IKEA, then?

[freethinkermama]

I've really appreciated reading the responses to the Aldi thread.

I've recently learned there's an IKEA about 3 hours from where we live. I've never been there either, but I've looked at the website. . .I didn't get it.

I hear people rave about it. We have few furnishings in our house, and would like to gussy up just a little.

Convince me to try IKEA. (We're probably headed to the thrift stores first, but I'd like to hear your experiences!)

 

Thank ye

 

:lurk5:

[melissel]

I've really appreciated reading the responses to the Aldi thread.

I've recently learned there's an IKEA about 3 hours from where we live. I've never been there either, but I've looked at the website. . .I didn't get it.

I hear people rave about it. We have few furnishings in our house, and would like to gussy up just a little.

Convince me to try IKEA. (We're probably headed to the thrift stores first, but I'd like to hear your experiences!)

 

Thank ye

 

:lurk5:

 

Well, if you can get past the drive and the crowds at Ikea, it's a terrific place. You can't beat their prices on household basics, and I love that they have something for every price range in just about every item. With almost no exceptions, even the things I've bought from the bottom of their price ranges have held up incredibly well. I have a modular desk set that I bought 17 years ago when I was still in college. It has withstood being taken apart and put back together during more than six moves, and it's still in use in my basement right now. I have a little dresser in DD's room that was the cheapest, smallest one they sold, and it looks like new (with the exception of the crayon, of course).

 

The store itself can be a little overwhelming if you're not used to it, so be prepared. Also be prepared to have at least one meal there. Otherwise, have fun!

[laundrycrisis]

There is a certain style of decor that IKEA is very well suited to. If you like sort of modern Scandinavian styles, but without the price tag of Dania, you might like IKEA. It is also good if you are looking for basic furnishings that are very affordable. Money can go a long way at IKEA. Our home is completely furnished with a combination of IKEA, damaged/sale items from Dania, a few items from an unfinished wood store that we varnished ourselves, and resale shops.

[Corraleno]

Their "Billy" bookcases are awesome: simple, cheap, nice looking, and don't fall apart even if you totally overload them with books. They have cheap kids' furniture and kitchen stuff, too. If you're looking for accessories to spiff up your rooms, IKEA is great for little things like lamps, throws, pillows, artwork & frames, bedding, small rugs, and other little decorative items. Before we moved to our current house, I'd lived within 2 hours or so of an IKEA for the previous 15 years, and I've shopped at IKEAs in three different countries and 4 different states. Sadly, the nearest IKEA from here is 8 hours away, so I've only been there once in the past 5 years. I'm contemplating another trip, though. :tongue_smilie:

 

Jackie

[regentrude]

We love IKEA. Most of our furniture is from there. We like the clean lines and sparse Skandinavian design. We love the IVAR bookshelve system; the parts combine well, you can rearrange things, there are a variety of different components.

Despite the low prices, the things are of good quality. We have had our bookshelves, sofa, coffee table and armchairs for 15 years, they survived small children and an overseas move.

Unfortunately, for us the closest one is 7 hours away. We'll have to go there for more bookshelves.

[Jamee]

We're IKEA freaks here. We have three whole rooms completely done in IKEA. I agree, too, that IVAR and Billy are fantastic. But I also love Expedit. I think one of the things that makes Ikea so special is that a lot of there stuff is around forever, so you don't have to get it all at once or if you decide you need more, it's there. The store can be overwhelming and it probably will take some time to get used to how it works, it's not your typical store. Go with a car that has a nice flat bed for anything you may want to get. Everything is packed flat, but you'll need to be sure you have space for the longest item. Knowing there was an IKEA here made moving without any furniture perfectlly OK.:D Have fun!!! (and enjoy lunch.)

[gardening momma]

I really like IKEA, but I wouldn't drive 3 hours to go to one. I have one 20 minutes away, and I think I've been there 2 times. I go to my local thrift store (also about 20 minutes away) way more often. We did get a table from IKEA that I really like for our schoolroom, and 3 Billy bookcases. If I were really wanting to save money, I'd go to the thrift store first.

[parias1126]

I love IKEA. My whole schoolroom is from IKEA. You can see it on my blog. I would say to leave your house very early and make a day trip out of it. If it's a weekend, it usually seems like everyone had the same idea as you (let's go to IKEA today)! You don't even have to leave to eat lunch since they have a cafeteria type restaurant right there. Our IKEA is also very child-friendly. They have an area where you can leave your children for an hour if you have little ones (but they must be potty-trained).

