empty shelves

empty shelf

Not nearly enough empty shelves yet, but I’m working on it – I’ve packed up my sewing stuff (1 bin), spinning fibre (1 bin), my coffee grinder and air filter, and pretty much all the books that I’m taking with me (8ish small boxes). By the by, if you’re in Toronto and have access to a Food Basics, it’s a great place for moving boxes – and they’re bigger than at the LCBO!

boxes

I’ve measured my new place, although I’ve got a few discrepancies in my own work to figure out, and I’ve been playing with floor plans in Illustrator. I’m thinking that I might get fancy and use Google Sketchup to do some 3D modeling of the place to virtually move furniture around, but who am I kidding? I don’t have time for that!

I’ve been spending non-working days shopping for furniture, mainly a sofa and a new mattress. I think I’ve found a sofa and it’s on super sale! Even with delivery and tax it’s under $500, and it’s leather. Sadly there isn’t much to be found other than Ikea that isn’t super expensive or covered in microsuede or whatever (I hate the texture).

Mattress is being narrowed down too, although I think that among the various ones I’ve liked I won’t be able to tell too much difference once it’s bought and done. I wanted to upgrade to a queen size, but I think the space might be too tight – with a full/double size I can keep my own bedframe and sheets (although I want new sheets too!).

I’m getting a free nice smaller, wood dining table and some chairs from home, and I’m hoping to do some kind of bench seating for the other side of the table. I wanted to ikea hack a banquette together but I’m not totally sure I have the requisite know-how! Then there’s the shelves…oh shelves. Do I go with the classic inexpensive yet oh-so-cheap looking and cheaply made Billy bookcases or not? I’d really prefer to go with something solid wood, something a little nicer…but they might have to do for now.

With so many decisions to be made floating around, it’s no wonder that I can’t decide on buttons for my Honeybee! I don’t want to buy any new ones, so it’s come down to these:

button, button

The top one is a pearly gray shell button, but it’s a little big. I’m leaning towards the bottom one, which is faux tortiseshell (read: plastic). But I’m not married to a decision! Help me out – what do you all think?


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61 responses to “empty shelves”

  1. Dianna Avatar

    Congratulations on the new digs.

    Re: buttons, if you want them to pop out and be noticed as a design element, then pick the top one. If you would like them to blend in and be less noticeable, then pick the bottom one. Choices, choices – what is a knitter to do?

  2. Artistmouse Avatar
    Artistmouse

    I say go with the bottom one … It looks lovely against the colour of the yarn.

  3. Ktb38 Avatar

    I think the bottom button is the loveliest.

  4. Renee Avatar

    Can’t beat those Billy bookcases. A friend screwed hers together and then put molding over the fronts and they look fabulous.

    I like the bottom button too.

  5. bellamoden Avatar
    bellamoden

    Definitely the bottom button!

  6. Brandi Avatar

    Definitely the bottom one. I think it pops but still goes great with the color.

  7. Amanda Avatar

    I’m a fan of pink and grey together, so I’ll vote for the top button. I’m not loving the bottom one with that shade of pink.

  8. marri Avatar

    bottom button!

    also, check out expedit at ikea – a little nicer, promise!

  9. kelsey louise Avatar
    kelsey louise

    I definitely like the gray button better–it brings out the subtle blue undertones in the cooler pinks and hilights the varigation of the yarn. The lower button seems too brown for such a beautiful pink and the reddish overtones make it blend in, as if trying to hide whereas the gray steps out and works with the color using obvious contrast and subtle coordination.

    So, I vote for gray. : )

  10. bunnylebowski Avatar
    bunnylebowski

    where did you find your couch? i have been looking for a cheap leather couch for ages and haven’t found anything worth getting! thanks…

  11. asti Avatar

    Go with the bottom one ! Lovely colours together. Good luck getting the new place sorted..:)

  12. bmom Avatar
    bmom

    I like the blue/gray one — a nice contrast with the pink.

  13. Estella Avatar

    Definitely the bottom one…the gray is too subtle and gets washed out.

  14. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    I like the top button best. :)

  15. Mujercita Avatar

    I definitely vote for the top button- I love the way the gray and pink look together.

    Looking through the comments, though, it looks like we’re about evenly divided between the two- guess we’re not much help!

