Thursday, 05 November 2009

  • Ikea: Mission Impossible?


    Since my boyfriend (and all his stuff!) has shown up at my one-bedroom apartment, we've been in desperate need of more storage for all of his cables, games, guitars. While I have a great walk-in closet in the bedroom, there's a lack of closets in the rest of the place. So any storage units will be out and visible 24/7. So faced with the need for a low-cost furniture solution, I turned to that mecca of the flat-pack and meatballs: Ikea.

    Back in NY, trips to Ikea took major planning and a lot of time because of traveling time and the general craziness of the store. Fortunately for me, I'm only about 25 min away from the Ikea, which happens to be the only one  in the state. We made a spontaneous decision to go out there tonight and just take care of all the little things we need at once.

    The problem is, I just associate Ikea with stress. No matter which location I've gone to and no matter what time of day I've gone, it's always been a pain in the butt. It's not so much the busyness that gets to me. I can handle crowds of people pretty well actually. The problem is the people wandering around with no clue what they're doing! You know, the ones who just amble in a weaving pattern with their carts down the little paths, completely oblivious to everyone around them. Granted, it might bother me more because I'm a shopper-with-a-mission when I go there. I want to go in, get what I need, avoid buying too many extra things just because they're cheap and colorful, and get out. So it's hard not to get bothered when people mess up my plan of attack. But there's got to be something about the shoppers there since my foot/ankle has been run over by carts there more times than anywhere else!

    Thinking about the stresses of the store overwhelmed me tonight, and I ended up postponing my trip until I could map out my attack better. I think Ikea might not be one of those places can I randomly decide to stop in at. I feel like I need to be prepare myself first!

    What do you think about Ikea? Do you have a plan or particular way you shop there?

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Comments (47)

  • lot223@xanga

    I love shopping at Ikea! Do you know what I love more? Eating there. It's so cheap and yet so good! Anyways, i usually tackle it from the far right of the room working my way around each floor in circles. That way I cover everything and don't miss anything! It can be deadly though because I end up picking up a few extra things here and there. I don't mind the bumper karts. Its something I've gotten used to!
  • ZepBlueEyedGirl@xanga

    IKEA in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon?  Sure. 

    IKEA in the middle of a Saturday morning?  NO WAY - you'd have to pay me a hefty sum to do that.  I don't deal with crowds well, and I most CERTAINLY do not deal with bumbling, oblivious people in those crowds that have 1., no idea what it is they're looking for, 2., have no idea where their body/cart/child is in relation to my personal space, or 3., no ability to even acknowledge the fact they just pushed me into the latest model of the Svarrkj.

    I'm more of a planner - I like to get in, get what I'm there for, and get out.  I rarely wander around IKEA, unless it's one of those Tuesday afternoons.
  • black_lie@xanga

    I went there this summer when we moved into our new place. We prepared by writing down a shopping list and writing the measurements of places we wanted to put the stuff. The rest came easily - once we got there, we were able to find everything we wanted. They even provide measuring tape!
  • aznspartan94@xanga

    Ikea is an insane place to shop. My family has to clear an entire day just so that we can get everything we need, getting up early in the morning and leaving the place after it gets dark. Thankfully, we get our stuff all at once rather than needing multiple trips.
  • Sun_Starflower@xanga

    Eh. My problem with Ikea is putting the things together. They look nice in display but take me an insane amount of time to figure out how to put things together. x_x
  • chani@hardestlevel

    I've been in an Ikea a few times and I find it to be nothing special. The stuff in there doesn't appeal that much to me, really.


    The few times we have went, it wasn't a major production, but that's because the Ikea in my state is about 5 minutes away. The store has a huge parking lot and it's always PACKED. It's ridiculous.
  • Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga

    Ikea is LOVE! Even if we didnt have money to shop, we would drive there, spend the day & go eat or something. What I love about it is that it's inexpensive but great quality. I still have kitchen & bedroom items I got from Ikea over a decade ago!! And my alarm clock is from there (only cost me $6!!)