[Hedgehog]

I love most of the stuff at IKEA.. but DON'T BUY THEIR MATTRESSES. Both my sister and I have had beds from IKEA, and the mattress springs simply break wherever there is heaviest pressure - in both cases, within 5 years. :001_huh:

 

Other than that, I'm quite a fan..

[blakereese]

I love IKEA! We have A LOT of furniture from there, probably about half the house. Lots of kid furniture and stuff in the school area. You can't beat their prices, and I like how everything is simple.

 

You do need to know what you are looking for when you go there...it is just so big, it can be overwhelming. You can get a catalog or look online first, and at least have a plan. :) They have child care (usually an hour at the most) and a restaurant, because they know you will be there for HOURS. :lol: It is definitely worth a trip. Take a big car! :D

[Jamee]

Oh! MEasure your walls and ceiling height before you go so you know what size you're looking for. Just about everything is modular so you can customize whole walls with storage goodness.:D

[Blueridge]

We took our first (of many to come :)) trip to the Charlotte, NC IKEA last month. Hubby had to work overtime for us to do this, and he said it was totally worth it. We drove 3 1/2 hours to get there, and it was a fabulous day for the whole family. We took pictures like it was a field trip. I had dogeared my catalog with everything that I was even moderately interested in finding, and it was amazing when we saw just how darn big the building was. Wear very comfortable shoes, even if they're ugly! They had a helper at the very front to show us where to start, and the whole store has big arrows on the floor to keep you going the right way LOL. You can sit on all the furniture, open all the drawers that are full of tagged goodies, and see tons of rooms all set up and decorated. Wonderful! The kid's section was a favorite, just full of precious little toys and colorful plastic things, I just couldn't believe the prices (like 99 cent things). We filled our basket with stuff from their very inexpensive kitchen shop (oh, how I love my big, thirsty 39 cent kitchen towels!) and didn't spend much at all (way less that $100). We hardly get to go anywhere, so this trip was a total blessing. We had bought tickets ahead of time for their Christmas Smorgasbord...and they are having another on at Easter...and all I can say about that is *GO*!!!!! Amazing time for us all, and we can hardly wait to go again later this year and hopefully get some furniture this time.

Edited January 9, 2011 by Blueridge

[MaMa2005]

I didn't get IKEA either. I live in ATL so one is right on my doorstep. It was open for 2.5 years before DH and I ventured into it. We were sold from the first trip. DH loves the damaged goods area and we are forever finding sales on closeout items. IKEA is a master at utilizing every last inch of space in a room while still making it look large. Gotta love that.

 

DS just wants to go so he can get a six pack of their cinnamon rolls :001_smile:.

[Patches]

I love most of the stuff at IKEA.. but DON'T BUY THEIR MATTRESSES. Both my sister and I have had beds from IKEA, and the mattress springs simply break wherever there is heaviest pressure - in both cases, within 5 years. :001_huh:

 

Other than that, I'm quite a fan..

 

I have 3 Ikea Mattresses. They are great but are not the type that include springs. One is made of memory foam and is heavenly!

 

love, love, love Ikea!

[prairiewindmomma]

We love IKEA as well. We have 8 Billy bookcases with doors and two Tullsta chairs in our school room. We also have various light fixtures and kitchen storage supplies from IKEA.

 

When we were planning to build our home (which we later did not build, for various reasons), we discovered that their kitchen cabinets are well made and very reasonably priced.

 

I suggest looking online or downloading their catalog for ideas!

[Farrar]

Plan to have lunch there if you go. I feel like Swedish meatballs and ligonberry juice are a part of the essential IKEA experience.

[ChristusG]

My favorite store ever!!! We don't have one in our city, but there's one in Orlando. We drive to Disney several times a year and I always make sure to stop at Ikea when we go. And the swedish meatballs in the cafeteria are delish!

[gardening momma]

And sometimes the kids meals are free.

[kalanamak]

Public Service Announcement: my ex husband and I had exactly 3 fights. Two of them were in IKEA.

 

I go very rarely for rugs, and I make a time to reunited with hubby and do not speak to him the whole time I am there.

 

A child once burned is twice shy of the fire.

