It's very basic, and a lot of it is cheap materials. That said, I am going on 20 years with most of my IKEA stuff. High fashion it ain't, but the fact that it was sort of lightweight was a good thing for me with all my moving.

I have a leather sofa, had it for about 12 years now. True, not heavily abused (two adults, and it was in the lightly-used LR). It looks and feels like new. We have bookcases, desk chairs, a desk, a file cabinet, a bed frame, dining table and 6 chairs. All are what we want, and yes, the price is right.

My very first condo was 100% Ikea. That was many, many years ago. Now I have a few pieces in my home. My living room lamps are ones I bought for that first condo. There are some pieces that don't wear as well but the upholstered furniture and the solid wood (pine) pieces I had went thru a few years in the condo and then to the buyers of that condo and held up quite well.

They keep it cheap with few options and standardized processes. Some of it will wear worse than others - for example the Klippan slipcovered sofas (very cheap) tend to look beat up pretty quickly compared to the Kivik sofas (somewhat less cheap). You may find the slipcovers are lighter fabric, less well fitted and get rumpled looking quicker than the quality of furniture you're used to.

The sad part is it wears about equally as well as let's say lower end retail furniture at 2x-3x the price. But likely not as well as a sofa 10x the price.

I have the landskrona chairs (white) and kivik sofa in my cottage. The chairs are AMAZING. Very comfy and sturdy. The sofa...I got one of the cheaper polyester covers and it's a bit slippery so the seat cushions slide out. Also the back cushions are too soft and tend to sag especially since I can't keep my husband from somehow smushing them down every time he sits. But it is extremely comfortable. I have a kivik with the more expensive wool blend cover upstairs and that cover is much better than the poly I have downstairs.

My sister has the Strandmon wing chair and loves it. Very comfy and sturdy.

I have never owned Ikea, and have never even set foot inside one of their stores (although I understand it's the stuff marital discord is made of). I did receive one of their catalogs a few days ago, though - no idea why. I know their offerings serve a purpose and has its place. I even briefly toyed with the idea of ordering their bookcases after seeing them online, before we had our library bookcases built. After perusing their catalog, however, I just don't quite get what it is that folks find so appealing about the stuff ... unless it's the price?

I love Ikea but don't have any of their furniture. I know a few families who do, though, and they are happy with it. When we were in the market for new LR furniture I researched their slipcovered stuff, and several bloggers offered what I believed were objective opinions about it. They were favorable.

I have to admit though what held me back from purchasing was the voice inside my head reminding me I was an adult and I shouldn't be buying Ikea furniture at this point in my life. This was before I realized that unless I was going to splurge on a high-end brand, any mid- and lower-range furniture brands are probably about all the same. Looking back, I would have went with Ikea. Esp in your case where it won't get everyday use.

Oh that's a good visual comparison, Robo!

Mtn, if you go to the For the love of a house blog, and search "Ikea" there are several search results of her blog posts where she uses Ikea products. I don't believe her slipcovered sofas are Ikea, but her slip chairs in her kitchen are.

CB2 $850CAD

IKEA $400CAD (with storage underneath)

I went to my first Ikea store about a month ago. Couldnt believe how big the place was. You had to follow the arrows otherwise you could get lost inside..lol

I once did a leisurely four hour tour of an IKEA store by myself and then went right back in with my sister and her friend for another four hours. I live 1400km from the nearest IKEA.

Although we are getting one in a couple of years - this news was so exciting to my city that the mayor not only showed up to the press conference but spoke, and it was front page news before and after the announcement:

“When [customers are] coming to Halifax, whether they’re coming to Halifax for a “PAX” closet…or a “STOCKHOLM” shelving unit, we hope that people will book a night or two in our hotels, maybe have a bite to eat, this is an important statement for our community,” Mayor Mike Savage - actual quote.

"It does not swivel,and I appreciate those mechanisms are costly, but still!"

fyi; A good swivel mechanism costs under $75.00 and is easy to install.

Many designers design for IKEA. It used to be that the equivalent of modern Scandinavian/European design here in the US cost an arm and a leg.

Also, if you think about it, there' s no reason why a toilet brush should cost 20.00 or a dish drain pan more than 1.00.

