IKEA Staff Called My Kitchen Renovation a S*** Job!

Image from All Singapore Stuff

This article caught my eye while while I was doing my research on kitchen renovation. It was published on All Singapore Stuff on 16th Nov 14 but apparently its original post was from Charles Benedict.

Basically, the unfortunate homeowner experienced a very frustrating kitchen renovation by ARTBUILD. And the experience is market by delays, mis-communication, mis-calculation, "hidden" costs and of course, exchange of unpleasant words.

From the writeup, it seems that the cause was due to Ikea's liberal outsourcing strategy (the actual renovation is handled by 2 companies - ARTBUILD and LUXX NEWHOUSE as highlighted by the homeowner) and that due to poor coordination by the Project Manager, the simple kitchen renovation was made more complex due to the many parties involved.

I am unsure of whether this problem is very prevalent in Ikea. However, it is worthwhile to take note of this incident and remember to check how many sub-contractors are involved  when you are discussing with your prospective renovation professionals.

Fortunately, Ikea finally followed up and addressed the homeowner's issue promptly.

Nevertheless, remember to check how many sub-contractors are involved for your renovation project!

This is because this is a generic problem which can happen in any renovation company if there is poor coordination and communication involved. You might not be as fortunate as the homeowner.

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Drawer Organiser

How to organize a messy drawer?

1)  Customize

You can get your contractor or ID to plan and build customized "tou-fu cubes" or drawer dividers for your drawers. It is definably a more elegant option but is much more expensive. I did mine with a see-through-glass on top and the effect is awesome; so much so that subsequent clients of my ID asked for the exact same design.

2) Purchase ready made drawer dividers

Ikea sells very affordable drawer dividers. Besides Ikea, you can also find the following drawer organizers  as suggested by apartmenttherapy.com (prices in USD).

• Extendables Drawer Organizers from Neatnix, $12
• Bamboo Drawer Organizers from the Container Store, $9.99 - $24.99
• Tweed Drawer Organizers from the Container Store, $14.99 - $19.99
• Komplement Boxes and Baskets from IKEA, starting at $5
• Drawer Organizer Combo from Bed, Bath, & Beyond, $9.99
• Diamond Drawer Organizer from Bed, Bath, & Beyond, $7.99
• Wicker/Willow Basket Set from The Storage Store, $30
• Cedar Sweater Box from Amazon, $17.99
• Interlocking Deep Drawer Organizers from Space Savers, $1.79 - $2.99
• Instructions for Making Your Own Drawer Dividers from Martha Stewart

However, if you only want to organize small items like belts, scarves, ties and so on, honeycomb drawer divider is also an excellent alternative too.

3) DIY
If you do not mind spending sometime to DIY the drawer dividers, this is a very good step by step instruction on how you can make one yourself! You can get all your materials from Art Friend. :)

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IKEA Hackers

How many of you are fans of Ikea?

Yet how many of you are DIY lovers who love to "hack" Ikea products?

I am a DIY lover; having personally designed our very own posters, customized our unique crystal hanging dining lights and of course, acrylic drawings too.

In fact, Ikea is an extremely good source of cheap and configurable furnishing to "hack"..or rather work with. And there are endless ideas what we can do with their furniture. Best part is that they are very reasonably priced!!

Some of my favorites:

 Dolls house from a IKEA Catalogue

  

Waooouu! How did you find a TV that fits perfectly with Besta?

 

Torked-out Ribba Backlit frame

Keep those creative juices flowing! Feel free to submit your IKEA hacks and be showcased in my reno blog! :)

Happy HACKING!

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Ikea Planner Tools - 3d tool for visualisation

For Ikea fans, there is an Ikea Planner Tool for kitchen, bedroom and office. Simply install the Planner Tool into your PC and select the Ikea furnitures that you fancy. It's simple and fuss free as 123.

1. Pick Your Room Size

After launching the program, type in the size, click-and-drag the walls to a smaller or larger size.

2. Furnish Your Room

You’ll see a list of items you can add to your room, such as cabinets, appliances, and furniture.

3. View Your Room

You can view a 3D representation of your room after all the items are in. :)

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