Tell me about IKEA

[freckles and boo]

Ikea is SWEDISH

Indeed. One of my favorite things about IKEA is the names of the products!!! We have fun just trying to say them. I don't have a catalog in front of me but our shelves are TRABY, with the funky punctuation marks over the A. We also enjoy just making IKEA names up. Flark. Humgluub. Larb. I only exaggerate slightly. IKEA is fun.

 

[Jennasis]

"No Mom...everyone has the puuply"-Lisa Simpson, while shopping at an Ikea type store.

2009 eh? Looks like that's the target date to redo the living room. I have Poang chairs in my living room and need new footstools, coffee/end tables and some shelves. I also LOVE their art work and light fixtures.

 

[Enchanted Tiki Bird]

Just an interesting aside about the IKEA product names from Wikipedia.

IKEA products are identified by single word names. Most of the names are either Swedish, Danish, Finnish or Norwegian in origin. Although there are some notable exceptions, most product name are based on a special naming system developed by IKEA.[2]

- Upholstered furniture, coffee tables, rattan furniture, bookshelves, media storage, doorknobs: Swedish placenames (for example: Klippan)
- Beds, wardrobes, hall furniture: Norwegian placenames
- Dining tables and chairs: Finnish placenames
- Bookcase ranges: Occupations
- Bathroom articles: Scandinavian lakes, rivers and bays
- Kitchens: grammatical terms, sometimes also other names
- Chairs, desks: men's names
- Materials, curtains: women's names
- Garden furniture: Swedish islands
- Carpets: Danish placenames
- Lighting: terms from music, chemistry, meteorology, measures, weights, seasons, months, days, boats, nautical terms
- Bedlinen, bedcovers, pillows/cushions: flowers, plants, precious stones; words related to sleep, comfort, and cuddling
- Children's items: mammals, birds, adjectives
- Curtain accessories: mathematical and geometrical terms
- Kitchen utensils: foreign words, spices, herbs, fish, mushrooms, fruits or berries, functional descriptions
- Boxes, wall decoration, pictures and frames, clocks: colloquial expressions, also Swedish placenames

For example, DUKTIG (meaning: good, well-behaved) is a line of children's toys, OSLO is a name of a bed, JERKER (a Swedish masculine name) is a popular desk, DINERA for tableware, KASSETT for media storage. One range of office furniture is named EFFEKTIV, SKÄRPT (meaning: sharpened in Swedish) is a line of kitchen knives.

 

[freckles and boo]

Just an interesting aside about the IKEA product names from Wikipedia.

Noooo!!!! I was hoping it was just a bunch of drunken scandinavian designers belching out ridiculous sounding words! Glummer!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

One thing to be aware of is that not all of the items in IKEA can be picked up in the warehouse part of the store. We were under that impression the first time we bought furniture there, and were dismayed to discover that the couch (and later the cabinets and countertop) we wanted must be ordered in the store and then you can either come back and pick them up or have them delivered to your home.

Unfortunately, there have been problems with both of our orders - it took us 8 weeks to get the couch we wanted (they tried to deliver the wrong model to us the first time), and our cabinet order was incomplete the first 3 delivery attempts - I finally had to visit the store in person with the order and delivery records to show the manager what we were missing and get those pieces. The odd thing is that with the cabinet order, they actually had all of the pieces we needed, but they have some sort of odd policy that we couldn't buy them all at once in the store and had to order them instead. I guess the order was too large or something. Very strange.

So I love IKEA - if I can pick it up and take it home with me that day. Anything else and we seem to have problems with our store out here.

We love the kid's plates, cups, and utensils, and I've also bought vases and candle holders for a friend's wedding - only spent $50 and got all the decorations for the reception.

 

[TLHB70]

One thing to be aware of is that not all of the items in IKEA can be picked up in the warehouse part of the store. We were under that impression the first time we bought furniture there, and were dismayed to discover that the couch (and later the cabinets and countertop) we wanted must be ordered in the store and then you can either come back and pick them up or have them delivered to your home.

Unfortunately, there have been problems with both of our orders - it took us 8 weeks to get the couch we wanted (they tried to deliver the wrong model to us the first time), and our cabinet order was incomplete the first 3 delivery attempts - I finally had to visit the store in person with the order and delivery records to show the manager what we were missing and get those pieces. The odd thing is that with the cabinet order, they actually had all of the pieces we needed, but they have some sort of odd policy that we couldn't buy them all at once in the store and had to order them instead. I guess the order was too large or something. Very strange.

So I love IKEA - if I can pick it up and take it home with me that day. Anything else and we seem to have problems with our store out here.

We love the kid's plates, cups, and utensils, and I've also bought vases and candle holders for a friend's wedding - only spent $50 and got all the decorations for the reception.

I will make a mental note of this.
Thanks for the information!

 

[dreamcometrue]

I love Ikea, esp. for kids furniture! I also like some of their couches and bookcases! Nice rugs there too and not too expensive! I like to change my rugs out every few years, so don't want to spend a LOT of money. Also cool home accessories, lamps, kitchen stuff. I love IKEA, did I say that?

