indoMFP

I have never shopped at Ikea, but some of my friends have the furniture and to me it looks good. Not to thrilled about building furniture (as I have always bought furniture that was already manufactured)...but being single, this seems to be a low cost and feasible option. So before I jump in and buy some Ikea stuff, I just wanted to know about your experiences?

1. What kind of Ikea stuff do you have (or did you have)?
2. Did it hold up well (and for how long)?

Looking to get some living Room and home office type furniture. Let me know.

subinf

All the shit I've ever bought from Ikea or been around didn't really last more than a year. This was about 5 or 6 years ago so maybe they have improved.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

I had a reclining leather chair and ottoman. The chair broke twice before I returned it. My Son went away to college and I got him a bedroom set it was cheap beyond description both in price and material.

I'd sooner buy used from CL next time I need inexpensive furniture.

MisterLinus

I can't say I agree with all of the negative sentiments about Ikea as the previous posters.

I have always had a pleasant experience with just about every product I have purchased from Ikea. Sure there was a dud here or there, but for the money the quality of the product is pretty good.

It can be a bit of a pain shopping at the stores since many times you need to write down the product number and then locate the actual item on their ground level floor, but that is really my only complaint. As long as the stuff gets assembled properly it should last. Also if you want matching furniture it is much easier to get stuff from Ikea than searching on Craigslist.

As an extra note, All of the cabinetry in my kitchen is from Ikea, it has been very durable and has a great modern look to it.

jupitersolo

Most of what they sell is crap, it's starter furniture. Though I have a computer desk that I got from them about 10 yrs old, still a great desk.

moeronn

I've also had pretty good experiences with Ikea furniture. It's definitely not something you will keep in the family for ages, but it should last several years. We have a few dressers and book/media shelfs from then and they are pretty good. The newer stuff seems to be built a little better and is easier to assemble (less use of allen wrenches).

YMMV.

indoMFP

I kinda of expect the furniture to not be that high quality, one has to put it together, that to me screams low end... but for the price and the need, I think it is probably worth it. From the reviews I have read, I think most people complain about the beds, chairs, sofas, etc. I haven't heard a lot of negative comments about the desks, bookshelves, etc. How about window treatments?

I really like this shelf --> EXPEDIT and this and DETOLF

MisterLinus, can you post pics of your kitchen cabinetry? Also, I assumed all Ikea furniture is particle board type wood. So aren't you scared of the wood warping in the kitchen (humidity and heat)??

MisterLinus

Sure, I can post a picture of my kitchen when i get home. The cabinetry was in when I bought it and we are the 2nd owners and no warping, or significant wear/tear was apparent. Even around the stove and sink areas everything still looks quite good.

moeronn

FYI - there was also someone who posted pics of his IKEA kitchen that he put together. Should be able to search for it.

moeronn

It was JLatimer:
https://acurazine.com/forums/home-garden-37/ikea-kitchens-380970/

hornyleprechaun

My parents have the EXPEDIT and it is awesome.. I put it together for them, and AFAIK they haven't had a problem with it, but honestly what can you expect from a shelf.

indoMFP

Nice, I think I saw that when I was doing my search... depending on the cost, I might be tempted to do my kitchen in Ikea... but for right now, i think I will stick to furniture and go from there...

Thanks everyone for your replies, I think I am going to make a stop at Ikea after work...

moeronn

One thing to keep in mind. Because a lot of their furniture is made of particle board - it is HEAVY. Just be prepared for some lifting.

Anachostic

Ikea is great the first time you experience it. But the style does become boring after a while. As far as construction, I think it's better than Bush and Sauder but still in the same class. We have a bed, some tables and shelves that are Ikea and are holding up pretty well. I don't think it's as cheap (cost-wise) as it used to be.

Ikea has a great concept of flat packaging that saves them freight, but can lead you to quickly overload your vehicle. Be careful if buying a lot of stuff - just because it fits doesn't mean you can carry more.

