apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm all for the tips except the first one - Parking in the loading zone is just plain self-centered and inconsiderate.

GO EARLY! That's all I can say. Get there right at opening, and you're through the maze before the crowd can catch up to you. It's awesome.

The best tip. Don't go at all.

I agree with bepsf. Parking in the loading zone? Those are those people who park in the handicap spot with no tag. Ugh.

so true! you know you got to have the hotdog combo whenever you go to ikea. It's just so cheap.

Parking is a pain in IKEA. Go early and don't go on a weekend!

It's also good to know the shortcuts to the departments when you have to exchange something.

Yeah, definitely don't park in the loading zone. I'm also not sold on skate carting through people. I do highly recommend going on Monday or Tuesday nights. No one wants to put together furniture that early in the week.

Whenever something distracts you from why you came, realize you're getting the same stuff everyone else has, and it won't look so interesting. Then just keep moving.

(I've never been to IKEA, it's always been inconveniently located enough for me to stay away. I had been curious, but the more posts like this, as if IKEA is something one just puts themselves through, the more I think I don't care to be a joiner).

Tip number one should be a little more specific. Park in a loading zone... only if you want your car keyed. :)

so, 3 years ago I was in a paid panel discussion about ikea (we did not know it at the time). Anyway, after, we discovered that..one thing the moderator kept bringing up was the idea of having "smaller ikea stores" - like, CB2 kind of thing in urban settings without Ikea.
Interesting...like it would stock the 'best sellers' and certain items only...

I would sooner stick hot needles in my eyes than EVER set foot in another IKEA. I don't need anything that badly and doubt seriously that I ever will. The trend is smaller...local....not this insanely huge and difficult experience.

Why in the world would anyone want to shorten their IKEA experience. Sorry, I don't understand.... ~:o(

Here is a foolproof way to get in and out of Ikea quickly:

#1 Make out a list of what you are there to purchase before going to IKEA. Having a set list diminishes 95% of frustration.

#2 Go Sunday morning and arrive a few minutes prior to opening. Most people will be sleeping in, lounging around or going to church. In fact many will be sleeping and or lounging around while in church.

#3 If you are going to deviate from the list, be quick in choosing what you are getting off of the list and have a purpouse for what you are buying. If you do not have a set place to use something in your home, that means you don't need it, especially home dwellers w/limited space.

Following these 3 steps for the past few years has made the few times I have gone to Ikea virtually painless. Plus it let me enjoy the rest of my Sunday.

I hate that the Emeryville showroom is more mazelike than ever after a remodel. I don't even want to imagine having to evacuate that place.

I always shop super late or early to avoid crowds.

Absolutely shop Ikea at opening on a Monday morning. Aside from staff, we practically had the Emeryville store to ourselves. You'll have prime parking without having to park in the loading zone. What a horribly selfish tip!

Go on a weekday, or a weeknight. Avoid IKEA on weekends, especially weekend afternoons.

Browsing is half the fun though, when it's not a zoo.

We don't have an Ikea where I'm from so I love to take my time when I do go.

What, no tips on how to get your kids out of the play area with all the plastic balls? That's good for 45 minutes minimum. (Of course, I've heard some harried stay-at-home moms go to Ikea with the tots for just that reason -- an hour of quiet and Swedish meatballs.)

Unless you're taking the kids and making an expedition out of it, the only sure-fire way to beat the system is to get there when it opens on a weekday.

You also get the staff when they're fresh and actually acting as if they want to help you spend money there...

As for the Ikea haters...it's easy to be a contrarian, but you have to admit it's an unusual shopping experience. I also applaud them for truly democratizing design. I just went to the Red Hook Ikea for the first time a few weeks ago and it was truly inspiring to see people of all social classes and races there.

I haven't been there in a long time. I do remember liking the area with all the kitchen gadgets.

My tips:

Look for the tucked away doorways that are shortcuts to other areas of the store. There is one to the marketplace that will help you escape the rat maze they have set up.

