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  • Ikea Bekvam stool makeover

    Ikea Bekvam stool makeover

    Updated February 2019

    Click here to skip to the tutorial

    Ikea hack bekvam stool ikea bekvam stoolIf you’ve been reading my blog, then you know that I relocated from Paris to London for work.

    When I decided to move to London, I gave away or sold most of my furniture, and only brought a few things, almost all from Ikea.

    Ikea Bekvam stool makeover Ikea bekvam stool bekvam hack | seefoodplay.com

    Apartment hunting in London was significantly easier than in Paris: I ended up choosing the first flat I visited! I only visited a few others to confirm my choice, but I knew right away that the first flat was the one. It came unfurnished with the exception of two beds and kitchen appliances, so I pretty much had to buy everything new, which is both exciting and terrifying. I’m always keen for a good ole room makeover, but furnishing and decorating an entire flat? So, I set aside a budget and I got on Pinterest months before the actual move-in date to start brainstorming. The flat isn’t big, but it’s got some interesting features. It’s around 65m2, two bedrooms, and an open kitchen leading onto the living area. All that is pretty standard, but wait for it… both the bedroom and living room lead out to a huge (everything is relative…) terrace! I’ve never had this much outdoor space  (other than when I was a kid) so needless to say I was very excited about working on the terrace make-over! But for now, the priority was on working on the inside.

    Of course I would have loved to get everything from cute little shops and high-end stores, but I had a whole apartment to furnish quickly and budget was limited. So, off to Ikea I went! About 6 trips later, I finally had most of the major things that I needed, and I could finally focus on the fun stuff: decorations and customizations. Since so many things came from Ikea, like the Ikea Bekvam Stool, I really want to try to customize as many things as possible to make the flat look a little bit less like I just chose it right out of the Ikea catalog!

    That’s what’s so great about Ikea though – many of their products are easily DIY-able, so you can turn an inexpensive element into a unique piece of furniture using an easy Ikea hack! That way, no one will look at it and go “I have the exact same one!” when they come over 🙂

    One of my very first Ikea DIY’s was to improve the Ikea Bekvam stool. It’s a great little sturdy stool, and I use it as a side table and bookshelf. I’m pretty obsessed with them, so don’t be surprised if I add another tutorial soon! It took all of my willpower to not paint it gold as I’m obssessed with gold spray paint these days! I settled on a more reasonable wood varnish (maybe add white-dipped legs in a few weeks? I know dipped furniture is very trendy right now but it’s trendy because it looks goooood!)

    Here’s what you’ll need:

    1. Ikea Bekvam stool
    2. Wood varnish
    3. Paint brush
    4. Cardboard, large cloth or plastic to protect your area while painting

    Instructions:

    1. Prepare your painting area by setting down a sheet, some cardboard or plastic. You’ll want to do this outside for best results and to avoid the fumes!
    2. Choose a wood varnish color that you like – I chose Antique Oak from B&Q
    3. Apply 2-3 coats (or until you get the desired shade) to the entire stool.
    4. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours before decorating.

    Note: I had already put this stool together when I got the bright idea to re-do it, so I just painted it without taking it apart. If I were to be using spray paint for the whole thing, then I would have definitely disassembled!

    More Ikea hacks customizations will follow, so keep an eye on that! Have you re-done the Ikea Bekvam stool too? If so, I’d love to see photos & descriptions in the comments section!

    Ikea Bekvam stool makeover hack | seefoodplay.com

    Ikea Bekvam stool makeover | seefoodplay.com Ikea Bekvam stool makeover | seefoodplay.com
    Ikea Bekvam stool makeover | seefoodplay.com

    Ikea Bekvam stool makeover | seefoodplay.com

  • 30-minute marinara sauce

    30-minute marinara sauce

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com
    I had a serious think about which recipe to start this blog out with (because that kind of sets the tone, right?) and then it became so clear that it had to be something that I love making and that I’ve always wanted to share.

    One of the first things that I truly learned to master in the kitchen was definitely marinara sauce. You know how some people talk about having made a recipe hundreds of times and you’re like “who makes something that many times…”? Then I thought about it a bit, and I guess I do have a few recipes that I love so much (and have for so long) that I must have made them at least a few hundred times over the years. This tomato sauce is definitely one of those recipes.

    When I first started getting interested in cooking, I naturally started with all things Italian because that was (and still is…) my favorite food. With a few simple ingredients that we almost always have on hand, you can make a restaurant-worthy dish in a matter of minutes. I used to think that making pasta sauce involved sautéing some veggies, browning some beef and adding in a jar of store-bought sauce. As the years went on, the more I realized that the best tomato sauce is one with the fewest ingredients. Simplicity is key with this recipe, because the end result is so rich and tomato-ey – adding anything else is just really unnecessary. After a long busy day, sometimes all you need is a nice bowl of pasta tossed in some olive oil, salt + pepper, with a few spoonfuls of this marinara sauce.

