ᐅ Ikea Visit and Purchase – More Frustration Than Enjoyment This Time
Created on: 22 Oct 2017 18:25
Y
ypg
Yesterday we went to IKEA. Something felt 'different' compared to our last visit. I didn’t feel the usual excitement. Even today, assembling the furniture was rather unsatisfying.
But starting from the beginning: I’m used to IKEA introducing many new designs and changes in their showroom after the new catalog is released. Yes, some “rooms” were new, but the sofa, bed, and table sections seemed unchanged. There was no eye-catching display. Worst of all: the dining tables and sofas looked more like clearance sale items. Nothing was decorated or nicely arranged [emoji33]. I barely noticed the kitchens. Just around the corner was the appliance and planning section – normally there are two large standout kitchens set up where you can see various cabinets and get inspired. Well, this time I wasn’t motivated at all to buy anything not on my list [emoji1].
We needed LED bulbs for our outdoor wall lights: both the lamps and the LED bulbs are from IKEA. One of the bulbs is defective. We needed 7W with 260 lumens to match the brightness of the other bulbs, but those are no longer available! They only had 5W bulbs with different lumen outputs. Where have the outdoor lights gone? Are they discontinued??? Every corner had these 5-watt bulbs, but no 7-watt ones... so we ended up buying four 5W bulbs instead of one or two to fit all our outdoor lights [emoji36].
Then I had an idea to buy under-cabinet lights, meaning light strips to go under our new bedside consoles. This would save us the indirect cozy lighting from two floor lamps by the bed. Here they seem to have drastically reduced the selection: in a small area, you need to figure out the difference between task lighting, indirect lighting, cabinet lighting, and strip lighting. It’s not easy when products are mixed up on the shelves as other customers pick up items and don’t put them back properly. Fortunately, my husband noticed that I was about to buy a cabinet light while I realized he was holding an expensive task light. In the end, we found what we were looking for… hopefully [emoji6].
Originally, I wanted two white Besta units, 30cm (12 inches) high with doors to serve as bedside tables. Nicely wall-mounted, as I mentioned, like console tables. They cost about €30 each. My husband liked the drawer version of Eket much better. Well, we swallowed that: those cost about €85 each. Ok, we’ll go with it. I’ve been looking for bedside tables for 3 years, know the prices, and know what else is missing from the market [emoji6]. Unfortunately, there were no shelf or compartment info cards on the furniture anymore [emoji35]. Since when is that a thing??? We had to rely on the computers in the warehouse. We didn’t remember “Eklet” at first, so we flipped through the catalog, then on the PC had to choose between storage, shelving systems, drawer units, and eventually bedside tables, which barely appear. My husband wisely went to a separate PC to search directly for Eklet. I wouldn’t have been surprised if only one item was left in the compartment (that always seems to happen to us), but there were still plenty available. Then we went to the bargain corner where almost nothing was advertised. That is also very rare at IKEA.
-> And my husband asked if the wall rail for mounting was included. I said: at that price everything should be included... of course it wasn’t, which we only discovered during assembly [emoji20]. After assembling the first cabinet, we started the second one. And what do we see? A nasty air bubble worked into the top surface: I’ve never seen this before, never had this, and tomorrow it will send me into a traffic jam on the A1 – but oh well: I still have to buy wall rails anyway [emoji14].
Then I looked closer: the other cabinet has the same issue, just a smaller air bubble inside. For €85, I really find this unsatisfactory [emoji20].
But starting from the beginning: I’m used to IKEA introducing many new designs and changes in their showroom after the new catalog is released. Yes, some “rooms” were new, but the sofa, bed, and table sections seemed unchanged. There was no eye-catching display. Worst of all: the dining tables and sofas looked more like clearance sale items. Nothing was decorated or nicely arranged [emoji33]. I barely noticed the kitchens. Just around the corner was the appliance and planning section – normally there are two large standout kitchens set up where you can see various cabinets and get inspired. Well, this time I wasn’t motivated at all to buy anything not on my list [emoji1].
We needed LED bulbs for our outdoor wall lights: both the lamps and the LED bulbs are from IKEA. One of the bulbs is defective. We needed 7W with 260 lumens to match the brightness of the other bulbs, but those are no longer available! They only had 5W bulbs with different lumen outputs. Where have the outdoor lights gone? Are they discontinued??? Every corner had these 5-watt bulbs, but no 7-watt ones... so we ended up buying four 5W bulbs instead of one or two to fit all our outdoor lights [emoji36].
Then I had an idea to buy under-cabinet lights, meaning light strips to go under our new bedside consoles. This would save us the indirect cozy lighting from two floor lamps by the bed. Here they seem to have drastically reduced the selection: in a small area, you need to figure out the difference between task lighting, indirect lighting, cabinet lighting, and strip lighting. It’s not easy when products are mixed up on the shelves as other customers pick up items and don’t put them back properly. Fortunately, my husband noticed that I was about to buy a cabinet light while I realized he was holding an expensive task light. In the end, we found what we were looking for… hopefully [emoji6].