Enter through the exit for REALLY quick access to the marketplace. Just don't make eye contact with the checkout folks when you have to walk the wrong way through one of the lines.

Grab a store map. Study it before your next trip!

Stellamystar, I could sear either that it already exists or that I dream it ...

But yeah, going in through the exit is the number one tip to use. Even if you're buying furniture, if you know what you want, it's not that hard to find it in the warehouse. But I almost always go there only for marketplace stuff.

I've found that weeknight evenings are real quiet, too, even more than weeknight afternoons.

I've found that it's best to go during the week around dinnertime in order to avoid the crowds. If you have to go during the weekend, be sure to be there right when they open up the store. There is usually a small crowd of people waiting to get in, but it's really not bad at all...and be sure to be out of there within an hour, otherwise you will have to deal with the mobs of people who come in later. I always make sure to park near the exit door, mainly because that is where I enter the store, and where I will eventually leave..so its best to have my car closer to the exit. I also make sure to hit the "as is" section first, to check and see if what I want to get is available for a cheaper price. Since I go to Ikea quite often, I've figured out where all the shortcuts are, which helps when you want to avoid walking through certain sections of the store.

Yep: there's always a pass-through that takes you directly from the entry to the cashiers, the exit and the 'as-is' section, without having to go in the out door. Then you can shop backwards from there: all the little things are closest to the exit.

You're also right beside the 'warehouse': if you never go near the pretty displays, you'll get your extra Billy shelves and your tealights in 10 minutes flat.

And I third the "at opening on Tuesday morning" thing. There's never a line.

how bout a race? starting from the front door! who's in? Ikea Elizabeth! anyone? the fastest to go out gets a month supply of the swedish meatball :P

Petition Ikea to allow mail order.

Use self check out...
No matter how busy they are, there are not too many people at the self check out. I never spend more than 5 min. waiting.

There seem to be a lot of DIY assemble savvy people shopping there, but a lot of them like the good 'ol fashion cash register.I wonder why...

This is, perhaps, one of the most sage pieces of advice I've ever heard about anything goal wise..

From K T G: Whenever something distracts you from why you came, realize you are getting the same stuff everyone else has, and it won't look so interesting. Then just keep moving.

Really, I'm writing this down and putting it on the fridge. [Big smile on face]

Thank you, because I don't understand why everyone has to have all the same stuff.....just because someone else does.

My biggest tip: go to Ikea once a day (assuming it is as close to you as it is to me--a 5 minute drive) while you are moving into your house and memorize the layout. Once it makes sense, you will be in and out like it's the grocery store.

Sorry, but part of the "IKEA experience" is going and exploring. Seeing what's in the store that's not online or in the catalog. And seeing what's on sale.

Had we just done a "hit and run" visit the last time, we NEVER would've spotted the way tall galvanized steel planters that were only $29.99.

With IKEA, you just never know.

The best tip, though: Go on Mondays. It was like the store was open just for us!

Take your home-from-college daughter with you, and park in the "family zone." It depends on how you define the word "family." ;-)

To me it sounds like us living in IKEA's homeland Sweden have several big advantages:
- If you live in one of the bigger cities (and by that I mean a couple of 100.000), there will be an IKEA within 30 mins driving. "Mine" is 10 mins by car door-to-door.
- Higher number of stores / fewer people living in the area makes for less crowded stores. Even on weekends where I'd say the store is crowded compared to normal weekdays, it's absolutely normal to be in & out in 30 minutes.
- Parking is never a problem (unless you cannot push your trolley at all and have to be *right* outside the doors - we all know the type)
- The Swedish IKEA website allows you to not only check whether an item is in stock, but also what shelf it is on. Makes the trip to the two floors completely superflous if you know what you want.
- They've just introduced self-service checkout. Cuts paying time down to about.... 2 minutes.