  16. Rose Avatar

    I love the top button; it brings something out in the yarn.

  17. Sheena Avatar
    Sheena

    I would 100% go for the tortoiseshell button!

  18. kate Avatar

    We bought 2 Billys (one tall, one short) for our bedroom and I regret them every day. Even with barely any use, they already look cheap and worn. On the other hand, we bought an Expedit for the warehouse and I loved it so much, I immediately ran out and got a 4 x 4 for my studio and I LOVE it. I think the Expedit just looks….sturdier and nicer. (And the squares really look great when filled with books and containers!)

  19. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    good luck with the packing! I must say I favor the larger grey button… it seems more elegant or something!

  20. Diane Avatar

    Congrats on the new place!

    I vote for the bottom brown button. I think the brown goes with the pink better.

  21. connie Avatar

    I totally agree with kelsey louise~ it’s like she read my mind! Grey button would be my choice.

  22. J. Avatar

    Definitely, definitely the grey button on top. The colour works better with that yarn, I think the faux-tortoiseshell is the wrong shade to compliment pink.

    Congrats on the new place!

  23. Fuin Avatar

    I’d go with the grey ones, it matches better in my mind. As for the bookcases. I don’t know. It depends on what you want to do with them. If you want to make a wall of shelves or something like it Billy is definitely one of the better choices. If you’re looking for singular bookcases, that look good on their own, Grevbacks are pretty nice looking, and are really solid. They’re also nice and big.

  24. Dani Avatar

    Hey Laura – with the Billy bookcases – you can attach some crown molding to the top and some baseboard to the bottom and they look much more like real wood. There are some pics of the ones we did about halfway down this page: http://www.danimiller.com/KSC/Aug2008/Aug2008.htm

    Good luck with your move, and enjoy your apartment!

  25. WordLily Avatar

    I think I like the brown buttons better.

  26. Jacey Avatar

    I say, go with your gut on the bottom ones.
    Congrats on the move. I hope everything goes smoothly for you!

  27. Carrie Avatar

    Definitely the bottom button. Go with the Billy – ours have lasted for AGES and we didn’t think they would. Congrats on the new T.O. digs!

  28. Monet Avatar

    The tortoiseshell button looks beautiful to me!

  29. Sherri Avatar

    Have you thought about maybe a soft black/charcoal button?
    Good luck with the move!

  30. JulieM Avatar
    JulieM

    I vote for the bottom button. Congratulations on the move! Hang in there for now. It will all be great in a new space…

  31. Maria Naveiro Avatar

    I love pink + brown, so I would say the bottom button!

    Congratulations on your finding your own place!

  32. Shayna Avatar

    My vote goes to the grey one, for sure.

  33. Deb B. Avatar

    Definitely the brown!

  34. Leslie Avatar
    Leslie

    I like the top button best. The bottom one kind of disappears and looks like it doesn’t fit the sweater well in size or color. Good luck!

  35. Luci Avatar
    Luci

    Definitely bottom. It doesn’t look cold like the top one does.

  36. Sajbat Avatar

    I say the brown ones–the gray ones are too cool and don’t go with the warmth of the pink like the brown ones do.

  37. Luise Avatar
    Luise

    The top one looks a lot classier should you want to dress it up a little — and it’ll still look great with jeans.

    Clearly, you’re going to have a tough choice to make.

  38. April Avatar

    I’m voting for the top button since it is a nice contrast but still works with the yarn.

    Good luck choosing furniture, that can be so frustrating.

  39. Wendolene Avatar

    Tough choice–I personally like the gray with pink combo, but you don’t want to have to wrestle your buttons in and out of their buttonholes!

    And on the topic of bookshelves–I have a Billy bookshelf that’s been in constant use since I got it 10 or more years ago. The shelves have held up to the wear and tear, but that back got pushed off by the oversized books on the bottom shelf, and the whole thing is sufficiently unstable that it had to be bracketed onto the wall!

  40. Leslie Avatar

    Wow, moving is a lot of work, but fun, too! I prefer the second button on the sweater…to me, it blends nicely and doesn’t take away from the sweater itself.

  41. livnletlrn Avatar

    The gray button, for sure.

  42. jane Avatar

    I very much enjoy the faux tortise shell button. It makes the colour seem richer.

