apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I LOVE that flooring! Too bad it isn't out now. I just purchased some of their flooring in an antique pine finish. The white is gorg though!

does anyone know the name of that ladder bookcase? I am looking for something exactly like that.

the bookcase looks like Billy. don't know about the ladder off hand.

I wonder if the lamp can power itself - that would be something!

I can't sew or anything....but I am totally getting the little brown wren/sparrow fabric..

The fabric is cute. I get the whole decent design at an affordable price thing but seriously do you ever wonder what Ikea contributes to landfills? The stuff is crap with a life of about three years.

chusmabilly - if you were referring to the black ladder bookshelf, i found this on ikea website, it costs only $39 and it's not wide but pretty narrow.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80117398

Hope thats what your looking for.

a few fridays ago, i was at ikea while they were putting out the cecelia fabric. and bought a ton. it's probably the best fabric ive seen from them in a while!

i also saw the white glossy floor on display. so beautiful. i wish they had it last year when i redid my bedroom. *sigh*

i totally disagree about the quality of ikea products being 'crap'. i've had a number of pieces for 4 years that aren't showing any signs of breaking down yet. as a matter of fact, nothing i've ever bought from there has failed yet.

IKEA's like anywhere else. They have some good products and they have some "crap" products. You just have to look at the materials and the construction to know which is which.

lemonadefish -

i just added more info to the end of the post about the solar cell lamp

I have an IKEA credenza that's 5 years old and has been moved to 3 different homes now. Still going strong and looks like new.

Chumsabilly,

if you are looking for something wider, it is basically a cheaper/smaller version of the Crate and Barrel "Sloane" series. i have them and love them.

Additional ladder shelves info:

5-Tier Solid Wood Leaning Shelf - Black for $129 at Target

Pottery Barn has much wider shelves at $299.

Try to type "leaning shelf" or "ladder shelf" in NextTag to find many other options of online store that offer many similar designs.

Good luck, chumsbilly.

any idea how bright the lamp is? It looks like great, esp for a location that might lose its electricity fairly often (ie my parents' place in Maine). I don't love the colors though.

does anyone know who makes the black and white rug? i really like it.

The black and white rug is IKEA:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20112619

Generally most of the stuff in their ads is found in their stores.

the rug is ikea as well.

Can we move onto some decorative object other than birds? I'm a little sick of seeing them everywhere!

birdie fabric!?!? hurrah!

wow i would love that white floor!

has anyone used their laminate? how durable is it?

I've had a picture of the birdie fabric on my laptop desktop for the last couple weeks...I've been waiting desperately to see it in stores!

threadbare: people always say that same garbage. some at ikea is cheaply made, some isn't. wow, like almost ALL stores!

we bought a whole bunch in san diego about 5 years ago, lived there for 3 years, shipped a bunch of ikea furniture from there to hawaii (on a barge in a container!- not easy!) where we've been living for almost 2 years now. it's still going strong.

but you're right, it's affordable and thus, is crap. they shouldn't even be allowed to sell anything and we should all shop at dwr.

Hey keeks,

Ikea also sells these little (12"x12"?) wood stretcher frames for you to mount their fabrics to. -Kind of like a canvas frame. If you like their fabrics just for the design, that might be a nice way to enjoy them.

Just sayin'!

"some at ikea is cheaply made, some isn't. wow, like almost ALL stores!"

Yes, including DWR, as anyone who has visited their Annex in NJ can attest to! ;)

Anyway, back to the post...

I love that they are doing more with solar lighting, but I wish their were cuter options. I also wonder how much sunshine they need.

Also, the Cilla Ramnek fabric is really nice in person. I wasn't prepared for the enormous scale of the print all the way on the left! Huge! The quality of the fabric is quite good, too -- definitely suitable for medium-weight upholstery.

Thanks muddygrrl and dosergirl !

We've had IKEA Billy shelves for 8 years now and moved 3 times. A couple of backing boards fell off during one very "Grapes of Wrath" kind of move, but the shelves themselves are going strong. Every year we add another Billy shelf to hold a growing book collection. I LOVE these shelves.

We have the laminate flooring (Tundra in medium brown) and its about 2 years old now and still looking great. We are a no-shoes house so dont know how they will hold up under rough usuage. It was super-easy to install with no prior DIY experience.

On the other hand, we got a baby changing table from IKEA and the little ball bearings from the drawer sliders started falling out in 3-4 months. We found so many of those tiny little metal balls on the floor in our baby's room - that changing table had to go.

solar cell lamps are a great idea, but did they have to make them so hideous?

