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The 2012 IKEA Catalog is out! While I generally don’t get too excited about snail mail, the IKEA catalog is one of the best reasons to walk to the mailbox these days. The innovative Scandinavian-modern design always manages to surprise and inspire me. If you didn’t get yours in the mail already, you can browse it online or request a mailed copy at this link.

The theme for the 2012 IKEA Catalog is “A House Doesn’t Need to be Big, Just Smart.” Since this month, we are focusing on back-to-school organizing, I was pleased to see several ideas in the IKEA catalog specifically related to organizing desks for work or study.

Child-parent shared office space. From the 2012 IKEA Catalog. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

The office on pages 242-243 (above) shows something we discovered in our family– that kids need a desk and office space too! IKEA does it with style, giving parent and child identical desks but downscaling the child’s desk to have less surface space, a nearby cart with drawers and hanging space on the wall to display art and store more supplies. Having children and adults working side by side may help to motivate both to get their work done while providing some family bonding time. In our case, it also makes for a messier office space—something we are still trying to get under control—but we enjoy working together.

MICKE desk from the 2012 IKEA Catalog. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

Page 261 highlights a new price on a great desk, the MICKE, which provides a long surface space and two drawers, perfect if you have two little ones sharing a desk.

Pages 248-249 provide great solutions to help keep the surface of your desk clear and ready for work. The flat space on your desk is the most valuable real estate in your office. You want to aim to keep it clear of papers and supplies (and computer equipment if possible!) so that you can spread out and work.

Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	GRUNDTAL rail system, initially developed for the IKEA kitchen line, can be mounted to the wall and the cutlery caddies used to store pens, pencils, scissors, etc. Rail is $8.99 and each caddy is $5.99.
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	GALANT desktop shelf $35. If you have to store papers or supplies on your desk, add some more surface space to your desk with a desktop shelf and store them away from the main desk surface.
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	GRUNDTAL knife rack. More repurposing of kitchen organizing tools for the office! The GRUNDTAL magnetic knife rack stores scissors and keys and spice containers can be used for rubber bands, paper clips, thumbtacks, etc. I love the key idea! If you don’t have a designated spot for your car keys, this mag strip could also be placed wherever you tend to dump your keys.
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	EKBY slanted shelving. A brilliant IKEA idea to allow you to put shelves on slanted walls. While I don’t have need for this in my office, we have a bathroom that may benefit from this innovation! You may also find a use for this shelving if you need to carve an office out of an odd space.
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	RETUR recycling bins. Another creative repurposing for the office. . . IKEA uses its recycling bins as a sort of desk hutch. Mount it above the desk for a way to keep your desk surface clear and hide away any untidy-looking supplies.
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	For another great use of the RETUR recycling bins, see page 275 where they pasted kids artwork to the front of the bins to personalize them and display more art!
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	PLUGGIS waste bins. If you recycle, this is a great way to easily stack and sort the recycling using very small space. You could use one bin for waste and the other for mixed recycling or add another bin and use one for office paper.

5 OTHER 2012 IKEA FAVORITES UNDER $20

Aside from the desk and office organizing ideas, I couldn’t help but notice the great ideas below to add to my IKEA shopping list.

Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	ENUDDEN double toilet paper roll holder $6.49 Holds two rolls AND gives you a small shelf to store other toiletries or decorative items! This would be great for a small bathroom or powder room to conserve space.
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	LJUSA hand powered flashlight $4.99 A must for your emergency preparedness kit– particularly if children in your home always seem to find the flashlights to play with.
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	HATTEN side table. The picture showing this table as a storage area for knitting had my attention immediately! Fantastic and a great conversation piece! $19.99
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	SKURAR hanging planters. These lacy-edged hanging planters are adorable and at $4.99 each add a huge boost of style. These would be particularly great in winter to remind us of plants and greenery as we wait for spring.
Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.	VARMLUFT light. When I first saw this simple paper lamp concept, I wasn’t quite sold on it. But then I saw how the IKEA designer staged it in a group of 3 in this bedroom and I saw its genius. Simple, modern, edgy, cool. And for about $9 with the cord set, a cheap way to give a modern art look to any space.

Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

Something else I loved about the 2012 IKEA Catalog . . .the shots of food starting on page 296. The food looks so fresh and delicious and inspires me to learn how to cook! Maybe next year they will include a recipe or two!

Has your 2012 IKEA Catalog arrived? What IKEA items are piquing your interest these days? Please share in the comments.

The 2011 IKEA Catalog arrived in the mail recently and, as usual, is jam-packed with wonderful organizing ideas! Since we are discussing communication this month, I thought I would tie in my Catalog review with a quick review of IKEA’s communications strategy.