Street Spirit

I'll put it this way: If there was an item I needed that didn't cost too much more and it wasn't from Ikea, I'd go that route. Why not spend the same/slightly more and get a good, solid piece of furniture made of solid wood?...again, if the cost is the same or not much higher.

It also depends on if your plan is to use the Ikea furniture for a little while with the goal of upgrading. You can either save money for a little longer now and get a really good quality item off the bat, or spend some now (Ikea) and have to buy again later on on something a little higher quality.

I don't mind Ikea for accessories like mirrors, shelves, lighting, simple bookcases, etc, but I probably wouldn't invest too much in heavy-use items.

Just my thoughts...

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

I think you hit the nail on the head. IKEA is great for somethings, not so much for others, one of the upsides is if you buy it now and keep it in good condition you can often sell it later for a decent price. I had a bedroom set while I was in university (MALM) and was able to re-sell it for near what I paid 4 years later. I also really like there synthetic pillows for some reason, they are really cheap but very comfortable. Another thing they are really good for are the odds and ends that help bring a room together, like wall hangings and general accessories.

The Kitchen department is a real win for young people as you can get a lot of odds and ends really cheap, things like garlic presses/spactulas/spoons/tongs etc and stuff that would cost considerably more somewhere else and are good starter stuff. For furniture, beyond the desks I think I'd personally opt for something a little better now, maybe for a guest room that doesn't see lots of use, but for everything else I'd like my furniture to be solid wood and not feature cheap joinery and such.

indoMFP

Real wood is mad expensive, I have a sofa and chair that is well built that costs more than 3 times what a decent ikea corner sofa set costs, but when i saw the prices and style, I want to know if they are legit in quality and durability....

I don't mind being cheap right now on furniture as most of this crap will be thrown out in a few years... Any chick you date is going to make you throw crap out, so of course I will upgrade, but for right now I will stick with cheap since it is not a lot of money and I can throw it out without thinking twice about it...

Street Spirit

I agree with you in terms of a couch. We set a reasonable budget for a sectional + huge ottoman (although not from Ikea) when you can easily find stuff for $3,000+. We found something durable and comfortable for a decent price, knowing that a couch/decor doesn't live forever --- even though I don't see ours needing replacing for many, many years. Things like dining room sets are more 'keepers' for us...we got a nice set, solid table off the bat, and I don't really see there ever being a huge need or desire to replace it, ever. It really all depends on what you're shopping for.

JLatimer

It has been a year and there are no complaints.
I had one leak under the sink and expected the couple of quarts of water to cause the cabinet to disintegrate - it held up fine. There has been no warping through the year or other complaints. A few of the cabinet knobs have loosened off and a few turns solves that problem. As far as kitchen cabinets go the installation is still new so I wouldn't have expected any issues.

I also have a few pieces of Ikea furniture and have no complaints. I have the EXPEDIT shelf you are talking about in the OPs thread. There are a surprisingly small number of furniture builders who use solid wood so the comments about cheap particle board are pretty much moot.

If you are looking for a heirloom piece - dont buy IKEA, but be prepared to pull out the credit card.

One thing about IKEA furniture is the concept is you can take it apart and move it in pieces... This is a lie - it never fits quite as good the second time you put it together and usually getting it apart causes all kinds of problems.

Also IKEA stuff is heavy as another poster said!!! I almost killed myself with my kitchen project.

ChodTheWacko

I also have the EXPEDIT shelf! It just has plush foxes on it, so it doesn't exactly take heavy abuse. ha ha. I like it.

IKEA does have some solid wood stuff, actually. Read the tags carefully. They're the expensive things, but that's to be expected.

- Frank

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

Something that hasn't been mentioned, as a DIY person is that for the cost of an IKEA piece sometimes you can build it yourself, that for example a book shelf (svtmike) if you use the capital to buy a decent mitre saw and table saw and buy some nice wood it's possible to make something that fits exactly what you want, plus the tools are now paid for so everything else is essentially free (aside from lumber costs).

svtmike

My bookshelves were built in my very well equipped basement shop. In addition to the tools Dougler mentioned I would also mention as indispensable: planer, jointer, drill press, router and bits, drill, smoothing plane, block plane, and lots of clamps. The capital outlay to build furniture is pretty big but you only buy it once and can use it many times.