[freethinkermama]

OMGoodness!

 

Wow! Ok, then. I guess we'll have to go. I didn't know they served food. The whole thing rather blows my mind!

 

Maybe I'll have to get a catalog. The online thing makes it look very limited.

 

Awesome! Boy, y'all aren't paid marketers, are you? ;) :)

[Wheres Toto]

Plan to have lunch there if you go. I feel like Swedish meatballs and ligonberry juice are a part of the essential IKEA experience.

:iagree: Definitely, yummy.

 

We have two, maybe three, IKEA's within an hours drive. We have a few Billy bookcases, a bed with drawers underneath and 4 dressers (2 different styles).

 

I LOVE the Billy bookcases. I used to have a corner one, as well as the regular ones and they all had been taken apart multiple times and still stand strong.

 

The bed is good but the set of slats that is used to support the mattress didn't hold up well to my kids playing under the bed. They kept knocking them off the edge and the strips of fabric holding them together ripped. They are currently held together using an interesting set-up of duct tape. The drawers are very sturdy even with two little kids pulling on them, climbing in them, etc.

 

The dressers are okay. I would recommend using wood glue on all joins when putting them together. My 16 year old has a two tall and one low in her room and the front of the drawers have fallen off a few of them. She probably overloads them and isn't too gentle but still. We also have a slightly different dresser for dh. That one is holding together much better.

 

In Sweden a lot of people live in small city apartments so they can afford a weekend get-away in the country. So the furniture is designed to be very versatile in small spaces.

[ocelotmom]

Wow! Ok, then. I guess we'll have to go. I didn't know they served food. The whole thing rather blows my mind!

Yes, and the food is inexpensive, and very good for the price :) I think one time recently we got meals for two adults and two kids for well under $10 - it was one of the "kids eat free" times someone else mentioned.

 

We used to have an IKEA about 20 minutes away, and went there ALL. THE. TIME. Well, not often in spring or fall, but when it was oppressively hot in the summer or excessively rainy in the winter, we'd go there nearly weekly, have lunch, leave the kids at the play area, and wander around for a while. It's where I got my exercise during the last few months of my second pregnancy (when it was consistently over 90 degrees out). We didn't normally buy a lot - just lots of window shopping, though cheap kitchen and bath stuff sometimes happened, too.

 

Go on a weekday during school hours if at all possible. We rarely had trouble with crowds unless we went on weekend afternoons or during school holidays.

 

Also, check ahead of time to make sure that the IKEA you're going to has a restaurant, smaland (the daycare), specific stuff to buy, and so on if it would be a dealbreaker if they weren't there. They do vary in quality, and not all have the same things. We had kind of a miserable trip to one near Los Angeles because all they had for food was the snack bar with hot dogs and stuff, things were mispriced, and their staff was VERY unhelpful. But that hasn't been our experience at the others we've been to.

 

Now it's 4 hours away, and we miss it. WalMart is very a poor substitute.

Edited January 10, 2011 by ocelotmom

[sarawatsonim]

I get a weird thrill when the Ikea catalogue comes in the mail. I ♥ Ikea!

[Corraleno]

Take a big car! :D

:iagree:

Seriously! If you have a van or pickup, take that; if not, borrow a roof rack and some rope & bungey cords from a neighbor. I've had IKEA trips where I had to pack and repack the car several times to jam it all in, and in the end everyone still had to sit in funny positions all the way home. :tongue_smilie:

 

Jackie

[sparrow]

Thanks for the reminder to request my IKEA catalog :001_smile:.

 

You can usually find something to buy at IKEA :tongue_smilie:.

[mom2abcd]

We went for the first time last week! I was so excited to finally see what IKEA stores are. It's very unique and I'm glad we went.

 

We needed a couple of dressers and a shelf and we found everything in the As Is section. They even offered us 20% off our purchase in the As Is shop! (I asked the salesman when they have the extra sale there and he said usually mid-week or towards the end of the week or when sales are slow. I think they don't want their room to get too full.)

 

Are the dressers usually sold unassembled? We got ours in the As Is shop already assembled and the only thing wrong was a tiny scuff on an edge! $90 instead of $150 for a beautiful big dresser! (How I love how easily the drawers slide-- we usually get things second hand and are used to sticking drawers.)

