IKEA

I really do not like this place. You have to wonder through the whole shop even if you are only after a certain item. There is some good stuff but a lot of it is cheap. People must just go there because they like shopping with hundreds of other people.

Ok… I am going to do it. I am going to review IKEA.
So, it is hard to describe my relationship with IKEA. I remember when this place first opened. I actually did not know a whole much about IKEA. The brand was very foreign to me. I heard of it, but was unfamiliar with it’s scale.
Like the rest of Adelaide, I had to check it out. All new, shiny and plastic. Oh yes, walking through the maze that is IKEA was quite wonderful. I then started to notice something. It is not only the deisgn of their products that make IKEA successful, it is also the design of their stores. Do you ever find that when you go to IKEA you end up taking home a shoe horn, dish brush and a new mirror that you don’t need? You end up having to go fetch your car to drive into the bay to load it full of stuff with a $ 2 icecream in your hand. I am always left saying huh? How did that happen?
Over the years IKEA’s appeal went downhill for me. I have had furniture and items break. What I have always been impressed with is the 3 month return policy. So, if you are not happy you can take it back for store credit. That is a plus.
What do I usually get in this store now? Water glasses, plastic tubs, glass jars, curtains and maybe linen. That suits me fine. Every now and then I might get a decoration of some sort, but I have to really like it.
I recommend IKEA if you are on a budget. It was awesome while I was at Uni. Try and look for the solid wood furniture if you can. They last a lot longer than the chipboard stuff. It’s great that they have started to use solid pine now!
Also, here is my HOT TIP: If you want to get furniture from IKEA and want it to look a little special and not just from the catalog, check out a website called IKEA Hacks. It is full of ideas for turning IKEA products into something really cool and unique. Also, don’t feel like you have to use their door knobs and hinges, you can get cool antique ones from thrift stores or salvage places to make the furniture look more funky!

Ikea has been well reviewed so nothing I write will change or add any real value, except my rating of course. I would like to point out where Ikea sits in the marketplace though.
It’s a unique proposition — a furniture store by definition but one that sells every type of furniture, every item to go inside those pieces of furniture, all kitchen accessories, whitegoods and electrical, that caters to the outdoors, that appeals to the masses in one way or another, that offers meals/​food, that entertains children, that sells grocery products, that offers deliveries/​returns/​wrapping etc.
Clearly Ikea is in a class of its own with no real/​direct competitors. The wealthy pop in for ‘bits and pieces’ and to buy for their children’s needs, the less fortunate can fill an entire house for much less than from most standard furniture retailers and their on-​the-​go meals will be less than McDonalds, and the middle of the road customers come in for various needs, from crockery and cutlery to newborn needs and toys, a new coffee table, a mattress for the kids room, or a new kitchen. Some items are better than others but overall quality is not bad.
I’ve now had an Ikea mattress for two years — it’s basically a similar design to a mattress that elsewhere cost 3 times the amount, its well made and came with a try/​return guarantee, and I think it’s great. I’ve also eaten there a few times. It’s not great food although I don’t mind the meatballs but if you’re hungry there’s something there for most and the prices are cheap.
At some level Ikea appeals to everyone. I doubt Gerry Harvey is actively entertaining the idea of feeding his customers and looking after their kids as they shop for electrical and furniture goods but I bet he’s thought about it.

Ok, so we all know the beast that is Ikea. Walking through their showroom has been said to be a great relationship test and I’ve seen this on display in the aisles and displays at Ikea Adelaide.
Ikea is a global behemoth in the furniture space. I remember in my first year of studying industrial design at uni, all the lecturers were either excited or anxious about what Ikea would bring to our city. I can now say confidently after shopping at Ikea over the last 7 or so years, that like any physical goods supplier, you get what you pay for.
I have bought some really nice, well designed items from Ikea that are still going well, but have also bought some of what I would call «chipboard crap». I don’t want to sound all elitist here, but I have some qualifications when it comes to furniture. I’m a product developer (industrial designer) for a commercial furniture company, so I know what to look for in furniture.
Ikea has some very well designed items, but as far as quality goes, I don’t expect them to last more than 5 years in most cases.
If you want something to urgently fill a space, and are not worried about it chipping, cracking or having to replace the hinges, drawer runner screws and feet with better quality ones from a hardware store, go for Ikea. If you want a nice solid timber piece which ages well and will handle a few dents and scratches and can be refinished, spend a bit more and go to a furniture shop or antique shop, or even auctions or garage sales.
Ikea also design and manufacture lighting, cookware, crockery, linen, storage, candles, picture frames, plants… The list goes on. As with the furniture, it is sometimes worth looking around and seeing if Ikea is your best option. There are a few good websites like apartment therapy, Ikea hackers, choice and others which can give you an idea of what other people think of specific products. They are also a good resource for a different non-​ikea view of what a house should look like. Who wants their place to look like an ikea catalogue anyway?
I’m going to get one of the new Ikea sofa beds for our spare room, and possibly a Pax wardrobe, but only after doing a lot of research and coming to the conclusion that they are my best option.

