Ikea Mirror Tiles and Bedspread Swap in the Den

Something just didn’t look right. The den in our new condo has been driving me crazy. I tried to make it in to another monk’s room, like the one we had on Capitol Hill. But this room is larger, and has no windows. It also has the living room carpet and chair that didn’t match the black and white bedspread, along with the clothes rack/bench from the hallway. A new bedspread just didn’t look right either. I thought about hanging curtains to create an illusion of a window but decided against it. So trying to lighten the space up was a priority. One way to do that is with mirrors. I put several Ikea mirror tiles up when we first moved in, but that wasn’t enough. So I added a few more a few weeks later. It was better but still not good enough. Then it dawned on me to cover the entire back wall with the mirror tiles. We picked them up last week and it made a huge difference. We also added a spider wall sculpture to add a touch of whimsy. When all was said and done, the black and white Restoration Hardware bedspread and pillow were resurrected. It just looked better - more serene and clean. The red one looked really out of place for our neutral style. But the stripes of the bedspread were placed horizontal rather than vertical to break up the long vertical lines of the carpet. I’d still like to switch out the kitchen wall art with the red border wall art hanging there now - but my husband likes it the way it is. The room definitely looks better - one can’t expect much when you’re using pieces from the old house.  Having a reflection from the foyer really helps. I just wish I could add a bit of natural light. In the ideal situation the room should have a desk with file cabinets and a Murphy bed option. But that will have to wait. 

An Ikea Adventure

I needed to pick up a few more packages of mirror tiles at Ikea. The den in our new condo was still lacking something. Without windows it is a pretty bleak place and one way to lighten it up is with mirrors. I already had twenty mirror tiles on the back wall but it could do with another bunch around the perimeter. So we set our sights for the Ikea store in College Park Maryland. And since it was lunch time, we thought we would stop at the cafe and check out the fare. We ended up with Swedish meatballs and salmon. We once went to a Swedish restaurant by the University of Chicago - and had Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes. I dare say we probably wouldn’t return any time soon - for lunch. Afterwards we walked the store and got in a few steps in the huge place. There we some interesting showrooms of 250 and 500 square foot homes - like our tiny condos on Capitol Hill. It’s amazing what you can live in if it’s set up right. After finding our mirror tiles we made our way to the check out line wandering through the huge warehouse. Everyone who worked there was very pleasant and eager to be of help. The drive home was a royal pain on a Friday afternoon. All in all it was a great adventure! 

Recreating the Monks Room With IKEA Lots Mirror Tiles

In our old Capitol Hill condo we turned a good sized closet in to a monks room. There was just enough space for a twin sized bed, and a small chest. Since there was a huge window, shelving, and high ceilings it worked out nicely. To make it appear larger I added twelve Ikea mirror tiles to the wall. When we moved to Virginia a few weeks ago, I thought it would be a good idea to recreate the monks room in the den. Because we left the mirror tiles on the wall, as well as the padded headboard, I needed to order the same LOT mirror tiles from Ikea for this room. They arrived several days ago and I scoped out the best option. Because the room is twice the size as the original monks room, the tiles needed to be set more horizontal than square. You simply use two sticky pads on each side and press to the flat surface. So I ended up with five tiles across and three down and wasn’t happy with the result. So I ordered another four tiles in one package and added an additional line along the bottom, ultimately using twenty tiles in all. It looks so much better and makes the room look twice as large. It’s taken a few tries to get it right - the huge metal framed mirror was moved to the dining room where it belongs. The three tiny monks are now above the door frame, and a chair and a coat rack complete the space along with a computer stand/bedside table, small storage table with a lamp, and one of our favorite paintings. I was hoping to put my printer in our huge closet but there wasn’t a plug, so it’s got a place there too. The monks room isn’t used that often but it’s a nice added area just in case someone needs an overnight place to stay. I don’t think I’ll be getting another headboard for the rollaway bed. Hopefully it will work out well. 

IKEA Swedish Meatballs and Mirrors

The We haven't been to IKEA for a long time. We went to Woodbridge Virginia on the last trip. All I remember was that it was packed with customers and the traffic was terrible. So when we decided to track down some mirrors I was looking for for our tiny 70x76 inch closet turned in to a monk's room, we headed to IKEA in College Park Maryland instead. It definitely seemed a lot closer and was much easier to access. But because it was during the week it made a huge difference in both traffic and parking. We decided we would stop for lunch before we started the hunt and ended up with the traditional Swedish meatballs and chicken tenders, with a salad and soft drink - all for $16. I had been searching and searching for a mirror on the internet for the past couple of weeks and came upon some 12x12 inch squares that when put together, would make for a nice wall cover with 9 squares. That is just what the tiny monk's room needed - something simple but also large enough to brighten and enlarge the space. My husband preferred the vertical wood framed mirror with a shelf. We decided to get both since the price was unbelievable and each piece would have a good use. So our trip to IKEA was a success. I'm not sure we would go back anytime soon, but it was definitely worth the trip.