    It can be a madhouse at times, that's why you shouldnt go on the weekends. lol


    @lot223@xanga - You are right, eating there is awesome! =D
  • simple_insecuriteis@xanga

    mm.. maybe it's because I live literally about 15 minutes from an IKEA.. I don't feel the same way as you do.  Also, it might have to do with the fact that I was an Interior Design Major for about 3 years. I love their stuff.. even though its affordable it doesn't look like crap.  It was also literally less than 5 minutes away from my school too, so I would stop by in there after class and just look around or to help me think of a few space planning ideas.  I definitely know what you mean when you talk about the people that walk around aimlessly running everyone with their carts.  I've actually have seen people hog a whole aisle with their cart & ten kids trying to look at ONE vase for like a good 20 minutes.  But either way.. I like to go there a lot. I remember, when we were muchhh younger.. my girlfriends and I would go there after the last day of school or something and play hide and seek... and then have ice cream and hot dogs after.. ahhh.. haha I miss those days.

    I think your best plan is to just grab one of their map pamphlets, I'm not sure if you can find one online.. Maybe contact them and see if they can mail/e-mail you one. And familiarize yourself with where everything is. That makes things much easier.  Also.. I know the IKEA by me have a place where they watch your children for you.  You can try to see if yours has one and what their hours are and try to go then. Cause then that way, you don't have as many kids running around and parents trying to chase them.

    Hope that helped ^^
  • MissPixieGlitter@xanga

    i really don't like ikea. yeah, the stuff is cheap, but it also looks really cheap. i like the food there, though.
  • lonelyazncboie@xanga

    cheap
  • Got_Takoyaki@xanga

    I love Ikea!! I can stay there all day and memorise all the furniture. :P When I visit my mate's, I can tell that they buy their furniture from IKEA. The meatballs in IKEA taste funky : /
  • HisKeiki@xanga

    If there were an Ikea near me, i'd SO go.
  • sarahflorida1085@xanga

    love Ikea tooo but never go on weekends, that place is a madhouse-screaming children is the worse experience i can think of the few times I've been there-it just doesn't seem like a place for children really unless you can keep them under control. definitely consider going on a weekday morning or anytime before people get outta work for the day. i understand about your lack of storage space and Ikea is the place to go to solve that problem. 
  • Bongflower@xanga

    Lol, I get so excited when I go to Ikea. But the one here is actually kind of spacious even when it's crowded.
    Rofl.

    I hate their furniture though, it's all flimsy and shitty.
  • eomona@xanga

    I love Ikea! But to avoid problems, I always go on weekdays right when they open. It's usually pretty empty, haha.
  • loveable_lush@xanga

    Ikea stresses me out to the maxxxx, but I love it hahahah
  • xsimplepleasuresx@xanga

    I have never been to an IKEA, to me it looks like a target or walmart from the picture, but the comments make it sound like it is so much more.
  • tjmbennett@xanga

    I love shopping at Ikea, too. But I, like you, have to prepare myself. It's not a place where ou can just pop in, get what you need, and leave. It's just so damn big.

  • d0llh0use@xanga

    i like ikea and its styles and i love buying things from there but would love it even more if they actually bring it to your house and assemble it for you. thats the downside to ikea, they arent in charge of putting it all together, you are unless you ask them but its an independent contractor thing.


    so i've only bought small things like lamps or accessories/decor from ikea. nothing big.

  • beebeak@xanga

    Some of their stuff is great but some of the furniture is TERRIBLE quality
  • Lulabell_88@xanga

    I love Ikea!
  • applebranches@xanga

    Even though I don't buy furniture from Ikea as I find most of it too generic looking for my taste (I prefer unique vintage styles), I love just walking around and imagining what kind of stories would lie behind the showrooms should any people have been living in them. I also like the little trinkets at Ikea, they are very cute! And of course, the food imported from Sweden is lovely...(part of my family lives in Stockholm and I love it when they send us treats every once in a while; Ikea provides relief inbetween those times!)
  • DuckDuck14@xanga

    no ikea in my province :(
  • comet555@xanga
    I hate that store. Checked it out once looking for a dresser and once was enough for me. To much of an ordeal to buy anything there.
  • morning_teas@xanga

    hmm I just love IKEA alot!

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