IKEA has a fantastic website at ikea.com that is customized for 39 different countries in over 30 different languages! That alone merits nominating IKEA for a world business communication award! In addition to their website, they have a YouTube channel currently featuring 12 videos of “Swedish cooking with Jørn” and one of their latest U.S. commercials. IKEA also has a Facebook page (aimed at U.S. residents). While IKEA corporate does not appear to have a Twitter account, individual IKEA stores, like this one in Pittsburgh, do, offering coupons and special deals to followers.

IKEA applies its trademark creativity to its social networking communications strategy. To promote a store in Malmö, Sweden, IKEA used a unique Facebook strategy, posting photos of the new showroom and allowing fans to win products in the photos by tagging them with their names. The video below explains:

Despite an incredible reputation for environmental stewardship and its electronic communications capabilities, IKEA still prints a large paper Catalog each year. (Although this year the Catalog is also available as an iPhone app.) There is something wonderful about getting the Catalog. It is more fun to thumb through than just clicking through pictures on a website. I usually end up using the paper Catalog as a starting reference point but then switch to the website to find out specifics on pricing, sizes and new products.

So, without further ado, let’s get to the good stuff and review the 2011 IKEA Catalog!

First, what are some of the new products?

IKEA KIVIK Chaise. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

The KIVIK chaise is an elongated sofa that you can stretch out on and put your feet up while you are watching TV or reading. In a pinch, you could probably use it as a guest bed as well. It comes in 7 colors and the top layer is made of memory foam to comform to your body. The chaise can be mixed and matched with other pieces in the KIVIK sofa line to create the sofa of your dreams. If you are looking to reduce the number of pieces to clean and move in your family or living room, you might consider swapping a sofa and ottoman for one long chaise.

IKEA KIVIK Sofa Bed. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

IKEA KIVIK Sofa Bed. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

If you really need a sofa that doubles as a guest bed, however, the new KIVIK sofa-bed is a great option. It includes storage space for linens and pillows in the armrests!

The FÖRHÖJA wall cabinet is a cute little shadowbox shelf almost 10 inches deep you can use to creatively display your treasures. Here they have used it for toys, but you could put anything from photos to plants to books to china. Although the Catalog picture looks like it comes in blue, the website shows only a black or white option.

IKEA FÖRHÖJA wall cabinet. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

IKEA FÖRHÖJA wall cabinet beneath kitchen cabinets. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

Here is another Catalog shot where the designer stacked FÖRHÖJA cabinets beneath regular kitchen cabinets to provide an open shelving appearance.

IKEA Halogen Bulb E26. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

As of August 1, 2010, IKEA began phasing out incandescent light bulbs in its stores with the goal of eliminating incandescent bulbs by January 1, 2011. IKEA will continue to stock compact fluorescent bulbs, and LED lamps as well as solar powered products like the SUNNAN work lamp.  (For every SUNNAN sold, IKEA donates a lamp to UNICEF to help children in India and Pakistan to be able to read and study after dusk). New for Fall 2010, are halogen bulbs that fit standard light sockets. Halogen bulbs use 30% less energy and last 2-4 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. The new halogen bulbs seem to come in standard and chandelier/night light sizes. IKEA also offers lightbulb recycling to address any environmental concerns with disposal of new lightbulb technologies.

IKEA GODMORGON storage box. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

IKEA GODMORGON storage box. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

The GODMORGON series has a new clear storage box for cosmetics with a tilt-up cosmetic brush section. The box is designed to fit in a bathroom cabinet drawer but if your drawer is a nonstandard size it would also look attractive sitting on the counter or on a storage shelf.

IKEA EKBY ALEX shelf with drawer. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

The new shelf with storage drawer addition to the EKBY line is great for situations where you need to store items that need protection or are unattractive (like loose paper or miscellaneous small objects) with other solid objects you want displayed.

IKEA RETUR recycling system. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

The RETUR series gives us another attractive and space-saving way to store recyclables. The shallow bins (about 8 inches deep) can be attached to the wall and lifted off when it is time to empty them.

In addition to all the great new products, the Catalog is full of style ideas. Here are just a few that could help you with your organization.

IKEA EKBY JÄRPEN/ EKBY BJÄRNUM. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

The designer of this living room creatively used the EKBY JÄRPEN/ EKBY BJÄRNUM shelving above the window to add more space for books. Blinds were used instead of curtains to maximize the window space.

The designer in this room did some really creative work with shelving, putting the EKBY JÄRPEN/ EKBY HÅLL shelves on the upper-half of the wall, leaving the lower half free for small furniture and photos. Isn’t it cool that the shelving also turns the corner of the room to maximize storage space!

Storage idea from IKEA PAX wardrobe system. Image © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Used with permission.

Here’s a great jewelry storage tip from the designer of the PAX wardrobe system. Loop long necklaces in a loose knot over a closet rod!

Have some fun and take your own browse through the IKEA Catalog! What products are you most excited about for 2011? Please share in the comments.

