apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I was looking for a piece like that dressing table last year. Its really cute, but the attached mirror piece is ghastly.

That's the first thing I thought, too, mally. And is it just me, or are IKEA's prices gradually increasing? I haven't bought many large items from them recently, but I suspect that the quality is not also increasing...

This is such bs, the Trollsta Sideboard in canada is not only $100 more than in the states even though our dollar hovers around the same worth but is only available in bright yellow! Thank a bunch ikea, you, the walmart of furniture has just lost a customer. Don't worry though there are thousands of people willing to fill my place.

I'm one.... ~:o)

Rising prices...it's called inflation.

has anyone seen the melltorp dining table? in the online catalog it looks kinda like your basic white parsons table, but online when i searched for it the legs look metal.

does anyone know how it really looks and what the quality is like?

I want to use the vanity as a hall console table instead. I wonder if I could remove that shitastic mirror they stuck in the middle of it.

That green bed is killing me. It looks like a piece of furniture your dad would make for your dollhouse, and you'd try not to hurt his feelings by pretending to like it before secretly burying it in the back yard.

We bought the meltorp dining table about 4 weeks ago. We love it! The legs are metal but I actually had to go over and look because I hadn't really noticed. It fits well in our small dining space, it's really easy to clean and very sturdy - not wobbly at all. I'm pretty happy with the quality, I would say it's a great value at $69.99. After 4 weeks my 3 kids haven't damaged it at all, so that's good :-) It's on the long and skinny side, but once again, perfect for a small dining area. We bought ikea's pine bench for one side (the kids) and the pine bent wood chairs for the other side. I'm very happy with the results so far. If I have to buy another one in a year, at that price, it's worth it.

I'm using melltorp as my new work desk, love it

it looks like this year's fabric designs will be better than last year... let's cross our fingers, I want to start sewing!

AHHH! THE MELLTORP!
It's my new desk. I freaking LOVE it. It's so clean, so crisp, so simple... and the price is even more unbelievable. :D

Snoopy - I thought the same thing about the vanity. I'm hoping to get to a store soon to check it out, but I'm thinking that in the world of flat-pack, assembly-required, you will probably be able to leave the mirror off. Hopefully while gaining a valuable hole to put wires for recharging my gadgets through. We'll see!

I agree with Melly and Snoopy on Vinstra dressing table: the mirror is abdicable

I bought the small melltorp back in May for my kitchen and i still love it...well priced, durable, and simply classic. Fits in with my retro stuff.

http://trickmybrick.blogspot.com/2008/05/kitchen-table.html

If those Kulla pendent lamps are the same as the table and floor versions , they only take regular bulbs and not CFLs.

i like those jars!!

I'm still trying to figure out why the catalog I received in the mail was the Spanish-language version.

I would like the workstation better if it wasn't metal

Was at ikea last Friday.

Unfortunately, that Vinstra dressing table is not well made. The mirror makes it top heavy and wobbly.

I've had the Melltorp table for a few weeks now and absolutely love it. Very sturdy and easy to clean.

Because of our crappy economy here in the states it also causes issues in other countries that manufacture products - like China. The RMB vs. the dollar is a lot worse than it was several years ago. Many companies that manufacture like products have "worker" issues in China because of the earthquake, flood, and now the Olympics. China's workers also demand a lot more money and regulations than ever before. This equates to higher prices.

The price of oil obviously causes the price of gasoline to rise.. which then causes the price of products to rise as well.

Many many buyers are still hoping to get the same product for the same price to sell it to the consumers.. however the time has come that all vendors/manufacturers/etc. have upped their prices in order to stay afloat themselves.

[end pricing rant]

I'm also chiming in about the uggggllly mirror.

I'm torn between the meltorp and another all wood dining table. On the one hand, easy to clean and fits wth the white of my room. On the other hand, the wood would hopefully hold artistic spatters and drops and look more rustic and arty.

I have not checked the dimensions to see which will fit, however. I'm hoping to get out to IKEA this Friday before rush hour and check both these out. And yes, sturdiness on a pile carpet is an issue!

I've had the laptop workstation (in red) for several months and I really like it. I work standing up at the computer, so the ability to position the workstation at a customized height is a huge benefit for me.

I'm fairly certain that we only paid $40 for it though, when we bought it at the IKEA in Stoughton, MA.

I'm really ambivalent about the landing strip/workstation. On the one hand, I'm charmed by its compactness and especially by its resemblance to a school locker. On the other, I worry that it would look outright cheap, rather than charming and kitschy. Anyone seen in it person and have an opinion?

I have the Kulla Pendant in white and I love it. Such a simple thing, but I get so many compliments.
Spiffy, It does take CFLs.

