I Love The Expedit! IKEA's Best Bookshelf

When we were pulling together my son Charlie's nursery a few years ago, I quickly determined we needed some simple, not-too-expensive bookshelves for his room, in a nice white that would match his crib. 

I looked at every big-box retailer and just couldn't find plain white shelves that were inexpensive AND looked good. Enter the Expedit! 

I'm telling you, the Expedit Bookshelf from IKEA is an incredible find.  Designers use this baby all the time.  It looks great, it fits in with all different design aesthetics...and the price can't be beat - we paid $70!  

Okay, here is the Expedit in Charlie's room (why, yes, his books ARE always lined up perfectly, from tallest to shortest!  yeah, right):

In retrospect, I think I should have bought the bigger Expedit (seen here), or two of the style above, placing them next to each other.  This shelf by itself looks a little too vertical and a little too lonely.  But you know how it goes...we had already gone to IKEA once and we simply lost steam.  But now it bothers me every time I look at it!


Now let's take a peek at what other people have done with the beloved Expedit.  I really marvel at peoples' ingenuity.

Doesn't this look like it came straight out of Domino Magazine?  A very chic, preppy use of the Expedit:

{ Via Indulgy }

 I love the neutral colors of this Expedit.  The most organized person in the world must have done this:

{ Via Almost Bunnies }

One of my all-time favorite home offices, pictured below.  I just love this room.  Brilliant use of the Expedit as a room divider!

 {Via Domino Mag }

I just love how this Expedit pictured below pops in front of that red wall.  And you would never know that this shelf is NOT custom made!

{ source unknown, but I think this picture may have come from O at Home magazine a few years back...}

Speaking of custom, check out this Expedit suspended on a wall on IKEAHackers.net. Doesn't this look fully custom-made?  Hard to imagine that this shelving unit cost this person a few hundred bucks:

{ Via IKEAHackers }

Another fabulous red wall, pictured below. Love the use of those wicker baskets and "color coded" books. Makes a graphic statement and pleasing to the eye.



{ via Style at Home }

Another shot from IKEA Hackers - a good example of how the Expedit can also be laid horizontally for a custom, low-slung look.

{ Via IKEA Hackers }

A nice, clean look for a laundry room:

{ Via Young House Love }

And back to kids' rooms.  In the pic below, aren't the sailboat and world map the best?  Love the colors and the plethora of wicker baskets holding all sorts of toys.  Wish Charlie's room looked like this! Time to get a model sailboat!

{ Via Young House Love }

Interested in more Expedit ideas?  Check out my Pinterest page (http://pinterest.com/lorri_elder) where I've spent an unhealthy amount of time collecting and curating Expedit photos. 

Do you have any great design finds like the Expedit?  Do tell!  I love learning again and again that great design doesn't have to mean spending an arm and a leg.  Until next time...!