Living in Harmony
with Ikea.
I've had a complicated relationship with Ikea. Its a love/hate thing that's taken years to sort out and to understand. For all of you who HATE Ikea, I think I've come up with a set of rules that will allow a zen-like state when dealing with the big white box of a store.
Rule 1: Do not assemble the furniture.
I don't care how fly you are with tools, do not buy the furniture. Unless of course, redesigning the furniture while you put it together sounds like a good idea. The directions are crap and even if you follow them the pegs never quite fit right into the holes and then the piece isn't really held together and its just a big ol' mess. Trust me on this, I know of what I speak.
Rule 2: Do not expect your purchase to last very long.
If you really believe a $5 pot is going to fill your daily cooking needs, then you deserve to shop here on a regular basis. Embrace Ikea for what it really is, disposable living. We bought the plates and bowls for $.50 each expecting them to self-destruct. Every time we put them back into the cupboard, its like a little gift. So, when they do implode, no one will cry or feel ripped off because we understand their role in our lives. The same thinking works for furniture.
Rule 3: As/is is the best department in the store.
Its either display or return furniture but here's the best part...its already assembled and dirt cheap. No particle boards falling across your back (true story), no struggling with the screws into holes that were not properly drilled (are you sensing my bitterness to the holes), no surprise at how the item looks...its right there in front of you in all its glory. My closet is now blessed with a "book shelf" that matches the dark wood furniture in my room perfectly. And the "book shelf" is just deep enough for my shoes (seems pretty shallow for a "book shelf," but maybe that's just me) so its the perfect depth for my closet. And, that's the thing about the "book shelf;" if I had seen it on display on the floor, I would have thought, huh, good book shelf. But in the as is section I don't think twice about putting my foot on the shelf to see how deep it is...huh, just deep enough for my shoes, not quite right for books... I already have a damn fine book shelf but I do need a new shoe rack.
Don't fight Ikea, just accept it and fill your heart with love...and cheap storage solutions.
I've had a complicated relationship with Ikea. Its a love/hate thing that's taken years to sort out and to understand. For all of you who HATE Ikea, I think I've come up with a set of rules that will allow a zen-like state when dealing with the big white box of a store.
Rule 1: Do not assemble the furniture.
I don't care how fly you are with tools, do not buy the furniture. Unless of course, redesigning the furniture while you put it together sounds like a good idea. The directions are crap and even if you follow them the pegs never quite fit right into the holes and then the piece isn't really held together and its just a big ol' mess. Trust me on this, I know of what I speak.
Rule 2: Do not expect your purchase to last very long.
If you really believe a $5 pot is going to fill your daily cooking needs, then you deserve to shop here on a regular basis. Embrace Ikea for what it really is, disposable living. We bought the plates and bowls for $.50 each expecting them to self-destruct. Every time we put them back into the cupboard, its like a little gift. So, when they do implode, no one will cry or feel ripped off because we understand their role in our lives. The same thinking works for furniture.
Rule 3: As/is is the best department in the store.
Its either display or return furniture but here's the best part...its already assembled and dirt cheap. No particle boards falling across your back (true story), no struggling with the screws into holes that were not properly drilled (are you sensing my bitterness to the holes), no surprise at how the item looks...its right there in front of you in all its glory. My closet is now blessed with a "book shelf" that matches the dark wood furniture in my room perfectly. And the "book shelf" is just deep enough for my shoes (seems pretty shallow for a "book shelf," but maybe that's just me) so its the perfect depth for my closet. And, that's the thing about the "book shelf;" if I had seen it on display on the floor, I would have thought, huh, good book shelf. But in the as is section I don't think twice about putting my foot on the shelf to see how deep it is...huh, just deep enough for my shoes, not quite right for books... I already have a damn fine book shelf but I do need a new shoe rack.
Don't fight Ikea, just accept it and fill your heart with love...and cheap storage solutions.
posted by jenna! at
3:20 PM
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