ᐅ Ikea Visit and Purchase – More Frustration Than Enjoyment This Time
Created on: 22 Oct 2017 18:25
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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].
IKEA. My home office is entirely IKEA. Everything is first-class, even after moving.
Some of our bedroom furniture is IKEA. Everything remained in perfect condition after the move.
Our hallway furniture: IKEA. Everything first-class... Our living room furniture is a mix of older pieces and IKEA. All good. Our guest room has some IKEA items, but the sofa bed is not. Kitchen: IKEA. Lighting: mostly IKEA.
The furniture is affordable, in some cases very inexpensive. It’s readily available. Pricing is transparent. No exorbitant prices or massive discounts. The items fit perfectly and are easy to assemble. The furniture is not bulky or flashy but pleasantly light in design. Many systems are very versatile.
I like the atmosphere. Friendly salespeople who don’t wear polyester suits like in some chain stores. Friendly customers. Many attractive women... Karsten
Some of our bedroom furniture is IKEA. Everything remained in perfect condition after the move.
Our hallway furniture: IKEA. Everything first-class... Our living room furniture is a mix of older pieces and IKEA. All good. Our guest room has some IKEA items, but the sofa bed is not. Kitchen: IKEA. Lighting: mostly IKEA.
The furniture is affordable, in some cases very inexpensive. It’s readily available. Pricing is transparent. No exorbitant prices or massive discounts. The items fit perfectly and are easy to assemble. The furniture is not bulky or flashy but pleasantly light in design. Many systems are very versatile.
I like the atmosphere. Friendly salespeople who don’t wear polyester suits like in some chain stores. Friendly customers. Many attractive women... Karsten
Price transparency instead of a bazaar-like atmosphere. Extensive product range and good availability. Modular furniture with matching designs. Quality that corresponds to the price.
There are things I would never buy there. Sofas, for example—they all look too cheap to me. Pax is great, also suitable for offices. Ivar works well for storage rooms—although Ivar can get quite expensive when you compare it to heavy-duty shelving on offer elsewhere.
All those boxes, storage solutions, and household helpers complete the overall concept. Ikea is not just about furniture!
If you compare furniture stores, they also offer WMF and Fissler products; for a pot lid, you pay around 30€ (about $32), and a pizza cutter costs 24.95€ (about $27). These are small items where I simply don’t need a brand and therefore am not willing to spend that much money.
What does an Ikea customer buy? Billy bookcases, candles, napkins, and a hot dog.
There are things I would never buy there. Sofas, for example—they all look too cheap to me. Pax is great, also suitable for offices. Ivar works well for storage rooms—although Ivar can get quite expensive when you compare it to heavy-duty shelving on offer elsewhere.
All those boxes, storage solutions, and household helpers complete the overall concept. Ikea is not just about furniture!
If you compare furniture stores, they also offer WMF and Fissler products; for a pot lid, you pay around 30€ (about $32), and a pizza cutter costs 24.95€ (about $27). These are small items where I simply don’t need a brand and therefore am not willing to spend that much money.
What does an Ikea customer buy? Billy bookcases, candles, napkins, and a hot dog.
I like modular furniture systems. In this respect, I’m a fan of Besta and similar options.
Simple and straightforward design with many combination possibilities. For example, the cabinet carcass comes in 3 colors, doors in 6, and so on. Doors can also be installed as drawers, in which case the doors act as fronts.
Assembly is relatively quick once you get the hang of it.
I would buy the Pax system too if I needed it.
I find much of the furniture very attractive, but mostly the simple styles. I used to have country-style furniture as well (also from Ikea), but that has since gone.
The Ivar system, painted white, decorates our dressing room and offers enough space with a depth of 50cm (20 inches), even under sloped ceilings.
What’s great about Ikea, and I believe many others would agree, is that they offer multiple sizes and widths to help you put together a solution for a challenging room: just grab graph paper and start planning.
However, there are some people who seem completely overwhelmed by being creative or selecting the individual components, such as handles, hangers/wall rails/legs, and shapes. Multifunctionality isn’t something they can easily implement.
The pans from the 365+ series, for example, are the best I’ve ever had. Even the pots keep their shape after 10 years and still look good.
If you’re not into Danish design (and by that I don’t mean wooden items), Ikea might not be for you.
Candles, sets, doilies, storage containers, tableware, glasses, boxes in all sizes and materials—everything has nice design. The colors are well coordinated. Much of it is combinable so that everyone ends up with similar household items, but still different in some way.
I’ve also found bargains on rugs at a fraction of the price you’d pay elsewhere.
Ikea is always an experience. You don’t have to like the hot dogs, but I like the whole concept.
Take a look on Pinterest for Ikea: you’ll see furniture that has been turned into unique pieces through simple craftsmanship.
Simple and straightforward design with many combination possibilities. For example, the cabinet carcass comes in 3 colors, doors in 6, and so on. Doors can also be installed as drawers, in which case the doors act as fronts.
Assembly is relatively quick once you get the hang of it.
I would buy the Pax system too if I needed it.
I find much of the furniture very attractive, but mostly the simple styles. I used to have country-style furniture as well (also from Ikea), but that has since gone.
The Ivar system, painted white, decorates our dressing room and offers enough space with a depth of 50cm (20 inches), even under sloped ceilings.
What’s great about Ikea, and I believe many others would agree, is that they offer multiple sizes and widths to help you put together a solution for a challenging room: just grab graph paper and start planning.
However, there are some people who seem completely overwhelmed by being creative or selecting the individual components, such as handles, hangers/wall rails/legs, and shapes. Multifunctionality isn’t something they can easily implement.
The pans from the 365+ series, for example, are the best I’ve ever had. Even the pots keep their shape after 10 years and still look good.
If you’re not into Danish design (and by that I don’t mean wooden items), Ikea might not be for you.
Candles, sets, doilies, storage containers, tableware, glasses, boxes in all sizes and materials—everything has nice design. The colors are well coordinated. Much of it is combinable so that everyone ends up with similar household items, but still different in some way.
I’ve also found bargains on rugs at a fraction of the price you’d pay elsewhere.
Ikea is always an experience. You don’t have to like the hot dogs, but I like the whole concept.
Take a look on Pinterest for Ikea: you’ll see furniture that has been turned into unique pieces through simple craftsmanship.
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