Great deals on cheap wine glasses and champagne flutes. So cheap that if you break one, no worries. I've also bought large numbers of dessert/salad plates for like $1.50 each and coffee mugs for weekends when I have a lot of people staying at the house. I thought the plates and mugs would chip immediately but they've held up well over several years, even with the hard use of my two teenagers.

Some of the bedding items seems of higher quality than others but there are always a few throws or quilts calling my name when I'm there. We bought IKEA bedding for my daughter's room about three years ago and I've been pleased with how the sheets, duvet, and duvet cover have held up. And there are definitely deals to be had with curtains and drapes. Also some of the lighting is kind of cool and cheap. Oh and picture frames.

When my in-laws' house and everything in it was swept away by Hurricane Ike we made a major dent in re-outfitting their kitchen at IKEA.

Have fun.

My daughter just bought her first house. Went from living with parents to new house. I was looking at cookware at IKEA. There is a great set for $40. Tri ply stainless cookware was $100 for a set. They had sets of dishes for about $20 I believe. I wasn't shopping for dishes so I can't quote exactly. Try their website. Some items are on it.

I love going to Ikeas, there's lots to look at. Most of their stuff is cheap in price and quality, but there's alway something clever to buy. They have lots of organizing stuff. I don't care for their linens and bedding, too rough in texture,but you will have fun looking around and surely will find something that you'll want to purchase.

Really like my white Ikea 365+ plate and dishes. And (Dragon?) cutlery.

Meant to get something fancier eventually, but I never do.....probably never will!

I also don't particularly love the linens, but great for kids rooms.

Ikea stocks pure linen tea towels that are good quality and a real bargain. Nothing is better than pure linen for absorbency and lint free drying. The ones I buy at Ikea are white with either thin black stripes or white with a black window-pane design. Priced at two for $6.99, you can't beat the price and quality. They're made in Russia.

They also stock loads of cotton tea towels at even cheaper prices, but once you've used linen, you won't want to go back to cotton.

I agree about glassware.... my Ikea is also a long-distance trip and I often find myself kicking myself for not buying more glasses a month after I get back. Now I always pick up an extra 6-pack of our everyday wine glasses and tumblers when I am there. The wine glasses are handblown, nicely thin and fine, but like $2 each... so we use them for everyday and don't care if they break.

Same with dishes. I used to have beautiful vintage Danish dishes and they were high-maintenance. Now I have a perfectly nice Ikea set and I don't care when I break one :)

I also think they have incredible bargains on window treatements. Great styles, good quality, amazing pricing.

I haven't been thrilled with the bedding, though.

I do have some of their higher-end kitchen pans and they are great. I have traditional All-Clads for my main set but the Ikea ones (with the laminated bottoms) seem to diestibute heat and prevent scorching just as well.

Other things I always stock up on: those big boxes of white taper candles, and big packages of paper dinner napkins in plain white or fun colors/prints. And wrapping paper!

Tip: don't spend too long in the upstairs "display" area.... go fairly quickly through there and spend your time downstairs in the "marketplace" where all the housewares are. Plan to spend about 2-3 hours more than you THINK you need. Break in the middle and go to the cafeteria for Swedish Meatballs at lunchtime (better yet time your lunch so it's a little early or late and the lines aren't as long.) I always think I can get out of Ikea in 2 hours if I have a short, well-planned list, but I don't think I've ever made it in less than 4!! (And more like 5 or 6 if I'm looking for a lot of stuff, or haven't been in a while and need to check it all out!)

Have fun!!!

Thank you all very much for taking the time to respond. I am looking forward to my shopping trip. Looks like I will have to plan more time than I thought. :o)

They also have great, cheap organizational tools in their kitchen display area, so while I agree with everything stacyneil says, do spend some time in the displays as they have things to buy there that are not available downstairs. Don't forget the lighting as well, and light bulbs! It's a great place to stock up on incidentals. But, most of all, have fun!

Ikea flatwear has really cheap feel to them.
Some dishes look and feel great and others feel cheap.
I use their glasses alot because we break them over time and I can replace them easily/cheaply if the glasses get etched.
I echo the comment about their linens. They feel rough and are thin.
If you buy light fixtures there, you may have to buy the lightbulbs there. The replacement light bulbs are hard to find elsewhere.
Over the years, I have thrown out more little Ikea stuff than have kept them. We have done best with bookcases.