Their curtains and duvet covers are a bargain. Also down pillow inserts and the Blekinge slip covers. 100% cotton, sturdy, and I can bleach them and wash them hot. Certainly at least as good, if not better than my PB slipcovers, curtains and duvet covers.

My entire living room is made up of Ikea furniture. I have the Ektorp sofa and chairs, All my curtains are from Ikea. Plus several other pieces (including lamps, throw pillows, and other accent pieces).

Their furniture isn't great quality, but it's on par with most of the lower end manufacturers. And I don't know any other place where I can buy a pair of 98 inch or 108 inch curtains for less than $30. Plus, I love that the slipcovers on their furniture are washable, and can be changed when needed or wanted. However, I am also not the kind of person who is going to buy high end furniture. I'm all about cheap and cheerful.

Ikea isn't for everyone. But, I think if you are on a limited budget it's a much better option than some of the stuff out there. Plus, if you are careful and watch their "as-is" section you can find real bargains. I've gotten lamps, slipcovers, etc., for less than $20 each.

Some of their stuff is terrific quality, some not. You just have to go and feel it and you know. Curtains are a terrific deal. I have a slipcover on my bed I've had for nine years and it is still perfect and I've washed it on high heat numerous times (it's white). Their dishtowels are an amazing bargain and very cute. Their drinking glasses are a steal and if you buy the right ones can be extremely sturdy. (Even our toddler drinks out of them!)

Some of the savings come from the u-assemble-it which allows for more compact inventory which is space saving, and of course, the labor savings of having someone else do the assembly. Some of it comes from far cheaper materials. Recognize that this is never going to be stuff you'll be handing down to your kids, but get out of it what you will for as long as you can. If it serves your purposes great. Every time I look at their stuff, I think dorm room...perfect for low cost transitory living.

We got a bookcase from there that we use as a sofa table in our FR, crammed full of newspapers and magazines. It was the perfect size for our needs and it is covered in wood-grain formica. It is absolutely the cheapest formica I have ever seen as, in 5 years time (adults only, no kids or hard wear) not only has it actually stained but we have worn through the formica to the pressboard underneath.

We also got Ikea upper cabs in our laundry room which have turned out to be more decorative than anything else. They seem to serve the purpose which is fine. I don't think I'd use them in my kitchen where they'd see heavy use.

I've had Ikea items in and out of my life since they first came to the midwest - now I'll have to drive 2 hours for the closest one, unfortunately. Their dishes and glasses are fun, lots of choices and when something breaks you don't cry. When enough break you can get something different and use the remainders for mix and match with bigger crowds. The furniture is not heirloom stuff but I've used things as long term place holders while I wait for what I really want and it's still been good enough to pass down to family for a first apartment or home.

Our daughter bought Ikea furniture and wardrobes when she lived in Europe. She is back in the states and has an Ikea Karlstad sofa w/lounger, an Ikea platform bed and mattress and an Ikea dining table, which she paired with cute chairs from West Elm all bought new when she moved into her current apartment. She's moving back to Europe so will be selling some of the stuff and/or putting it in storage. The beauty of Ikea furniture is that the scale is great for smaller living spaces and the price is right.

Our neighbors on the Cape have redone their entire house in Ikea furniture (except for the sofas) and it looks great, is wearing well and has the look they were going for. They have four adult children, spouses and multiple grandchildren and are there every weekend. It gets used!

We bought dinnerware and some other smaller items for our Cape house at Ikea and have been happy with the quality.

September is a big moving time here. LOTS of Ikea furniture on CL. The closest store is 45 minutes away. Robo, I'd like to roam it freely like you did and really get to know more about the textiles.

Heirloom quality furniture is something that we have and guess what? Our kids want no part of it so there won't be any passing that down. China, silver and crystal, yes!

