Seewalds 38: Waiting on Seaweed Three

[clueliss]

to pipe in on the Ikea conversation - actually the closest one to the Duggars would be in Metro KC-  Merriam Kansas to be specific.  

[just_ordinary]

I am a European Millenial so I basically grew up with and in Ikea - most of our furniture is still Ikea. BUT I feel like they are loosing their drive in the last 5 years or so. Some price cutting ideas weren’t great (swapping metal bits for plastic or glas for acrylic) and while they were pretty up to date with current trends nowadays they just don’t interpret them as well as they used too. 

That said- I still adore the Hemnes line. Why you cannot get all pieces with the white vanish anymore boggles my mind. 

[srlm]

On 3/31/2019 at 4:35 AM, Timetraveler said:

I honestly really like sleeping on a matrass on the floor, or on a bed that is really close to the floor. I honestly don't even know why? Odd.

I agree.  The best nights sleep I ever get is when my mattress is on the floor.  

[mollysmom]

I've never been to an Ikea but I REALLY feel like I'm missing out!! I don't even know where the closest one is! (WNY) I might have to google it and see if it's worth a trip!!!

[Georgiana]

Ikea actually has much better shipping options these days!  It used to be really expensive to order anything online through them, but they've since redone their shipping to make it much more cost effective, probably since they face so much competition from...basically everyone else who offers reasonable shipping on furniture, which is most places.   

I live about 2 hours one way from the nearest Ikea, so I was delighted when I found out I could actually order many things online and have them shipped to me for less than the price of my firstborn child.  

Edit: I just checked my receipt.  I ordered 4 large-ish shoe cabinets and a hat/coat rack.  Total was ~$95.00 before tax, and they charged me $9 for delivery.  It's not Prime, but it's not bad!

[catlady]

48 minutes ago, mollysmom said:

I've never been to an Ikea but I REALLY feel like I'm missing out!! I don't even know where the closest one is! (WNY) I might have to google it and see if it's worth a trip!!!

The closest one to us without crossing an international border is Pittsburgh.  

[Satan'sFortress]

We have lots of IKEA stuff too.  We really like calling each thing by it's IKEA name--hence, our shoe rack thingy has been the LEKSVIK for many years now.  That's my favorite, but we also have the KLIPPAN (sofa) and some JAALs (laundry hampers.)  It amuses me.  I may need to get out more.

[freethemall]

We've gradually moved away from Ikea stuff, though it's great for small spaces (I live in a row house).

But can we talk about the meatballs? I've wanted to go before just to eat them.

[fluffernutter]

Ikea. Ohhhh how I love Ikea. I don't know if it's still like this, but when we lived in the DC area, the closest one had a babysitting area. We would take the kids there, shop in peace, then snag the girls back and go eat those wonderful, lovely meatballs. Now we live further away, but we still probably go once a year and pick something up. Newest acquisitions were new dining chairs at Christmas time. 

[Vivi_music]

I actually introduced Mr. Music to Ikea when we moved together. He had never been. He was dreading it before we went, like it would be a shopping experience of nightmares. He actually ended up LOVING IT. We got out of there he was almost giddy. Let's just say I don't have to win him over now when I want to buy new stuff from there.

[Kelsey]

Jessa is shilling on insta. At least Spugeon gets to do some science.

[Smee]

On 4/2/2019 at 1:23 PM, Mama Mia said:

Definitely easier - but would you rather dig through musty boxes of decades old frumptastic  jumpers, or cajole your fashionista sister to send you her insta ready baby girl wardrobe ? ???

There’s always Anna’s girls.

[CarrotCake]

I love how, when I was a student, everyone had the same Ikea furniture: a BILLY bookcase, a PAX wardrobe, and a KLIPPAN couch. Although I did not have Klippan, because I got my grandfathers old couch

[Lurker]

In the worst cold, icy or snowy days in the winter, we drive the 15 minutes to Ikea and walk the entire store a few times.   We get in our 10,000 steps, do some shopping and get to have a delicious lunch.

 

[Mama Mia]

4 hours ago, CarrotCake said:

I love how, when I was a student, everyone had the same Ikea furniture: a BILLY bookcase, a PAX wardrobe, and a KLIPPAN couch. Although I did not have Klippan, because I got my grandfathers old couch

That’s really interesting, in my world IKEA furniture was more aspirational middle-class than college-student starting out. 

7 hours ago, Smee said:

There’s always Anna’s girls.

You’re right, Completely forgot about them! And that the youngest Duggar sisters were post frumperville. Still......if your best friend sister is super image conscious, lives on instagram, and has only one baby girl to dote on - that’s some premium hand me down material. 

[CarrotCake]

18 minutes ago, Mama Mia said:

That’s really interesting, in my world IKEA furniture was more aspirational middle-class than college-student starting out. 

 

A Klippan couch for instance is €200,- which is about the cheapest you can get for a new couch, or the Billy bookcase for €35,-. A lot of people also get them secondhand from graduating students.