The Ikea in Mass isn't accessible by public transportation, so no going to Ikea for me (for now...). I've bought stuff from their website and it's pretty much just as painful as going there.

KTG, I dare you to actually go to an Ikea, take your time strolling and looking at the merchandise, and leave without buying anything. I've met people before who swore they would never buy anything from Ikea, though they'd never actually been in a store. When I did get them to go, they converted. It's addictive. Come on. Take a hit.

The nearest one to me is in Stoughton, MA. They are supposedly opening one in Somerville, but I'm not on top of the news flash, so I suppose it will be obvious to me somehow when it does open. I bet I will buy something, but I'm not going to go ooh and ahh over curtains and other doodads.. I was kind of turned off in the Small Cool contest by the number of entrants with the same recognizable lamps and stuff. As for furniture, I want to see some. If it's not as cheap junk as I think it must be, I might get some. If so, I will keep looking for something that will last. For cheap ice cream, hot dogs, and meatballs... that's really kind of weird.

I can totally understand the need to go to Target for a lot of things, and end up with extra stuff, just because you're there. I can understand going to Lowe's or Home Depot because you are looking for this or that for a task on your to-do list. I can even understand going to Borders or Barnes&Noble just to browse because you're in the mood to go home with another book or a few. I do not yet understand the notion that Oh My God, my house needs more IKEA.

I already have an aversion to Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie as "outstanding" examples of what they sell, to the extent that I've put things back that I like on the premise they'd be taints of a retail philosophy I unwittingly agreed to just by entering those stores. I give my head a little rattle and ask myself what I was thinking. That's not to say I never buy in those stores, just not the obvious goo-goo stuff they brand you with. Similarly, I don't really care about Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn, although I have purchased in both also, Pottery Barn for the first time ever less than one month ago. Give me other examples of places I haven't shopped that everyone considers "basic" and I will tell you that you have the same rug as so many other people and they all know where you bought it.

I'm not at "A Look" (or "My Look") yet, but when I get there, it isn't going to be where the answer to the question is I got it at IKEA. When I speak to the earlier comment on the "democracy" of the IKEA shopper, I have to say that's weird. It's a big corporate box. Everyone gets the same stuff. It might be that it's the only store with furniture that makes sense for weird spaces, is cheap and easy to assemble.

To me, it's like a coloring book. The lines are there. You can color it in how you want, but your picture is already defined. I have seen the catalog, but what I don't get is how the imagination runs wild there, enough to stall you from getting out. That's a retail strategy. They want you to buy more things. Making a list and intending to go to IKEA on the kinds of errands described on this blog seems absurd, compared to just browsing and liking a few basics. I don't understand the "run" to IKEA, as in, you are out of paper towels and so you do a quick inventory and go out to Target for a few things. How can you run out of bookshelves, again? What do you lack in the rest of the retail world that merits a trip to IKEA? These tips described in the link alone should tell you, the rest of the world is there, so why do you return, how do the items they sell set you apart? I would never say I wouldn't shop there, but I am trying to grasp this as a "run" store. You "run" to the Christmas Tree Shop and buy a lot of crap because it's painful to get there and not buy something also? I assume the wares at IKEA are cheap because it's on a whim and you wouldn't buy so much if it didn't fit your price point.

They need to have more computer terminals, especially in some of the lower sections... You can spend 5 minutes looking, 5 minutes calling the store from INSIDE THE STORE to check stock, or 5 minutes trying to track down an employee and then racing after them while they track down a computer. Ridiculous. Actually, user terminals would be great so you DON'T have to track down an employee to look things up. Or in-aisle phones, like Target, so you can call for help or stock questions.

Go at 8p on a weekday. Mine closes at 9p, so you can't really stay more than an hour and change without the guilt pushing you out.

very cute!

wow K T G - thats quite the monologue. So, you don't shop at ikea or any mass market stores - at least not for the stuff the rest of us suckers buy. You must be soooo creative. Your spaces must scream "I cannot be bought by the marketers who don't really care about my personal style". Innovation is where you find it. Creativity can sprout from the most mass produced tidbit if looked at the "right" way.

