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Ode on a Swedish Locker: The Small Cool Cabinet?

At the end of his famous Ode on a Grecian Urn, Keats leaves us with the quote, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty." We recently went clicking through Small Cool entries from years past and this unsuspecting, metal locker — used as a TV cabinet, a sideboard, a dresser — just kept popping up. Usually white, always quiet, blending right into the scene, this little locker possesses a simple truth that is clearly widely recognized. But what is it, exactly? What is this truth that makes it so appealing, so desirable and — dare we say — so beautiful to so many? Follow the jump to take our survey...

 
 

That first image is from Kayla's old living room (before we started writing for AT and before we lived together) and now that little locker/TV combo lives in front of the fireplace in our current apartment. It was a perfect fit in the tiny space and sits very comfortably in the larger space. Is there another cabinet that we would love more than the locker? Of course. But for Ikea's price, we're perfectly content to stick with our little PS for now...

1 Kayla's Hall of Blues 2008
2 Thomas' Itsy Bitsy Box 2007
3 Hakarl and Jili's Bold Bright Moves 2006
4 Teresa's Beautiful Old Bones Redressed 2008
5 Ise's London Pad 2008


Related Post on Super Normal Objects:
Good Quotes: Jasper Morrison & Naoto Fukasawa
"Super Normal" Sensations of the Ordinary

Tags

Surveys, shelving & storage, Ikea, PS Cabinet, super normal

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Comments (13)

I have the red version as a TV stand and the taller unit for craft storage - I love the PS cabinets for the looks and price, sure - but also because it's NOT particleboard, even with some dings and scratches, steel will age well, and it can be repainted.

posted by redjet on April 3rd 2009 at 3:55pm
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Does anyone know what those glowing flowers by the window are? Is it an accent light? It's so cute!

posted by thatjessicagirl on April 3rd 2009 at 3:58pm
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I need to know where that little bookcase is from in the second picture. So cute.

posted by birdablaze on April 3rd 2009 at 3:59pm
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i have the same (white) cabinet as a media center, and i love it. being able to take one side of the back off let's my electronics stay cool and still hide cords, and the ability to windex it clean is a dream! thank you ikea ...

posted by rebecca_f on April 3rd 2009 at 4:02pm
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anyone know where the picture on the wall is from? the one of the girl with glasses? very nice.

posted by umma2002 on April 3rd 2009 at 5:53pm
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@umma2002 It's a Black Apple print, A Good Egg is Hard to Find.

posted by Casey Dukes on April 3rd 2009 at 6:04pm
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@ umma2002

the picture is by the black apple
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=991

posted by LaDonnaNichole on April 3rd 2009 at 6:16pm
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I voted for the last selection - I have a personal aversion to furniture that someone could easily look at and say "I know exactly where you bought that".

posted by bepsf on April 3rd 2009 at 6:52pm
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I've been looking for a metal cabinet to store my antique textiles in a more accessible yet archival and light shielded place. I don't know that white lockers are my ideal, but they're worth a look.

posted by Taureg on April 3rd 2009 at 6:56pm
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thank you!

posted by umma2002 on April 3rd 2009 at 7:55pm
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Birdablaze, the little bookcase is from West Elm, they're stackable.

posted by evans1980 on April 4th 2009 at 6:43pm
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Yikes.....the Black Apple prints look like untreated diabetics who are the victims of abuse.

Creepy, IMO.

posted by ohjodi on April 5th 2009 at 4:06am
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It's funny because I was just thinking how much I love my red PS cabinet. I have had it for ten years and moved house five times, and it still looks great.

I get that it's not cool to have furniture that's readily recognizably from IKEA, but A. I don't care and B. I doesn't matter to me!

posted by Mavesse on April 5th 2009 at 10:02am
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