… and together with Malm, Hemnes, Kallax, Bodbyn, Nordli, Pax, Ektorp, Kivik, Strandmon, Liatorp, Gurli and … oh, yeah, right … Billy … those are the only Swedish words I know. Guess, the mystery is out now and you already know what this posting will be all about! Yep! My one and only favourite furniture store of all times! Do I really have to say it? IKEA! Ikea, Ikea, Ikea! And lucky me the next store is only half an hour drive away. And as you can imagine I’m a regular visitor there … uhm, “visitor” is probably not exactly the correct word. Well paying customer cuts more to the chase. The only time I didn’t buy anything there was two days before I ordered my Ikea kitchen and just went there to check out the cabinets and pick the appliances for my planning. (I can’t believe it either that I managed to walk out of there without any tea lights or at least an orchid …)
Someone once told me I’m an Ikea junkie and I wholeheartedly agree. Sadly, I have to. What else would you call someone who knows which piece to find where, not even bothering to look left or right because I’ve already seen it a dozen times and am just there to hurry through to get what I’m there for … you know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Come on, admit it, you are just like me.
When I started to write this piece I got curious and did some research in my own apartment. And couldn’t believe it … I actually have 81 pieces of Ikea furniture (with merely 7 large non-Ikea pieces) including lamps. Not included the various storage boxes, pillows, bed linens, flower pots, kitchen towels, towels, curtains, candles, candle holders, plants and watering cans (all in every available colour to fit into the various rooms, like my lavender watering can in the walk-in closet, dark green in my bedroom, yellow in my study … and even more colours just in case I want to redecorate the one or other room like red, turquoise, orange … yep, the crazy me is showing again!)
So, what’s so special about Ikea? I mean, it’s not as if you can’t get tea lights anywhere else. Or other affordable furniture at various furniture store chains.
Why do we like this Swedish chain so much? I mean, if you consider it, it’s kind of embarrassing to identify every single piece of Ikea furniture in other apartments or even on TV shows. Proving that your stuff is nothing special because thousands, millions are buying exactly the same you do! Is it the classic and simple style? Affordable for basically everyone? Available to take away immediately? Easy to assemble? Probably all of those things and more!
Such a shame I’m basically fully furnished … guess I’ll have to keep redecorating then to make up for not getting new furniture. Maybe it will be red next for the bedroom and orange for the dining room?
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