Ikea Trollsta Sideboard

Speaking of yellow...

I really love my Ikea Trollsta Sideboard, as seen in my dining room in the picture below. (I use the phrase "dining room" very loosely here, as this is just one big open space off the entryway. One day we hope to have an actual dining room - with walls!)

I bought this from Ikea a few years ago when I was single. When John and I got married and I moved in, I knew it was coming with me, and there was NO WAY I was getting rid of it, even though it's not exactly John's taste. I just love this pop of bright yellow! Even though I don't use it as a traditional sideboard, it's still a great way to store your items. I personally store photos, photo albums, stationery, and scrapbooking materials in here. Sometimes when John is looking for something like an envelope or a thank you card, I joke about taking him on an orientation of where things are stored in our house. 

Ikea Trollsta Sideboard

I purchased this sideboard for about $250, which really isn't a bad price. One of the reasons why Ikea furniture is so cheap (aside from the fact that it's made of particle board) is because you have to assemble it yourself. Which I don't mind really - in fact, I quite enjoy doing things like that. And even though I mentioned that this is made of particle board, it's still a solid, heavy piece of furniture. We live on the third floor, and this was a PAIN to get up the stairs. When we move, I have no idea how we're going to get it back down. 

My Mom got me the area rug shown here (from Target!) I love yellow and grey together, and I thought it would make a great complement to the yellow sideboard. The room divider next to the window is also a gift from my Mom (from Home Decorators Outlet!) It has my favorite quatrefoil design.

The painting on the sideboard was purchased from a silent auction at John's school. I believe it was painted by one of his students. I really love the combination of colors and the bright pop of orange. 

The dining table and chairs were a hand-me-down from our friend Chaz. It's good enough for me and John right now, but one day we want to get a really nice, big dining table for dinners and entertaining. We really like the rustic, industrial look and John has always wanted one of those long benches. We went to Pottery Barn the other night, and found one we really liked.

Pottery Barn Dining Table in Wax Pine $1899
www.potterybarn.com

John actually liked the darker color, but I think the lighter color shows off the characteristics of the wood better. They are both nice-looking though.

Pottery Barn Dining Table in Rustic Mahogany $1699
www.potterybarn.com

For now though, our tiny dining table suits us just fine. However, I would like to get a cute tablecloth to put over it, just to add some character. I really like this round Mina Tablecloth, found at Anthropologie. The design is whimsy and cute, and I love the dark navy blue color against the light cream background.

Mina Tablecloth 72 in. round $78
www.anthropologie.com