EASY Ikea hacks!

Ikea hacks are aplenty, but so often they involve a lot of time, effort and amazing DIY prowess.  Here are my favorite totally doable Ikea hacks:

Painted wood table:

Dollhouse from Expedit cube:

Gold Vittsjo (only $70!):

 Painted cork trivets turned bulletin boards:

Brass base office chair:

 Spice racks as bookshelves:

Rast dresser ($40) makeover: 

Not a totally inexpensive face-lift, but definitely easy to apply are these Ikea Overlays.  They are designed for just about every piece of Ikea furniture & they have a bunch of different designs:

Two-tone walls

Chair rails and wainscoting are a great way to add depth and interest to a room- but they can also come with a hefty expense if you aren't comfortable installing them yourself.  Two tone walls are a cool and interesting way to mimic this look for less.  Here are my favorites:

 Kids' room from: http://www.annilygreen.com/

Green & white guestroom by: http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/

Narrow spaces from: http://www.rachelwhiting.co.uk/

Black and white nursery from: http://44kids.blogspot.com/

(Bonus: this is great for dirty little hands!)

Bright pink office from: http://pineconecamp.blogspot.com/

A Brooklyn brownstone from: http://www.designsponge.com/

Two tone wall in Dulux Teal from:http://direct.asda.com/Paint/AD050504,default,sc.html

Emily's Rochester Merrypad from: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

If you're ready to start painting but feeling a little nervous, here is great how-to guide from Nicole at Making it Lovely!

Or, for visual learners, here's Lindsay Ballard of Makely Home: 

Cool books for kiddos

Well, you have to go to a baby shower.. and you HAVE to bring a book ("library showers" are all the rage)... So the mom-to-be isn't swimming in copies of Pat the Bunny and Goodnight Moon, here are my picks for coolest books for the little ones:

Alexander Girard Color Board Book $16
Alexander Girard was a 20th century designerwho dabbled in textile design, graphic design, typography, illustration, furniture design, interior design, product design, and architecture.  This book features super cool vintage illustrations in vivid colors.
I Can Do it Myself by Stephen Krensky $5.85
Adorable board book about toddler independence.  I love the the retro-style, screen-printed illustrations and cute, rhyming text.  The others in this set are just as cute!
Never Mind Your Ps and Qs- Here's the Punk Alphabet  by Paul McNeil and Barry Divola $22
Each letter of the alphabet is brought to life by elements of punk rock, including bands, fashions, and style. My favorite line: "M is for mohawk, a silly hairdo. It has lots of points, but it has no point, too."(Warning: See the warning.  Though awesome, this book is not for everyone.)

Little Helpers by Green Start $8.99
This earth-friendly series is made from 98% post consumer recycled materials and printed with eco-friendly inks. This book is so sweet and encourages children to take care of their earth.
Paul Thurlby's Alphabet $12.98
A is for awesome. Graphic artist Paul Thurlby presents a stunning alphabet that helps to make the shape of each letter memorable.
Numbers by Orla Kiely $7.98
Orla Kiely is world-famous fashion designer.  In this set she uses iconic shapes and patterns to teach about colors, shapes, and numbers.  

Mama and Baby by Amy Pixton $4.45
Indestructibles are chew-proof, rip-proof, non-toxic and 100% washable.  A must-have for those annihilating toddler years.
Babylit Set $49 (or around $8/ea on Amazon)
Introduces classic literature to little ones.  Included: Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, Romeo & Juliet, etc. Simple stories, bright colors, bold illustrations.
Faces by David Goodman $13.96
Each page of this book shows different and creative ways of making faces: printing, collage, sculpture, etc. Plus, new details are revealed by lifting flaps, looking through holes, or turning the book upside down.

High and Low- Modern Cribs

Finding modern baby furniture at a reasonable price can feel impossible, but these two modern cribs look nearly identical! 

Low-Rise Crib by Land of Nod

Not only is the Land of Nod crib a whopping $600 more, but add a $250 shipping fee, a toddler rail for $119, plus tax, and this crib checks in at over $1300! 

Hudson 3-in-1 Convertible Crib by Babyletto

The Babyletto crib through Amazon has free shipping (& free returns if you change your mind), an included toddler rail, and has been listed as low as $269 on their site!