 

[DisnyMama]

I love IKEA. My teenage DS hates IKEA. Whenever I say lets go to IKEA he just goes "please, no, no, no...I'll do anything if we don't go there" The idea of the place drives him nuts. The funny thing is once he gets there, he gets totally into it. He grabs a pencil and paper and a measuring tape and even a shopping bag for me sometimes. Once he's in the store he is another kid. I just have to get him there. Oh, there return policy is great. I bought a sofa and had a problem with it and returned it a week later and they didn't ask a single question. Too cool. I hope you enjoy.

 

[TLHB70]

Oh, there return policy is great. I bought a sofa and had a problem with it and returned it a week later and they didn't ask a single question.

That is great to know!!!!!!

 

[DISshopkeeper]

The whole place is a madhouse. People crawling around like ants. It really is an unpleasant experience, but I suppose it is worth it to get what you want.

LOL!! Looks like my DH is posting on the DIS. The place drove him bonkers the one time he accompanied me there. DS hates it also. DH hates the way they make you walk the entire store to get to the exit. One way in, one way out!

I like it LOTS, though!

 

[S. C.]

Found this online.

IKEA recalls outdoor candles due to risk of flaring caused by igniting wax.
The affected products are no longer available on the NA market. However, if some customers still have outdoor candles left in their possession, we want them to return them to IKEA, or contact their local IKEA store for more information.

ÄNGAR candle for outdoor use 6-p, article number 200-301-24.
SAMLAS candle for outdoor use 6-p, article number 900-524-43

Return candles for a full refund - $3.99.

Never place an outdoor candle on or close to material that can burn and never try to blow out an outdoor candle. At the end of the burning time the wax can ignite producing a higher flame. Flaring is a normal characteristic of outdoor candles and does not pose a risk if safety instructions are followed.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
For additional information, call IKEA toll-free at: (888) 966-4532

 

[Enchanted Tiki Bird]

DH hates the way they make you walk the entire store to get to the exit. One way in, one way out!

\

Actually, they do have short cuts. It's kind of neat.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

IKEA=Swedish for "temporarily out of stock."

I have never gone into IKEA and come out with everything I had hoped to purchase. There is always something that has been discountinued, is out of stock, or I simply can't find. I'm convinced it is the IKEA gods at work. I have decided to add a superfluous and completely non-essential item to any shopping list I may take to IKEA. It is my hope that this unnecessary item will confuse the IKEA gods and they will then choose to make that item discontinued or out-of-stock or completely unfindable. I will then be able to purchase everything on my list that I really need

Oh well -- even if I don't find what I want when I go there I can usually find the Anna's ginger snaps and the 50 cent hot dogs.

 

[blue_river]

IKEA=Swedish for "temporarily out of stock."

I have never gone into IKEA and come out with everything I had hoped to purchase. There is always something that has been discountinued, is out of stock, or I simply can't find. I'm convinced it is the IKEA gods at work. I have decided to add a superfluous and completely non-essential item to any shopping list I may take to IKEA. It is my hope that this unnecessary item will confuse the IKEA gods and they will then choose to make that item discontinued or out-of-stock or completely unfindable. I will then be able to purchase everything on my list that I really need

Oh well -- even if I don't find what I want when I go there I can usually find the Anna's ginger snaps and the 50 cent hot dogs.

 

[Mickey527]

I forgot in my first post to mention the food.
I love tyheir sweedish meatballs and cream sauce. And I always ask for extra ligonberries. They are like cranberries only better. And if you get a soda you can refill. they have that great ligonberry juice. Yum. I need an IKEA fix.
I also love their salmon. Ohhhh I need to go to IKEA tomorrow.
Now I just have to write this because it was funny and no one else has picked up on it. Sorry, it just struck me as funny today, I have had a few bad days and its the silly things that catch my eye.
(Enchanted TIKIROOM wrote) The whole idea of ready-to-assemble inex*****ve furniture

IKEA has inexpensive, inexpensive inexpensive inexpensive furniture!
Peggie

 

[minnie56]

Swedish for particle board!

 

[jenr812]

I have heard such awesome things about IKEA. How awesome that they're coming this way Do you know whereabout in Charlotte?

 

[TLHB70]

Do you know whereabout in Charlotte?

the intersection of Interstate 85 and City Boulevard, just south of W.T. Harris Boulevard



Mickey527, all of this food that you mentioned......

I forgot in my first post to mention the food.
I love tyheir sweedish meatballs and cream sauce. And I always ask for extra ligonberries. They are like cranberries only better. And if you get a soda you can refill. they have that great ligonberry juice. Yum. I need an IKEA fix.
I also love their salmon.

Is that for you to buy and eat there? In the restuarant type place that others mentioned? Or do they sell the food like a grocery store and you buy it and bring it home to cook?

 

[freckles and boo]

Here in the Chicago area we have two. The one closest to me has a cafe upstairs and a strange little market downstairs (past the main registers). I would assume that is the case in most of the stores. We get frozen Swedish meatballs and other market things after we have been shopping in the main store.

 

[chell]

No. I missed that. What was said?

Candy & Romona were both thrilled to hear it was coming. Their reactions were very amusing!