to ask if there is anyone out there with a totally IKEA free house?

[beluga425]

The other day DD asked me if the Queen shops at IKEA.
I'm sitting at and IKEA desk drinking from IKEA glasses. everything's bloody IKEA.
Is there anyone who has NO IKEA at all?
No I don't work for them!

I live in Sweden. My entire house is IKEA. IKEA is a fun family day out here, rather than the hunger games variety you get in the UK.

Like most people we have a mix of stuff.

And we like it because we like light coloured wood, birch and beech. And solid stuff or at least veneer, rather than foil.

We have Billys that are 25 years old and have been in the kitchen, living room, office, bedrooms, library in five different houses and are as good as new. We have particularly nice twelve year old (now discontinued) media furniture, that DH has customised, that no one ever believes is not from some posh scandi store.

And we had fantastic high chairs and cots and wooden stairgates from there for our kids.

My sitting room is the only room IKEA free. Every other room has something though, the DCs wardrobes, 2 of their beds, a TV unit in my room...I thought the kitchen was free but then remembered 2 lanterns and a drawer organiser.

I love IKEA but it's so far away so it has to be a well thought out trip, preferably with a van

I had nothing until I had DS. We now have the high chair and rattles. But the highchair is fantastic and the rattles were his favourite when he was tiny. I intend on getting the Poang chair for nursing when he moves into his own room. And the toy kitchen when he's older. It's just so far from us and delivery is expensive but I am a massive convert and can't wait to actually visit their shop.

I also have to disagree with the disposable comments. The sofa in the kid's playroom is from Ikea and was bought about 20 years ago and still going strong. We have updated the covers a few times over the years.

I have a few bits - a hangover from when I was poor in my 20s and just sorting out my first home.

But the lack table is on its last legs, I have a shelving unit that I bought at uni that has been painted so many times that now stores stuff in the garage and a floor lamp that I changed the cheap looking lampshade on for something nicer.

I find IKEA looks cheap and a bit bland. And I hate how they set up their rooms - I get that it's to maximise space but they always look cluttered and uncomfortable.

Cannot understand how anyone can get excited about going to a shop though, any shop.
I too would rather go to the pub than a shop on the weekends.

Jumping

How is Ikea viewed in Sweden? Is it 'just a furniture shop' that pretty much everyone uses and no-one has the sort of bizarre notions like on this thread that because it's cheaper than John Lewis it must only sell rubbish that falls apart after 10 minutes?

It's like how a lot of people see Aldi, whereas in Germany and other European countries, it's just a supermarket.

We have no ikea furniture or anything in out house. I can't stand the place plus most of our furniture is second hand.

How is Ikea viewed in Sweden? Is it 'just a furniture shop' that pretty much everyone uses and no-one has the sort of bizarre notions like on this thread that because it's cheaper than John Lewis it must only sell rubbish that falls apart after 10 minutes?

It's more than just a furniture shop. It's part of the national identity and they are extremely proud of it. There's no snobbery around it at all. But as I said in my previous post, it's seen as a family day out here, the furniture is secondary to that. They're not heaving centres of arguing couples and out of control kids. Even on a Saturday they're comfortably busy eg max 5 minute wait for the creche.

Nothing apart from two black ikea dinner plates

Such a person does not exist in the 21st century.

Thanks jelly. The difference in 'busyness' is probably down to a much larger population in the UK fighting, quite literally it seems, over a similar number of Ikeas.

Our house is Ikea free. The only thing I ever bought from there were collapsible chairs for Christmas,DD has them now

I have never been to IKEA, the only things I have from there are some plastic spoons I bought from ebay.

The only ikea stuff in my house is their big blue bags.

I've never even been into an Ikea!

Me. Nothing. Can't stand all those sharp edges and light wood. But then I never buy anything less than 70 years old. Dark wood antique furniture. Costs almost nowt, built to last forever. I think it looks beautiful too

And yet I just spent 6 months trying to find homes for a stunning dark wood table and 8 chairs in immaculate condition, some beautiful side tables in dark oak solid wood and a stunning mahogany dresser. Not one taker. Despite offering it free on every site I could think of. The charity shops won't take it because 'it doesn't sell' and even the house clearance people wouldn't have it. So sad really.

I finally found a home for it thankfully, it would have been tragic to reduce it all to firewood.

I couldn't survive without ikea......

I bet those who say they don’t probably have, somewhere, a ladle or frame or something obscure given as a present by someone.... 😂

Nope. Nothing.

Nothing in our house is IKEA. We are over 60 miles to the nearest one so it is never somewhere we go.

Before children we had nothing from IKEA, I don't think I'd even been in one. After children, yes, loads of stuff. We tried having decent stuff but kids are hard on it. Buy IKEA stuff, you don't care as much when they decorate it.

Same Sarah I'm about 100 miles from an Ikea, went to one once and wasn't impressed

We have too much to mention. It is possible to avoid crowds by going first on a Sunday, parking in the multi storey (and not queueing to park on the lower level) and knowing exactly what you want and where it is in the warehouse. We managed to be in and out within 10 minutes on Sunday!

No Ikea here ... shudder!