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Rave Review: Beloved Homes

2008-05-13-bhbook.JPGFor one of my Mother's Day treats, we went and did a "twirl" through IKEA. It always makes me foolishly, unexpectedly happy to visit the big blue and yellow store - call me crazy, I just like it. On this trip, we picked up IKEA's coffee table book...

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...and it is fantastic.


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Featuring 9 great looking homes in Sweden, the photography is fabulous, as are the ideas presented. There is plenty of IKEA in the mix, but it doesn't feel like one big commercial, these spaces look loved and lived in.


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And the intriguing (to us, anyway) personalities of the residents really come through in the quirky line drawing portraits that open each chapter, as well as through their belongings and interior style.


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It's large format, 240 pages long, and no doubt, a book we will look at many times over - a total bargain at $9.99.


Available at selected IKEA stores (we got ours in Bolingbrook).

Tags

books, guides & resources, best products, Look!, inspiration, Ikea, Beloved Homes, Ikea Family

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Comments (18)

Hah! That was my mother's day treat, too, given lovingly by a husband who HATES to "poke." We didn't buy the book, but we did buy some great $3 metal pails from the as-is that will make great outdoor planters (once we drill some holes). Yay for moms and for happy days poking in the yellow-and-blue!

posted by Rev.Mother on May 20th 2008 at 3:28pm
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Does anyone know in which "selected" Ikea stores this is sold?

posted by Ironsides on May 20th 2008 at 3:32pm
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Don't think you're crazy. My boyfriend and I are both curiously in love with IKEA too. :)

posted by supafrantastic on May 20th 2008 at 3:51pm
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Not sure where you're from, but it is being sold in the Bloomington, MN, store. Probably not helpful to you, Ironsides!? I tried. :)

posted by swanygirl74 on May 20th 2008 at 3:53pm
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I've looked for this book at both the East Palo Alto, CA and the Emeryville, CA stores and have come home empty handed. : ( I even stopped at the Portland store near the airport when I was on a business trip and couldn't find it there. When I've asked employees they didn't know what I was talking about. This was a couple of months ago. Does anyone know if either of the SF Bay Area stores are carrying them and which section of the store they are being kept?

posted by casiep on May 20th 2008 at 4:11pm
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Love those stairs.

posted by missjelisa on May 20th 2008 at 5:01pm
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ooqh. i want...i want! does anyone know if the schaumburg ikea sells this???

posted by eribear12 on May 20th 2008 at 5:11pm
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lol. i guess i got so excited i misspelled oooh.

posted by eribear12 on May 20th 2008 at 5:11pm
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I found it last weekend at the Bloomington, MN store, tucked away in the Bedroom area. I've been buried in it ever since. LOVE IT!!

posted by kristamoe on May 20th 2008 at 6:31pm
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They've had them at the portland store for the last month or so.

posted by brittanykate on May 20th 2008 at 7:15pm
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I guess it's not being sold on the Ikea website? Can someone tell me if it's being sold in the San Diego store, and possibly save me an hour trip? Thank you!

posted by Pteetsa on May 20th 2008 at 7:49pm
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Okay, dangit, now you've gone and made me add "Trip to IKEA" to today's to-do list.

posted by JR in Sweden on May 20th 2008 at 11:31pm
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I don't get how all-white homes can ever look this good and be described as also appearing 'lived in'. I don't have to deal with kids and their fingerprints and shoes on everything; however, even living lightly my walls get smudged and table/chair legs get nicked.

Goes to show, though, that white really is a fabulous foil for punches of color. At least in photography.

posted by kimg924 on May 21st 2008 at 5:10am
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PS

I like how these shots demonstrate that the visual transition from one room to the next affects any given room as if that view were a physical component to the room.

Like the view of the black (?) floral wall paper from the living room with the striped pillows. Both are on black grounds. What a way to tie stripes and florals together an not even come close to country cottage.

posted by kimg924 on May 21st 2008 at 5:18am
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Has anyone seen this book at any Canadian IKEA outlets?

posted by Miyuki Mouse on May 21st 2008 at 6:59pm
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They have it at the Paramus, NJ store - saw it there last night by the check-out. Before i dropped one of my new mugs i'd just paid for.

posted by michelle68 on May 22nd 2008 at 6:22am
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Just got e-mail from a friend in MA and the IKEA in Stoughton, MA has them. Now if I could just get my friend to snag me a copy and mail it to me... (IKEA might not be the answer for everything but we could use one in HI.)

posted by riye on May 22nd 2008 at 1:33pm
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Totally in love with IKEA as well..call me mad..but I call in their so often that the staff are sick of me..lol..especially the As-Is section..

but you have to be careful what you buy..made a huge boo boo by buying a big squishy Ekeskog couch only to find when I brought it home a part of the supporting front beam had a huge split in it...now it is propped up by books!!

posted by mishmashmoo on June 23rd 2008 at 3:39pm
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