I used to think the same as you... when I was a teenager intent on showing the world how "different" I was. I'm still different- and creative- and not able to be bought by creative marketing... and I love my Ikea kitchen. Whoa is me... a victim of the system...

I'm another of those who actually likes wandering Ikea... but I don't do it on the weekends. When I used to work about 15 min. away from the Schamburg, IL store, I'd go on weeknights after work. In and out (relatively) easily, plus the bonus of clear sailing into the city rather than bumper-to-bumper at rush hour. I often didn't have the patience for the long lines, though, so there were times I'd pick up 1 or 2 items worth maybe $10 that I'd end up setting down if I didn't find my true target and the lines were too long.

Stellamystar,

Many years ago Ikea had a small store in Manhattan on 57th St. between 5th and Madison Avenues for about a year or two, shortly after Ikea Elizabeth, NJ opened. But it was closed and for a while they ran shuttle busses between Manhattan and Elizabeth. Today you take NJTransit or PATH to Newark Penn Station and connect there to a NJTransit express bus to Ikea.


As for getting through Ikea quickly, one key issue is living nearby. If you don't live nearby, there's not much incentive to getting in and out in a hurry, as inevitably one will see interesting things and stop to examine them.

When I lived near one, I usually visited on a weekday evening, parked near the exit, but not in the loading zone, entered through the exit doors, and traveled backward through the store. Usually anything I want in a hurry is located on the housewares level, so using this strategy works well. At many Ikeas there is a door, frequented by staff, that connects the front lobby to the lower level housewares. One can usually just go through that door and arrive in the middle of housewares.

I've strolled through IKEA twice without buying anything.

But then again we spent $1200 the last time - we rented a truck and drove 2 hours to get there. It was a weekend and we still had no trouble with parking, etc.

We bought:

3 PAX wardrobe shells - about 20% of what we'll eventually need (and no accessories for them yet)
LACK shelves
A couple lights
A couple trivets
Several picture frames
A MALM bed and end tables
A bent-wood stool

It was during their so-called sale. I think we'd been there an hour before I saw anything that was actually on sale and it wasn't at all compelling.

As far as IKEA serving "wierd spaces," I find from the catalog that most of the stuff is way too big for my tiny apartment.

I recently got rid of one small Billy and another shelving unit that was from IKEA in the nineties and replaced them with antique barristers from the flea market. Wavy lead glass, tiger oak, and copper mechanism, and, best of all, easy transport.

I still have the big Billy with lower cabinet from '88 that they don't make anymore; it's a nice piece to put a TV on and would be really hard to get out of the apartment.

Despite my new hardwood love, I've thought about taking Metro and the bus to College Park for the marketplace, which I love, and the scratch-and-dent room. But, with the new DC Target, I ccould probably forego College Park altogether.

Understanding that nothing from IKEA is heirloom quality, I'm always surprised at how long the stuff actually lasts. I have pieces that I purchased over 10 years ago and it still looks good. One tip: when assembling the furniture, use wood glue in addition to the hardware connectors. Sh*t is SOLID.

I usually shop online first, then go with a list. But browsing is fun. :-)

I've got the Ikea bug as well:

Last week I fell asleep on a bus and when I woke up I was several miles from my stop in a bad neighborhood. Rather than get off and wait for another bus I stayed on for another hour and got off in White Marsh near the Baltimore Ikea. Rather than wait for a returning bus I went shopping and picked up $40 worth of items, including a new shower curtain, door mat, napkin holder, place mats, and more. And delicious blueberry loose tea.

One of the reasons why I like Ikea is because they offer unfinished wood furniture that allows personalization. I love buying their plain wood frames and painting them.