Earlier this year, we traded up from a compact three bedroom house to a 5 bedroom house with a few different living areas. Now, we need furniture to fill it. And knickknacks and doodads and bath mats and storage things and prints for the 470 picture hooks the previous owners left on the walls. However, every time I visit IKEA, I feel compelled to trade all of this in for a 6×4 metre studio apartment filled with cunning space-​saving gadgetry and one of those adult bunk beds.
Go during the week or in the evening of a weekday. There will still be plenty of people but less of the weekend carnage that occurs when parents wait for their child to be on the verge of total meltdown before bundling them into the soft-​roader and into IKEA.
Granted, they do make rather a point about being family friendly so it’s no wonder people flock there with their kids. The ball crawl is certainly popular, there are excellent kid snack packs available in the cafeteria along with a playground and pleasant baby change facilities. They even supply nappies for those freak occurrences when you’ve forgotten to pack any.
Mutinous children aside (and I can say this because mine is still firmly strappable into a pram), I must be one of the few people who likes doing the showroom circuit. I open cupboards and marvel at the organisational devices within, smell candles, open and close drawers, touch the textiles, try and pronounce the product names and do test sits on the chairs. Whoever I’m with usually loses patience by the time we get to the beds and I am hustled out to either the restaurant for a good value meal or down to the Marketplace to get what we came for.
My only beef is a small one, specifically that you can’t take your trolley to your car. I know there are savings to be had by this method but it would be super convenient if they would and save me battling with my slippery flat packed bargains.

Do you live in a one bedroom unit and need to make each thing in your house do ten other little things? Do you like to feel like you achieve greatness through doing great amounts of fine detailed work? Can you read animated instructions?
If any of the above fit you — then you should go to IKEA if you haven’t already. With creative ideas that the Swiss have come up with that help you do life full but with minimal space, with flat packs for you to assemble your purchases and with instructions that — though they aren’t always clear — provide hours of entertainment for the whole family* as you try to determine which screw/​nut/​shelf goes into which hole/​bolt/​hinge. Though, maybe you aren’t into that at all…
I personally enjoy a leisurely stroll through the main set up area — to see what they put where, to road test a few well-​road tested items like big chairs or lights or cabinets. But I much prefer to by pass the top level for either the food or the Market downstairs — ESPECIALLY when it feels like half of Adelaide is there or there is a sale on!
I do enjoy a good swiss meat balls meal on the odd occasion — choices of how many balls you like with a side of fries, gravy and plum sauce — each size is actually pretty generous. You look at the menu and think in your beardly, manly, logger voice (or your lady-​like, joyful, hungry voice)— «Ten meatballs? I can do that with my eyes closed». But don’t be fooled. You will be well full — unless you eat a side of horse for dinner (oh, right, that wasn’t meant to highlight that time that someone thought iKEA were selling horse meat balls… moving right along…).
After eating things you may or may not regret indulging on, its time to skip down the steps and purchase your goodies. I really love the textiles area (i use some of the textiles for cushions or refurbishing upholstery), the framing/​art area, the ready-​to-​assemble warehouse area — gosh who am I kidding — I get loads of ideas for things the whole way through the store. I also enjoy IKEA-​hacking (don’t cry, IKEA). This is where you get your IKEA product that is showcased to do A, B or C — and you turn it into D, E, or F instead. Not sure how? Turn a steel trolley into a bathroom basin stand, shelving into seating, plant holders into light shades, spoons into sporks… okay not so much the last one. You get the idea now…

Ikea FOOD! As a vegetarian I’m smitten with the options for food here :) my boyfriend and I can get lunch for about $ 17.

Ikea. That store that you go to for the cheap lunch and the stuffed toys. And drink glasses. And the occasional bookshelf. And kitchen utensils. And a chair. And why not a new kitchen whilst you’re at it.
Well done to Scandinavia for selling us an elaborate ponzi scheme of chipboard and hot dogs. All that is missing is the ABBA music. I always wanted to live in a house the size of a cupboard and put my couch together with an allen wrench.
Four stars for marketing genius, loss of one star for not having unlimited cranberry sauce for your meatballs.