 

It would be fun to explore this store with a girlfriend. I did drag dh through both levels just so we could see what it was like. (They have shortcuts marked if you don't want to see it all.) We spent most of our time in the As Is area.

 

They had sturdy silverware for not much that would be great for anyone setting up house. I'm sure there are lots and lots of bargains to be found. We spent a couple of hours there and didn't have time to see it all.

 

One more thing-- the furniture we got was all real wood at prices other stores charge for particle board. For bookshelves, dressers, etc. I think this is very economical.

[Amy in TX]

Their solid wood furniture without any movable parts (tables, chairs, bunkbeds, bookcases) tends to be of good quality and reasonably priced.

 

OTOH, I will never again buy anything with drawers from IKEA. When I was married (granted this was 17 years ago), I bought some dressers. We had to assemble them at home. The inner parts were all plastic, and many parts that had to line up precisely were ever-so-slightly off, so that it was very difficult to assemble. The drawers were flimsy and didn't slide in & out easily.

 

No experience with anything upholstered.

 

HTH,

[Jamee]

WE've never had any trouble with our dressers other than the boys overloading them.:glare: That has caused the bottom to slip out a couple of times, but I've been able to push it back.

 

Also, should you ever lose or break and of the hardware, they have HUGE bins all nicely labeled with replacement parts for you. Ours has binders of instructions where you can find the name of the furniture then get the part code so you can find it in the shelves of parts. This was VERY helpful when we lost our shelf pins during a move. And when we purchased a used bunkbed that was missing a couple screws.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

I'll be making my first ever visit to IKEA on the 21st of this month. (Just after I get my financial aid check on the 20th! :D) Going for a table and possibly a bookshelf. When I was working, I drove past it many, many times and resisted the urge to go in since I was living in a fully furnished apartment. Now that we need our own furniture I can't wait to go!!

[lailasmum]

Ikea is really great, we have a lot of their stuff. Some of the super cheap stuff may only last a few years but the next notch up in quality is really good. I have a massive solid birch bookcase that has been moved all over the house and its great such good quality.

 

They are great for basics that its hard to find elsewhere too and I like their lamps.

 

We are thinking of getting their fitted wardrobes this year.

[keptwoman]

We have our entire living and school areas furnished entirely with Ikea, every single piece of furniture except our dining table. 5 years ago all the children had Ikea bedrooms but growing children and changing desires means only one is now.

They all have Ikea mattresses though, and 5 years on they are fine.

 

I love most of the stuff at IKEA.. but DON'T BUY THEIR MATTRESSES. Both my sister and I have had beds from IKEA, and the mattress springs simply break wherever there is heaviest pressure - in both cases, within 5 years. :001_huh:

 

Other than that, I'm quite a fan..

The mattresses, including springs and bases have a 25 year warranty. I hope you took them back!!

 

You do need to know what you are looking for when you go there...it is just so big, it can be overwhelming. You can get a catalog or look online first, and at least have a plan. :) They have child care (usually an hour at the most) and a restaurant, because they know you will be there for HOURS. :lol: It is definitely worth a trip. Take a big car! :D

 

 

And I agree with taking a big car. Have a big wallet too, I always spend more than I intend!

 

And we are about to put in an Ikea kitchen, just finished off the design tonight :D

 

And best of all, currently Ikea is 50 mins away, but they are putting in one 20 mins away. *happy dance*

Edited January 10, 2011 by keptwoman

[Ravin]

Another huge fan of Ikea. About half our classroom is Ikea, as is our kitchen table. We have those big cubby-style bookshelves, and they are sturdy as can be. I also have one of their hardwood bookshelves that I got in the as-is, and one of their cheap bookshelves, which is MUCH better quality than than the cheap bookshelf I got at Walmart.

 

I plan on getting a mattress there soon, and maybe a bed frame; I'll take what someone above said under advisement and get a foam mattress rather than innerspring.

 

Their linens are nice, too; DD's duvet is from there. We like to go for a lunch date (DD and I), then I'll shop or have coffee and write while she plays in Smaland.

 

I wouldn't make a 3 hour trip just for Ikea, but if you're headed to a city with it, I'd definitely include it. Every time my mom comes and visits me usually includes a trip to Ikea.

[knit247]

I haven't read any of the replies, but we absolutely love Ikea here! When we moved in 2009 we got rid of all of our second-hand, mismatched furniture. We discovered Ikea and now most of the house is furnished in it!

