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Just how far from an IKEA are you??? For the price of gas, could you 'hire' a design friendly college student to head out there and pick it up for you???

I know when I was in College far from an IKEA I would have jumped at the chance to get an "all expenses" paid trip. And since most of the IKEA furniture is flat-pack, a station wagon, or mini-van is usually all you need.

~k

1. roadtrip
2. craigslist
3. sturdier local alternative

While I don't have an alternative, I just wanted to say that I was literally looking at the same bed on the Site, and checking out how much it would be to ship to Colorado. Same issue -- I then went to Apartment Therapy, and there was your post. For me, the closest IKEA is in Utah (many hours and mountain passes away), so driving to one isn't really an option.

Yes, IKEA charges too much for delivery -- I just went through this same process with a storage unit. I believe IKEA just sends everything UPS ground, but maybe they would be amenable to using another carrier? Actually, I just saw the bed posted on Craig's list in Seattle. Here is the listing: maybe the could ship it cheaper.
Brand New IKEA Queen Size Hemnes 4 Poster Bed Frame. Lovely yellow lacquer. IKEA price $299. For photo go to: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59849784 and
PHONE 206.789.1576

While you are coming up with a solution, keep an eye on Craigslist... you might be able to get the same bed, but already in town, and at a discount.

Respectfully, I'd keep looking. Several online furniture dealers have free shipping (or at least, free shipping "sales").

I don't know your zip code so I can't tell what the shipping charges would be, but what about this one from CB2?

http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=400&f=3778

Just my humble opinion- I would not buy any major furniture from IKEA without seeing it in real life. While I love IKEA, a lot of their stuff photographs much more beautifully then they really are.

I have a great alternative!

http://www.platformbeds.com/index.php3?cart_id=7202020201013882222&category=0000000013&l2=true

It looks like it's more expensive, but shipping is free (pay for faster shipping - which is still way cheaper than ikea shipping). Ramblin Wood is a great company - you can get their beds in bamboo or sustainably harvested American wood in a variety of finishes. We have a different bed by the same company for our daughter and love it - it is sturdy, goes together and comes apart easily (has been through one move so far with no problems), and looks great. HTH!

It depends on how close you are, but I know here in Nashville there is actually an Ikea pickup/delivery business. They will take your order, drive to Atlanta (closest Ikea for us), and bring it back to you for about half of what Ikea charges for shipping. You might check around and see if there is a company like that around you.

According to its website, a U-Haul cargo van is $20 plus $0.60 per mile.

Thanks for your help everyone!

For the curious, I live in Little Rock, ~340 miles from the nearest IKEA. Once one factors in gas, hotel, exciting restaurants, and all the little irresistibles IKEA has to offer, it would cost me just as much (plus a precious free weekend) to go get the bed, so I am committed to ordering (though bribing a poor student to go get it is a little tempting...). Craigslist in this town tends to be pretty sad from a modern design standpoint, though I do keep my eyes peeled.

I am very much liking the platformbeds.com option suggested by fuzzypeach, though I probably won't order for a day or two, so if anyone else has a suggestion, please suggest it!

Again, thanks so much!

A u-haul cargo van could be cheaper depending on how far the store is, but remember they get like 6 miles to the gallon...

to be honest, even if you sacrificed the weekend and made the trip, you may not be able to find that lovely hemnes bed in-store! i was looking for it in my orange county, ca location and it wasn't anywhere!! it's been mentioned A LOT lately on design blogs, and i wanted to see this darn thing in person ('cause i know a lot of IKEA's stuff photographs better than it actually looks in person), but i guess i'll have to setting for photos online, 'cause it wasn't at my local store!

I agree, driving miles to pick up an item from ikea can be scary! Our closest ikea is in Portland, Or. It is about a 3 and a half hour drive for us. I was planning to make 3 large purchases and checked the internet for availablity before we left. When we got there the Tromso loft bed, and Odda wardrobe both seemed to be out of stock. To make a long story short, they were able to find the items in stock, but we were told we would have to come back, after a new shipment arrived with still no guarantee the items would be in stock. Placing an item on hold is not an option either.

A little tip we learned though: ikea stocks a certain amount of items on the floor. Once that item sells out it shows up as sold out in their inventory. But after closing (when there is no danger of injury to their customers) they use a lift to pull down the items from the top shelves. We were told we could wait until closing, but since we were three hours away, that would have put us getting back home really late. Fortunately, they were able to get the bed down without a lift, which was really great customer service! It was heeeavy!

Wow, fuzzypeach, that's a great find.

Glad you liked the platform bed. I've been dreaming of having that canopy bed for a while... someday!

I live in NW Arkansas, so have similar unfulfilled Ikea desires! I seriously considered driving to Dallas for a bed for my daughter, but got one like I linked to instead. I was recently tempted again by a crib - but Ebay has saved the day on that one. Ebay is something else to check out, if you haven't already. Some sellers do business by charging more for an item, but less than Ikea shipping.

Always see an Ikea item in person before you order. Always. Consider the costs associated with seeing it in person part of the purchase price.

The impression of the furniture can be quite different in person than in the single catalog picture. I have gone to my local Ikea many times looking for something and have walked right by it (repeatedly) because it doesn't really look anything like the picture.

The reason IKEA's delivery from the website is so expensive is that IKEA does not want to be an online store. IKEA, being European, is intended to be a destination so-to-speak. That is why there is a restaurant halfway through it (if you follow the path) and the snacks at the end and TVs and the “make yourself at home” feeling of the room settings. Ideally, IKEA wants it customers to spend the day there getting inspired (and therefore buying more) and eating and having fun. IKEA would rather build more stores to reach more US customers…50 or so between ~2003 and 2010 I believe…than invest in cheaper shipping options online.

Volume25 is correct. If you drove a long distance to get something and it is “out of stock” according to the clerk, always ask if there are any in the store but not on the floor (Internally, this is referred to as “in the air” as in, up in storage in the self serve warehouse though not directly above the space it should be so customers can’t see them and demand them be taken down!) Legally, IKEA cannot use fork lifts on the floor while customers are present but you could ask that you be the last customer in line and they pull it at the end of the evening. If that is not the case, a good clerk can give you an estimated delivery time for most things or at least tell you that they aren’t expecting any in the near future. Of course, that information is not guaranteed and you should call before returning.

Another alternative might be to find a four-poster bed on Craigslist or in a new-and-used shop and have a friend help you modify it to add a canopy. This could be a fun diy project for quite cheap. AND it will be one of a kind. :)