Tuesday, September 17, 2002

• Ikea shock

  I went to Ikea today, for the first time ever.  I knew that they had furniture, and that some of my friends had pieces that they bought there, but I didn't know anything about what Ikea sold.

  I should have known that this was not a usual furniture store by the bike racks.  Who shops for furniture on a bicycle?  Europeans do, and if you want a European contemporary look for your home, then you would love Ikea. 

   This is a gigantic 2-story warehouse-type building, but it doesn't look huge inside in any given location.  There are children's play areas throughout the store, and complete sample rooms set up using all Ikea products.  Ikea sells everything - kitchen cabinets and dishes, bedroom furniture and bedding, sofas with slipcovers, lampps and artwork, sculptures and rugs, anything you would want for your home. 

  The most amazing part of the Ikea products is that they are scaled for compact living.  If you have a teeny little apartment, this is the perfect stuff to buy.  Much of it is good solid wood, the furniture all slipcovers so you can clean it and change looks often, and the colors and styles all seem to coordinate well.  None of it looks heavy or imposing.  The prices are very good, too.  I bought some cute bath mats for 5 bucks each, and a stylish shower curtain that was color coordinated for 12.99, less than I would pay at Kmart for similar but less attractive items.  I could have easily spent more, but I didn't want my checkbook to go into shock.

  I think I will be going back, maybe even with my family.  That will be an expensive outing, I imagine.

  Twenty years ago, if I knew of a store like Ikea, I would have done all my shopping there.  However, with my current plan to do the main rooms in my home in a traditional style, Ikea is not going to get the lion's share of my furniture budget.

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