I find Ikea to be a completely inspiring place to visit. And exhausting! I love the creative ideas I see there and ALWAYS leave with new ideas, thinking about my home in a different way. I find myself opened up to possibilities, with a positive attitude, even if I don't buy anything (ha!) Visiting has also helped me to become really good at seeing spaces and finding solutions for problem areas. I am reminded that my home is supposed to serve our family's needs, instead of us serving it.
I love that with different combinations of products, completely different homes are formed. The possibilities are endless and it all seems to just work. I don't only shop Ikea for our home. I have office desks from Officeworks, the lounges that I dream of getting to sit down on for more than a few minutes are from Freedom, and we have some great handmade pieces from the markets in Melbourne that we bought before we had kids. BUT if I look around at all the pieces of furniture that make our home the organised and functional place it has become, they are all courtesy of Ikea. That's not to say it's for everyone, but I can imagine it is a store that helps many families simplify and organise their lives. It really has given me the gift of time, because I know where everything is, and I have been able to clearly see what is unnecessary and just doesn't work for our family and our home.
Overview of an Ikea shopping experience
Ikea is arranged in sections: display/ideas/restaurant area, Market Hall, and warehouse/exit. It is arranged a bit like a yellow-brick-road. From the entry you travel up the escalators to the beginning of the journey. Yes, it is a journey. This is not a place to plan to go back to sections later as it is just too far. Take photos or make notes and plan to get the item next time if you are unsure.
At the top of escalator there is a restaurant to one side (stop here first!) and then follow the path that has been created, with 'rooms' and collections of like-furniture on each side. Make sure you pick up a pencil, measuring tape and blank Ikea list first. As you move through this upstairs section where everything big is on display, write down the item number, aisle number, and location number of things with a red ticket hanging from them. This red ticket indicates where you will find an item in the warehouse downstairs. Alternately, you can just use your smartphone to take a photo of the red ticket. There are some smaller items that you can pick up along your way through this section. These can be placed in the yellow Ikea bags/trolleys that are found at the top of the escalator.
Once you come to the end of top section (the kids section is the end) you can have a break at the restaurant if you wish to, or go straight downstairs to the Market Hall. This is where all the small/er items can be found. Grab a trolley and wander along this path. This is where temptation lies. There is soooo much in this enormous section, and it is broken up into areas. Areas include: tableware, cooking, curtains, bedding, fabric, rugs, frames, decorator, lighting, organisation, laundry, outdoor, etc. Pick up items as you see them. If you are unsure, just take photos (read tip one below!) and move on. When you reach the area with lighting and then pots and plants, you are at the end of this section.
Finally at the end of the Market Hall section, the warehouse is found. If you have written down (or photographed) red ticketed items, grab a flatbed trolley (see tip 8: bring someone with you.) Move to the side and review the aisles you will need to visit. The aisles are well labelled, odd numbered on one side, even on the other. If you are looking for outdoor furniture, it is found on display at the beginning of this section. It may look overwhelming in the photos, but it really isn't. All of the items are on the floor or first shelf. The other shelves are for spare stock that is accessed only when the store is closed. If you are unsure of something the staff are really helpful, so just ask.
After finding and placing all the boxes for the chosen red ticketed items onto your flatbed trolley (barcodes to the front!) there is a seasonal items section that stands before reaching the checkouts and exit. Currently this is where all the Christmas stuff resides. There are Christmas things scattered throughout the store, but this area has it all together.
Make your way through the checkout. Don't be afraid to break the items up into two transactions if two people are making purchases, even if items are on the same flatbed trolley. Just make sure that you put one person's smaller items (from the regular trolley) up on the conveyer belt at one time and let the sales assistant know which flatpack items are for each transaction.
The next step will depend entirely on your Ikea. Tempe, Sydney, is awesome. Both people take the trolleys out to a waiting area. One person waits with the trolleys while the other person drives the car to a pick up area right out the front. Sooo easy, unless you have bought too much to fit in the car. Other Ikeas are different and this getting-to-the-car step can be difficult involving elevator lines (and mean people pushing in!!) and battling difficult parking. Really think about getting to the car before you go into the store.
Once home unpack your items and then take a break. The flat packs aren't going anywhere! Plan for time to assemble items and put them all to good use. Have a look at your photos or notes, along with a catalogue or the Ikea website, while the experience is fresh in your mind and make decisions for your next trip!
Hints and tips for making the most of your Ikea experience
1) Repeat the following phrase: Ikea will still be here tomorrow so I don't need to buy everything now. You really don't. Really. This is hard. I know. Because the store has the answers to all your storage and furniture needs! Only, you need to consider your options carefully and think about which is best. If there is a question, then there is no question. If you are unsure if you like something, and especially if you are unsure of sizes, then don't buy!
2) Take your smartphone with you. Take pictures of the items or ideas you like, so that you can calmly review them when you get home with a cuppa in hand. See point 1 again. And maybe again after that.
3) Research. Read the catalogue (it can be ordered) and browse through the online ideas pages for each section. Look carefully at the materials the item is made of to evaluate durability.
4) Become an Ikea Family Member and apply for a card. This can lead to savings, but more importantly serves as your receipt if you lose your paper receipt. Items can not be returned at all without receipt or card. You also get a free cup of tea or coffee with each visit.
