I finally made a trip to Ikea a couple of weekends ago. It’s one of the places people love or hate (or so I heard), but I definitely fall in the former camp. I think Ikea has a lot of beautiful, affordable designs and while everybody can rather easily spot Ikea furniture in other people’s’ home, I think you can totally make the home decor your own by mixing it with other pieces (although I have to admit, come to think of it, most of our furniture is from Ikea. I should mix it up a bit.)
I love when the new IKEA catalogue comes in the mail and I could peruse it for hours on end.
I also don’t mind enjoy putting the furniture together. I know a lot of people hate it and get frustrated by it, but for me it has a really soothing effect. It feels like you’re actually building your own furniture, without actually having to measure, cut and drill holes into wood planks. Haha.
I wanted to go to Ikea ever since we moved into our house (3,5 months ago), but I was afraid that I really would have liked to buy everything and decided that I needed to hold off for a bit and make (at least a mental) plan. A list of our needs vs. wants, so to speak. Now that we’re a little bit more settled, there are still quite a few things I want to get for our new home (some I deem necessary, others maybe not necessary, but well… much desired.)
A few things I bought on my last trip…
Råskog cart (in teal!) for my craft room. I’ve wanted one of those carts for forever.
Solvinden paper lanters + Solarvet solar string of lights (for our backyard).
Hejsan Pen cup set (this was just too cute to resist + on clearance and really, who wouldn’t have put that in their cart?).
Two Vörda knives (I already cut myself with one of them. Holy moly, they have sharp blades when they’re new. Be careful!).
Ikea 365+ food storage box for the pantry.
I saw a few (a gazillion! Who am I kidding?) other things that I would have liked to buy, but didn’t (yet), because a) money and b) because I haven’t decided if this is really what I want, as I constantly change my mind about styles/colors, but here are a few things I am contemplating (and yes, you guessed correctly, I am slightly obessed with Ikea’s HEMNES series. I just love the design. No shame.):
Kallax 16-cube shelf (in white) for my craft room
Hemnes bedframe. We haven’t had a real bedframe (I don’t call the metal thing under the mattress riser a bedframe) in forever. Do we need one? No. Do I want one to make the bedroom look more put together? YES.
Hemnes dresser – see above.
Hemnes shoe cabinet . Since we don’t have a real entry way, I’d at least like to create the illusion of an entry way area by putting up a shoe cabinet and coat rack or something.
Seglarö Parasol (for our backyard deck!). We have a place to sit outside now (hooray!), but we also have afternoon/evening sun in our backyard and I really need some sun shade to be able to enjoy the evenings outside.
Luns Chalk/Magnet board for our kitchen. An organization station, if you will. I have just the right spot for it.
Hemnes nightstand. Everybody needs a nightstand.
Hemnes TV stand. We have a little shelf that holds our TV right now. This would look so much nicer though (with more storage).
Hemnes coffee table. We haven’t had a coffee table, ever. I just think it’s time.
And here are even more miscellaneous things I could easily see myself add to our house. Maybe some of these things will replace some of the things that we have already. Maybe some will just magically come home with me sometime. Who knows.
Byholma/Marieberg rattan chair // Maryd tray table // Hjälmaren leaning shelf // Gregor swivel chair //
Rundlig Serving bowl // Hjälmaren shelf // Knagglig storage box // Kvarnvik boxes //
Alex drawer unit // Stenstorp Plate shelf // Finnby bookcase // Solvinden led-solar powered outdoor light //
Äpplarö /Klasen charcoal grill // Äpplarö Hållö chair // Gåro Fredön hammock // Äpplarö Hållö chair with footstool //
As you can see, my love for Ikea (which is pronounced [ɪˈkeːˈa], in case you want to pronounce it the (correct) Swedish way. I’m a bit on a mission here, ha) is strong.
Do you have any favorite Ikea items? Where else do you buy furniture/home decor? (Do tell!)
Heike Brand
April 22, 2016 at 8:12 amOur bedroom is Hemnes!
We have almost everything from IKEA and I am not surprised that each time we go E runs around and is happy. It must feel like home for him! LOL
san
April 22, 2016 at 7:36 pmI am glad to hear you’re also Ikea fans… and obviously, the child will be brought up loving Ikea :)
Kate
April 22, 2016 at 9:18 amWould you believe I’ve never been to IKEA?!?! It looks so glorious…
san
April 22, 2016 at 7:36 pmNO WAY!!!
katelin
April 22, 2016 at 1:11 pmThis makes me want to redecorate my house like right now. So much cute stuff.
san
April 22, 2016 at 7:36 pmI know, TOO much cute stuff ;)
Eva
April 22, 2016 at 2:30 pmFellow Ikea lover here :) and I am soooo glad we have one near us! We also have a lot of Ikea furniture, and yes, I should probably mix things up a bit. But, it’s one of the few furniture stores that I’ve been to in the U.S. that has furniture that I like, and it’s affordable! BTW, I also want that teal craft cart. Among other things, haha.
san
April 22, 2016 at 7:37 pmI am happy to hear you love Ikea too. Naturally :)
Cait
April 22, 2016 at 6:26 pmI’ve only been to IKEA once & it was suuuuper overwhelming, but in a good way. We went to look at nightstands for our bedroom when we first moved in last year but I ended up liking ones at Target better. I have to go back sometime because someone on Pinterest suggested IKEA wall-mounted shelves for nail polish storage. Also, after seeing that leaning ladder-type shelf, I kinda want that, too.
san
April 22, 2016 at 7:37 pmTarget has cute furniture, too. That is true! I should look into what they have…
Stefanie
April 23, 2016 at 2:29 pmI like Ikea for accessories/decorations but prefer other furniture stores for big items. We generally shop in local stores for big-piece furniture, especially couches (I personally think that Ikea’s selection is very stiff and uncomfortable). I will also seek out Craigslist every now and then. Our shelves right next to our fire place are Craigslist purchases.