I had quite a bit of IKEA, especially- in a certain period of my life (when we needed to move relatively a lot). They have nice stuff. And stuff that's not so nice. When kids were little-this Kura bed(if I remember correctly), Trofast storage-nice. Mattresses-awful. Bookcases (I'm not 100% sure it was Billy and don't want to lie)-poor quality. Poang chair-surprisingly comfy. Desks, chairs-um, okay. Served their purpose. Stuff for kids-cute. Linens-tolerable. Not a fan. Baskets-cool. Sheep skins-very nice. Frames-well..will do for a simple collage. A nightstand-okay I hated it from the beginning (my DD's choice), but hated even more after seeing "Black Swan"-the main heroine had the same)) We decoupaged it later. This thing is really sturdy though. Will it never die? LOL. Kitchens-I'd say the kitchens are quite decent. And so on and so forth

And yes, I agree..at certain price point, it's either heavy and a bit depressing look of something like "Bob's furniture"-or a light happier one of IKEA.

You try to hit the garage sales too, and sometimes you're lucky, sometimes not so much.

I don't know whether Craigslist existed yet..if it did, we had no idea then.

Shopping used in my neck of the woods is a very slow and depressing process. Unfortunately Kijiji is not flush with amazing finds for dirt cheap. I do get stuff from kijiji but is quite unreliable.

I love IKEA. Our mattresses are all IKEA, our dining room table and shelves, my kids' dressers, some mirrors and lots of frames for wall art, and assorted baskets, plant pots, pillow inserts, kids' duvet covers. Most of the stuff my kids have got for dorms/apartments while in college came from IKEA as well.

I'm not a high-end shopper and I tend to like vintage/antiques more than "furniture store furniture". I was not raised in an American-decorated home and a lot of IKEA stuff feels more like home to me.

I have found that quality varies according to price in some of their merchandise, but not all. I bought some cheap white dishes there for holiday overflow, and they were not worth even the low price I paid, with lots of scratches after 3 or 4 uses. On the flip side, our mattresses and duvet covers have lasted forever and my kids' dressers look like new after many years of daily use.

You can't beat them for large houseplants, pots, packs of candles, gift wrap,etc.

The closest Ikea is quite a few hours from me so I've never been in one. And the shipping charges are horrendous so I've never ordered. I'd love to spend an afternoon sometime just strolling through. I imagine I'd like their picture frame section. OT from furniture, but a friend picked up some curtains for me recently. The seams were very nice and neat and I appreciated the addition of the gathering tape along the top so you can add hooks and rings. I spent way more on curtains that weren't near as nice.

We have two IKEA Poang chairs -- one in the basement TV room at our regular house, and one at our beach house. Both quite comfortable IMO, and both get a fairly good workout from large teenage boys, though not every day or even every week. I bought cool printed covers for the cushions at a place online to jazz them up a bit.

I also bought two slip covered armchairs, can't remember which model/name, from CL when I was helping to renovate the teachers lounge at my kids' school. They were used but still in perfect condition and the teachers were really happy with them.

Finally, I have a few low bookcases from IKEA in my home office. I bought them only because they were the only bookcases I could find that were short enough to fit under a row of windows. They're very basic and hardly noticeable since they're filled with books and topped with plants, but I will say they're very sturdy.

If you are moving around a lot and have to re-invent your spaces a lot to adjust to funky apartment set ups, then IKEA is great. It's also a fun style, I like Scandanavian style and some of the IKEA rooms are fab. It's a fun light style for folks who are into modern, casual, small, portable, flexible, etc. We just got back from IKEA, I picked up some great hooks for pots, a nice throw pillow and my friend got a great little chest of drawers that fit the tiny space in her bathroom. It's a great place for people starting out, lots of good ideas in the showroom. As others have said, you can't always get a lot of style at that price point, and at that price point I think they can't be beat because they can help you in every aspect of your home, from the kitchen to the garage to the dining room, etc. Great little pieces for every room. And small, which is good in some homes.

Sheeisback, you'll love it:) I still love it:) There's lots of very cheap stuff that you'll want..like boxes and baskets and napkins and cute little trays..the store itself is huge and I've been there so many times, and while I won't pick certain things there-I still like going to IKEA sometimes, and checking what's new. And-they carry some very yummy cakes too:)

PS just remembered that I also have a couple of cute big boxes from there, and our patio table and chairs..well, table and chairs we bought on CL but it's IKEA, and I must say-the seller took almost full price for it, lol. As we found out later..

