Monday, June 25, 2012

How Do I Love Thee, IKEA?

Once upon a time, my husband and I had a very, very traditional home with a formal living room, seven bathrooms, a formal dining room, a full finished basement, and very stuffy looking furniture. Then one day, David said, "We have rooms we never use. Never even go into. I think it's time for a change."

I agreed. Since then we've down-sized, simplified, and streamlined our lives. That is why we've come to love IKEA.

How do I love thee, IKEA? Let me count the ways:

1. Signage--Crisp, clean, clear and useful. Information that fascinates, such as about the Swedish Dalecarlian horse, a traditional carved and painted toy for children.



2. Examples--The room settings give me great ideas of how to put furniture and accessories together.

3. Creature Comforts--Hey, I love your Swedish meatballs with lingonberry preserves. The price of a dinner at IKEA can't be beat! The bill for meatballs, mashed potatoes, salad and a drink came to $6!

4. Style--Your designers seem to straddle that thin line between modern and cold, always coming down on the mod side but maintaining a warm and coziness that I crave.

5. Availability--Admittedly, I'm spoiled. I like INSTANT gratification, and you give it to me. I see, I buy, I bring it home all in one day.

6. Price--I can buy a lot of furniture for a little money.

  I'm curious. Do you shop at IKEA? Do you love it the way I do?

5 comments:

Linda O. Johnston said...

We've got a nice Ikea not far from us, Joanna, but I have to admit that I try not to go there. I'm attracted to what they sell--but already have too much stuff!

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

They sure have my number, Linda.

Camille Minichino said...

Definitely a fan. I have several small tables that consist of nicely finished tops and --- should I be embarrassed? -- screw-in legs! They're ready in five minutes and serve many purposes.

Betty Hechtman said...

I like Ikea, but although their floor lamps are very attractive, the don't last. After the third one I boughtthere, I noticed that after a couple of years the on off things broke. There is no reason something like that should break, which makes me think it is deliberate.

Susie Bentz: My Time to Play said...

Love Ikea! The showroom is a great place to wander. And they have clever and attractive storage ideas.