  43. Seanna Lea Avatar

    I think the bottom buttons work more harmoniously with the sweater as a whole, but if you wear a lot of black or grey than the top button will work well with other choices from your wardrobe allowing the sweater to match other items you wear a little better.

  44. Lauren Avatar

    DEFINITELY the top one. There is no other choice.

  45. Rita Avatar
    Rita

    In the USA most of the furniture stores will make the moveable model for furnture placement and give it to clients,even if you don’t buy any furniture there. It was a great help for me when I did over my den and livingroom. All they need is the exact measurements of the room.
    Rita

  46. Melissa Avatar

    See, I prefer the top… I think it’s becuase it pics up on the subtle purple the dyer added to the yarn…

  47. Trista Avatar
    Trista

    I love your new sweater, especially with the TOP
    BUTTON! The colors are just so intriguing. I think the grey brings out the many colors of the yarn.

  48. JJ Avatar
    JJ

    bottom buttons

  49. steph Avatar

    OMG, I am so glad that there’s someone else who doesn’t like microsuede. I can’t stand the stuff, but lately it seems like EVERYTHING is covered with it.

  50. Emma in France Avatar

    The bottom button.

    We’ve just had an offer accepted on a house and my husband’s being playing with Sketch Up. It seems to take him a fair bit of time to achieve anything though. On the otherhand, I’ve been playing with the Ikea Home Planner software – it’s a free download – and I’ve got useful results very quickly. I’ve been using the kitchen planner but there’s a bedroom planner and one for workspaces too.

    I quite like the Billy bookcases and am thinking of getting some for the new house. Currently though we use Ivar which is real wood. It’s also a modular system which makes it more flexible for the future. It’s not in the new catalogue though so I wonder if it’s on it’s way out?

  51. SpiderWomanKnits Avatar

    Oh, tough choice. I think I like the bottom button but it’s really close for me.

    Have you ever seen the site Instructibles? Here is a link to really easy and inexpensive bookshelves you can make yourself (or have any one with some tools make for you)

    http://www.instructables.com/id/Hungarian-Shelves/

    Also, I don’t know your style but don’t forget vintage shops, antique stores and charity shops. You can find furniture that was actually built well with real wood for fair prices.

    In our den we have the Leksvik units from Ikea and they are holding up well to repeated (kid) use for years now. Which I think is the truest test.

  52. Marcy Avatar

    The gray button on top looks best with the color of the yarn.

  53. Maryse Avatar

    That’s a very good question! At first, I really was going for the gray button. And then, I thought the brown one was melting well with the pink… Now, I’m also undecided. I don’t mean to make it more complicated, but I would look for another type of button. I think I like the shape of the gray button, but not so much the color with that knit. Then, the brown button does not seem to enhance this knit… I’ll go read the other comments. I know they will influence my opinion… I wanted to write my opinion first ;-)

  54. Bruxa Avatar
    Bruxa

    Hey Laura! I’m totally for the brown bottom button. It fits the yarn color so much better! :)

    As for your doubts regarding shelves, I agree with those who recommended Expedit. It looks more solid and better quality than Billy. Also, you can easily give it a personal touch by using Lekman boxes to turn certain shelves into containers (or simply use one of those nice Ikea square-shaped baskets) :)
    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=lekman

    Well… we’ll see which button wins the competition! ;)

  55. Tanis Avatar

    It may be too late for my input to count, but I actually really gave a lot of thought to this, and I vote for the gray button! I think it’s more modern and chic. But both are nice, that’s why it was such a tough call!

  56. VA Avatar
    VA

    I hate to say it, but can we have a 3rd choice? I’m not terribly fond of either with the beautiful stitchwork on the sweater.

  57. SJ Schiffman Avatar
    SJ Schiffman

    The brown button brings up all of the warm
    hues of the pink/beige yarn. The grey really doesn’t match at all. Thanks for letting me give my opinion.

  58. Dr. Steph Avatar

    I don’t like either button to be totally honest. How many do you need?

  59. TracyKM Avatar

    We just moved, and had 3 Billy bookcases–tall ones–with glass doors. Oh, were they a pain!!!
    We’ve bought nice, solid wood bookcases at Staples before. They were on sale, like most things there, don’t pay full price!

  60. Heather Avatar

    I vote for tortoise shell button. It has a warmer colour than the grey.

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