My first time ever yesterday, at the big store in Paramus. Never been to an Ikea before. What the hell? is this place some kind of sociology experiment? All the parking was under the building. It took me 10 minutes of circling before I found the actual entrance to the store. Then I got trapped in the showroom section following arrows on the floor. There doesn't seem to be a way out except to follow the whole maze. I asked some workers how to get out and they said I was halfway already, just keep going. Then you get to follow bread crumbs thru the warehouse to find your furniture, then try to find your way OUT of the warehouse to pay for it. Then the elevator to the parking level takes about 10 minutes to open. Fuck, man, it's only three levels! Next time I'm taking a GPS and a rifle.
Don't forget your week's supply of MREs, and at least a few road flares. With Ikea, it never hurts to be prepared.
Oh, and I love the way you HAVE to go thru the impulse-buy marketplace to get to the warehouse. "Take a shopping cart, you WILL be filling it!" Fuck oooofff!!! And then I show up in the warehouse with the shopping cart the sign told me I'd need and the guy looks at me like "WTF are you gonna do with THAT? You're buying a fucking cabinet!"
I plan to buy a complete new set of furniture for my new apartment this fall. 3.5 rooms should come in at around 4-5k $.
At least around here, there's no real competition. All other furniture companies are "stuck in the middle" and that's a shitty place to be. IKEA offers great value for what you pay and until you reach the point where you can afford to upgrade significantly (and, personally, furniture doesn't rank very highly on my list of pirorities) and get the additional value from signalling, there's really no point in paying a lot more for slightly better quality. If it's all better. One thing I still can't figure out is why sofas are so expensive. They aren't that much cheaper at IKEA either.
They're not all like that. OK, they're all like that, BUT, there are ways out. In fact you can shortcut to from the entrance to the warehouse real easily. Keep an eye out for maps on the walls near passages through walls...I know this sounds like some treasure map, but they are there. They can shortcut you. Usually if you go back to the start of the showroom floor there's an access point to the stairs that take you into the warehouse area too. It's actually easier to bypass the showroom than the warehouse actually.
I'm glad you started this post Forbin. I never thought to look at anything Ikea sold, but from looking at some of the on-line things they offer along with the prices, I just may end up giving these guys a visit!
I saw the maps! Next time I'll actually read them - or just skip the fucking showroom. The warehouse guys can find the bin # from the online printout I hand them. Starguard - yeah, I got a very decent glass display cabinet for my models for $400.
Nope not an experiment. Their stores are all designed that way in order to do their best to get you to buy something based on sociological research. Your only hope of navigating the store with out walking out with something is to be a straight male by yourself in the store. Even then I only give you a 50/50 chance of leaving there with out spending a dime.
I like Ikea too, but I would never go in to a store. I especially like Ikea hacks. BTW - How does Ikea get away with the whole maze thing RE: fire hazard?
There is a dark, deeply hidden corner of my soul... ...that thinks Ikea stuff is pretty damned sweet.
I like Ikea stuff! Sure it's mostly cheap particleboard, but unless you're using your furniture like a jungle gym it's kind of nice to have inexpensive stuff that you can move around without hiring bodybuilders or bribing friends. A lot of the stuff (like the "Billy" bookcases, or the "Malm" dressers that I have) is simple and austere; no gaudiness or frillyness. Just functionality. And I like the challenge of the labyrinth! And the food's good!
There are stores you might go to for browsing, without a specific purchase in mind. IKEA is not one of those stores, especially given the ability to compare prices beforehand on the internet. If you go to an IKEA and don't buy something then there's a 90% chance that you lead a very, very sad life.
The beds are all way low on the ground (except the loft beds). I'm used to nice high beds and don't much like the feeling that I'm practically on the floor. Plus it'd be a pain in the back to bend down to make the bed every morning
Or, if you're a woman and you're looking for something specific. No, he's right. For the cheap crap that it is, it's pretty expensive. I could get the same cheap crap at Wal-Mart or Target for half the price. I was not impressed with Ikea.
I did it once And I am definitely NOT a male. You have to be a strong woman with a plan. And a dream that Ikea can't fill.
My bedroom furniture is Ikea. Malm, IIRC. What I like about it is that it's relatively easy to create a somewhat cohesive look. The frame, dressers, and lights cost me a grand total of about $300, which might be a little more than it needed to be, but hell, considering how easy it was to move from my old place to here, that was worth it alone. I'd never buy a mattress, couch, armchairs, etc. from them, though. That's just asking for trouble. Of course, I practically had a panic attack in the store. Claustrophobia and their little rat's maze don't mix.
If you have a dream, you don't go to IKEA. You go to IKEA if you have a need and a budget but want something that's okay rather than complete crap.