I just bought their new stocksund 3 seater sofa, I am impressed so far. It's deep, comfortable and big! I just bought the sofa and am planing to order a custom linen slip cover from Bemz. The price even with a Belgian linen slipcover is a steal! I couldn't not find a rolled arm sofa 90 inches long from anywhere near what I paid ikea.

Mrsfiremangw, the stocksund description indicates the covers are removable for washing. Does this include the frame cover, or just the cushion covers?

The frame cover comes off as well. This is the description from comfort works of what comes in the set, I imagine ikeas covers work the same.

Our local store is packed on the weekends. I like to buy light bulbs, something whimsical or useful from the kitchen area and I always buy the cardamom flavored toast. The jams are good. It's usually sucrose and not corn syrup for a sweetener.

It's fun to walk through the display rooms. I think of it as temporary furniture or furniture for people who change their minds/tastes often. It's a neutral background for art ,flowers, or fabrics in most of the displays. I would not buy the lowest priced chair, couch, etc. The higher priced things seem like they would hold up better.

We've had different IKEA items over the years, the largest use being the kitchen we did in 2009 with IKEA cabinets. Furniture-wise: Glass-top desks in our home office, a Poang chair that was "hubby's chair" in the living room for several years. I have two Leksvik bookcases that we bought in 2003(?) and have used in four different houses. They've loosened up a bit over time, but are still super sturdy and the shelves are straight. We recently bought some Nordli pieces for my mom to use as dressers inside her walk-in closet. I really like this line, and the variety of sizes and functionality -- they're perfect in either a modern setting, or for inside a closet where style doesn't matter.

We were at IKEA back in May and bought only placemats, but I fell in love with the comfort and quirky cuteness of the Strandmon wing chair. Unfortunately, I had no need for such a chair, so we parted the place without it.

I'm scheduled to go to Ikea tomorrow or Saturday. My sister needs something for her classroom and I have the car with cargo space so I said I'll drive. I wish we weren't going in August, I think the back to school/college crowd will make it busy, but it will be what it will be. An outing with my sister is always fun.

I know I wanted a shadow box from Ikea, but I don't remember why! I'll buy one anyway and hope the reason comes back to me. I like looking at all the housewares and odd & ends. Light bulbs! I'm glad someone mentioned those, I need some.

My mother bought me nice, stackable glasses for my HHI place. Hmm, maybe I'll buy some of those for this house and get rid of the glasses I don't like.

I'd better go add these items to a note in my phone or I'll come home empty handed.

I live about 1.5 hours from two Ikeas, and both drives have tons of traffic, so that's always detered me. As a result, I've never actually been in an Ikea store. I'm betting I would absolutely love it. I'm not a fan of Euro or contemporary design in general, but that wouldn't matter. I have the best cotton panel curtains for $25. They'd be great at twice the price.

I never managed to leave much money at Ikea....there were always people lounging on the floor samples, and those always looked worn OUT.

Plus, I like dovetails....

If IKEA works for you, I would use it. A lot of people don't like their furniture to be quite that contemporary.

The apartment we rented in a Swiss ski/summer resort town was 99.09% ikea. DH was laughing at me as I walked through pointing this out: furniture in and out, textiles, kitchen/bath fixtures and wares, decor. The .01% was the little key rack looking like kitties' backsides with the tails for hooks; I know it's not ikea because I have one!

Anyway, gotta figure that this apartment gets some pretty hard use in season, so the owner chose ikea for a reason (besides that it's cheap and so much comes flat-packed, easier for transporting up the mountain) He's not going to want to replace it very often.

Ikea is pretty hit or miss. The super cheap stuff isn't really worth buying. Their beds are great for the price. I won't buy anything that takes a lot of abuse from Ikea, like dressers or coffee tables. I hear the mattresses are terrible.

Their accessories are pretty good. I absolutely love the toftbo bath mat which is super soft and heavy enough to sit flat on the floor without a rubber backing, which means it's fine in the washer and dryer.