And the time investment is pretty huge.

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

^ You've also gotta factor in skill. Not everyone has the skills of a carpenter/wood worker.

I've bought various Ikea pieces here and there. For the price, I'm very happy. The quality to price ratio, in my opinion, is pretty good. If it wasn't for Ikea, I wouldn't be able to afford to make my house look decent! lol

JediMindTricks

most of the furniture i have is from ikea. i bought it years ago when i moved into an apartment after finishing college. it's still held up well over the years.

i've bought a futon, two bookshelves, entertainment center, coffee table, night stands, end tables, and napkin holder . the bookshelves were the cheaper ones, so they're starting to show wear and tear.

so i guess i'm in the minority that has pleasant experiences with ikea. plus, i like their food.

i think you just have to know what you're getting into. if you're expecting something very nice, you probably shouldn't be considering ikea then.

Ken1997TL

We have a few bookshelves and tables from Ikea that have managed to hold up so far. I want to replace them but nooooo..

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

I was not suggesting Ikea was marketing their goods as top end, to the contrary I feel they cater to a market of people that want decent items at good prices, that is a balancing act that is hard to negotiate.

I was surprised that the recliner broke both times, the last time I no longer needed a recliner so used the "gift card" towards my Son's furniture. They were great regarding both returns.

The two bedstand tables and matching dresser are very cheap but in no way were they marketed as anything but inexpensive. I think all three items and a mirror were less than 250, that is pretty cheap considering the bedroom sets I recently bought for two bedrooms in my house were north of 2500 each and are only upper mid grade quality.

Furniture is freaking expensive.

JediMindTricks

and yea. ikea, at least for me, provides good looking furniture (sure, styling is subjective) with decent quality (and above average in my experiences) at good prices.

i'd have no problem with continuing to shop at ikea.

CarbonGray Earl

I think ikea does a pretty good job. And the flip side of assembling your own furniture is you can see where to reinforce it or any design deficienies.

Trying to get modern looking furniture at ikea prices anywhere else can be difficult. Ikea does a pretty good approximation of alot of modern pieces, and if anything, in my house we mix big ticket items with Ikea furniture.

But for kids rooms, its the absolute best. My kids rooms are changing every couple of years, so I don't want anything I can't breakdown quickly or reconfigure quickly.

litesout

I don't have a lot of stuff from Ikea. Mostly some shelves and DVD shelves, and stuff like that. They've held up fine. Decent for the price, but truly no frills kind of stuff. The assembly is easy enough. They provide the little allen wrenchs. And they are great on returns. One of the DVD racks I got had a broken piece of formica. They changed it out without question and even encouraged me to open the package on the new one before I left the store to check it out. We have a tv stand in the living room. I'm planning on getting the same one for my house next week when I move. Its one of the few that I've found south of $300 that will hold my mamoth CRT TV (26" deep, 215 lbs.)

They do have some solid wood pieces, but they are few and far between. My roommates got a nice dining room table that's solid wood. Its very plain, table flavored table. But the price was good. We also got some bar stools pretty cheap, again solid wood but very plain. I wouldn't get any daily/heavy use items from there. Bed, sofa, chairs, etc.

The EXPEDIT shelves are decent. I helped a buddy of mine put together a few sets for his office at home. Seemed pretty stable, but heavy like a mofo. I do like that the BILLY bookcases have the cut outs at the bottom to go over the baseboards and allow the shelves to sit flush against the wall. Other than that, they're like every other particle board shelf you can get at Target or Wal Mart.

When I do move into the new house, I'm going Broyhill.

Infamous425

after buying my townhouse i was on a pretty tight budget for furniture so i have quite a few things from Ikea.

i have a leather sofa, dresser drawers, coffee table, night stands and computer station that has held up very well. but also have a bed frame and futon that are kind of flimsy and ended up reinforcing them. lets just say if you have a lot of bedtime action then avoid ikea bed frames.