5) Think about and decide on a focus/area before you go. For example, yesterday I went with certain focus areas: kitchen (especially pantry and the annoying recycling items found on our counter,) Christmas items, outdoor chairs, fabric, and a replacement full length mirror (mirrors on doors need REALLY secure fixings:/) If you are new to Ikea perhaps just choose one area.
6) Take your room/shelf/whatever sizes with you. Make sure you measure within the skirting boards and note down anything that may interfere with storage boxes or furniture. Examples are: gas points, electrical outlets, light switches, internal kitchen/cupboard door hinges, door handles. Pay close attention to window heights and the path of doorways too.
7) Take the biggest car you can! And know it's dimensions, especially the size of the boot opening. If you have a Tarago there is no need to worry;)
8) Go with someone you trust to be honest, not a yes-to-everything person. Don't go with someone who hates shopping. I would not go to Ikea alone. Considering the carrying and need for two different trolleys alone, you need two people. The first trolley is for all the Market Hall items (think items you could carry) and the second is for larger storage items and furniture found in the warehouse section. Avoid bringing children with you. This may not be possible, but if you can go without children, at least for the first couple of times while you become familiar with the layout, it is a bonus. That said, we have taken Jack and Isabel before and they loved it. The endless creative possibilities found at Ikea just fits with their thinking. They were problem solving for our home after about two minutes into the trip!
9) Allow enough time. It is a big experience! It takes a great deal of time to make it through the store, especially the first few times while you are becoming familiar with it. Feeling rushed and shopping to a deadline can make it a very overwhelming experience. Avoid weekends if at all possible. Weekends are a great deal more busy than weekdays.
10) Eat when you get there. 10am is the best time to arrive, or even just before. Stop at the restaurant upstairs and have the regular breakfast for $3.95, and a free cuppa (courtesy of your Ikea Family Member Card.)
11) Don't have your heart set on anything before seeing it in real life. Yes, research. I love the Ikea website as it lists many of the items found there and provides many ideas. I can check sizes and materials that are used to make the item. BUT the site and catalogue don't show everything that is available, and sometimes items are different in person than they are on a screen. There may also be a more suitable item available.
12) Move on quickly past 'rooms' or areas set up, that you do not instantly like. Ikea is all about making a home. They recognise that this is different for different people and families. This is probably one of the things I instantly loved about it. Don't feel you have to look closely at everything as this would quickly become overwhelming. I'm not a huge fan of dark timber/paint/furniture. So when I walked past set ups with this kind of focus, I kept walking. This saves time and aids focus.
13) A couple of impulse buys are okay, if you can afford them. I've said it before that we don't do credit. This holds true for Ikea. If I see something great that will fit into our overall flexible budget, then I might purchase it or might just take a photo for later. I don't want to end up with wasteful purchases.
14) I don't shop Ikea just to save money. It does help us save because it is far enough away that I don't go there very often, but I often don't buy from other stores because I prefer the Ikea options. This helps me to consider purchases for our home, including organisation, more carefully. The store has a range of options. They have different price points and items reflect this. I tend to like the more expensive options often. For me, Ikea is a better option as it has more appropriate items for us in regard to size, unique storage solutions, functionality, and child friendliness.
15) Choose items based on size, organisational usefulness, and style, yes, BUT always consider the durability too. Not all Ikea items wear the same. As stated earlier, different price points lead to differences in items and durability is one of the differences. For example: solid timber vs veneer product. I have a new hard and fast rule on this: no veneer tables. The reason being that water left on the table can cause swelling in the table near the edges. My coffee table is evidence, hence the rule. I still have it though, because an oval coffee table is so practical and very safe with a toddler. And I love it. Meanwhile our Norden solid wood dining table looks quite dinted from everything from cranky toddler forks to my sewing pins and scissors, but we have the option of refinishing it at some point. We have other veneer products that have survived very well. Our Billy bookcases are about 8 years old and still look quite new.
16) Make the leap if you like the item, it is perfect for the space and will work well on an organisational level, even if it is unusual. Sometimes you need to just to go with something that is completely unusual because you like it. My blue cabinet in my entry is the perfect example. It is a little out there, but I love it! Ikea has made me less afraid to buy what I like, even if it doesn't all match, somehow it still just works.
17) Allow plenty of time to get through the checkout and pack the car. It makes the experience less stressful. Having a drink and maybe something to eat ready to eat once the car is packed can be a great boost before the trip home, if you live a distance away like I do.
17) Give yourself time to unpack everything and put it all together. You are not going to have the items home and in use immediately. It's a big day. Have an area ready to store the items purchased for the night and unpack/assemble items when you are fresh the next morning.
Above all, just enjoy the journey and allow yourself to be inspired. Visit with an I-don't-have-to-do-anything-in-response attitude. It doesn't have to add to the jobs you already have to do. And don't get scared, anyone can learn to use Ikea well. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, take a break. The restaurant is a great place to sit, relax and gather your thoughts. Just remember tip number 1: you can always come back another day.
As for my experience and what I bought yesterday, um, I haven't quite finished building things. So I will write a post for tomorrow, including all the photos of how I worked my way through the process explained above. If you have any further questions, tonight would be a great time to ask.
Jen.x
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