apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I would lump Crate and Barrel into this category as well. Although their furniture is much pricier than Ikea's, the quality of their construction is often the same particleboard with veneer or laminate...the same goes for most affordable furniture stores.

To buy pieces of furniture that are made from real wood (not "allwood" as some advertise it) is often not feasible.

No excuses, though. I'd rather pay more for better furniture, and for sustainably harvested "allwood." :)

A great article that makes some very good points & shows IKEA to be more like Wal-Mart in its economic practices.

Well, if the mark up on furniture wasn't as obscene as it is, we would buy higher quality items. I have read that it is 200% to 60% on average. That's crazy. In my industry, we are happy to compete for 3%.

I would love to fill my house with Baker, but I am not dropping $15k on a couch even if I was financially able.

Yikes, here we go again....

"IKEA positions outlets far from city centers, where taxes are low and commuting costs high—the average IKEA customer drives 50 miles round-trip."

Not in Los Angeles. Burbank, Carson, Costa Mesa...all smack dab in the middle of high taxes and easy commuting. Why would any retailer WANT to pay higher overhead than necessary only to pass it on in higher prices? This Shell person is a bit of a bozo.

"Designed but not crafted, IKEA bookcases and chairs, like most cheap objects, resist involvement: when they break or malfunction, we tend not to fix them. Rather, we buy new ones."

Assumes this society "fixes" ANY furniture. When was the last time you paid a craftsman to fix furniture?

Buy for a lifetime... which pretty much excludes IKEA from the equation.

I think one must know what to buy at Ikea. I have items I bought when my children were small in Geneva (there was no Ikea in Spain), more than 20 years ago, and I still have them. I would never buy sofas or bookcases (I bought one Billy and it went down the first week). My sofa, a good one, that I bought 25 years ago, whose brand is Kron, is still great. It wasn't cheap, nor very expensive.

The children's things and the kitchen's are, I think, the best.

Glad to see Ellen Ruppel Shell's book is being discussed -- just read another take on the book in the Globe about how the urge to buy a bargain is destroying our economy and making us poorer...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/that-99-cent-lipstick-may-cost-you-your-future/article1222557/

What I find so disingenuous about IKEA is how they position themselves as an ethical corporation, yet much of that is arguably nothing more than window dressing.

They know that their policy of sourcing wood is toothless because they are unwilling to commit enough inspectors, but consumers don't know that. Much of the wood used for IKEA furniture comes from parts of the world where illegal logging is rampant.

Similarly, consumers don't know how workers who produce IKEA products are treated -- they assume that IKEA, coming from a country with one of the highest standards in the world with respect to workers' rights and social programs applies comparable standards to their production facilities -- they don't. They are just as exploitative as WalMart, and know full well they have child laborers producing their goods. But IKEA gets away with it, because people assume they have higher ethical standards than they do. (and maybe they don't want to know the real cost of their cheap furniture).

jacksonlalonde's post on IKEA a while back made me do my own research on IKEA, and really opened my eyes.

(and now will come the inevitable mud-slinging that those who criticize IKEA are "elitists"...)

"Designed but not crafted, IKEA bookcases and chairs, like most cheap objects, resist involvement: when they break or malfunction, we tend not to fix them. Rather, we buy new ones."
Holy punctuation overload, batman.

A seasoned buyer knows what to avoid in Ikea, there are many things that wobble while on display. Students turn to it for temporary furniture. I have the Ikea Udden Kitchen, its awesome stainless steal and looks a lot more expensive than it was, the whole kitchen not including appliances was about $500 and it looks and works great.

There are many companies that work hard to build an environmentally conscious image, it is often remarked Ikea's owner has a modest or humble lifestyle, this branding does well to distract customers from ikea's primary motive: profits, and the profit margins at Ikea can be berserk.

*Stainless Steel*

Some of what C&B produces (and other comparable retailers) might deserve lumping in with IKEA, but not an awful lot of it.

I have multiple C&B case goods and fabric chairs that have lasted for many years and will look good for many more, but weren't ridiculously priced.

The nature of the construction obviously matters most, so its a bit of buyer beware (or be warned) regardless of who the source is.

Those who criticize IKEA are not necessarily elitists. In fact, I don't think the majority of criticisms directed against them in this forum have been about their objections to IKEA's corporate practices and contribution to a disposable consumerist culture. I don't think anyone here is all, "Yay for over-consumption!"

The "mud-slinging" has been directed at those who slag off people who shop mainly at IKEA (or Target, Walmart, etc.). There's a difference between criticizing a corporation and sneering or yelling at those who are too poor to buy better quality.

I know this is a favorite topic but I feel that it is too black and white. I think it's the up to consumers to choose well and wisely WHEREVER they may happen to shop, including IKEA. I have a number of IKEA items that I've had for more than a decade and some of these items are used and picked up from others who were moving, meaning they are most likely 15 to 20 years old! So I wouldn't exactly call all IKEA temporary. I am planning on keeping everything I've got. Among other things, I've got a dining room table and kitchen island from IKEA that seem as solid as a rock. I don't see them as disposable at all and I don't treat them that way. And I don't think paying 10 times more guarantees quality or durability, either. Is there something of MUCH better quality out there? Probably --- but I couldn't afford it. Like everyone else, I'm working within a budget. So I think it's best to try to see the whole situation in grays and not be so dogmatic about it all. If you treat your furniture well and assume you've bought for the long-term, even IKEA can last for the long-term.

