I HATE the People's Republic of IKEA

I always get suckered into going to IKEA to buy furniture because its cheap.
And that's not totally true because I've gotten a lot of nice stuff at flea markets and run down antique places around the city.

My man and his daughter and me made a run to IKEA today. First of all the IKEA's around NYC are so crowded you can't breathe.

We bought a TV stand thingy...first of all it weighed 99 lbs. Second of all, it took over 6 hours to put the thing together. 6 HOURS!!!!

I mean, we're both reasonably smart people, but you should have seen this instruction sheet. Nothing is labeled, the top piece looks just like the bottom piece, same with the sides. I think in total we put it together (mostly) and took it apart (mostly) 3 times. We were both all pissed off. Well actually, I'd start laughing and he'd through a drill bit at me or something.

I mean, how much could it cut into your profits to hire someone who can write an instruction manual in a couple different languages!

GEESH!

I'm SOOOOOOO frustrated I just had to share that.

Odd. I've had very few problems with the various pieces of Ikea furniture I've bought over the years. I admit, fully, that its been quite a while since I have bought anything... over 5 years, since its so far away, but when I did... things were fairly easy to put together. Got a bunk bed set. Then a slide bed for my son. Still have the slide bed and half the bunk.

Must just be the particular piece with the instructions being so bad? :eek: Anyway, sorry to hear that! HATE when that happens...

~phos

6 hours to put together a TV stand!!! Good grief, that would have driven me nuts too.

I've never liked Ikea.... I just have this aversion to anything that becomes really popular. Same goes for Starbucks.... But I also have a strange liking for things to have character. I don't like buying things new alot of the time because to me they look blank. They have no history and no personality. I love well made wood furniture, so I either build my own or buy antiques.

Not a big Ikea fan myself.I've been having some trouble with 4 chairs I bought there.They broke within 12 months.

So no Ikea furniture for me in this lifetime.

Almost all my furniture is IKEA because it's cheap and tends to have rounded edges for stuff like tables where it's hard to find that in other shops.

I agree, sometimes putting together stuff has been the most frustrating experience! My bunkbeds took forever and then to move it to another room I had to do it all over again! haha

I have to give IKEA credit for having variety though. I appreciate that much about them.

Well, don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing..but out here in Kansas I have never been in an IKEA store...never even seen one.

I don't know if I am deprived or blessed by reading the posts! :)

6 hours to put together a TV stand!!! Good grief, that would have driven me nuts too.

I've never liked Ikea.... I just have this aversion to anything that becomes really popular. Same goes for Starbucks.... But I also have a strange liking for things to have character. I don't like buying things new alot of the time because to me they look blank. They have no history and no personality. I love well made wood furniture, so I either build my own or buy antiques.

Ditto Cabin, I'm the same way, love things that have a history. I have to be very careful to add a fun and modern touch to my apartment because with all the old furniture and antiques that I have it could end up looking like a grandmother's house. So I mix, old/ new, dark wooden furniture/colourful curtains etc..

I have some Ikea too, some of it is practical some of it falls apart, like the drawers in my son's room, everytime I open one, the front part comes off.

He he, I'm really the same way. I really like stuff that has a little history to it. Most of the stuff I have in my apartment was picked up at antique shops, estate sales and flea markets because we thought it would "look good." Of course, that method of moving in took us almost 4 years to complete. We really finally got the place looking the way we wanted to this weekend. I had a really pretty table that we got on heavy trash day in Carroll Gardens brooklyn ( a GOLD MINE by the way!) We put this monstrous TV that my grandparents gave us and after a couple weeks we were watching in and I looked up and saw the table was severly bowed and the legs were all splayed out. Bad news. That's the kind of stuff I go to IKEA, TV stands. Stuff that's like, I need this right now, and don't have time to walk around 10-15 shops in Manhattan, nor money for delivery fees. Plus I got my kitchen table there because it was real cheap and my boyfriend doesn't understand the phrase "USE THE CUTTING BOARD!" And kitchen stuff. I mean, a set a 4 mixing bowls for 4 bucks, with lids...


My man HATES walking around there because I always point out wierd stuff and asks him if he wants one and offer to buy him one. Drives him crazy because he hates crowds and lines (well, who doesn't, but I at least accept them as a part of life) and me yapping at him at the same time. Something like (every 30 seconds) "Ooooh, do you want a fuzzy green lamp? I'll get it for you."..."No." "Oooooh do you want a rug with a pink cactus? I'll get it for you."...."No." "Ooooh, do you want this lava lamp laundry bag? I'll get it for you."..."NO WILL YOU SHUT UP I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Ha ha!

LOL Viva...I love your story about you and your BF in Ikea! Too funny! :D I can just picture it.

I never was into IKEA. Too modern for me. I'm into very classical styles - sort of old manor/shabby chic - like my livingroom:

MY HOUSE (http://edit.cisdata.net/bin/web/real_estate?ZKEY=&acnt=AR58047&action=HOME_SEARCH&hs_action=VIEW_ZOOM&id=3&listing_id=REAOAK5390928&inwindow=1)

I love going to resale shops! The paintings, my dining room set, the tv cabinet, side tables, fireplace tools, solid mahogany master bedroom furniture, candle sconces, lamps, dinette set - all from resale!

Jeremy & I got a bunk bed set from Big Lots and it only took a couple of hours for us to put together, but it was missing a bunch of nuts for the bolts and we had to rig it together! I guess I can't complain since it was so cheap!

Kristin,what a lovely house you have!

They only things in my house that came from Ikea were the chairs.And never ever again.

NICE HOUSE!!! Gorgeous, I love the doors in the bedroom. Great natural light. I'd be out there every morning reading the paper and drinking coffee!

Thanks guys! I wish I didn't have to sell it and could still afford it! :rolleyes:

Yep, those doors are awesome and they face south, which is great in a northern climate.

I designed the addition (master bedroom, master bath and kitchen) myself, so I'm quite proud of it!

No IKEA though!! LOL! :p

Edit to say:

That picture of the office? That's where I'm sitting right now! :D

You know what,when I saw that picture that was the first thing that came to mind.Hihi

Ooh what a shame that you have to sell it.Have you already found a new home?

Yes, we found a townhouse to rent a couple of blocks away. It's like my house was before the addition, so it's pretty nice - but not as updated or big. No fireplace, either. :( But he'd accept our kids, dog and three cats without a credit check, so I can't be too picky!

Jeremy is actually looking forward to it because this was the house I shared with my ex and he wants OUR house, you know?

Sorry for hijacking vivalagourami! :o