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:11 pmWe actually had an Ikea couch and it held up really well. I am ready to look around at other places too though. :)
Joy
April 23, 2016 at 3:38 pmLove Ikea too! Can’t beat the affordable furniture and quality of some of the items. My favorite thing right now and most recent purchase is the MALKOLM Swivel Chair for my desk! I ended up getting it in the light beige with the black. Comfortable and just overall looks more expensive than what I paid! I really want one of those Raskog carts but don’t really need it. Great purchases!
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:12 pmGlad to hear you’re a fellow Ikea lover :)
Holly
April 23, 2016 at 6:38 pmI love Ikea! We actually went on our annual Ikea trip today :) I bought a Kallax 8-cube shelf for the kids’ toys and we bought a mattress for Ellie’s bed. I saw so many other things I wanted (Picture frames! Plants! Plates! Chairs!) but our vehicle is only so big. Our entire kitchen is Ikea, and our bathrooms … The rest of our furniture is a mix of Wal-Mart and Target. I can’t wait until we find our house so I can go again ;)
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:13 pmGlad to hear you’re loving Ikea too…. they definitely have so much great stuff. But I think I need to take a look at the Target home furnishings too :)
Chrissy
April 24, 2016 at 4:24 amAlso an IKEA lover! I had to have one of those carts as well and then Leonie wanted one – so now we have two of them in teal. I have that coffee table and a tv stand from IKEA and a few of the Malm series items – and we have a few of those cube shelfs.
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:13 pmIkea lovers unite! <3
Marie
April 25, 2016 at 6:13 amI LOVE IKEA! Although I will say that it can be where relationships go to die (many arguments have flared up in Ikea between Matt and I – very dumb ones – and I’ve seen other couples argue; it’s actually kind of hilarious). What I have started doing now is looking online at what they have and what would fit our place, then seeing if it is available at the Ikea nearest to us, and writing down the aisle/bin number. This way we don’t need to go through the whole store and get overwhelmed and then start arguing (it’s the overwhelming part that does it to us).
I’m in the process of buying stuff for the baby’s room from Ikea! We got the crib from there, we’ll get the dresser from there, and a rocking chair. I really love their stuff. It’s simple and isn’t bulky. A few months ago we even got one of the beds from there for our guest room (the Brimnes bed frame with drawers at the bottom) along with a mattress. It took us 2.5 days to put it together, but it really is so lovely. We’re also going to get the nightstands to go with it (uh we still need a trip to Ikea as you can tell).
One of my other favorite furniture stores is actually West Elm. They are a lot more expensive, but there are things in there I truly love. Our bed frame is actually from there (we didn’t get a headboard, just the frame and it is more than enough – I’ve grown to dislike headboards). If I had lots more money, I’d buy some other items from West Elm!
I loooooooooooove all the stuff you got! Absolutely love your taste. :)
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:15 pmSince J never goes to Ikea with me, I am not aware of the relationship risks that couples take when they go together LOL
I am so glad to hear though that you have bought quite a few items there, too. I just love a lot of their stuff.
I have, of course, heard of West Elm. They have nice stuff too (a bit more expensive and I don’t know where the nearest store is for me).
Feisty Harriet
April 25, 2016 at 11:23 amThat turquoise CART!!! <3
I like IKEA, but I tend not to buy actual furniture there, sometimes a bookcase, but that's it. I love their accessories, though. :)
xox
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:15 pmYes, their accessories are dangerous ;)
Stephany
April 25, 2016 at 1:14 pmI have the Hemnes bed and it’s fine, but I think I’m going to go to an actual furniture store for my next bed. It just doesn’t feel very secure, especially when I compare my bed to my mom’s bed, lol. Of course, she paid twice as much, but a good, quality bed is important! I like IKEA for most stuff, but not for furniture like beds and couches. =/ My roommate, though, bought a coffee table and TV stand when we moved into our new place (both Hemnes, I think!) and we LOVE them!
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:16 pmOh, good to hear that you have the Hemnes bed and how you feel about it. Is it worse than just that stupid metal frame that usually comes with mattresses, though?
Stephany
April 30, 2016 at 6:39 amIt comes with a steel center support beam and then these four cheap brackets that bent easily once I put my mattress on the bed (I have a box spring and a mattress). IKEA does recommend also purchasing a slatted bed base with the product, so maybe that would help it feel more supportive?
Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
April 26, 2016 at 4:27 pmI actually kind of hate ikea. It just overwhelms me and I feel trapped when I am in there. I really should go there soon to find some storage solutions for Phil’s but the thought of going there is not appealing for me! I had a couch from ikea which I was not crazy about but i really like the dining room set I got there (although I did NOT enjoy assembling it)! You have found some cute things, though!
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:16 pmHa, I knew you people (the Ikea haters) were out there LOL no hard feelings though….
rachieannie
April 28, 2016 at 9:46 amThis makes me want to get in my car and drive the 5 hours to St Paul, which is our closest Ikea. And buy all the things! Luke is rejoicing right now that we live so far away ;-)
san
April 29, 2016 at 5:17 pmHahaha. Luke has to get in the car with you sometimes and then he won’t be rejoicing anymore… :)
Gina
April 30, 2016 at 6:42 pmI love IKEA! Our house is seriously an IKEA showroom. I hate how some people dis on IKEA and say their stuff is shitty quality. Yeah there’s some lower end stuff, but there’s also a lot of high end stuff, too!