When I slowed down to let a group pass, I saw more beauty. Because groups were blocking paths, I often made loops twice to take in the whole view - enriching my experience.

Garden of the Gods is a visual and physical experience. I posted pictures in an earlier blog article, Garden of the Gods. The reality is, it's hard to take a bad picture here because every angle is unique and beautiful.

Again, thanks to the mass of people, I learned to stop and rather than tap my foot impatiently for the group to pass, I stood and looked around myself. I didn't just stare straight ahead. I turned my head from side to side, up and down, and turned my body completely around 360 degrees. I found myself backtracking, thinking, "How did I miss that?"

Prior to this adventure, I would have considered myself an attentive person with a visual awareness of the world around me. Now, I'm not so sure. It took these moments to show me that I had indeed fallen into a trap of looking straight ahead, keeping my eye on the ball, and other similar euphemisms. This is not to say that looking ahead is a bad trait. Think about it. A human's most natural motion is forward. The human head easily rest in a position that provides a clear front view.

Even though the forward motions and views are the most natural, humans can and do move in other directions. Side to side. Up and down. Reverse.

More valuable than witness the beauty of Garden of the Gods, I was reminded that my straight ahead approach needs to be balanced out with patience and awareness of what I have passed by.

"...I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." ~ Robert Frost