It’s the end of the month and time to recap our discussion of perfectionism.

Arhat (Chinese: luohan), dated 1180 from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. An arhat is a Buddhist deity who who has reached a stage of perfection through study and meditation. Photo by Didactohedron from the Wikimedia Commons.

• We started the month defining perfectionism and dicussing Pavel Somov’s 3 types of perfectionistic hunger.
• The Ruly Challenge this month was to keep a perfectionism diary to make you more aware of the areas in your life you expect perfection.
• The big blizzard of 2010 came to east coast and we discussed snowstorm survival skills, including my 4-year old’s blizzard cupcake recipe.
• We profiled perfectionist extraordinaire Martha Stewart and reviewed her Valentine chocolates.
• We also gave instructions for perfectly fun crayon valentine hearts for kids.
• We contrasted two authors approaches to perfection and happiness, Alice D. Domar’s, Be Happy Without Being Perfect and Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project.
• Joe Hanley gave us the perfect Ruly Mix to remember the 2010 Winter Olympics.
• We discussed lessons learned from professional sports and public safety professions on perfectionism and learned that perfectionists might not make the best law enforcement officers.
• We discussed the roots of perfectionism, the parent-child relationship, and gave suggestions for perfectionist parents and perfectionist kids.
• We discussed perfectionism in the workplace, including how to cope with the perfectionist boss and manage the perfectionist employee.
• Finally, Ruly Ruth gave her perspective on perfectionism in friendships and discussed her love of perfectionistas.

I hope this month’s discussion has been as enlightening for you as it has been for me. Now that I am aware of the attitudes that define perfectionism, I am better able to evaluate numerous situations in my personal and professional life.

One of the most important quotes this month for me came from Hara Estroff Marano’s article, “Pitfalls of Perfectionism” that we discussed in the context of perfectionist parenting.

“[P]erfectionism is a crime against humanity. Adaptability is the characteristic that enables the species to survive—and if there’s one thing perfectionism does, it rigidifies behavior. It constricts people just when the fast-moving world requires more flexibility and comfort with ambiguity than ever. It turns people into success slaves.”

–Hara Estroff Marano, “Pitfalls of Perfectionism”

I still have a lot to think about perfectionism. My current view is that we need “tempered perfectionism” in our lives. While in yoga class last Saturday standing in triangle pose, I had a moment where I thought, “Why am I doing this to myself?” and realized that I must be doing these difficult exercises in the belief that they are somehow the perfect means to strength and flexibility. In the right doses, perfectionism is a powerful motivator. Move a notch beyond the ideal dose of perfectionism, however, and we end up with rigidity, inflexibility, fear of failure and our creative powers suffer.

Going in to the Ruly Challenge this month, I knew that I have a lot of perfectionist tendencies but I was confident that I was confining my perfectionism just to expectations for myself. Wrong! As I reviewed my diary at the end of the month, I was shocked to see how often I was disappointed when I expected other people to act perfectly as well.

A recent conversation with my husband brought home two key examples of perfectionism for us. My husband was playing a game of tag with my youngest daughter around the kitchen island. It was adorable. “Let me grab the video camera!” I said. “No way!” he responded “This kitchen is too much of a mess!” This brought on a semi-heated discussion about perfectionism. I chastised my husband for believing that anyone watching the video would be thinking about what our kitchen looks like rather than enjoying a tender moment between father and daughter. He ultimately agreed that he was being ridiculous. He showed me to be ridiculous too, however, when he suggested we spend a day cleaning the kitchen together and I became upset that he did not offer the “perfect” suggestion of not spending an entire precious weekend day cleaning but rather spending a few hours cleaning and then doing something enjoyable as a family. We both had to laugh and learned a lot.

You see perfectionism at work in today’s business headlines as well. This weekend I was shopping at IKEA, one of my favorite stores. While I was looking up products on their website, I was surprised to find how many recalls their products have had. The current product recall list identifies hazards including “strangulation,” “laceration injury,” “injury to the head,” “choking hazard” and “flammability.” IKEA doesn’t hide these defects and puts a prominent link on the main U.S. page of their website. Strangely, these defects don’t seem to have harmed IKEA in any way. People still trust and like IKEA products very much. The fact that IKEA is so upfront about telling people about defects shows their commitment to safety. Also, IKEA’s products are generally so affordable that it is not a big deal to just throw something out and get a new one in the event of a defect.

Contrast IKEA with the current focus on Toyota’s gas pedal defect. It is my understanding that Toyota is not entirely sure why this defect is occurring and therefore doesn’t really know how to fix it. I find it interesting that people are absolutely unforgiving about this. While it could be that Toyota hid a known defect, it is also possible that something unknown happened or that it will never be fully understood why some cars have the defect and others don’t.

