Apartment Therapy is at it again!


“The Smallest, Coolest Apartment contest is a contest for all small apartments and homes in the lower 48 states under 650 square feet. We are seeking the most ingenious and beautiful 120 submissions along with all the tips and resources we need to maximize our own homes….”
LINK
Photo: Wayne F. Tjaden AIA
Announcements

“Renowned for their beauty, Japanese gardens have been retreats for people to rediscover the natural world and themselves for more than 1,000 years. For the film’s producers, an intimate look at the gardens provided an unusual opportunity to shed new light on Japanese culture.
Japanese garden design may seem sparse to many Westerners. But if you look at the basic purpose of the garden, you can begin to understand why. For the Japanese, gardens are meccas of meditation and repose where the senses are free from distractions.
To accomplish this, the Japanese replicate nature, using very specific materials.”
“Dream Window”
Reflections on the Japanese Garden
Smithsonian Productions
LINK
Crossposted at Moleskinerie.com
*OUTSIDE THE BOX. An occasional series of thoughts and images. A breathing space. Because we can’t be shopping all the time:) Submissions are welcome.
OUTSIDE THE BOX

View of the parking lot from the new IKEA West sacramento cafeteria.

By TSpauld @ FLICKR.

Some rights reserved.
To be featured, tag your photos “ikeawestsacramento” at FLICKR.
Store Openings
Msbhaven has posted pics from last Wednesday:


“Just in case someone has been living under a rock for the last 30 days,
IKEA had a plane fly over to tell people that it was open. ..”
Photo by Msbhaven @ FLICKR.
© All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Share your photos with IKEA fans all over the world. Simply go to FLICKR and tag your photos “ikeawestsacramento“. We will feature the best images here on Positive Fanatics.
Store Openings

“Ikea Nose” by Tifty’s Art on FLICKR.
© All rights reserved. Used with permission.
[Thanks John!]
Humor
The Sacramento Bee’s Jon Ortiz reports on shoppers’ reaction to IKEA stores:

“As you read this, someone in Utah is planning to drive to West Sacramento for Ikea’s carnival-like grand opening on Wednesday.
Folks are also making plans in Idaho, Nevada and Oregon, if the past is any indication. A two-day drive is nothing for ga-ga fans of the Swedish-based retailer’s inexpensive European-themed home furnishings.
That kind of devotion is no accident. Like the trendy, assemble-it-yourself furniture that founder Ingvar Kamprad pioneered in 1956, everything about Ikea is carefully engineered and executed for maximum effect and profitability.
“Ikea’s secret is that they put design thinking into everything that they do,” said Craig LaRosa, a retail environment expert with Design Continuum, a Boston-based consulting firm. “They don’t just design furniture. They design cost savings, advertising, the customer experience, all of it.”
As a result, Ikea is in a rare place for retailers: Customers happily give it their money for good-looking, inexpensive products and put up with inconvenience and – in some instances – less-than-top-of-the-line quality….”
Sacbee.com
LINK
Photo: Sacramento Bee/Hector Amezcua
In the News
Wish we could be there but here’s the next best thing:

“(CBS 13)
WEST SACRAMENTO The doors are open and hundreds of excited IKEA
customers are flowing into the huge blue and yellow furniture store in
West Sacramento for its grand opening.
Customers
have been camping out for days, others for hours and hundreds more are
lined up in the cold this morning waiting for their chance to shop at
IKEA. The Swedish furniture chain is opening is 27th store in North
America today in West Sacramento.
After opening ceremonies
that included the Swedish National Anthem, sawing of a log and lots of
free IKEA goodies, the doors opening about 15 minutes early. Many
customers are sporting yellow IKEA ball caps and women dressed in
traditional Swedish costumes are entertaining the crowds…”
More at CBS 13/UPN 31
Screenshots Copyright © 2006 CBS 13/UPN 31.
A special shoutout to CoolDMZ and friends at The Sac Rag.


Share your photos with IKEA fans all over the world. Simply go to FLICKR and tag your photos “ikeawestsacramento“. We will feature the best images here on Positive Fanatics.
Store Openings


Area Forecast For: Southern Sacramento Valley
Issued: February 28, 2006 20:29:55 PST
Tonight:
Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the evening…otherwise partly
cloudy. Lows around 42. South winds 10 to 20 mph decreasing late.
Wednesday: Cloudy with a slight chance of afternoon rain. Highs around 60. South winds increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday night: Rain likely. Windy. Lows around 41. South winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts to around 40 mph.
NOAA
From Jamie, here’s a pre-construction Google map.

Update:
This just in from CBS 13/UPN 31:
“Hundreds Flood Into IKEA For Grand Opening”
STORY AND VIDEO LINK
Store Openings

“In all the times I’ve been to Ikea, I think this is the first time I’ve seen a parked dog.”
Photo by Wiccked in Brisbane, Australia @ IKEA Lovers/FLICKR.

Some rights reserved.
Photography