Expedit Ideas for Every Room

Like many Ikea fans, I was shocked to hear that the iconic Swedish retailer was discontinuing the uber-popular Expedit. Fortunately, all is not lost. The Expedit 2.0, aka Kallax will roll out in April.

Expedit on the left, Kallax on the right.

The two systems are very similar. The main differences are that the Kallax does away with the distinctive chunky border, has slightly rounder corners, and is supposed to be more scratch resistant. The interior size of the cubes are the same and all the boxes and accessories for the Expedit will still fit the Kallax.

The nice thing about the change is that it that the slightly smaller trim will significantly cut down on the number of trees Ikea uses produces the units. This tree-hugger loves that. But my slighly-OCD tendencies drove me to Ikea this weekend to buy the last two Expedits I wanted for my craft room. I'm sure we will purchase a few Kallaxes (Kallaxi?) in the future, but at least my craft room closet will have Expedits to match my Expedit craft table.

I love how perfectly the Sterilite bins fit in the Expedits.

Here's a quick peek at my craft room closet organization in progress.

We also have a large Expedit in our master bedroom. 

I've started a Pinterest board with some of my favorite Expedit uses and hacks. Take a look at some of my favorite ideas for using Ikea Expedits around the house.

Nursery

I wish we would have thought of using an Expedit in our son's room when he was a baby. What a creative, versatile changing table!

Expedit changing table via Little Lovely

Child's Bedroom

I could see our son loving this Expedit storage bed. What a great way to store all his books!

Expedit Storage Bed via Meredith at Ikea Hackers

Any Bedroom

We actually have Ikea Hopen drawers for nightstands in our master bedroom, but I love the idea of using the Expedits and saving a lot of money!

Affordable Night Stands via Free Sylin Beth (Update: the site has since been deactivated)

Closet

Make the most of your closets with an Expedit and a few bars. 

DIY Custom Closet via I Heart Organizing

The same idea works in a walk in closet, too. 

Kevin Wilson via Ikea Hackers

Kitchen

Make your own kitchen island or bar with an Expedit and a table top of your choice. 

Kitchen island via Decorating Insanity

This command center is a creative way to make a corner work for you. 

Family Command Center via Iron & Twine

Pantry

I just love the look of this walk-in pantry, especially how the Expedit makes a shelf.  I would use that for my appliances.

Pantry via Mel 'N' Rob's Knockdown Rebuild

Speaking of appliances, how cute is this appliance storage idea?

Appliance storage via BHG

Dining Room

Add legs to an Expedit for a simple home bar or sideboard

Home bar via Live Creating Yourself

Living Room

Technically, I don't think this example uses Expedits, but I have my eye on a variation of this idea in our basement living area. Instead of books, we'll use the shelves for DVDs and board games.

Sofas with Shelving via Apartment Therapy

Bathroom

Did you know you could use an Expedit as a linen closet? Why, yes you can!

Expedit linen closet by Live Creating Yourself

Foyer/Mudroom

Expedits have long been uses as room dividers, but I this rendition is really creative. 

Expedit as foyer via Apartment Therapy

If you have a little more room, Expedits can create an organized mudroom.

Photo credit: IKEA catalog

Laundry Room

Find more storage room in your laundry room by hanging an Expedit above the counter.

Expedit laundry shelves from Achieving Creative Order

Here's another way to organize the laundry area. I actually have this idea pinned for our son's book nook when we are ready to turn it into a desk area.

Laundry Room Revamp by Six 2 Eleven

Exercise Room

Expedit TV stand for a treadmill via I Heart Organizing (Note: the original post with this photo seems to have been taken down)

Craft Room/Office

Of course, I'm partial to my craft room, but lots of people have found creative way to use Expedits in their work spaces. I just love this desk.

Desk by Rambling Renovators

And here's a smaller version of my craft table with space for a chair. 

Craft table via Mama.ie

Playroom

This is one of the first images I ever pinned on Pinterest. I love this idea for a play area. And if you don't have an Ikea in your area, you're in luck, because these shelves were made at home, courtesy of Ana White's tutorial. 

Console height cubbies by Ana White

My little guy prefers dogs to dolls, but this Expedit doll house is adorable.

Dollhouse by Land of Nod

Do you share my love of Expedit? How do you use Expedits in your home?

Linked to:
Craft-O-Maniac * Crystal & Co. * DIY Dreamer * Feeding Big * Fluster Buster * Home Stories From A to Z * How Do You Do It * The Idea Room * Just Us Four * Kiddie Foodies * Krafty Cards, Etc. * Moonlight & Mason Jars Link Party * Practically Functional * Romance on a Dime * Sew Can Do * Sew Many Ways * Tatertots & Jello * Val's Quilting Studio * Will Cook For Smiles

Carpet is going down!

A new crew of guys joined Tim and Jim today: the carpet crew! I didn't venture upstairs where they working, but here's what the first level looks like:

in-law suite

great room (view from kitchen)

great room (view from stairs)

Niels' office

Stairs.

The plan today is for them to get all the grippers and padding down. Tomorrow, they'll lay the carpet down.

Carpet is one area where we compromised. If money were no object, we would have likely put cork in all the bedrooms, office and great room, and used a rug runner on the stairs. But since we do have a budget,  we decided to use carpet. We had originally planned to use carpet made of corn and recycled bottles, but we got a really great deal on the carpet we're putting in. The plan has never been to have the original carpet in long term because A) it's carpet, and even if it looks nice, you don't want to think about what it's hiding, and B) we'll be bringing a puppy home soon and then you really don't want to think about what's in the carpet! :-) So, when we realized we're looking at something for only the next 3-5 years, we decided to go cheap and not go over our allowance on flooring.

Painting...Almost Done

One more full work day for the paint crew! All that's left is the office stripe, mudroom and in-law suite (bedroom, closet and bath) paint and mudroom locker stain.

Here's a look at what they've done over the last two weeks. I should mention that all of the paint below has no VOCs. No paint smell, and healthy, too!

UPSTAIRS:

D's Room: Sherwin Williams Scanda (Blue) and Solaria (Yellow)

Guest Bedroom: Sherwin Williams Dovetail (Dark Gray)

Master Bedroom: Sherwin Williams Sensuous Gray (Plum)

Master Bathoom: Sherwin Williams Dovetail (main bath), Sensuous Gray (Water Closet) and Mindful Gray (Closet).

D's Bathroom: Sherwin Williams Solaria

Upstairs Hallway: Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray

Upstairs Laundry Room: Sherwin Williams Oyster Bay

Stairwell and Great Room: Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray

Kitchen, Command Center, Pantry and Dinette: Sherwin Williams Oyster Bay

View of kitchen from the great room. Dinette to the right. Command center to the left.

Dinette

View of kitchen from dinette. Arch to mud room to the far left. Command center on left.
Panty door on right. Great room on far right.

Command center. After the counter is placed, the rest of the cabinets will be added:
tall cabinets on both sides, with a book shelf and cubbies on top.

I'm so happy with how the wall matches my backsplash glass tile.

Close up of backsplash.

Pantry. I will use temporary shelves for the first few months to confirm the layout, then our kitchen cabinet maker will custom build the shelves this summer.

View of the kitchen into the great room.

 Entry and Foyer: Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray and Sensuous Gray (only in niche)

Powder Room: Sherwin Williams Solaria.

Niels' Office: Sherwin Williams Dovetail (below) and Mindful Gray (above). Still to be added: a chair rail stripe of Sherwin Williams Pure White (same as baseboards).