Originally, I wanted two white Besta units, 30cm (12 inches) high with doors to serve as bedside tables. Nicely wall-mounted, as I mentioned, like console tables. They cost about €30 each. My husband liked the drawer version of Eket much better. Well, we swallowed that: those cost about €85 each. Ok, we’ll go with it. I’ve been looking for bedside tables for 3 years, know the prices, and know what else is missing from the market [emoji6]. Unfortunately, there were no shelf or compartment info cards on the furniture anymore [emoji35]. Since when is that a thing??? We had to rely on the computers in the warehouse. We didn’t remember “Eklet” at first, so we flipped through the catalog, then on the PC had to choose between storage, shelving systems, drawer units, and eventually bedside tables, which barely appear. My husband wisely went to a separate PC to search directly for Eklet. I wouldn’t have been surprised if only one item was left in the compartment (that always seems to happen to us), but there were still plenty available. Then we went to the bargain corner where almost nothing was advertised. That is also very rare at IKEA.
-> And my husband asked if the wall rail for mounting was included. I said: at that price everything should be included... of course it wasn’t, which we only discovered during assembly [emoji20]. After assembling the first cabinet, we started the second one. And what do we see? A nasty air bubble worked into the top surface: I’ve never seen this before, never had this, and tomorrow it will send me into a traffic jam on the A1 – but oh well: I still have to buy wall rails anyway [emoji14].
Then I looked closer: the other cabinet has the same issue, just a smaller air bubble inside. For €85, I really find this unsatisfactory [emoji20].
We shouldn’t argue about taste. Just saying. A certain type of furniture—minimalist in design, adaptable, flat-packed in boxes, suitable for self-assembly—is IKEA’s strength. Along with immediate availability and prices that match the quality of the products. Plus, a sales concept that makes you feel you’re in the right place, one that is modern, welcoming, and somewhat eco-friendly. Their range covers the Sinus milieus from the consumption-oriented liberals to the modern performers—basically the left side of the spectrum. IKEA tried to reach beyond this with the Stockholm series to appeal to the conservative-value milieu because they have the money. But they failed. Not because the furniture was no good, but because that clientele doesn’t feel comfortable in their stores. In Lübeck, some remaining Stockholm pieces still look like oddities in the showroom.
So, I can’t expect craftsmanship. The wall units linked by kaho wouldn’t be my choice either. But no matter how these wall units look, for me the concept of framing and presenting the TV like a Van Gogh painting is unsuitable for us. We don’t like that.
So, I can’t expect craftsmanship. The wall units linked by kaho wouldn’t be my choice either. But no matter how these wall units look, for me the concept of framing and presenting the TV like a Van Gogh painting is unsuitable for us. We don’t like that.
ypg schrieb:
The hack comes from the internet, has nothing to do with Ikea, and what you dismiss are children’s furniture. Practical colorful boxes! You don’t have to like them, no one has to put them in their living room, you can find similar things in any children’s department. Yes, even for children those wouldn’t be furniture in my world. But people want it – as I said, arguing about taste can take a long time.
Nordlys schrieb:
IKEA tried to reach beyond with the Stockholm series into the more conservative value segment, as that clientele has money. But they failed. Not because the furniture was no good, but because that kind of clientele does not feel comfortable in the stores. In Lübeck, there are still some Stockholm leftovers standing like foreign bodies in the showroom. That's interesting.
Nordlys schrieb:
The entertainment units linked by kaho wouldn’t be my choice either. But no matter how these units look to me, I find the concept of framing and staging the TV like a Van Gogh painting unsuitable for us. We don’t like it. Oh, those were just examples to emphasize the diversity (which some don’t even perceive). I wouldn’t buy them either.
Wall unit. I don’t really understand the concept, neither the classic nor the modern version. We have a lowboard (custom-made by a carpenter with walnut veneer), everything fits inside, the TV sits on top, and that’s it. I don’t see the purpose of these “walls”... in the manufacturers’ product photos, they just show useless decorations. A small glass cabinet on the wall at TV height, with a lonely photo and a plastic flower inside.
kaho674 schrieb:
...
Yes, that is really strange. For you, Decker and this grandma’s cabinet are the same, but the same cabinets from IKEA are completely different. (A complicated sentence, take your time.)
. You don’t understand, or you don’t want to: IKEA furniture can be modified, combined with each other, and altered with a little DIY skill so that you hardly recognize it as IKEA anymore.
You can’t do that with the grandma’s cabinet or Decker: with grandma’s cabinet, your only option is to use paint and a brush; with Decker, there is only some flexibility in the arrangement.
And honestly: Decker and your wardrobe are difficult to combine with other individual pieces. You’re committed to that style, and with the price of the Massimo wardrobe, people are usually reluctant to part with it, even if they might want a change after about 10 years.
Alex85 schrieb:
What these “walls” are for ... on the product pictures from the manufacturers you only see some gimmicks. Well, my design is rather minimalistic too, but if the cupboard section was completely gone, I wouldn’t know where to put my stuff.
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