And yes, their stuff is cheap and pretty common. However, if you are a student or if you don't make a lot of money Ikea is a Godsend. Ikea allows people of almost every background to own decent looking furniture without breaking the bank. Remember, not everyone can afford stuff from DWR or Jonathan Adler, or hell, even West Elm.

I always dread going to Ikea. Of course, I usually go on the weekends. Once I'm there though, I don't mind so much. I usually spend a couple hours there, since I only go once, maybe twice a year. I usually have an idea of what I want, but I like browsing other things too.

I was just there a few weeks ago, went to go pick up a couple of the smaller Billy bookshelves, left with those, a sideboard, some a couple pieces of art, and a few other little small knickknacks (almost bought a rug too...). A lot of stuff there isn't my favorite stuff, but it's a nice compromise between style, quality and price. I'll probably end up replace quite a bit of it in several years as more money becomes available, but as a (fairly) recent college grad, it suites my needs.

IKEA is a 3-hour round-trip drive for us, so it's a once in a while weekend excursion and pretty exciting for me (I'll definitely be taking the early Sunday morning tip!).

Hmm....much ado about IKEA. I have two pieces. Oh, and a lamp and some flatware.

I dread the thought of someone coming into my tiny little cottage and saying "Oh, you shop at IKEA". Nothing against IKEA (well, except for the toxins coming off the MDF) because it serves a wonderful purpose, however, perhaps what KTG is trying to say - and I could be wrong - is that we all tend to follow the crowd and lose our identity. And if KTG isn't saying that, I am. Design is fabulous. Design is a business. It's like money. You can be filthy rich and be an idiot, or you can be filthy rich and do something outstanding with your money. So, you can go to IKEA, cull from it the best of what you need, and go somewhere else and cull from their store. Be an individual.

I also have a 1940's solid mahogany table and a MCM credenza. But not everything is from the same store. And Target is great for smaller things - or a temporary thing - or whatever.

Devotion to a place, thing, or idea just because its easy and popular usually comes with the risk of losing your own voice, that's all I'm saying.

I forgot, I have a wall sconce from there because it looks great against my chocolate kitchen wall. Yeah, I know, chocolate a blue is out.....but it's what I like.

I've done Ikea on a Saturday before and as soon as I heard the first child shriek I turned on my ipod and shopped happily. It made such a difference : )

for as much time as this site spends posting about ikea, i'd think y'all would want to live there 24/7. (and maybe go visit target on the weekends, like a trip to grandma's house.)

It takes us at least two hours every time I go. Mainly because the cafe is in the middle and my husband who is always hell-bent and making a fast trip can never, ever pass up cheap meatballs.

Perhaps the funniest time ever was when we got there right when we opened on a Saturday. We had a huge shopping list so we knew that we would opt for delivery. Lots of things to order on the floor etc. We made it through the first floor quickly and enjoyed ourselves. In fact, we made such good time than husband agreed to meatballs. He is finally happy at Ikea. No rush. Eating meatballs. Finishes meatballs and turns around. And sees at last 60 people advancing like an army towards the second floor. He actually cried out ARRGH.

Yeah, it can be a pain, but there is no excuse for parking in the loading zone, ever. Seriously, a keyed car is too good for people like that.

OH MY GOD. How does anyone not realize that the "Quikea" website is a joke? It is called humor, irony, tongue in cheek, whatever. Can't believe the number of self-righteous, humorless types ranting about the parking suggestion. This only goes to show how seriously people take Ikea. That website certainly hit it's mark.