    This is my definite go-to recipe when I don’t have time to cook a more elaborate meal, or just when I need a big helping of comfort food. This is good on pasta, pizza or even just as a dip for an oven-toasted piece of baguette!

    With just a few ingredients, this sauce is a no-brainer fool-proof recipe that anyone can master. Bon appetit !

    What was the first thing you truly got just right in the kitchen? If you have recipes and photos, please share!

     

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com

     

    30-minute marinara sauce
    Recipe Type: Sauce
    Cuisine: Italian
    Author: seefoodplay.com
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 2 cups
    seefoodplay.com: 30-minute marinara sauce
    Ingredients
    • 2 (8 oz) cans whole tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    Instructions
    1. Add the can of whole tomatoes to a small saucepan
    2. Heat for 2-3 minutes, then add all remaining ingredients.
    3. Using a wooden spoon or hand mixer to break down whole tomatoes to have a smooth and uniform sauce (unless you like it chunky, which is great, too!)
    4. Allow to simmer on low for 30 minutes.
    Notes
    You can cook for 25 minutes, but I almost always let mine simmer a bit longer!

     

  • Blog launch!

    Blog launch!

    seefoodplay.com | Blog Launch image

    Hello and welcome to my little corner of the web, seeFoodplay.com!

    Thanks for stopping by – keep reading to find out why I started this blog, what I plan to publish in terms of content and a few details about me.

    So the first thing that people tend to ask me about is the name of the blog, where it comes from and what it means. A few months into working on the blog, I was brainstorming names but couldn’t find anything that matched what I was going for. I got chatting with my colleague Paddy, and halfway jokingly asked him to come up with a name for my blog that would be the perfect mix of what I wanted it all to be about: food (lots of food!), travel, DIY & crafts, all while incorporating my French influence from having lived in Paris for the past 10 years. A few days later, he came up with “seefoodplay” and I loved it pretty much right away! It might not make much sense at first sight, but it combines everything I was looking for, in a cute little French wordplay. When said aloud, “SeeFoodPlay” sounds like “s’il vous plait” which means “please” in French. But it can also mean “Listen up – your attention please!” and it’s even sometimes used in a restaurant when the waiter arrives at your table with your meal. As in, s’il vous plait… if it pleases you to enjoy this amazing French meal that I’ve just served you. The more I thought about the name, the more I realized that it was perfect: this blog is my platform, albeit a small one, to get your attention and to share some of my favorite recipes… if it pleases you 🙂

    The see is mostly related to my travels as I go out and see the world with my loving sidekick and devoted husband, Jonathan. The food is dedicated to my (growing) recipe collection, and the play is a reference to my DIY & crafting projects.

    As for me, I’m a 30-something originally from Michigan, USA, living and working in London as of February 2015! I spent the previous 10 years in Paris, though, and the city of light definitely still holds a big piece of my heart. But I left with something of hers, too: my adorable Parisian husband, Jonathan. I’m thankful that he continues to put up with the messy kitchens I’ve generated over the years, and supports me in all of my sometimes-crazy always-messy project & recipe ideas.

    I fell in love with Europe after my post-High School graduation trip to London and Paris in 2002, and it was pretty clear that my place was on this side of the Atlantic. A study abroad in 2004 in Paris was followed by a permanent move in 2006. After almost ten years in the city of lights (and love), it was time to experience something else: London! After lots of thinking, planning (and more over-thinking), I decided to take advantage of a work opportunity to see what life is like on the other side of The Channel. So, a new adventure begins in London but my heart and home will always be in Paris! These past ten years have allowed me to see and do more than I could have ever hoped for, and I’m really looking forward to this new chapter in my life. From starting my career, to buying an apartment, and most-recently to finding (and marrying!) my one true love (J), I can only say that my 20’s are going to be hard to beat!

    So thanks for stopping by to read what I’ve got to say! I’ll be posting about the things I love: food, wine, traveling, cooking, a little bit of fashion, entertaining, home decorating and DIY projects. My “blog research” suggests that this falls into the category of the “Lifestyle blog” but it seems a bit pretentious to suggest that anyone should take lifestyle advice from me…. So, let’s just say this blog is about a bunch of stuff that I like (Food, Travels, DIY…) that hopefully you’ll like, too!

    I am committed to updating this blog regularly, and will also answer all questions and emails sent my way! I try to make my posts as clear and typo-free as possible, so if you notice any mistakes, please let me know, but you can also drop me a line just to say “hello!” 🙂

     

    Xxo

    Veronica