I love Ikea :)
It’s a one stop shop for things that I probably don’t need but all of a sudden want — just because I can see in front of me how nice they look in ‘homes’.
I do rather enjoy some meatballs and other Swedish treats available in Ikea however as Adam mentioned, following the set out path can be very annoying at times — mainly because, as I said, it makes me want to but things I don’t need!!!
I like Ikea though because it’s always neat, pretty easy to find what you need and there are plenty of snack options to make the burden to buying home furnishings all that much easier… and what a burden it is… #FirstWorldProblems

IKEA has it all — great affordable food, European engineered goods and furnishings and top it all off excellent customer service too.
I love their Swedish meatballs. They taste so great with the side of lingon berry jam and chips. All of the cafeteria food is good really — even when they did that $ 2 breakfast deal with tomatoes, bacon, toast, eggs and a hash brown.
But, as much as I think otherwise, IKEA is not about cheap breakfast and lunch or $ 1 hotdogs for that matter, it is about all the flat packed furniture. I have bought several flat packed $ 12 coffee tables from this superstore and they have withstood the test of time, lasting about 4 years of heavy use thus far.
IKEA timers are also great in the kitchen, at around $ 3 each, they easily get the job done. Staff are also very helpful, which is a key feature however the warehouse is generally well stocked and organized in a satisfactory manner.
Just make sure you follow the arrows around the IKEA showroom, else wise it can get a bit crowded.
There kitchens also look nice. I have never bought one but they appear very beautiful and robust.
All in all, IKEA is a great place to spend a weekend morning. It’s a shame it isn’t closer to my house, otherwise I would go more often, but then again, it is kind of a blessing too because I am sure I would invest in many of the utensils and tools they have.

‘Darling, theres an asian family in our bathroom’
Anyhow. Needed some coat hangers so ikea was the obvious choice. I don’t necessarily have a problem with ikea, you get what you pay for. Clearly this extends to the customer service. We needed to ask someone if they had a particular colour of sheet in a queen size and although the forklift driver who directed us to someone who could help us was lovely, he happened to be more helpful than the person he directed us to.
‘Not on the shelf? Of course we don’t have them’ she says, while waving us away.
Whatever lady. Lucky I only come here for the meatballs, chocolate and coathangers.

NOT AS CRAPPY AS IT USED TO BE…
Look, I’ll be the first to admit, that when IKEA came to Adelaide I wasn’t the biggest fan. IKEA has always been known for there cheap, loosely fitted furniture. Also one of my major annoyances, was the fact that when you walked in the door at IKEA, you were forced to follow a path all the way through the store, I’m not Dorothy guys, I ain’t following no yellow brick road unless there something worthwhile at the end, and that ain’t cheap $ 1.00 hotdogs.
Those times have changed, they do still have cheap furniture, but the quality has improved considerably. Now there are lots of shortcuts available through the store that used to be only available to staff. A HUGE improvement.
The staff always seem to be friendly and helpful, and the bookshelves are a winner. :) but overall IKEA is definitely worth the visit, maybe not for the food though. :)

The IKEA in Adelaide is the same feeling I had when’ I was in Melbourne’s Springvale, and the first ever time I ever stepped into a IKEA’ which was in Vancouver’s Coquitlam (Back in 2005).
(The IKEA has this Air-​port slash Mess-​hall feel to it, and a European open structure design around’ you!!!)
Great for a cheap feed and little things but that’s it’ The Sunday mornings’ are good for it! I purchased kitchen goods, cooking equipment etc. I spent money on the things I needed and got the quality for my dollar. (Back to the BF topic’ below)
«Breakfast is a very important meal of the day!»
(The catalogue breakfast) The main came with a free coffee — curtsey of an IKEA family card– and the kid’s meal with a free fruit.
The sausages taste good. The beans just like any canned goods. The Salmon salad brings out a quick lunch mix. I really need two serves… Hmm that has been a family favourite for some-​time now’ just simply good. The coffee is one of those from one of the 4 coffee making machines’ but it still taste’s okay. This is a top meal if you are on a budget–
The overall IKEA in Adelaide in general is enjoyable, organized and easy to use, and I like that IKEA’s 2013 catalogue is well designed and I am looking forward to having new floating floor boards next year?

