To think IKEA isn't cheap/good value

[hadenough]

I've just returned from a shop at Ikea. I should start by saying I've never been its biggest fan, but went to buy stuff for my new kitchen.

We went through the whole maze from start to finish, and there was virtually nothing I'd buy if I'd had the money/been furnishing my whole home. Yes you can buy the odd cheap thing, but it's either quite ugly or clearly not built to last. Indeed, when I think of IKEA I think of rogue landlords speeding around the place buying the cheapest tat they can find.

I moved house in the Spring, and have actually found buying online to be far cheaper - it takes a while to find things, but it's on the whole less stressful than trailing around IKEA and I've found expensive looking fashionable furniture for waaaay less.

In the end I spent €300 (live in Europe) and felt a bit cheated when I went to pay.

Did I miss something (it was definitely rammed with people, so perhaps?)

I have a wardrobe from ikea which is over 20 years old and still in good condition. So great value for money . Sofa beds great as well .

We ordered our PAX wardrobe online and the delivery was really quick and come when it was meant to which is more than I can say for some furniture retailers

I'll be taking all my iKEA furniture home to UK next year from Billys to Kallaxs to Ektorp x 3. For what was supposed to be temporary furniture for 13 years it has proved remarkably resilient, and will do ds when he gets his first place, and then I will have the sofas I want (but hopefully as comfortable as the Ektorp) when we are back in our own four walls again.

The free-standing centre kitchen console will very definitely be going home with me and will be slap bang in the middle of my kitchen, and the lovely Gustavian looking cupboard that houses my china was chosen with the niche it will sit in when back in UK already in mind.

I wouldn;t buy a piece of furniture without being able to see it and assess the quality, so I wouldn't buy online. I also like to sit on the sofa to see if it is comfortable for me.

I'm a huge ikea fan, I have lots and lots of stuff in my house, mix it up with all kinds of other stuff - high street, second hand, more unusual pieces. I find the price-quality ratio excellent and there is so much that is really ingenious and innovative. I like it that they have different price brackets depending on the quality of the materials but the design itself is consistently brilliant. I love going there for inspiration and meatballs though it is exhausting.

This Ikea chair is the most comfortable chair in the world. We’ve spent an absolute fortune on armchairs and sofas because I’ve got a terribly bad back yet one day I happened to sit in one of these and I thought all my Christmases had come at once. We’ve got a pair with matching footstools. I’ve even thought of buying a couple more to keep incase they stop making them.

We bought loads of Malm furniture when we moved in here to tide us over but 9 years later it’s still as good as new. I love our Kallax too.

Its cheapish and excellent value, serviceable reasonably hardwearing furniture. If you dont like it then go elsewhere.

We have lots of Ikea furniture, some of which is 17 years old and has been "upcycled" with chalk paint & fancy drawer knobs. We've also got Pax wardrobes in 3 bedrooms which have been taken apart and reconfigured twice. It all looks as good as new. If it's not to your taste, then don't buy it but it is very good value for money.

Had lots from Ikea over the years. it's all lasted really well actually. Recently bought sofas from them, our 2nd from them and only changed the first because we moved and redecorated. we have 2 mattresses(5 yrs), a sideboard(15 yrs old), bedding, bath mats and many thousand tealights!

IKEA have a huge range of furniture though. More expensive items tend to be made from solid wood, cheaper furniture is more likely to be chipboard.

As PP have said billy bookcases last decades and we have a couple of large Hemnes chests of drawers that are going strong after about 15 years.

They certainly win the flat pack market. We have a mixture of Ikea and non Ikea and dh always says that Ikea just know how to do flatpack...easy to put together and well thought out compared to non Ikea which is always hard, clunky to put together and is never as sturdy or long lasting.

Best thing about moving to Coventry? 10 minutes away from Ikea! We have Hemnes bookcases, ds has a desk, chair, wardrobe and Billy bookcases. Loads of kitchen stuff, love the freezer bags and clips, tablecloths. Ds had the highsleeper with bed tent growing up and lasted from 5 to 15, when I got him a proper bed.
Love going for cheap breakfast on my day off, with free coffee :)
I need a new dining table set so will be going again tomorrow.

I would like more ornate furniture but keep coming back to IKEA because it wins on function and efficiency. There is some flexibility on finishes e.g. adding doors and different handles and it's usually easy to match other pieces over time.

Items like our Billy bookcases are a good 15 years old and have moved house with us.

The only pieces of furniture in our house that aren't IKEA are a sofa and a lamp. Obviously I love it!

We do have a fairly old Malm chest of drawers which has had it, but I think that's partly rough handling during our recent move.

I love the restaurant too.

Can't wait for the new Brighton/Hove store

@thefairycaravan I’ve got that one in mind as my winter reading chair! I’m currently rearranging the sitting room to make space for it. Nobody will be allowed to use it except me! (Cats take note.)

You're right OP

The furniture is cheap tat that falls apart

I fitted an Ikea kitchen in my last house in 2003 - it was £5k inc appliances and flooring, solid work tops and a joiner to fit them. I sold it for £250 when we demolished the house to rebuild in 2016. And it was still in brilliant condition.

Some of our 19 Billy bookcases date back to 1996. We refit the backs when we move house but the fronts are still going strong. (We've moved house four times since 96!)

Our super king Ikea bed dates from 1998, still the most comfy thing I've ever slept on. We finally replaced the Ikea mattresses in 2017....with more Ikea mattresses

Our Ikea furniture has moved overseas and back several times and still going strong. For the price we paid it's been fantastic. Can't see us getting rid any time soon, and why would we? I can't agree OP, sorry.

Also, bought DS2 his first teddy from Ikea, three months before he was born (it was too cute to resist). He's nearly 15 and still sleeps with same teddy every night. Best £1.80 ever

I first discovered Ikea in 1991 when my ex took me to their Warrington store, which at the time was one their very few in the UK. I bought an uplighter on that visit for about £15 and I still use it every day. I also have a revolving CD storage unit which I must have bought 20 odd years ago and it still looks new. I recently bought some Erket storage for my records and it looks stylish and is really sturdy. I couldn't furnish my home from top to bottom in Ikea, but I've found their stuff to be great value for money.

Our kitchen is from IKEA and it's gorgeous and fantastic quality.

I've got IKEA furniture in my workroom (I run my own craft business from home) - workbench, chairs, bookcases and storage units. They take a hell of a battering. The workbench has been used as a base to hammer on, it's had inks spilt on it and comes up looking good after all that - there are dents in it but there are no chips out of the wood.

Our son has Billy bookcases in his room and our spare room bed is an IKEA sofa bed. DH has to get up very early three days a week so often sleeps in there rather than disturb me in the mornings and he gets a really good nights sleep on the bed.

I just wish their delivery service was better...our son's bedroom furniture ended up being delivered 4 days later because one item wasn't available so they just cancelled the whole lot and put it on a different day! We were only told the day before, by email, when we'd made arrangements for school pick ups etc - not best pleased.

I’m another Ikea lover, particularly the Pax wardrobe system as previously mentioned. Have them in three bedrooms, a nightmare to build but if built correctly they’re brilliant. Not cheap but compared to some bedroom furniture, Sharp’s etc - fantastic value for money.

The furniture is cheap tat that falls apart

Nope, not when it's put together properly. They have such a good returns service so if it was faulty , they'd replace. Mrs Ikea.com.

Another fan here. A shiny new store has recently opened in Exeter and I live very close.

Can I share with you what I call “The Wall of Ikea”?

fairycaravan

Yes!!! I totally agree I have that chair also, brought it in grey and it’s so lovely.