The Fall Cure: Week 6 - The Weekend

What a difference an Ikea Expedit bookcase makes!
Check out Alana in Canada/scraplolly's improvements.

So we got a little break this week. And most of us probably really needed it. But, entering Week 7, this is a very important time.

The Cure can be a major motivation and, therefore, a remarkable opportunity to make real change to your home. So it's important to take advantage of the time we have together. Use every day that's left. Post photos to our Flickr account or encourage others by commenting on the photos they've added.

This Week's Assignment:

In the Deep Treatment, the overall theme is peacefulness. As you clean out your bathrooms, the goal is to get to the point where you're able to put some calming luxury back into them. Keep in mind Maxwell's decluttering tips: Get rid of it if you haven't used it in 12 months, it's expired, the container is almost empty, or you just don't need it anymore.

In the One-Room Remedy, take a good look at the lighting in your home. It may seem like such a simple thing, but — since it can be functional and decorative — it can make a big impact in a room. Feel free to share your lighting dilemmas here or over on our Flickr group.

And don't forget to start making plans to have people over at the Cure's end. Your next-door-neighbor, your parents, your BFF ... it doesn't matter who or how many. Having someone over is helpful on many levels: 1. it gives you a push to pull together the little things 2. you can share all that you have done so far and 3. it's a way of honoring yourself for working so hard for two months.

Have a great weekend!

(The last post is here - all Worksheets are here - The Book Blog is here)

Comments (15)

Alana, that looks wonderful! Must feel so much more peaceful!

OK, I posted the photos with the new bookshelves and couch. Check it out, there's still lots more work to be done, but I think it's a big improvement:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/recordcat/sets/72157602531250100/

The Expedit isn't really meant to hold that much weight though, is it?

recordcat - Your rooms look awesome! I really like those bookcases and your new couch. (The coffee table and archways are also fantastic!)

i'm with sunspot42 - i'd hate for you to suffer what that lady in the commercial went through: she tosses her keys onto her credenza only to have the whole unit collapse.

Thanks Anh Minh!
Re: the expedit - I have quite a few friends who store their entire, weighty record collections in those shelves, I think they're pretty sturdy...

that place already looks like one of my favorites.

Recordcat--what a fabulous place you have! The architechtural details are amazing! Love the improvements you've made. It looks so polished and yet inviting. Well done!

And thank you for all the kind comments on the Expedit, everyone. If it collapses with the weight, it collapses. I know the "lack" shelves mounted to the wall aren't meant for a lot of weight--not even books--but the 5/8"ths thick particle board shelves are supported every 13" inches which should be OK. I guess time will tell. Thanks for your concern.

As I was clearing out my binders when I was packing up the dining room, I came across this information on shelving materials and spans.

These dimensions are suitable for medium loads such as light books and china. For heavier loads, use less distance between shelf supports:

Wood:
5/8" (15 mm) --20" (50 cm)
7/8" (22 mm) --35" (90 cm)
1 1/8" (28 mm) -- 42" (106 cm)

Glass:
(not suitable for heavy loads)
1/4" (6 mm) --8" (20 cm)
3/8" (10 mm) --16" (40 cm)
5/8" (15 mm) --16" (40 cm) (hm, I wonder if I copied that correctly.)

MDF:
5/8" (15 mm) --20" (50 cm)
3/4" (18 mm) --24" (60 cm)

Melamine faced board:
5/8" (15 mm) --16" (40 cm)
3/4" (18 mm) --24" (60 cm)

Plywood:
1/2" (12 mm) --16" (40 cm)
3/4" (18 mm) --24" (60 cm)
1" (25 mm) --32" (80 cm)

Looking at that agin, you definitely have a point, sunspot 42. I wonder how much of the capacity increases just by being, oh, two-three inches less than what's recommended for the "medium" load. Perhaps I need to do a bit more re-jigging and move the really heavy scrapbooks to the bottom. Hmm.

I have no new pictures at the moment, because my room is full of drying laundry, but I want to thank everyone for encouraging me to move my bookcases. They definitely look better centered on either side of the window than they did flush with the wall.

If you move the heavy stuff to the bottom that'll certainly help. I checked the IKEA website though, and it gives the max load/shelf for that model Expedit as 29 lbs, which is a LOT more than I thought (I thought the whole thing could only hold 30 lbs.).

However, IKEA recommends anchoring it to the wall, which is not really an option for my own Expedit, as I'm using it as a room divider. Whoops.

Sunspot: the thing comes with a special wall anchor gizmo just so you can attach it as a room divider. Granted, you do have to put it perpendicular to a wall, but it can be done.

And thanks for looking that up. That's kind of you to post it.

Granted, you do have to put it perpendicular to a wall, but it can be done.

Not an option in my place, unfortunately. I do have the heavy stuff on the bottom - hopefully that'll help ground it a bit. Also, it's on wheels. Here's hoping it rolls around the room when the big one hits, instead of promptly tipping over.