I can never leave an Ikea without spending money… the market hall does me in even if I have managed to resist all the strategically placed stands.
Ikea is fabulous to get cheap items to fill gaps in your home, buy a lovely pressie without breaking the bank, and turn your house into a home.
The absolute winner of the Adelaide Ikea is that they have real Diam still in their food store! Winning for any Swedes that are homesick for their favourite chocolates.

Ikea. I love the goods. hate the experience. If I had a Marauder’s map which allowed an easy escape I would be here much more often.
I usually go on a sunday and it goes a bit like this.
Me: Aaah I’m hungover, where are the «plates/​shelves/​chair». Why are there so many families walking five abreast. Why are there children trying to trip me up running around my ankles.
My Boyf: Norma, why aren’t you following the path stop trying to climb over all the furniture.
Me: I found my $ 2 plate now how the hell do I get out of here!!?
this is then followed by half an hour or couple destroying navigation throughout the store trying to find a way to bypass going through every single section! rage.
The furniture here ranges from cheapo do it yourself — expensive Scandinavian designer. It has it’s place though I have many furniture items from IKEA. and my whole kitchen is stocked from IKEA too.
The $ 1 hotdogs are popular with the boyf and everyone else in Adelaide too it seems.

Oh look, it’s IKEA, we know what to expect when we go in there and to be frank, it rarely disappoints me.
This time, we were furnishing our house and after visiting home decorator centre after home decorator centre, we made our last stop IKEA to pick up the odds and sods we knew we could get here. Instead, we walked out with a guest bed (topped with a $ 99 mattress — note: don’t expect to sleep on a cloud if you’re crashing at ours), a sofa bed, dining table and a few chairs.
You don’t need to know how we found and bought everything but I will tell you that we had the dining table on our trolley and then went past he ‘AS-​IS’ section which is where all the seconds stuff goes. Our dining table was in there and so we took out our magnifying glasses and began scouring it for damage. To our surprise, we found 2 teeny tiny scuffs on one end and it was $ 150 cheaper than the new one in a box. Back went the box and we took the AS-​IS version.
Now, as drivers of a Golf wagon, the result of most trips to IKEA can fit snugly in the back but not this time. We put all out stuff on trolleys (4 of them) and took it over to delivery where they charged $ 65 and delivered it to our door in the Adelaide Hills the following day. BONUS!
As most people do, we stopped in at the «restaurant» (that’s a wealthy way to describe the eating facility they have but let’s run with it) for a coffee and snack. The only vegan option is fruit salad or regular salad. The fruit salad was at least covered in plastic wrap (the regular salad was left open for every snotty nosed kid to poke and prod) so I took it and was surprised at how fresh and delicious it was. The coffee is from a machine but uses real beans — my tip is to use multiple ‘short blacks’ to get a good strength coffee.
Finally, anywhere that can charge such ridiculously low prices for furniture often take shortcuts on the quality. I know they will argue otherwise but it is the same at IKEA — make sure you check out the furniture you’re buying, make sure it’s strong and to the standard you expect. After all, no one likes a creaky bed :)

Ikea is one of my favourite places in the world … dramatic, yes? Well, I am one of those annoying people who *needs* to be organised, and if you are too then I assume you are already addicted ;)
I’m reviewing Ikea as an overall store, not one part more than the other … but I have given it 5 stars based on the following:
— They think of everything … even things you didn’t realise you wanted. ‘I wonder if I could get something like this?’ — Ikea has already thought of it!
— If you want a cheap piece of furniture, Ikea is the place to go. But if you want to spend a bit more, there are more upmarket options.
— The Café! Not the highest in quality, but for the price it is excellent (which is why it’s so packed!).
— Most importantly: S.T.O.R.A.G.E. Yes, Ikea has it all covered so you can live as minimalistically as you like … or you can *appear* as if you are living minimalistically, anyway ;)
We love Ikea so much they did our whole kitchen … and it was such a smooth, easy process that I’d recommend them in a heartbeat. You organise for Ikea come to your house for a measure-​up (for $ 99), then they give you a list of the things you need to buy. Organise for it to be delivered, they organise a kitchen contractor who will install, and the whole thing is done. Brilliant!
A lot of companies can learn from Ikea — it’s very streamlined, uncomplicated and intuitive. They have every process down to a fine art, which is why they are so popular all over the world. So yes, that’s the story behind why I give Ikea 5 stars ;)

