big and blue

My life changed this weekend. I went to Ikea.


WOW.

I've received the catalogs in the mail for years, and have built up a respect for Ikea simply because I've noticed that their products don't ignore the fact that everyone has stuff, and they try to help you organize and place your stuff in a nice fashion in your home. That makes me feel good. I just want room for all my stuff.

But, I'd never been to an Ikea store. Until now.

WOW!

Their store is split in three parts: a big showroom, a "marketplace" (which is basically like um, Target) with a restaurant even!, and a warehouse. In the showroom you see how all their stuff looks and the different variations for say, a single bookshelf. A bookshelf. A bookshelf with doors. A bookshelf with glass doors. A bookshelf with glass doors and legs. A bookshelf with lights. Two bookshelves side by side with sliding glass doors. You get the picture. You decide what you want, and the various variations, then you make a note of the "bin number" and pick up the items, a la carte, up in the warehouse. The marketplace has like dishes and toys and books and blankets and tea lights and other homely home stuff like that.

THEN, there's the checkout area and this HUGE covered "load" space where guys in blue Ikea shirts come around and help you strap stuff to the top of your car. It's so fun. They have free twine and "roof racks" (aka pieces of cardboard), and even Ikea sofas where you can hang out while your shopping partner brings the car around. Oh it's just so delightful.

Shane said before we went that we should buy rope so we can put stuff on the top of the car. I said no, I'm sure they have something like that there. I expected they'd charge an arm and a leg for some rope, since they know you'll need it. But no, not Ikea, sweet sweet Ikea. The twine is free.

Other happy observations:

• The building itself is a marvel. It is DEEP DEEP BLUE, the ENTIRE huge building. It makes it all the more mysterious.


• There were Ikea people all over to help. Usually in a furniture store I am terrified to ask for help since then that salesperson is GLUED to me. Ikea is more like a regular store in those respects and that was nice.


• The Swedish names of the furniture are positively unpronouncable, but I decided not to let it upset me. I asked a woman about something called "Alive," the name of a bookshelf I saw. She said, "oh you mean Al-vee?" and I was like, "No, Alive." And she showed me where it was, and sure enough it was "Alve." No "i." I felt like a loser.


• Their slogan, "You don't have to be rich, just smart," is right on. Their stuff really isn't that expensive, compared to say Dania. We went there once and the sticker shock alone hurled me back out the door.


• There was a bakery in the marketplace and they had fresh cinnamon rolls. The whole store smelled like Cinnabon and just made me so happy.


• Next time I go I'll expect to stay all day. We were there for around 2 or 3 hours, and we didn't even realize it. The time just flew by, although we did get lost so I guess that's partially our fault. They do a great job with the signage but we still got lost.

If you've never been, you've gotta go. The whole place was just bursting with this energy. There were excited people everywhere. If you ever need to like, redo a whole room or control the DVDs taking over your whole house, go to Ikea. You can find something that works for you! I am absolutely confident if I ever need something again, something that I want custom just for me that I just need to work in a certain way, some series of Ikea furniture can do it for me.

I was just babbling with delight on the way home, and Shane told me to chill (his words exactly: "before you turn into a walking Ikea commercial...") and said he'd wait to reserve judgment until he actually got our new bookshelf put together and we've used it for 6 months or so. So I suppose I'll update you in 6 months.

See, Saturday started out so awful. I've been eyeing this unfinished bookshelf at a real wood furniture store for weeks. We finally put the roof rack on the car and were putting on our shoes to head out the door to buy it when I called them to make sure they still had it, and it had sold. Boy was I in a foul mood. I was so upset and sad.

Enter Ikea, my rebound furniture love. Oh Ikea, you and me, we'll be happy forever. Thanks so much for saving my day. Lifting my furniture-crushed spirits. Giving me hope that yes, I can find happiness.

I had planned to buy a 48-inch-wide, 72-inch-tall unstained bookshelf with bottom doors for under $400, before tax. I'd have to come home and stain it myself, which would have been a pain (and extra $$), but worth it for real wood, I suppose.

The Ikea bookshelf is 47 inches wide, 75 inches tall (just as big!), with bottom doors, premium door knobs (we got to pick them out ourselves), and a nice dark black-brown finish. It's, um, engineered wood, yes, but it was a grand total of $220. I guarantee it'll hold up better than the junk we've bought at Wal-Mart and Target. That stuff is junk.

But, like Shane advises, I'll try to calm down for about 6 months. Although it sure was fun! Do you guys love Ikea as much as I do? I think my friends I know who like Ikea really really like it, but I feel like I'm in this club now of people who know, you know?

Anyway. It was a good Saturday.