 

Favorites are the Billy bookshelves - we have them lining one long wall in our schoolroom. They are loaded with books and are holding up remarkably well. No sagging at all!

 

We also have lots of the Expedit: our entertainment center; storage in DH's man-cave, the schoolroom, and the girls' room; and my computer desk.

 

Our all-time favorite is Hemnes - we have the bedroom suite and just bought the dining room table that seats 10!

 

Add to that a zillion decorations and we love-love-love Ikea here! For the first time in my life my house looks put-together and very homey. I really like it!

[stripe]

I am not sure Ikea is the place for you if you want to gussy up your house. Unless you buy throw pillows or something. Their furniture is very plain.

 

Please, please, please open up ALL your furniture before you leave the parking lot and make sure you have all the hardware required, especially since you'll be driving 3 hours. I bought something that had a defective screw and Ikea was absolutely AWFUL about it. I was expected to have a bed wait, half assembled, for 2 weeks for a screw to arrive. The manager refused to open another box (which there were in stock, but he denied) to give us the screw. Since all customer service agents (including a corporate customer service VP whom I spoke to on the phone!) all thought this was perfectly acceptable, I try to publicize this as much as possible. Check your hardware! Do not expect great customer service.

[ChandlerMom]

They have the whole catalog online, so go thru it SLOWLY (lots of little stuff is on the pages of big stuff -- everything in there is sold somewhere in Ikea).

 

Even without looking at furniture, we buy a lot there.

 

Linens: all-cotton twin bed sheets for $4.99; really waterproof, non-crinkley mattress pads for $15. Fabric I used to make drapes. Towels. Throw pillows. Rugs (esp wool).

 

Cheap but nice hardware (curtain rods, etc). $1.99 oval waste baskets. Laundry drying racks. Cheap toilet brushes.

 

Dishes: their ceramic plats and mugs don't get hot spots in the microwave (like my expensive ones, lol). Cheap kitchen gadgets, brushes, utensils. BPA-free leftover food containers.

 

Kids toys; craft supplies (lazysusans, plant pots for painting). Bamboo plants -- don't know what that has to do with Ikea, but they are ubiquitous.

 

We get the meal to start: swedish meatball meal ($3.99), gravlox, or stuffed salmon (my fav).

 

ETA: at the end browse the food market -- esp rye hard flatbread; filled cookies; cheese.

Have fun!

[babysparkler]

I love IKEA. My whole schoolroom is from IKEA.

 

Mine too... I have a photo album in my profile :) I especially love my Billy Bookcases in the corner!!! <3

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

My house is slowly becoming an Ikea house. I just bought desks for the kids' room there last week. I would definitely check it out.

[Giraffe]

WE've never had any trouble with our dressers other than the boys overloading them.:glare: That has caused the bottom to slip out a couple of times, but I've been able to push it back.

 

Also, should you ever lose or break and of the hardware, they have HUGE bins all nicely labeled with replacement parts for you. Ours has binders of instructions where you can find the name of the furniture then get the part code so you can find it in the shelves of parts. This was VERY helpful when we lost our shelf pins during a move. And when we purchased a used bunkbed that was missing a couple screws.

 

Thank you for this info - our Poang chair lost a couple of thingymajigs in our last move and I was wondering if I could get replacement parts for it.

 

Love Love Love IKEA! Great shelves, great chairs, I love our easily expandable dining table. I keep dreaming of a couch and some dressers but need to save a little money first.

[KarenNC]

We just got a Karsten swiveling desk chair this weekend that my husband loves (it's for his office as he's doing more work from home). He said it was insanely comfortable and only about $60 (on sale).

[JennyD]

Looking around right now, I believe that every piece of furniture in our apartment except our dining table and a toy storage unit are from IKEA. No, wait, the crib isn't IKEA either. But everything else is. Next year we are moving to a city that has no IKEA and DH and I keep wondering how on earth we are going to furnish our house. Where do people buy furniture if not at IKEA?

 

Thee stuff is so cleverly designed, you can get an amazing amount for your money, and it is actually sized for small spaces.

 

The store itself is crazy-making, though. As one prior poster said, definitely measure everything in your house before you go, and gird your loins for a grueling retail experience. It is also, like another poster said, a handy acid test for your marriage. I don't even know why anyone bothers with premarital counseling. Just send starry-eyed couples off to IKEA with a bunch of measurements, preferably on a weekend afternoon. Only the strong will survive!

