kitchen musings

We are still awaiting a big move into a house in Sydney, hence we are in limbo land which kind of means everything around me is as well. But the good news is the house is in dire need of a new kitchen so my first personal reno will soon be afoot!

We are on a super shoestring budget so I am heading over to my favourite place in the whole world for ours - Ikea! You have heard me sing their praises before so I'll hold back (but they do have some fab designs!, OK stop now) but I have also been seeking inspiration online, here is a list of fave kitchen design elements... (Alright so it's a wish list but you might add some I haven't thought of too)

Kitchen Art: get those frames in there!

Loving the yellow... Image: Freshome

Window Splashback: love these, who wants to stare at tiles when you're cooking when you can see the garden, a view to water, a mosaic wall, or even a couple of pot plants?

View to the garden. Image: Freshome

wouldn't mind this oven too! Image: homeone.com.au

Bold colour scheme: check out this fab kitchen...

Punchy. Image: Freshome

Pot rack: quite like them in front of the window...

Pots preferable to blinds. Image: Houzz

Image: Houzz

Cool Stools: even if they are completely impractical

You would have to try them for boing factor surely? Image: Houzz

Love these! Image: Houzz

Other things on the wish list, double oven (don't have $$ or space for that one), servery into the backyard, fridge with ice machine, matching cutlery and unchipped plates!

i heart ikea

It is no secret to people that know me that I absolutely looove Ikea. Being in the interior industry, you either have a love or hate relationship with this place, and mine is definitely LOVE! This may sound a little unhinged, but I could spend hours there, wandering about getting lost, finding cool new textiles and fantasising about all the amazing things I could make if only I had a sewing machine (and could actually sew), thinking up new and amazing ways to use their clever storage in my non-existent hallway, checking out their kitchen ranges (have you seen them? - they are really something) and just generally wishing I owned my own house so I could fill it up with Ikea goodness.

A disclaimer here. I used to shop here alot for my work, so I know the place back-to-front, plus all the shortcuts through the showroom and marketplace, and I ONLY ever go on a weekday. It is not much fun on the weekend at all.

Smaland image from Ikea

That being said, I did brave Ikea during the school holidays and low and behold, now that Lucas is 3 he is able to go to Smaland.... I now love Ikea even more if that is even possible! Smaland is a play area and care facility at the entrance to Ikea (in Victoria anyway), it has the obligatory ball pit but also has a chillout space, drawing table and indoor swinging tree things that looked like fun. Lucas was in heaven and did not want to leave. They take your kids for an hour and let you shop in peace - bliss! Although an hour in Ikea is never enough, it gave me long enough to get the bits I needed that day, and the good thing is there is a pick up point inside the store so you don't need to go outside to pick them up - handy!

Their design ethos is sound and super practical, they have the needs of a family and it's practicalities in place while everything is stylishly designed and oh-so Swedish. Their new parents range also covers everything you could need or want, without going OTT like some baby specialists do with the equipment you may 'need' for your new baby. And to top it all off, it's priced at wallet friendly rates which not only means you can fill your house with it all, you won't stress too much about having a garage sale when your kid decides they hate red and insist on their room having GREEN drawers ONLY!

So anyway, enough of my gushing about our Swedish designer friends, you know how much I love them, I am just happy they have made shopping there even better for me! Oh, that and the fact I can't go past their (very kid friendly) restaurant without getting my hands on a plate of their swedish meatballs. yum.

Swedish Meatballs from Ikea

Parent Room roll call #2 - Victoria Gardens

Maybe this can be seen as a community service, but I reckon Parent's Rooms (PRs) should be held up to some sort of review process. They are used incessantly, can be a haven for brand-new mums or refuge for strung-out experienced ones so we need to know where the good ones are!

I can remember when Lucas was very new, I felt a little alien getting back out amongst it with a newborn so having somewhere to go where a) it was warm (Lucas is an August baby) and b) had somewhere I could run to in case he started screaming/I started having a meltdown - so large shopping centres with their fully equipped and comfortable Parent's Rooms were the destination of choice, even if the sad line-up of clothing chains were all the same - it's not like I was going to fit my post-baby arse into a pair of Dotti jeans any time soon.

Vic Gardens Parents Room

So it was we ended up in the PR at Victoria Gardens in Richmond today. A long room with family loo at the end (equipped with adult and kiddie loo for simultaneous pees!) We are toilet training at the mo so this is the facility we utilised today - and all good. Lucas loved the kid-sized seat (he's still a newbie at this - I was very impressed with accident-free shopping trip, and we even went to Ikea). Large cubicle so we could fit the pram in as well. Only gripe would be maybe including a kid-sized handbasin as well so he could wash hands on his own (or else a stepping stool provided).

The boys suss out the kids facilities

The room itself is comfortable, providing a good kids corner with table & chairs for kiddies who are waiting, and includes a cute bug-lamp installation on the wall above. There are 2 sofas for feeding, as well as 2 feeding booths with curtains. I have used these booths for feeding before and I have to say I did find the harsh lighting a little much for bub, plus the fact that, being a long room, the booths are along the wall on the way to the loos and found all and sundry traipsing past to get there a little distracting too (booth doors are pretty but flimsy Ikea curtains), this might be OK if you are all good with the feeding gig but if you're having difficulties with it all as I was, it could get a little off-putting.

Feeding booth (bright lights!)

Other than this, the room is good, 2 change tables (probably could fit more) and  microwave for bottle heating. Ideally located beside the dining space at Vic Gardens too. I find this shopping centre a good size, as it is well equipped but not too big - really important when you have toddlers who love to run - I can't help giving him a little freedom, esp in winter it's hard to get to the park for wide open spaces...