IKEA JUST PLAIN SUCKS!!! skip it all together.. the merchandise is not quality, and the service stinks big time...
The last time I was in one, I was accused of stealing a 7 dollar shelf that I tried to return.. I bought the shelf in NY and tried to return it in MN.. I was returning it because it was the wrong size that was picked, so the receipt said another size.. After 1 hr of fighting with them and asking to speak with manager, a 18 year old kid, came out.. It was their mistake, they wouldn't refund my $7 dollars and then called security to escort me out!!! They just suck.. I had the receipt for 5,000 dollars from NY and they are just too stupid to look!!!!
Everything I ever bought there hs come incomplete or damaged..
Case in piont, the zippers on the Extorp slipcovers are so weak they break when you try and unzip them.
My kitchen Cabinets were delivered without the Hang rails...All the while my $450 a day contractor couldn't hang them, and charged me anyway.
Shelves in my wetbar project came the wrong size.
And this is just my last three visits/purchases..
Oh and don't forget the Ikea card with the 10% first purchase discount, comes complete with and unreachable insurance company to the tune of 12 dollars a month when you have a balance!!!
AVIOD IKEA AT ALL COSTS - if you want to remain SANE!!!
IKEA SUCKS !! - do you hear that IKEA MGT!!!
IKEA SUCKS !!
IKEA SUCKS !!
IKEA SUCKS !!
IKEA SUCKS !!
IKEA SUCKS !!
IKEA SUCKS !!
IKEA SUCKS !!
IKEA SUCKS !!
How is that for free advertising!!!!!

Love the glue tip, msheidi104! Thanks!

Not everyone has had your experience, Parrishnut. While I'm by no means a devotee of IKEA, I've not once had a bad experience there.

you people do recognise parody when you see it, don't you?

Ummm, yeah, the whole thing is parody. I thought it was funny.

And to K T G: Everyone is different. I for one can't stand Target and have engineered it out of my life. I avoid Home Depot in favor of my local Ace hardware. But I am planning a trip to Ikea (two hours from my house) to get things I CAN'T find anywhere else: an inexpensive daybed for my son, who will ruin anything nicer; their nice roller shades for my basement windows (no one else has anything like them), and some shoe organizers for my closets. I just moved to a smaller house and need clever storage solutions, of which Ikea has many because it is a European company and developed around meeting the needs of people who live in small homes.

A lot of AT posts emphasize good design in household objects or furniture, and Ikea has a lot of that--not to mention great graphics on things like linens and wrapping paper. When I go there I always feel inspired. Also, in response to the comments about having stuff that looks like everyone else's--check out ikeahacker.blogspot.com. You wouldn't believe the creative re-purposing of Ikea stuff people come up with.

I hate these design snobs who snub their nose at everything Ikea, or West Elm, or basically anything that isn't completely out of reach financially for most normal people. Choose the best and leave the rest. I have the lack shelf and a tv bench from them that no one ever identifies as Ikea. I also have a few stalks of bamboo in a square vase that isn't recognizable as Ikea. I also have their Kvartal window panels and everyone asks "Where did you get those??" because they love it. I like going there. The new Bolingbrook, IL store is very easy to get in and out of. They even have arrows on the floor to show you which way to go! You do have to go up the elevator at the entry, but there is a 'secret door' right around the corner at the top that brings you to the staircase to go down to the marketplace, and a bunch more 'secret doors' to get you directly where you want to go. My question is why do parents think that going to Ikea means a free-for-all for their kids?? There is ALWAYS a screaming, shrieking, running, yelling child when I go. Several times, I have been able to hear these screaming kids when I WAS ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL! Ignorant parents are what make my Bolingbrook Ikea shopping experience total hell. Parking - easy Shopping - easy Self-checkout - easy Dealing with ignorant parents and their ignorant offspring - excruciatingly difficult. Oh, and old people who aimlessly wander as slowly as they can while blocking the whole aisle with their oversized selves.

i love ikea and find if i go on a wk night after 6pm we can pretty much have the run of the place and me and my ikea buddy make an event of it, grab a drink or snack and take our time and hit every inch in no time.

the times that i have gone on a wkend i knew what i was getting myself into so...so i sucked it up and went with the program and i hate crowds!!

but it might be wise to just let the angst and anger go or stay home.. people its just a store

wow

lol!