 

(And that doesn't even include the subsequent Assembling of the Furniture ...)

 

But really, it's a great store. The 99-cent breakfast, if you get there early, is a terrific deal.

Edited January 11, 2011 by JennyD

[parias1126]

I don't like this thread! It's causing me to need another IKEA fix and I'm broke! :glare:

[parias1126]

Plan to have lunch there if you go. I feel like Swedish meatballs and ligonberry juice are a part of the essential IKEA experience.

 

Heaven!!!!

[Jen in PA]

Wait, they sell furniture there? I just go for the gravlax plate and the free hour of child care.:D

[redsquirrel]

I have a love hate relationship with Ikea. I've got some cool stuff from them, I've got some crap.

 

Don't let the pretty pretend rooms throw you. Really, really look at how the stuff is made. If you live three hours away think long and hard before making a major purchase.

 

It is super fun to visit ikea, especially on a monday morning when it is empty and you and the kids have the whole place to yourselves. But, try to limit the impulse buy and check the quality. I have found that you really get what you pay for with Ikea. If something is inexpensive make sure it is something you wouldn't spend much on anyway. But, if it is something you would expect to spend $$ then it pays to do the same at Ikea.

[KidsHappen]

I am disabled. I hobble at approximately .5 miles per hour on a good day. One of the times I went to visit the kids in Atlanta they thought mom would like to go to Ikea. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it out alive. It took longer to get through there than the Atlanta zoo. Thank goodness it was inside and air conditioned or I really might not have made it. It took at least five hours. I had no idea. Of course, it was fascinating. They have the neatest things and their minitures rooms (300 to 400 ft. - complete rooms or even apts.) were mind boggling. Don't plan on buying anything the first time though. You really can't be prepared for the experience. After walking through the showrooms (area about as big as your average mall) then you have to walk through the warehouse section (where the shelves seem to go on in every direction until they are completely out of sight). You have to pull your own merchandise or find someone to get it for you if it is not reachable and then you have to drag it to the checkout on a flatbed. They don't deliver so you need a truck which you have to load yourself. They do have a great cafe though so you can take a break to refuel. The damage section is great with some really great bargains and if you are creative you can make some really great rooms. The pictures below are the room my dd made for my gds with items mostly from Ikea.

Edited January 11, 2011 by KidsHappen

[Momling]

I have a love hate relationship with Ikea. I've got some cool stuff from them, I've got some crap.

 

Don't let the pretty pretend rooms throw you. Really, really look at how the stuff is made. If you live three hours away think long and hard before making a major purchase.

 

 

 

:iagree: Ikea furniture can look really nice, but it just does not last very long at all. I've loved our bed (a metal wrought-iron type), our mattress (the most expensive one... no springs), some bedding, some art, some kitchen stuff and one table... But our sofa and bookshelves and bed frame (a cheaper wooden one) and desks and really... any of the cheap kids stuff we've bought have ended up being freecycled within 3-4 years of purchase because the quality really is that bad. I do like Ikea, but just don't be swayed by their cool styles and low prices and that particular smell of wood and meatballs and cinnamon rolls... you do get what you pay for.

[Jamee]

(which there were in stock, but he denied) to give us the screw. Since all customer service agents (including a corporate customer service VP whom I spoke to on the phone!) all thought this was perfectly acceptable, I try to publicize this as much as possible. Check your hardware! Do not expect great customer service.

 

I'm sorry you had such a horrid experience. We've always had a fantastic experience with them. Back in Feb, we made a trip--in the snow--and left our shelf rails in the parking lot. We called, they got us an English speaking rep--we live in Japan--and she hooked us up for our next visit. . .which was just last month! HUbby went and got our gift card/refund and we were shopping within a few minutes.

 

I'm surprised they gave you such heartache over a screw, when you can get them for free from the bins in customer service. I did have a fluke once and got a table that didn't have one of its drawers. I went and explained the next time I was in, and they got me the parts to my new drawer.

