IKEA and how I use it

A few years ago, there were no IKEA in the bay area - remember those days? Well, friends from the east coast used to tell me about IKEA and how wonderful it is - blah blah rah rah. So, when the first one opened at Emeryville, people flocked there in multitude - seeking bargains and what not. Obviously, I was one of them, even though my small house was already packed with furniture. But I just had to see - you never know what else is out out there unless you go see and compare. Some of my stuffs were certainly replaceable and some even outright "throwable", while a few should never have entered the portal of my home - however humble.

My first visit to IKEA was memorable because it did not impress me at all. I did not like the furnitures - the whole warehouse was depressing and all I came back with were a pack of tupperware that cost a $1:49 or something, a pack of cork pot holders ( or whatever you call those things you put a hot pot on to protect the table or countertop) and the best buy - was a stainless steel drainer. And for these wonderful purchases, we drove through 50 miles of congested traffic on a hot californian summer in two hours only to reach a dirt parking lot that looked like a super-star's concert with folks directing us when to park. I guess they had not finished the parking before they opened the store. There were lots of cars -and all that did was build up the hype - " IKEA must be amazing - look at this crowd", I remarked to my husband.

We had to walk about 100 yards to enter the store and it was swarming with people - families even - like disneyland or something. It was beyond crowded - keep in mind that this was the first IKEA ever in the Bay area and the store had just opened. All this did not help the presentation of goods - too crowded to see the good stuffs among the throng of people and the only thing that stood out was the "cheap price" and there is a reason for that - just look behing the $70 dollar drawer and you will see it.
After my first visit, I came back disappointed because the journey was just not worth it. My thought was - why go so far and push and shove to get a few knick-knacks?

However, now that there is another IKEA closer home - at East Palo Alto - which is a mere 25 minutes drive, I have gone back and found a lot of other nice bargains. And if you have a good sense of style and decorating sense and cents, you can mix and match items from IKEA with your other ( more expensive) furnitures and create wonderful rooms. I especially like the lamps at IKEA. They are really well priced and can look wonderful with brightly adorned lampshades. Mats for kitchens and bathrooms are good buys - they are at a fraction of the price compared to CostPlus and you can change them often- being so cheap.

It is a good idea to buy children's furniture as kids will outgrow these and you have to change once they start developing their own taste. Why spend thousands on things that will have to go to Goodwill in a few years? So, if you can stand the crowd and if you plan well, you can combine goods from IKEA with those from other places to create a beautiful living space. But I don't see IKEA as a one stop shop for your house. If everything is from IKEA, I don't think I would like that at all in a home but in a dorm - sure? Or perfect if you are starting out and tryin gout different styles.
I also bought a TV stand for my rec. room and it looks pretty good. Plus, If I get tired of it, I can always repaint the room and get another one. That is what I like about IKEA. You can try different styles and if you don't like it - you can always give it away because you did not pay too much for it. So I do have a few items in my house and they mix well with what I already had.
It allows you to experiment.
I did not have time to look at the fabrics section where they sell curtains and cushions and covers. I don't need those but I liked what I saw.
Who knows, I might just go down there and get me some next time I want to change the look of any room in my house. A change of window covering can entirely give a new look to a room.

Hey it is your house - you should do whatever you want - you can experiment with colors and furnitures and play around and if you want to decorate with IKEA entirely - go ahead. Hope the store gives you discount.!