Confession time. I'm, by nature, a slightly jealous person. Not in every occasion, mind you. Or even many. Just...once in awhile. I try to be happy when others have stuff that I don't, but I'm simply not perfect, and this is one of my personality flaws. It's not over cars or flat screen TVs or boys (got mine! No need for that drama). One thing that I'm pretty gosh darn envious about is simple: IKEA. *sigh*I read some fabulous DIY/design blogs and inspiring magazines. But, I get hung up when they mention what, to me, seems an exclusive club - the "Close to IKEA Club." Heck, I may be overreacting. It might be like wanting a Walmart to come to town SOOOO BAAAAAAAAADLY...and then, when it does, you come to hate it as much as dolphin killers and anyone with the letters "C.E.O." in their job title. Please, friends who live near the coveted IKEA, do tell! Is it the land of milk and honey? Or, in my world, organic pop tarts and agave nectar?? (Sweet tooth much? Seriously, the pop tarts sound like a good idea...ermmmm, nope. Nasty.)
There's so much to yearn for from IKEA. First of all, modern sleek styling. I'd love to incorporate, say, 20% more of this into our house. If you'd look at our style right now, you'd probably say it was traditional eclectic with some early Americana and Art Deco thrown in...aaaaaand we hear a whisper of the contemporary in the background. Not sure this is what I'd like our house to say about us. We're all of these things, yes. But, how much of these things define us? If we didn't live (and I mean truly LIVE; not idly cruise) in a modern era, we couldn't embrace the historical as we do. So, yeah. A kick in the pants of modernity never hurt anyone. Gotta love the Swedes. (Although, we are trying to go for a wabi-sabi approach here, too, as you recall. Baby steps.)
Secondly, STORAGE?! Holy crap, would I have an entire wall dedicated to IKEA bookcases in the office, and the kitchen cabinets that have seen better days? Yeah, they'd come from IKEA. And all their other unique solutions for utilizing space functionally? Sign me up.
It's time for Confession #2. I'm not a catalog person, and cringe when I get one occasionally. I'd rather buy from your online catalog, without needlessly killing trees, thankyouverymuch. But, I broke this rule. Remember when IKEA started their ads informing of their catalog? The envy struck again. So, of course, I ordered it. Normally, catalogs just come and are unwanted and get recycled. This is on my coffee table as "bored reading." It's not even technically READING material! Why the heck did I order a catalog full of stuff that I can't order (because you can only obtain it at the stores)?? 'Cuz I can dream, can't I?!?! Just kidding. Fake drama queen moment. It's over, I promise.
Anyhoo, I thought it might be fun to do as I've seen on Bower Power and create a wishlist. Y'know. For when, on our way into the city, we actually are able to stop and waste half a day perusing the Paramus, NJ IKEA. Someday. ;-)
And, while we're at it, I should say that I'm tres envious of those of you with a Trader Joe's nearby, too! My dear friend Beth was sweet and thoughtful enough to give us a huge basket full of healthy snacks and goodies (my organic pop-tarts! And Spaghettios...although they were pretty nasty, admittedly) for our wedding. We brought along most of the snacks along to our honeymoon, along with several wedding cupcakes. I'd just love the opportunity to be closer to organic and all-natural options at a generally cheaper cost. *sigh, pine* (Okay, the drama queen thing wasn't over.) Enjoy it if ya got it!
* I started writing this blog entry awhile ago - in January, 2011, to be exact. I figured I'd finish and post this one FINALLY because one of my dreams has come true: IKEA will deliver butcher board countertops. Of course, the ones I want are out of stock...but isn't there light at the end of the fantasy tunnel??
** I happened upon this IKEA ad while doing some searching for this post. It amused me. Perhaps it will amuse you, as well. :-) (You're lucky I didn't share the one in which a store is filled with cats. Didn't want to be "that person.")
Oh, and all pictures used are from ikea.com. Props.
Meg,
ReplyDeleteYes, IKEA can be awesome, especially when you have a limited budget (or like when I failed multiple times to get to a mom-and-pop shop in Rome during opening hours to get some basic apartment necessities... [because the Italians would close whenever and as often as they felt like it])... but I digress. Until you are able to go to your nearest IKEA (NJ? NYC?), here are some things to bear in mind from the left coast...
1) IKEA is first and foremost: CROWDED. From start to finish, it will be packed with people. If you're getting lots of things (and you probably will), bear in mind this will be an all day event. That's why they serve food there.
2) They are usually out of the exact thing that you drove so far to get. Go to their website and check out their stock beforehand to avoid disappointment and/or a return trip, once again, through the massive crowds.
3) Wear comfortable shoes. You'll be on your feet all day, with small breaks trying out their sofas and office chairs- that is, until you get the evil eye from another person waiting for their turn.
4) You are going to need a bigger car. Well, it all depends on what you have, but we've generally needed to rent a pickup truck to get everything. The boxes are just really long.
5) Resist the urge to buy tapered candles. I know they are cheap, but they drip everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
6) Don't be surprised that the stuff has cheaper parts, especially the backs of shelves, etc.
7) The Allen wrench. Oh, the allen wrench. You will be an assembly expert by the time you are all done.
That said, you can get some really great stuff there. Hope you have fun whenever you do go!
-Abbey W.