[parias1126]

I am disabled. I hobble at approximately .5 miles per hour on a good day. One of the times I went to visit the kids in Atlanta they thought mom would like to go to Ikea. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it out alive. It took longer to get through there than the Atlanta zoo. Thank goodness it was inside and air conditioned or I really might not have made it. It took at least five hours. I had no idea. Of course, it was fascinating. They have the neatest things and their minitures rooms (300 to 400 ft. - complete rooms or even apts.) were mind boggling. Do plan on buying anything the first time though. You really can't be prepared for the experience. After walking through the showrooms (area about as big as your average mall) then you have to walk through the warehouse section (where the shelves seem to go on in every direction until they are completely out of sight). You have to pull your own merchandise or find someone to get it for you if it is not reaceable and then you have to drag it to the checkout on a flatbed. They don't deliver so you need a truck which you have to load yourself. They do have a great cafe though so you can take a break to refuel. The damage section is great with some really great bargains and if you are creative you can make some really great rooms. The pictures below are the room my dd made for my gds with items mostly from Ikea.

 

I love it! What a lucky little boy! My DS's room is all IKEA too. I have the same toy storage, but how did she do the little sitting area on top of the toy storage? I love that! I want to do that in my boys room! Did she custom make the cushion with IKEA fabric?

[BlsdMama]

I have a love hate relationship with Ikea. I've got some cool stuff from them, I've got some crap.

 

 

This is my thought EXACTLY! I was just thinking this before I read your post. :)

 

I went my entire adult life without ever going to Ikea. (GASP!) Then we moved to Oregon, and well, needed the experience.

 

My children despise Ikea. If we mention we're headed there, each child automatically volunteers to stay home. Why? Because there is no such thing as a "quick trip" to Ikea. Even if you have a list, a plan, and a ton of determination.

 

Breakfast is $0.99. Go early, beat the afternoon rush, get breakfast.

 

Buying at Ikea depends on what you're looking for. Do you want a dresser that will hold together for 10 years 'til your kids move out? Ikea. Were you going to go to Wal-Mart and just buy whatever you found cheapest? Go Ikea. Do you want furniture that will last? Not Ikea.

 

Do want to spend $7 on end tables for your sofa because they match and you know your kids are going to put drinks on them and dings in the edges? Ikea. Is your home pretty well furnished but you just know a couple things like a trendy rug or a throw for the couch or some throw pillows for your bed would warm it up? Ikea.

 

Our boys have a dresser from Ikea. We were either going to get that or the cheapest one at Wal-Mart. We love it. It has big drawers, they slide easily. Great buy. Well worth it.

 

It was a great experience. So when we needed benches for our super long hard wood table, Ikea was the obvious choice as solid wood benches were expensive and the alternative Ikea product was super inexpensive. NOT thrilled. Because they see SO much use, so much touching, so much cleaning, the laminate is coming off eight months after we purchased them. We should have known better! Something incredibly high use that we wanted to keep forever and we bought Ikea? Silly grown-ups!

 

I want a rug for my living room. It's purely for looks. I'll definitely go Ikea. I will eventually need new benches. I definitely WON'T go Ikea.

 

See? Love / Hate relationship.

 

Make a list, go with a plan. Another vote for the Billy bookcases though. :D

[OnTheBrink]

We went for the first time last week! I was so excited to finally see what IKEA stores are. It's very unique and I'm glad we went.

 

We needed a couple of dressers and a shelf and we found everything in the As Is section. They even offered us 20% off our purchase in the As Is shop! (I asked the salesman when they have the extra sale there and he said usually mid-week or towards the end of the week or when sales are slow. I think they don't want their room to get too full.)

 

Are the dressers usually sold unassembled? We got ours in the As Is shop already assembled and the only thing wrong was a tiny scuff on an edge! $90 instead of $150 for a beautiful big dresser! (How I love how easily the drawers slide-- we usually get things second hand and are used to sticking drawers.)

 

It would be fun to explore this store with a girlfriend. I did drag dh through both levels just so we could see what it was like. (They have shortcuts marked if you don't want to see it all.) We spent most of our time in the As Is area.

 

They had sturdy silverware for not much that would be great for anyone setting up house. I'm sure there are lots and lots of bargains to be found. We spent a couple of hours there and didn't have time to see it all.

 

One more thing-- the furniture we got was all real wood at prices other stores charge for particle board. For bookshelves, dressers, etc. I think this is very economical.

 

Which one did you go to? Maybe this spring we can meet up and go shopping! I'm wanting some new bookcases. :D