IKEA

One thing I hate about IKEA was the long checkout queue. I ended up either just browsing, or go there on a morning in off. Going during weekends was a definite no no.

Idlan had been pestering me to get him some furnitures for his room. And he specifically mentioned IKEA. Reluctantly I had to go there. Since they were still in their holidays, I though going on a week might would be a stroll in the park.

Wrong.

It was packed last evening at the store, and I ended up just browsing. It also seemed that they were doing a bit of renovation. Part of the showroom were closed and the flow had to be diverted. And I felt that the number of items on show was lesser than usual. Maybe they were in the midst of changing their catalogue. Anyway, we ended up having the meatballs at the cafe after some looking around.

We had a few ideas but Idlan's room at the apartment was rather small. With the built-in cabinet and his bed and TV, fitting in a big table would be a tight squeeze. We had to get the measurement just right then.

And finally .... meatballsBack to the drawing board. But the meatballs were heavenly though.... That alone was worth the trip. ‎

Home Furnishing Expo

Anita and the boys were only to join me after dinner last Friday evening. The boys had to attend their Quran school before coming over. Therefore I had a spare couple of hours looking for dinner after work that evening.

A quick net search brought me to Mid Valley - which was only 5 minutes away from the apartment. There was an Expo going on. And it was on home renovation and furnishing. A good excuse to have a look.

It was held over the weekend - the last day being on Aidil Adha - at Mid Valley Convention Centre. As it was just after 6 on on the first day, the crowd was still pretty light. Less crowded meant more time to have a close look around.

The front entrance. What? No photography?Started off at the bedsThen some home appliances, such as this self propelling vacuum cleanerSome cute LED lightingI was looking for a couple of specifics. A good mattress - even though I've already had my eyes on one somewhere else but it was good to compare the prices - and outdoor furniture for the verandah at the apartment.

There were a few but none caught my fancy. As usual, there were a few interesting stuff. The first one was a new padlock with a built in shrieking alarm. It goes off everytime you try to pry it or cut it as what usually happened during break ins. A nice idea. It looked the same as the usual padlock and unlocked using using keys. But the moment you temper with it, all hell break loose. Nice! And it wasn't particularly expensive.

The alarmed padlock I mentioned earlier. It looks like a normal padlock, until it started to shriek!This man tried to charm me into buying a food processor. Not interested.Then there were the usual suspect. Some of the sofa were damn nice to look at and to sit on. There were going on offer of course, but we didn't need one for the moment. That would come maybe next year after we figure out what to do with the main sitting area.

Then it was sofa ........ and more sofaAll in all, it wasn't half bad. The majority of the show floor was filled with home automation and kitchen appliances. Nothing new. Price-wise it was difficult to judge as I wasn't aware of the standard pricing. The vendors would always point out to prove cuts, but how true that was remained to be seen.

A good way to spend a couple of hours and build your appetite for dinner.

Quite a Day

Anita and I decided to pack up early and send the boys back to Gimbak before going out for the day. The mission, some furniture for the bedroom. We were still to buy a proper bed for the apartment bedroom.

So, we went to shop.

We managed to tick all the boxes except for a small side desk for my study. Delivery will be later in the week. Anita would have to take care of that part of the operation. I must say that I was quite happy with the bargain we got. All in the name of Merdeka apparently. Everything was on sale. Whether the savings were real or not, that would be anybody's guess.

Next was a quick hop to Wangsa Walk Mall for a movie. More on that later. ‎

The New Table

After the search for the study table last Thursday, I finally had it liveried to the apartment. By IKEA. I paid for it to be assembled as well since I imagined it would be hard work, especially when I won ld be on call this weekend and next. They came over just before noon, and I was still in clinic then. Puan Anita was at the apartment then, so she was the one arranging the delivery.

My table was finally installed, so when I arrived after my afternoon round to see the table, I was surprised that it was assembled the wrong way around. I bought a table, and paid extra for an extension on the left hand end. Instead, the extension was installed to the right side, causing the arrangement in the room with all the other planned furniture going to pots.

I couldn't be bothered to wait for the installer to come back - they had another delivery to do next weekend - and took it upon myself to dismantle and reassemble the table. So, the drills came out, and half an hour later, all was well.

When I arranged for the delivery, I made sure that the staff they understood the configuration I wanted since the table was part of a system which you could mix and match. I suspect that the message did not get thorough to the installers who came to the apartment today. At least they got all the parts across, as it would have been a disaster otherwise.

Am I happy with the table? Well, it could be better, but at least I know that the table could be dismantled in the future when we move out. The chair was also very comfortable. Next, I would need to buy a convertible bed as the study would also be the guest room. The wiring and next the computer and printers would also need to be sorted out. That would be next month ....

More Furniture Hunting

The plan to bring the two boys along for furniture shopping was a complete disaster. In less than 5 minutes at the Lorenzo outlet at Jalan Ampang, Idlan had started sulking. Before long, we had to send the boys home.

45 minutes later, rather than returning to Jalan Ampang, we decided to head out to Viva Home Center again. And this time, we made progress. Anita got what she wanted. And a few others would be on order in the next couple of weeks. Exciting time.

There was also time to have a quick look at some cats at the main lobby. Apparently there was an exhibition all weekend. On cats. Exotic ones.

In the end, we managed to salvage the day. Delivery dates were arranged. And we are both looking forward for the furnitures. The hunt was at least halfway over.