I still have some Ikea furniture though, but now from other ranges.

[JillyO]

12 minutes ago, Mama Mia said:

That’s really interesting, in my world IKEA furniture was more aspirational middle-class than college-student starting out.  

IKEA has some pretty nice, more expensive stuff. But they also have some REALLY CHEAP stuff. Pretty sure that most college students' apartments in Germany are furnished with 90% IKEA furniture. Some examples:

• Jokkmokk dining date including chairs (currently $129)
• Billy bookcase (currently $59)
• Klippan couch (currently $279)
• Micke desk (durrently $89)

Because dorms aren't really a thing in Germany (and most of Europe, I believe) and furnished apartments are extremely uncommon, you usually have to furnish at the very least your entire room. Many college students have to furnish entire apartments. So the cheap Ikea stuff is usually your best bet, which means a lot of us ended up with very similar furniture.

 

[Pibblesmiles]

Long ago in days of yore 

It all began with a god named Thor

There were Vikings and boats

And some plans for a furniture store

 

[treehugger]

2 hours ago, Mama Mia said:

That’s really interesting, in my world IKEA furniture was more aspirational middle-class than college-student starting out.

Right? When we were in college (about 10 years ago)... our apartment was furnished with free, and second hand ikea, furniture.  Now our apartment is furnished with an eclectic mix of antique and pottery barn/Costco furniture, all purchased second hand (I adore refinishing furniture) and the only place we can really afford to buy new furniture is still ikea. We have been saving up for 4 months to buy a Costco wall bed. I just bought our dining set on kijiji for $70 and am refinishing it. Also, ikea makes damn good bookshelves and storage furniture, and I just don't see the point in paying 6x the amount for a bookshelf.  Tldr, nothing wrong with ikea. It doesn't need to scream college dorm living. 

[Four is Enough]

15 hours ago, freethemall said:

But can we talk about the meatballs? I've wanted to go before just to eat them.

We used to take the Four there JUST to go out to dinner! Everyone liked the food, and it was very reasonable!

I guess I should say that we live within 20 minutes of our IKEA...

 

[SorenaJ]

I love IKEA! I don't like their meatballs, but I love their hotdogs, ice cream and cinnamon rolls. And the shopping of course. 

[Alisamer]

8 minutes ago, SorenaJ said:

I love IKEA! I don't like their meatballs, but I love their hotdogs, ice cream and cinnamon rolls. And the shopping of course. 

The cinnamon rolls. OMG the cinnamon rolls. 

My dad had been to ikea and had their cinnamon rolls at least 5 times before he ever went inside the place... we'd go, not planning to buy anything big, and oops! Pax corner unit for $10 in the As-Is! Oops, nice refrigerator just like our friend is looking for in the as-is! Oops, that bookshelf is not fitting in the car, "Dad! Can you bring your truck?"

It's probably around 20-30 minutes away for us, depending on traffic, but a bit less if I head there straight from work. We usually slip in the exit and go straight to as-is, then see the rest of the store later. 

I really love Ikea. It reminds me a lot of Walt Disney World, even the announcements in the cafe are the same voice as Walt Disney World's monorail announcements. I really wish we had an Ikea when I moved into my house. We went all over looking at furniture, from chain stores to the furniture mart, and the style choices for "good furniture" were Victorian, Baroque, Beach House, Log Cabin, Country Cottage or Cold Chrome. I was looking for simple and clean lines, with lots of storage. I can not even begin to tell you how excited I was when they announced we were getting an Ikea.

[Iamtheway]

We live an hour from Ikea now and before we moved back home and drove here to visit we used to stop there to eat. The food is ok and cheap. Miniway likes to play in the playroom. 

I have a friend that lived close to an Ikea that went there several times a week when she was on parental leave. She’d time it so the baby was asleep and then she’d leave her big kid in the playroom and have a nice, quiet cup of coffee. 

[Meggo]

I am obsessed with lamps from Ikea. I'm not allowed into the lamp section without calling a friend first. I have to explain which lamp I want, where it's going to go and why I need it. I have an ikea lamp problem. (only half kidding). 

We have some ikea pieces - mostly bookshelves, lamps, an end table. My husband HATES ikea. Hates being "trapped" in there, says everything is cheaply made etc. Well - okay - but we have stuff from them that I've had for years. Billy bookcases, the entry table, kids cups/plates, some blankets, some pillows. 

I like playing a game with myself in ikea. I pick something up and say "I like this... I $7 like this ..." and then if it's more than whatever amount I decide it should cost - I put it back. But if it's less than - I buy it. 

We have a small ikea locally - and I need to go 35 minutes across the border to go to the BIG store. Haven't done that in ages though...

 

 

[mollysmom]

You guys are killing me! I NEED to go to an Ikea!!!!! I've never been before but it sounds amazing. Seriously, I'm moving in the next month or so. I really think I might make the trip to PA!