We have mostly vintage, antique, and seventies reproduction (Kindel, Henkel Harris) furniture with some new Lee Industries chairs and sofa (I would love to find a place to reupholster and slipcover my 25-year old Altman's sofa), but we do have a number of things from Ikea, and will be getting more for our new house -- the kitchen, and also bathroom vanities (decently made and hard to beat the storage and design for the price point) and Aina 100 percent linen curtains ($69/pair); curtain rods and hardware are decent too. Industrial-style pendant lamps for the pantry and laundry room. We live in Canada far from the U.S. border and not too close to any of the bigger cities, and are stuck with a lot of crummy chain stores. I prefer to avoid HomeSense, Winners, etc. and the furniture at Sears, Ashley, as noted above, isn't even worth talking about. Because of our location, winter is long and dark, so I also like Ikea's unscented votives and tea lights -- we go through a lot, and the price is right. Oh, and the solar Chinese-style round lanterns, going strong in my greenhouse for five years.

The Oftast tempered glass dishes (dinner plates, bowls, salad plates etc.) for 79 to 99 cents each are great for entertaining. Considering the cost of paper and plastic, they paid for themselves after a few years of larger summer and holiday gatherings. We'll need some more occasional chairs in the new house and I've been thinking of Ikea for that. I would love a chaise longue somewhere, and Ikea might be the only way to justify it.

I find Ikea in general works well if you do it like the best Ikea kitchens here on GW -- mix it up a bit so it's not entirely Ikea. It works well/looks best when it's in a mix of low and high (cost/quality).

Some of their stuff is good and some is flimsy-bad. The nice thing is that if you have half an eye for materials, you can tell the difference.

Or you can just check their website; if the piece is shown there, it has the full description of all the materials that go into it. Obviously, the dresser made of what is basically corrugated cardboard isn't going to last as long as the one that's made from MDF and veneered particleboard.

IKEA can be very good for certain items on a reliable basis. The biggest ding on them is their customer service can be sketchy. Returns/adjustments can be a hassle, unless you're lucky to get a good CS rep.

Went to an Ikea for the first time ever yesterday. Spent about two hours there. While most of the furniture isn't for me, I can see exceptions. I am actually considering a sectional sleeper sofa - it sits comfortably, but I have no idea about how it sleeps. I see mixed reviews on ikea mattresses in this thread. Any further enlightenment on their mattresses or sofas?

Yeah, I think you can get lost in that store! I did come home with a plant stand, two bamboo tray inserts for kitchen utensils, and some clothing hangers.

The IKEA sleeper sofas that I've sat on use the couch cushion material as the mattress as well. Not sure if that's the case for the one you looked at, but it makes for an extremely comfortable sleep compared to a thin little coil mattress balanced precariously on a steel underframe in a pullout sleeper. I still have nightmares about the central bar that seems determined to cause spinal injury in a conventional pull out sleeper sofa.

I live 15 minutes from an IKEA, and can hardly make myself go in. I have been there twice. I feel claustrophobic in there, and hate how you have to follow the path thru the whole store to get to an area you want. Not my type of decor, but someone mentioned mattresses so I might go back and check those out. We also have a Nebraska Furniture Mart 15 minutes in the other direction, and I much prefer it. Open, easy to maneuver, and like IKEA, all price ranges, but it does not have the small kitchen type things.

hate how you have to follow the path thru the whole store to get to an area you want.

Look at the signs. They will show you the short cuts to get where you want to go.

I got the Ektorp based on the comfort of how it felt in the store. That was a mistake. The floor models are very different from mine. I've even opened them up at the store to see if I could account for the difference! I have had mine for about 5 yrs now and there is no improvement. Once I figure out an option that will withstand many people in the household + pets, I will say goodbye to the Ektorp.

I love the look of the Jenny Lund in the store but found it extremely uncomfortable, even in the store, so didn't get it.

While I like certain IKEA options, I don't find the furniture comfortable at all.

I love Ikea, even though most of their furniture isn't my style. I am fascinated by their little rooms or apartments with everything from the curtains to the sink Ikea - and all fitting in a tiny space. Clever practical and such pretty colors! I love their big white sinks with built in drainboards, and once I found the coolest chandelier - looked like colonial wrought iron and had four small light bulbs AND four candle holders so you could chose to have candlelight, electric, or both. My favorite purchase is a stainless steel rod that hangs over my stove top. It is real classic looking with heavy hooks that hold my measuring cups and spoons and a few stainless spoons.