I dedicate this post to House-blogging's most famous self proclaimed IKEA-phobe, Chris at the Emery Restoration.
I haven't had this much fun since the hamster died!
I did a little Googling and found some interesting sites. The first one is from IKEA itself. Here is YOUR store! You NEVER have to hang your head in shame there ever again! It appears that you can buy from them online and save on time, gas, impulse buying and meatball induced flatulence! Though in a few short years I'm sure you may want the meatballs to fuel your vehicle or make you "regular"....
You wouldn't want to leave home without this. Reminds me of those other big box retailers!
Then I found that someone actually did write a song about IKEA.
There is this website for the creative IKEA fan.
And finally, just when I thought this was an annual pilgrimage for us....
So, love it or hate it, they are here for at least a generation. It is not what you can do for IKEA but what IKEA can do for you that is the real challenge.
For the record, I am not a huge fan of their particle board creations either but some of their products actually work for us. I will always promote auctions for acquiring furniture, dinnerware, tools and rugs. IKEA is ideal for furnishing apartments, loft living spaces and for young people with a modern taste who want practical furniture at low cost. If you are looking for a piece of furniture that you can paint to suit your decor, IKEA is the place to buy it. Some of their lighting is "Kewl" but I wouldn't want it. Besides a sore back and tired feet we have acquired stainless steel kitchen items, unique affordable sinks and faucets, a pine storage system for some of Elizabeth's toys, a $33 burgundy colored computer desk, some garden items and a bunch of coat hooks from IKEA. The stuff is neither great, nor is it crap. It is purely practical and has saved me countless hours of looking for the "ideal item" that I may never find or be able to afford.
Now I shall go scan the other houseblogs to see who else I can taunt - I see that John is having dreams about me stripping......
From log house to farmhouse. Farmhouse to townhouse. Townhouse to apartment house. Apartment house to crack house. Crack house to our house. Our house to our home.
4 comments:
Wow. Like I said on the blog, I was expecting a roasting (having you clearly in mind when writing that), but the scale of the roasting turned out to be epic. I had wondered why it amused you so, and now I know - you're a closet IKEA-ist! (Ahh, closet - I'm still giggling. Hmm) My original rant about IKEA must have hit home! So, to you, Gary, I apologise for insulting the store that dishes up bad meatballs along with poor design daily.
We have a few things from IKEA, and in all seriousness, they aren't that bad for the price. The problem is the finding of them amongst the (even you can't argue this point) huge amount of rubbish IKEA produces. Anyway, I enjoyed watching you rip into me. Very funny.
However, if I were you I'd be a little more worried about John and his dreams.
When I start something, I always make sure I am thorough!
I wonder if John's dreams are the result of that whole "Village People" thing...
I'm a fan of IKEA's organization goodies because they're cheap, visually "clean", and hold up well enough for the money. When I organized my craft supplies (no small task, I am a total packrat) I bought 9 metal shoebox type things for holding various supplies in, lots of magazine holders, some cheap shelving units, and a cup-hanging-thingamajig for scissors/markers/paintbrushes etc.
We also bought our butcher block countertop there, which has held up incredibly well. If you pick and choose carefully you can find some decent stuff for the money.
That said, if I had all the time and money in the world I'd choose something "real" over something IKEA anyday.
That IKEA hacks site is interesting.... if you only pay $25 for a table, you won't feel bad altering it into something completely unrecognizeable! And in a few months when you get sick of your weird craft job, you can just put it out to the curb. Though that's a problem in and of itself, the disposability of it all.
Thanks to you two, I've had YMCA in my head for 2 days!
Can we get off this IKEA stuff, and get back to detailed stripping, plastering, whitewashing, plumbing, rough carpentry and painting. Pictures are allays aprecated as well
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