I find IKEA very hit or miss. Their cheap stuff (in price) is usually cheap in quality or just not that attractive. But they do have some outstanding nicer items.

But the cheap stuff at IKEA served me well in my dead broke 20's. A plate is a plate when it comes to needing something to eat off. And for something you are going to use occasionally while on vacation, I think even their cheaper stuff would be very appropriate.

Great bookends! About $0.70 each, inconspicuous plastic.

I have a couple dozen in my bookshelves.

Dear Julie Oh plan for a lot of time. We purchased a number of Ikea things for our new to us beach house in 2002. They have held up better and more functionally than we could ever have imagined.

We bought 2 futons, (called like PS Ikea or?) for $150 each, with foam, perhaps 3", mattresses (using words loosely) and a washable cream colored slightly nubby cover-never washed yet, armless, which we keep covered with white sheets. Probably full size when opened- Everyone who slept on these has loved them. Under the upholstery covers the beds are made w/ top/bottom sheets. I have been known to collapse on top of the white sheet, grab a pillow and comforter-great. Sheets keep sand out of upholstery.

Norden(?) big dining table, either $300/400, light wood, wipes w sponge, perfect. Seats 8-10 or more,- without leaves, which are stored under the table. Can seat many more. Still brand new looking. Use for dining and arts/crafts with plastic cover.

$15 dining/kitchen-ey chairs, white and brushed metal. Rectangular hole in backrest.

Don't know if still available but we have a $100 white and birchy/beechy/maple-ey bench with 3 storage cubbies underneath(games,puzzles,art/craft). 5 little kids or at least 3/4 big teens smush.

$50 2 drawer nightstands. Commodious. Still great.

$15 brushed chrome looking floor lamp w/ 2 bendable lights and whte shades. Perfect for reading. Great for bedrooms.

Semi-circular black rack with 5 different colored knives. $8-15. Not Wusthof but work well enough.(Don't like real sharps around kids, but that's me).

Fabulous silicone ended cooking tongs. Graters, microplane wannabes. Not in kitchen area but nice magnet boards w square magnetic holders=clever.

terrific induction ready cookwear. Favorit (priciest line), the stainless, is clad not only on the bottom but up the sides. Pretty. Cast iron is too heavy for my old hands. Cookwear in all prices. On my shopping list.
Great kitchen shelves, metal, for spices, utensils.
I think you will be delighted at all the smart organizing stuff.

I am tko and Ikea obsesssed.

I guess I've had good luck at Ikea. Nothing junky. All Ikea mixed successfully with higher end stuff. Yes, not solid wood, it's laminate, but ours is a well used, very beachy, beach house.
White or cream low pile bath mats for $2.50-3.00. Washes well, NO dryer. Shake sand outside. Very strong adhesive to floor so no slipping when dripping wet. Safe. Buy a few. We use these at 'home' too. Just safe. No bounced heads due to slippery floors.

I've had pretty good luck at Ikea too, and since we live in the boonies with limited shopping options, I'm grateful that we have an Ikea not *too* far away (five hour round trip). If the pots everyone is talking about are the 365+ ones, I'm a fan too. I prefer the two larger ones that aren't lined with Teflon, and they can go in the oven too. And we'd be lost without their Billy bookcases...

The organizers, especially the Rationell vacuum cleaner hose holder, are great. Yes to the glassware, too (we like Pokal!).

For unbreakable dishes for outdoors (my preference), there are the new Barbar bird tray, and all the melamine Fargrik dishes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Barbar tray

Plan plenty of time in the kitchenware dept. When you go through the showroom look at the way they set up the kitchen displays so you can see everything in action.

I have noticed lately that the prices are getting higher for the quality and I don't do as many impulse purchases there.

How about the 365 white dishes? Anybody have those? Saw those online as well as several other white dishes they have open stock??

Becky, I have that bird tray, and my 4-slot toaster sits on it. I just lift the tray out of the drawer when I want to use the toaster. It catches the crumbs, and makes it easy to lift out of the drawer. It is the perfect size for it, and it is so cute and colorful.

IKEA is about 20-25 minutes from my house, and I love to spend an afternoon there. I have their $.69 glasses and their stackable juice glasses, which are the perfect size. They are so easily replaced if they break.

