STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

clothes_horse · Dooney & Bourke

IKEA

Hedvig · Coach

IKEA is very much hit or miss... I recently ordered a floor lamp which I'm extremely pleased with. I also have one of their tall bookcases with glass doors which I use as a kitchen cabinet and it's very sturdy.

I guess it's actually surprising that with those prices and that kind of variation in quality, I've ended up with a few pretty nice pieces... I'm really sorry you've had such terrible experiences with them.

ShanKel · Kenneth Cole

I agree that the quality is horrible, I bought a dresser from there once and it completely fell apart about a year later. I really like Ikea but I've learned my lesson. I still buy little things like lamps, cute storage boxes, bathroom stuff, etc. but no more furniture!

blubirde · Chanel

I bought a super, super cheap coffee table and end table there about 4 years ago and they both still look great. I mean, they're nothing amazing, just plain jane but I've been shocked by how well they've held up. They've been through three floods (don't ask) and still manage to look okay.

I'm going to ditch them when I move in a few months but that's only because I want to upgrade my furniture. I think 4 years for $30 (that's how much they cost - together!) is a good deal.

And I bought a duvet cover and curtains at the same time - 4+ years ago - and they are both still holding up.

I think the best thing to do with IKEA is to recognize the stuff is pretty cheap and when you go to the store, evaluate what the pieces are made of and how they're put together to decide if it will work for you.

luckylily · Gucci

i hate ikea.

Renee · Kenneth Cole

All my friends shop at IKEA and it's very much a hit-or-miss experience. I like Ikea as a concept, so I go there for lamps, linens, frames, and other small items - and I also have three Ikea bookcases that I am happy with. I also have an office chair from there that's sturdy and cool. But when I needed a dresser, 3 of my friends showed me their Ikea dressers with broken veneer and stuck drawers. So instead I bought a vintage dresser for 50$ - it is large, made of solid mahogany, and after a good cleaning looks fantastic. I've learned my lesson - you can pay Ikea prices and get better quality items if you are willing to "hunt" for them.

sahsweets · Nine West

I personally LOVE Ikea, but I agree with the others that it's very much hit or miss. On my most recent trip (about a year ago), I bought a table (decent sized, for doing scrapbooking and sewing and such), pillows, rolling organizers,the cutest pendant lamp, photo boxes, and other assorted stuff that's held up very well so far. I have tons of stuff from Ikea, and the only thing I have that's ever dissapointed me is a $2 desk lamp that was broken when I took it out of the package. I think they need MUCH better assembly instructions, because what they provide most of the time just DOES NOT make sense. I agree that CS is almost non-existant, and they should handle that promblem, too. I absolutely love the whole concept of Ikea, though. I feel really badly for everyone who's had bad experiences.

KE · Kenneth Cole

The CS sucks-we trying to determine how we could get a matching couch and loveseat (which wasn't in stock) and all the CS kept saying was "Well, this is IKEA" Like WTF is that supposed to mean? That we can stick it the rotten CS up our a**? Plus, it was so damned crowded. I would never buy anything except small items there.