Showing posts with label home decoration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home decoration. Show all posts

5/20/2022

Karbon 25W ES Clear Dimmable Decorator G95 Globe

This is a beautiful vintage-looking large dimmable bulb. They have, at least with my lamp, three different degrees of brightness. They create a very lovely romantic and cozy atmosphere in my bedroom, and they are perfect to pace my getting up in the morning going from very faint light to bright one. My only criticism is that these bulbs are extremely flimsy and delicate and break easily. This is the second replacement I've bought in a year. For the rest, a beautiful atmospheric bulb.

11/01/2021

Rope Storage Baskets

These are two good quality rope small baskets with a wonderful ivory and black colour that goes with anywhere. They have gazillion uses and they come with a hanger and also with sticky wall hooks. Really good value for money.

Unfortunately the two baskets were vacuum sealed before packaging to fit them in the box, and, because of that, they arrived totally deformed, the round shape lost forever. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to reshape them, because they would really look great if they were perfectly round. Yet, they are not.

The promotional photos are very pretty, but, as you can see in the photos I've uploaded, they don't look as pretty in real life.

8/02/2021

7/25/2021

PokeHome Candle Luxury Scented Soy Jar Candle, Small 3.6 Oz (Daisy, Mars)

I'm in love with this candle container, so sculptural, classy and beautiful in itself Candle inside is small and the scent is sort of lavander-ish/daisy-ish. Once the candle is consumed, you still have this awesome mini-sculpture jar to use with another candle, as a container for small rings or earrings, or just as a decorative element. Packaging is really good as it has some double-mold foam inside the box that holds and protects the sculptural top and the candle container. I wish they had more variety of candles, because this candle is really elegant. The candle per se is on the small size, but the jar and the top are still medium sized. Good value for money.

12/21/2015

Ikea Australia


THE GOOD
> Ikea offers you anything you need for your home at affordable or very cheap prices. If you are a student, have a budget, are newly-wed, moved cities, moved countries, have and need to furnish your full house right now or buy essential items at good prices, this is your place.
> Cool design and styling. They really have an eye for colour, funkiness, simple functional well-designed items, some of them designed on purpose for Ikea by young designers, while others are replicas of well-known designers.
> Very friendly and even enthusiastic guys in their stores.
> Free metre tapes and pencils to take measurements all over the store.
> Pick up and/or delivery services are fast and very well organised. They are not cheap, but not more expensive than other private services that would do the same for you.
> I specially like some of the basic stuff for the kitchen, bathroom, pot plants area, and some of their organisational boxes. They are good quality, cheap and good looking. And no assembly or very basic assembly is required.
> They have a free concierge service at the exit of their stores, so you can leave your trolley and purchases with the guys there and pick them up when it suits you. 
> They have reward points system with Ikea Family card.    
> I like their meatballs with mash potato at their "restaurant". Guilty pleasure. 

 THE BAD
> They don't pay as much taxes in Australia as they should as evade plenty of taxes with dodgy well-planed evading tax systems. They make millions out of Australians like vulgar predators. 
> They have inflated prices for Australians, for the same items. Booohhhhh.
> Some shops are understaffed, so if you visit during the weekend, you will be fighting for the attention of the guys in the shop.
> No online shopping in Australia except for WA and SA. Pathetic. 
> Pick up service has some important downsides. They only pick up those products that are in their warehouse area of the shop, not in others, even if you buy plenty of them. You have to do that personally. Stupid!
> The delivery is just for bulky items. They don't want your small items. If you push them, they will take them to your place BUT you are responsible if they get broken or get lost. They are not liable. Seriously... Outrageous.
> They don't transfer items from one shop to another. Say you want a chair that is available in shop A but not in shop B, they don't care, you go to the shop yourself, they won't bring it for you to the shop you live close by. 
> If an item is out of stock, you cannot leave your details for them to inform you that the item has arrived. You have to keep checking their website. Of course, you cannot prepay and reserve any item. And of course, they don't tell when approximately is the item going to be back in stock. They give a dam about you.
> Some of their products are cheap and will do for an emergency, but they are crap. If I had the money I wouldn't go to Ikea. As simple as that.
> I hate flat packing, with a passion. But there is no option because if you want your things properly assembled, you do it yourself  or you pay a fortune to other people to do that for you. Bring me the old furniture shops. That was customer service as it should be.
> If you just want to buy a couple of things you have to walk like a kilometre to get to your thingie. 
> The coffee in their restaurants is very cheap, refillable, but you won't want to refill, ever :D.    
> I never experienced the benefits of their rewards card. I got plenty of promotional emails instead, and some of the discounts to members were so ridiculous that bordered  insulting. 