I have a love/​hate relationship with Ikea.
Being a bargain hunter by trade means this place successfully hypnotises me into subconsciously placing random objects into my shopping trolley that I will never use. Like 500 post it notes or 1000 tea light candles and yeah of course I always needed 4 of those handy plastic storage boxes. Luckily when I manage to snap myself out of the «Ikea Trance» I notice that everyone is walking around aimlessly doing the same.
Being of a marketing background I do have to commend Ikea for their success in convincing people that their house can also look as pretty as the showrooms on a budget and then bombarding you with all the additional crap you need to clutter your household in the warehouse of «small trinkets» before you get to the check out so your house ends up looking nothing like the showroom and you have to return to see what else you can add to make it look like the demo item.
But huzaah, after much practice I have conquered the beast that is Ikea! Here are my tips to staying sane and perhaps only spending 1 hour in this time sucking parallel universe rather than 5!
Tip 1
Search on Ikea’s website for what you want prior to getting in store (no matter what you think, there is nothing not on there that you can only find by going through the showroom)
Tip 2
Lists — they will be your god send. Have it out and in front of you to make sure you stick to it when in store.
Tip 3 — This is the sneakiest of all tips…
There is a way to AVOID THE SHOWROOM! Go up the escalators and then turn right NOT LEFT (turn away from the cute curtains, beautiful bed linen and loungy lounges). And like magic you will end up in the bargain basement to source what you need.
Tip 4 — Following on from Tip 3
In the furniture collection warehouse go straight to the helpdesk and ask someone where the item of furniture you were looking for is/​ask them if they have the item of furniture you were hoping for. And who would have thunk it they will take you directly to their website?
Hopefully this makes your journey into the mass-​packed, flat-​packed world a bit easier.

Ikea — you either like it or you don’t. The kilometres of inexpensive house-​stuff aside, if you’re looking for somewhere to entertain kids, this place is ideal.
I’ve brought my 6-​year-​old son here since it opened and it’s one of his favourite outing, especially in the winter when the weather is rubbish.
The playroom is open just short of the normal opening hours and has oodles of things for kids for toilet-​trained 3-​year-​olds up to 8. A massive ball pit takes up half the room and has a dedicated supervisor to ensure no one goes missing underneath for too long. Many of the Ikea toys you can buy in the store are here too: kid’s kitchen, train set, and drawing stations, and there’s a large screen playing popular G-​rated movies for those less active.
You can check your littlie in and leave them for up to an hour and they give you a pager just in case they need you to come back any earlier. Following the arrows around the building can take around 45 minutes with limited stops, so you’ll only just have time for a quick cuppa before collection time. A couple of times, with no shopping list (although, there’s always something you ‘need’ at Ikea), I’ve nabbed a seat in the upstairs cafeteria that overlooks the playroom and just read a book. Not quite why they offer the service, but I did buy some food to cook at home from the Swedish food section near the checkouts, before we left.
We went this weekend just gone to pick up a couple of packs of those cute mini wooden coat hangers (5 for $ 5.95) a picture frame for $ 12 and some miscellaneous kitchen gadgets in the ‘Marketplace’ department which is the first stop downstairs after the cafeteria stop.
Other things worth mentioning: my son loves the brown bag lunch pack (Snack Pack — $ 3.95) which includes a fruit bar, cheese sandwich, popcorn, muesli bar, fruit yoghurt and a soft toy. Not the healthiest option, but a fun treat. Otherwise, kids meals for $ 2.95 include meatballs or chicken nuggets and chips, or pasta with tomato sauce. Meals after 3pm, Monday to Friday are just one dollar!
Downstairs near the checkout, you can grab a hotdog for $ 1 and a soft serve ice-​cream for 30c.
Only disappointment is they’ve severely downgraded the play area within the Children’s department. The slide and play area has been replaced by a small hole in the wall for kids to crawl through.

Ikea is an icon in itself and a long awaited one for Adelaide, located in a highly visible spot with a massive beacon like tower — which possibly transmitts subliminal messages to all passersby — cannot be missed.
Like a mouse scratching around in endless tubing trying desperately to find the exit, sums up the journey through IKEA. There are a couple of short cuts otherwise following the arrows around all of the displays will get you out. Don’t get me wrong it’s got everything to furnish your house and more but I hate shopping in windowless stores and the only windows are in the cafeteria.
Their yearly catalogues are a good way to shop and online otherwise I really may not need anything but for the sake of buying something I always end up with candles!
Look, it’s a great cheapish place to set up your flat or a quick fix but it won’t replace a quality made product.