Ikea Hack: Ektorp Sofa and Chaise pt. 1

The other day I bought a structurally sound Ikea Ektorp Chaise Lounge and Three Seater Ektorp Couch off of craigslist from a nice young couple 30 mins away for $40. Such a great deal right!? That is a $400 couch and a $300 chaise for $40! 

 

Any who, they weren't in the best condition... To be expected! The white slip covers were really dirty and had been drawn on in a couple different places by the couple's 3 year old. The bottom cushion of the chaise had a broken zipper and two of the sofa's feather-filled cushion toppers had exploded with in the slip cover. So, as you may have guessed taking it off was a very messy procedure. In the end I decided to cut off the entirety of the down topper and just make a new one with artificial stuffing I picked up at the craft store! 

I washed the slip covers individually, soaking them over night in my washing machine on the hot water setting with a couple sprays of stain remover, a scoop of oxy-clean and a whole cup of washing detergent! The covers came out nice and white! Any signs of a 3 year old were long gone so I stuck it in the dryer on the lowest heat setting until they were almost dry but still slightly damp. It's important to keep them damp because if you let the cover dry after stretching it over the frame, you will be left with a wrinkle free look every time!

I am still fabreezing every day to try and get the last owner's smell out of the pillows, but nothing seems to work! Any suggestions?? 

Tomorrow I will be working on the slip cover for the chaise lounge. I picked out a crazy music themed fabric inspired by my long term bf, the music teacher. So prepare yourself for a bold and eccentric fabric, with an easy to follow tutorial on how to make your own Ektorp Cushion Pattern! 

Thanks for reading! Suggestions and questions are encouraged! 

Love,

Archie Intern 

iPhone App of the Day: HOUZZ

I don't know if you guys are Apple or PC people, but this is actually a very problematic debate in my life. I grew up with PCs, I know how to work PCs, I used to have a Windows's Zune for gods sake!

But, I got an iPhone exactly a year ago, just an iPhone 4 (no siri included) and I really do love it. Since then I have gotten an iPod Nano 6th gen (it was actually a trade it when the ipod nano 1st gen got recalled)! And let's be honest they are just so darn beautiful, I really can't stand it! 

Any who, I have this app called HOUZZ it really is a staple for anyone even slightly interested in Interior and Architectural Design. It is basically a database full of all every type and style of interiors all over the country neatly sorted in an easy to use interface! You can also sort by room (ex. bathroom, living room, laundry room, etc) or by location (Boston, LA, NYC) or by style (modern, eclectic, traditional) so you can really find what is it you're looking for. I love it and would recommend it to anyone, and the best part is that it is free!

I was recently looking for pictures for my bathroom renovation project I am working on at my parents house! I personally go for more of an eclectic style, but for my parents it is traditional country all the way. So we are in the middle of putting some white bead board up, and getting our 70's yellow bathtub refinished! We still haven't decided on a color to paint the walls, but I'll post pictures when we do!

Thanks for reading! Questions and comments are appreciated!

Love,
Archie Intern 

Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge

What an inspiration, Grace Bonney is the one and only creator of Design*Sponge! Starting directly out of college this Brooklyn based writer leads the designer of today with "optimistic, can do ethos" (Jonathan Adler). 

  

I just started reading her book, published in 2011 and categorized in the Interior Decoration/Amateurs' Manual section. I love how her quirky personality comes though in her writing and it really has been an enjoyable read! A lot of great photographs and I of course skipped to the back to look through the multitude of fun DIY projects she explains!

She gives exclusive peeks into the beautiful home of the world and I just love reading up on her advice for fun tips! Overall it had been a great read and I would recommend it to and Inspired Interior or avid Architectural Designer! Thanks for reading and come back soon! I have a great Ikea Hack in the works!

Love, Archie Intern