I also have their laminate flooring, Tundra in the light color. It's amazing! It looks fabulous and is very easy to clean. It's about four years old now and still looks brand new. A family with a child lived here before me, and you'd never know it.

"but you're right, it's affordable and thus, is crap. they shouldn't even be allowed to sell anything and we should all shop at dwr."

Split those in half before you swallow. Yikes!

Does anyone own the Ikea BEDDINGE LÖVÅS sofa bed with storage? It looks comfortable. I'm considering moving into a studio apartment and this sofa bed seems ideal. Any thoughts?

I think the only thing new about the Beddinge is the slipcover. The underbed storage is basically a box that fits under the mattress: useful, but nothing fancy.

It's moderately comfortable, but you can upgrade to a different mattress. The only way to tell is to go check it out at the store. We slept on a Lovas mattress (PS frame) for a couple of months with little complaint, although we did add a memory foam pad. Only changed because we moved and it wasn't worth shipping (our only piece of furniture at the time).

I was wondering the same thing as nycbound. I'm moving into a new apartment in a few months, and I think a sofa bed would be really useful for guests. So basically, I'm looking for something that is comfortable either way, and also fits my practically non-existent budget. I would also really appreciate some input.

I've really never had a problem with anything I've gotten from Ikea. It is very affordable, so it's obviously not top quality, but I don't expect to have the money to buy "real" furniture for quite a long time. Until then, it'll do just fine. Plus, I have some shelves and dressers that have been assembled and disassembled multiple times, and they're as sturdy as the day I bought them.

That sofa looks really small to be Lovas...it looks like my Beddinge. :) Which I really love btw...I have been sleeping on it daily for years now :p It was supposed to be a short-term sleeping arrangement but I got the spring mattress Ikea offered and it's been a staple in my studio ever since. Since then I started adding to it - I have the storage box, the cover (shown above only navy blue) and it's super comfy!!

If you have any questions just let me know..I'm a professional Beddinge sleeper haha

Thanks alisaan!

I love IKEA. I don't consider their stuff crap. They're perfect for the price and actually have style. I'm not in the "you have to pay multiples of $1000 to have any furniture in your house or you fail at life" school of thought. THAT is crap.

The ladder is from the Besta line of products and it's called an Inreda. Lovas is just a mattress that's made for the Beddinge line.

My condo came w/ IKEA floors.....I HATE THEM!!

I would NEVER get another bed from there!

But they have some great classic stuff.... I've had a few 100 albums on short billy bookshelves for over 10 years....after 4 moves...a long stint crammed awkwardly in storage, and countless re-arrangements they have only now just begun to break down. And that's only because the records are so heavy!

@jscolas1: the ladder in the second image (the silver one) is Inreda, you're right, but the one in the first image is Rexbo--also comes in pine and red (to match Linnarp).

Also, nothing about the Beddinge seems new to me. Anyone want to tell me why it's special? The stores in Canada carried the mattress, frame, cover and storage last year.

I actually think Ikea items are the ultimate use and re-use rather than landfill fodder. Everytime you are on craigslist it is packed with ikea furniture and people looking for ikea pieces.
An ikea item, unless it is broken, will always find a home if you post it. Its easy to work with, easy to afford, and easy to move, and you always know what your buying which isn't the case with a lot of secondhand.

I find it really humorous that some people are "bragging" that their cheap IKEA particleboard furniture has lasted 4-5 WHOLE YEARS!

Kinda says something about the low expectations for products today. Hardly heirloom furniture....it won't last until the next Presidential election!

I have an Ikea bookshelf I inherited from my cousin that's 15 years old - brought it from the motherland (Europe) when they came over. :P How's that for longevity? hahaha

Plus it's nice and not as heavy as old school furniture. I dunno if you move often (like I do) but I hate taking along these giant bookshelves you can't take apart that take 4 people to carry. I just breakdown my self, pack it up, re-assemble it and it's good to go :P

But as with everything to each his own. :) I'm not saying Ikea is the be all end all but I'm saying it works for me and it's lasted as long as my bed frame of real wood did that my dad got me when I was 4. ;)

pxlchk1..THANKS..you know me..haha...I will do that..!!!

The first time you bump that bookcase carrying it down the stairs on your next move you will have sawdust droppings and an instantly crappy-looking, unrepairable bookcase.

Methinks your children will NOT be "inheriting" any IKEA furniture!

But that is what IKEA is for....for people without much money who move a lot. When it breaks you throw it away and buy another one.

I checked out the lamp yesterday--I wonder why the press materials and website do not mention that these lamps are part of a program between Unicef and Ikea? The Ikea people I talked to were emphatic about the point that they donate one lamp to a third world child for every lamp sold at the store....