The Toyota recall shows an important aspect of human nature that when large amounts of money are involved more perfectionism is expected. For many people, Toyota’s mistake has become their mistake as well and they may be faced with losing money by purchasing another car or losing money on the sale of their defective car. Threatening people’s financial security puts people into hyper-control mode and perfectionism abounds. It is an important lesson to all of us that we can never guarantee perfection in any situation, even when we spend a lot of money, and that we should always have “Plan B” ready.

Finally, I wanted to give you the update on my amaryllis plants. The perfectionist plant featured in earlier blog posts, collapsed from exhaustion after putting out 4 perfect blooms. It is currently being supported by two wooden stakes and looks spent and sad. The other “Type B” plant has still not flowered yet but it has many lush green healthy leaves and is still going strong. Ruly Ruth might say the Type B plant is boring and the life of the perfectionist plant was dramatic and exciting. She might be right. I think we are all searching for that happy medium between perfectionism and mediocrity.

On Monday, we start a new month and a new theme. Please check back then and in the meantime, please feel free to share in the comments your thoughts on perfectionism.

Have a great weekend!

A little slice of heaven arrived in the mail this weekend . . . the 2010 IKEA Catalog! If you have never had the pleasure, the IKEA Catalog is part shopping guide, part art exhibition and 100% inspiration. The products, as always, are stylish, practical and affordable and the example interiors are chic, clean and dream-like.

In the Washington, D.C. area, IKEA is an institution and nearly everyone I know has at least one IKEA product in their home. IKEA is a particular draw in our area because it has always offered stylish, Scandinavian-style, assemble-it-yourself, furniture at an affordable price (before stores like Target got in on the act). IKEA is a godsend for those who have recently moved to the Washington area and are experiencing their first taste of “sticker shock” at our high housing costs–particularly college students, recent grads and young families. IKEA is also a draw for our area’s international population and often the shopping experience is like attending a United Nations home design conference. It is not unusual for me to find actual Swedes shopping in our local IKEA.

As I go through the Catalog, I like to imagine what life would be like in these gorgeous spaces.

How relaxing would it be to shower and get ready in the zen-like GODMORGON bathroom on page 198?

I could easily be best friends with the cool crafter living in the living/dining room combination on pages 94-95. Who else has their knitting yarn and needles stored fruit-bowl like, their fabric yardage hanging from towel racks on the living room wall and a pincushion at the ready on the dining room table?

Would the kids in the gorgeous white living room with children’s art corner on pages 10-11, really keep their chalk for the blackboard wall confined to the corner or would it end up all over the white sofa?

Would the fashionista living in the open closet bedroom design on page 174 really keep it that tidy all the time? And where does she stash her running shoes, underwear and jeans? Has she really managed to fit them all in the two small drawers and the hatboxes?

In addition to my make-believe exercises, I also take a hard look at the organizing products in the Catalog as well. Some of the new IKEA products for 2010 that I find intriguing are:

• Book/magazine rails for the BILLY bookcase system.
  The BILLY bookcase system is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year and is the subject of an upcoming book launching January 2010.  If you have never heard of it before, BILLY is one of IKEA’s classic products. At its core, it is just a basic bookshelf with height-adjustable shelves.  The great thing about BILLY, however, is that you can order it in multiple sizes that you can combine together to make wall units or entertainment centers or add on accessories like glass doors, shelf inserts and now, a book/magazine rack!

  The book/magazine rails are not listed on the IKEA website yet but you can see a picture here. (Click on “About.” The magazine rack is on the third shelf from the bottom in the wide bookcase.) These racks would be a great way to either display your current books or magazines to remind you to read them or maybe give your bookcase a little flair by using it to display a small painting.

• RATIONELL waste sorting bin
  In line with IKEA’s commitment to the environment, they are introducing a new recycling bin with folding handles.  You can use the bin with their AKURUM kitchen cabinet system and create a great under-counter recycling station that keeps your recyclables easy to access but out of sight.




• HEMNES twin day-bed frame with two drawers
  I wish this product had been around when I was shopping for a toddler bed for my daughter. I love the storage drawers underneath and the fact that this fits a regular twin mattress. It could also easily be used as a guest bed if you ever need to use your nursery as a space for visiting guests.




• HEMNES shoe cabinet with 4 compartments
  This great shoe cabinet unit has 4 tilt-drawers and a narrow profile, great for storing all the shoes that pile up near the entrances and exits to your home. The flat surface on top provides more storage spots for outgoing mail, library books to return, or other items.

I am looking forward to visiting our local IKEA near the holidays. Their holiday decorations are always unique and fun and it is great to admire them from the cafe over a plate of Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam.

Do you have an IKEA assembly story to share? How about a favorite IKEA product name? I am typing this to you from the light of a SNABEL. Hope you have some fun of your own perusing the 2010 IKEA Catalog. Wishing you an inspired week!