As far as higher prices, I was thinking more that they are pricing a lot of their products at a new price point, like these featured designer items. But thanks for the economics lesson, cinema.

katiebug... my gf is going for it with the ps landing strip/work station. and i'm glad, i think it is GREAT. she'll be using it for the latter purpose, in her small bedroom. she's going to hang it low enough to use with a chair.

i think it will only look as good as you make it look, you know? it is metal, not plastic. if you work it in the right way it can look modern, charming, kitschy, cheap, ugly, or out of place. it all depends on how you execute! ah, the beauty of ikea.

closertotheocean: so true, isn't it? ikea is always all about the execution. and i'm glad it doesn't look plastic-y; that was my main fear (as it often is with ikea stuff...).

uh.. a workstation to stand at? what, for people who live in closests? I like it as a landing strip idea, but it ends there.

indiasoup: I stand at my workstation because of a muscle injury that is controlled by sitting as little as possible - not because the 1400 square foot space that I live in requires it. I actually use my closets for clothes.

katiebug: the workstation doesn't look cheap. The white one actually would blend in quite well on a white wall.

thanks for all the feedback on the melltorp table. good to hear its durable and easy to clean! i have a baby boy- so messes are inevitable!

our dining area is 11x8. so the size of the larger melltorp is perfect.

still debating on that one or the bjursta.

i really want to get the melltorp to use as a dining table this weekend but im not sure which chairs to get with it? any affordable suggestions?

nateandbrittany: do you ever sit on the pine bench from ikea? do you think it would go well for adults as well? it didnt really seem deep enough for adults to sit on to me.

Does anyone have experience with using the Melltorp outside?

oh lord, those Celeber Porcelain Jars are NOT compatible to storing fine powdered grain like flour or powdered sugar...if ANY residue gets on the silicone top, the lid pops open. I've tried cleaning it with wet & dry dishcloth, brush, and just wiping with my hands but in the morning I'll see the lids propped open. and no, we do not have a cook/midnight crusader using our kitchen as an underground lab

jenniejenjen, thank you for posting this comment! Because I was thinking about getting them for sugar & flour, etc.

anyone have any good suggestion on something cute and cheap for storing baking goods? something retro looking. (I bought some at an estate sale, but when I got them home I realized the top was too small to stick a cup measurer in.)

hekela9 - in general the kids use it, but sometimes we mix it up, and it's fine. very sturdy and plenty deep (my husband is 6'3'' and i'm 5'8'' and we both feel comfortable on it) - the only thing i don't like about it is the lack of back support :-) the pine looks really nice with the white table. just to be clear, i'm referring to the norden bench. honestly, my dining area is my favorite part of our apt. before we bought the new ikea stuff i tried not to look at the dining area. now it's so clean and peaceful - can't say enough good things about it.

rainyday-- I'm in love with Ikea's Burken jars. If they still have the shorter round ones, I'd recommend those for flour and sugar storage.

This is what I found on the website:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50081452

thanks nateandbrittany. i think im going to pick up the norden bench with the melltorp this weekend!!

amt230, you are just beginning to see the beginnings of inflation as much higher fuel prices and the collapsing value of the dollar begin to work their way through the world economy. What started as high gas prices will eventually travel through to even the most basic staples, particularly anything imported (clothing, furniture, etc...). Almost everything Ikea makes has to be shipped from another country, so you are bound to see prices continue to climb over the next few years.

I have the jars and love them. They're especially good for my various types of salt; keeps the moisture out of the kosher salt, and the moisture in the grey salt.

i'm w/you snoopy. i want to use the dressing table as a hall console. any word on that (hopefully detachable) mirror?

The Vinstra dressing table looks good on the picture, but I was disappointed by how cheap it looks in real life. I was expecting something sturdier considering the price.

We got one of those ceramic and acacia wood canisters to use as a salt cellar. It looked gorgeous until my boyfriend ran the lid though the dishwasher (wtf?) and the wood split. I would get it again, but the lid needs to be hand washed.

And I'm completely in love with the big Trollsta credenza. Call me crazy, but I want the yellow.

I recently worked at IKEA for a few years as a visual merchandiser and I can say the prices reflect the quality of the products or the materials used in them. There are certainly some that seem high for what they are, but really... $249 for a vanity? high? That's just as much as many women pay for a hand bag.

I certainly suggest checking each piece out closely. If you really want something that will last for many years, IKEA really isn't the place but neither is the IKEA price tag. You can also keep an eye out for one of the design team - usually in white and gray t-shirts that say "Communications and Interior Design". They tend to have the best all around knowledge of the store and products.