I have had good experiences with my IKEA purchases.

Ditto the above opinions on the wine glasses - nice & thin and so cheap. Haven't broken one yet & we use them everyday.

I've had good luck with bed linens. I got the Mysa Gras comfort and a beautiful duvet cover which is 200+ thread cotton. It is very thin, but is so perfect for use year round in Houston. It might be just the ticket for a beach house if you get chilly evenings.

Actually, we're heading to Ikea, this weekend, to get a travel comforter & duvet. For $20 total, we can get a set, squoosh it into a space bag & have our own comforter so we can put the one that the hotel supplies to one side. We don't stay in dives, but I just know I'd prefer to sleep under a comforter from my own home.

When DD was in college & had her own apartment, she got an Ikea loft bed. I've put that thing together & broken it down so many times, that I think I can make a living doing self-assembly furniture. Ha!

Here is a link that might be useful: Light Ikea comforter

Also check out their outdoor area. They have some really nice planters.

I have the 365 white plates you asked about. They were sold six 3-piece place settings boxed for $20 which was still being featured on big flags in the lobby when I was there 2-3 weeks ago. I bought 2 boxes just before Christmas when I invited many more people for a sit-down dinner than I had plates. They look good. I haven't used them much so I can't say whether they chip easily.

shelayne, I'm glad to hear the bird tray is as nice in real life! I can't even imagine having Ikea less than half an hour away...

Their kitchen knives are the BEST. I get the cheapest ones they have and they last forever. They're easy to resharpen and are dishwasher safe. My daughter & her DH liked using ours so much, they put IKEA knives on their Xmas list even though I had just bought them a very nice/expensive set 3 years ago. I also like their dish brushes for cleaning and their scissors. Can't be 3-4 sharp pairs for 2-3 bucks. Their plastic food strainers (colanders?) are nice too for the price.

I agree that a lot of their stuff has gotten cheap. The gel cutting boards we bought a few years back are 3 times as thick as the ones they sell now and we only paid a buck for ours and the glasses etch easily in the dishwasher.

Agree that the sheets are thin, rough and don't always fit thicker mattresses, but if you need duvet covers, Ikea has many colors and patterns for a reasonable price; at least one pattern is $20 for a queen size comforter cover with pillow cases. Couple of years ago, I found great beach towels for about $10. They were colorful stripes, large size and they're still looking good.

I'm happy with the few dishes and glasses I have bought, but quality can vary considerably.

I really like the Grundtal line of kitchen shelves, rails and hooks.

I can easily spend 2 -4 hours in Ikea, and I have been there many, many times and know all the short-cuts through the departments.

Take notes of things you see upstairs that you want to buy downstairs; with so much stuff it's easy to forget something. Pick up a catalog and a kitchen catalog; much easier browsing than the web site.

I'd better get over there to find wa8b's linen towels before they are all gone.

Inexpensive cotton throw rugs. They also wash up well.
Agree that glasses are a bargain. We wound up with yard sale/estate sale dinnerware for a second house - better quality than Ikea and cooler looking.
We picked up sheets and duvet covers for a kid's room. They're fine. Also single fitted sheets for box spring covers. When the outdoor furniture goes on sale, it can be a deal.

Tea light candles! They sell them in packs of 100 for something like 4 dollars.

Occasionally they have really decently priced area rugs, ditto their throw rugs and mats.

Their bed linens, in my experience, have horrible thread counts. 2 washes and they pill up and lose shape. Ditto for their cheap towels.

I don't know if they still carry the same one, but I got a garlic press there about 5 years ago that works better than any garlic press I've ever used.

Ditto what's been mentioned about planters and photo frames, great selection and great prices.

Have fun!

Oh I'd forgot the tealight candles. I'm still working my way through the first bag of 100 I bought.

And I just have to say that I think some linens, specifically sheets, are better than what I've seen described above. We bought sheets for my daughter's bed nearly four years ago and they were soft and smooth then (and easily fit her thick mattress) and still look and feel good now. Maybe we were lucky but I'm just saying . . . with IKEA I think you just have to examine carefully before you buy. And can I just mention the beautiful gray linen tablecloth -- in some huge size like 120x48 -- I bought on sale for $10 that everyone always exclaims about.