NOTES
+ The assembly service they offer is overbooked most of the time, meaning there is a waiting list or it will take them a while to go to your place. But most people buying in Ikea need those items right now. Buy a proper screwdriver and set of tools, that will get your things assembled faster. Otherwise, assembly guys are everywhere these days, check the yellow pages online. 
= I love their assembly instructions pages, no words. Effective in most cases, but not always. Like they treat us like 3-year-old customers. 
 - So much style and the style of the uniform of the staff is dreadful :O. 

12/08/2015

Bed Bath N' Table (Online Retailer)

 

I love Bed Bath N Table's cover duvets and some of their towels, and I have been buying them in real stores for years. However, my first experience online was very good.

The website is easy to browse, prices and discounts easy to spot, and the pricing is the same as in the shops.

The shipping took about 24 hrs to be dispatched, and my parcels were posted via Australia Post's registered mail.

Shipping is free for purchases over 150 bucks, which is great if you decide to buy a whole set of towels, duvet set or doonas because you will be paying around that money. If you expend less, their shipping fees are still reasonable and affordable, nothing to stop you from shopping. 

You know what a business is made of when problems arise and they have to deal with them. My first shopping online from BBT was affected by the mishandling of my parcels and my parcel got lost somewhere in the Universe. However, BBT's customer service was absolutely professional, caring and hassle free. They launched an investigation with Australia Post and sent my order again for the second time at no extra charge without waiting for the resolution of the case. That is what customer service should be. 

I received the parcel promptly, well packed, and they are the usual gorgeous products that I love from BBT.

9/21/2014

Baba-Shop (Granada, Spain)


    Calle San Antón, 16
    18005 Granada
    Spain
    Phone: +34 958 521 638
    Website

Baba-Shop is a must stop for me each time I visit Granada.

Tucked away in Calle San Antón, this bazaar has an ample shop with a large but non flashy shop window.

This would have been my perfect shop if it had existed when I was at University as it has everything that my younger self (a bit hidden now underneath my more glamorous me) loved and love: unique pieces of clothing and jewellery, colour, textures, earthy stuff, alternative fashion, world jewellery and decoration items, new-hippy, hipster, grunge - Paradise! Their website does not make justice to the shop.

I don't wear the sort of clothing they have or most of their accessories any more, but I do still wear and purchase some of the pendants and jewellery they sell, which are always beautiful and original. I super-love their silver jewellery cabinet, which is not too expensive for foreigners (a bit for locals).

This is a pricey shop in general, which offers sales just on sales periods. That is possible because they have a loyal clientele who returns over and over again, and prefer to pay for one unique alternative piece than for three mass-produced ones.

The attendants are matter of fact and won't bother you in your browsing unless you want them to open the magic cabinet or bring something down from the upper shelves. Browse peacefully, buy if you want.

7/02/2014

Zoco del Salón (Granada, Spain)


Paseo del Salon, s/n
18009 Granada
Spain
Facebook

 If you are a fan of Etsy handmade handicrafts and clothing, you will love the Zoco del Salon - a handmade & handicrafts market.

 It is held the first Saturday of every month (weather permitting), at the bottom end of the Paseo del Salón, in the area by the Placeta del Humilladero. In the summer months, the market changes its opening hours to avoid the heat of the hot Granada summer.
 


 The white stalls are full of wonderful handmade stuff at terrific prices and customer service is excellent. You will find children clothes, adults T-shirts, home decor items, natural cosmetics and soaps, among many other things. Most of the vendors are also the makers of the stuff they sell, so they are really happy when you choose them.
 


I was in my personal heaven there. It reminded me of the Made in the Left markets in Perth WA regarding philosophy, atmosphere and sort of products you can find, but the one in  Granada is a bit smaller.

 I loved many things, but I found the stalls selling toddlers and baby clothing and accessories among my favourite, due to the cuteness of the items and their good prices. Kids clothing is ridiculously expensive everywhere, but here you can find wonderful stuff for little money. I bought a couple of things for my cute niece.

 If you are a foreigner and don't like traditional souvenirs, and you happen to be here when the market is held, this might be your place!

My fav stalls were the ones by Yomiss, Las Cosas de Mama, Degue, Periponte, Artsany, and Borstylus, but you will certainly find your own favourite items and stalls.

 Prices were cheap or very affordable and strolling along the white tents a pure pleasure.