The problem with high quality is high prices. If I'm going to spend $2000 on a table, then I better want to keep it forever. But a lot of people like to change up their furniture & style, so it makes sense to buy cheaper furniture, even if it is poorer quality. I know Ikea piece won't last forever, but for the most part, I don't want them to. Not that I would argue if they were affordable AND lasted forever, then they could easily be resold.

But really, how many people can drop $2000 on a piece of furniture? Is it really a good idea to suggest people finance pricey furniture, esp considering the state of the economy and the fact that most people already have too much debt with car, college loan & mortgage payments...?

People WANT to do what's good for the environment, but ultimately they'll do what's good for themselves first.

Yet another reason to shop second-hand stores and flea markets!

Although I do own some IKEA stuff, it's lack of staying power is one of the reasons why I try to buy furniture at yardsales or get hand me downs from friends and family...except for upholstered stuff. I can afford a better quality used piece then something brand new at Ikea. I would LOVE to fill my home with high quality pieces I picked out myself that were made by craftsman...but who has 10K for a couch!?!?

kiljoywashere: how does that sentence constitute punctuation overload? her use of commas was spot-on!

Lots of insightful comments. I second that second hand shops and flea markets, as well as craigslist can have some great steals. It just takes time, patience and a car with a full tank of gas. Even Ikea, you can tell the better items from the crap. I've had a leather Ikea sofa for 5 years now, and it's still going strong.

The point made by Ellen Ruppel Shell in the article I linked to is that low prices beget low wages, high debt, and an inability to buy anything that isn't low-priced.

It's a Catch-22, all thanks to our addiction to bargains.

Though I'm not a big supporter of Ikea, and I agree with some of the article's assertions, the home furnishings market conditions at the time they arrived in the U.S. are notable. Prior to the company's suburban Philadelphia arrival in 1985, innovative, contemporary home furnishings were only available to the well heeled in New York, Boston, Chicago and California through small retailers like Conran's, the then infant Crate and Barrel, or through a high priced interior designer. Though these outlets stood as chic emporiums of style, they regularly gouged shoppers and subjected them to long frustrating waits for furniture delivery.

The public unable or unwilling to patronize these stores, was left to oogle at items common at a then Europe-limited Ikea in design and shelter publications and books. If one was sufficiently skilled, with access to the tools, you could attempt to reproduce one of the simpler Ikea pieces yourself. If not, a number of local cabinet makers arose to fulfill that demand albeit at a high price.

It should not be forgotten that the arrival of Ikea in the U.S. home furnishings market brought good, contemporary design to the masses. Some of it is cheap, but most of us are capable of determining which products to avoid. At the risk of sounding like Wal-Mart, Ms. Shell wouldn't have been able to write her article and we wouldn't be having this discussion, had they not come to the U.S. and become a market leader.

In IKEA's defense, and a point that has not been touched as of yet, is that the majority of their furniture is shipped and sold flat packed. This is actually very sustainable, as it allows more freight to be included in each shipment as well as easier and more effective transport from the store to the consumer.

I agree that some IKEA pieces are definitely not worth purchasing for the long term, however, I have had pieces that have lasted for years and have never shown major signs of slowing.

I totally disagree with the assumption that IKEA is disposable. How you use it, how you care for it is what matters. A $10,000 Baker couch in an of the moment, trendy style is more disposable than a Billy bookcase.

The truth is that I've purchased things from IKEA that have outlasted items from Ethan Allen. IKEA done right is great for a households bottom line.

[IKEA] positions outlets far from city centers, where taxes are low and commuting costs high—the average IKEA customer drives 50 miles round-trip.

I know this isn't true for the Atlanta store. It's right smack in the middle of downtown. When they built it there wasn't much around it because of the neighborhood it was in. After IKEA was open, the whole area exploded in development, much of which was sustainable and eco-friendly. There are now tons and tons of condos, high rises and an outdoor mall, in an area that was before mainly warehouses, industrial buildings, and housing projects. I only visit Atlanta 2-3 times a year (usually to go to IKEA, etc.), so this is purely a visitor's observation. I'm sure those who live in the vast Atlanta suburbs have to commute a good distance to it, but the downtown residents don't.

I have several IKEA pieces and it seems to be hit or miss. Now I feel a little more educated on what to look for there. I've had my IKEA bed frame for 7 years. I've had to re-tighten some screws here and there, but it's just preventative maintenance. My husband and I are replacing it soon for the sole reason that we'd like something bigger (it's a full).

However, we had an IKEA couch that lasted maybe 2 years. We made the mistake of getting it in red. It was grossly faded in about 6 months and continued to get worse. IKEA stopped selling the covers for it & eventually discontinued the couch. I have half of it in my studio, which is now covered in blankets and usually two large dogs. We gave the chaise half of it to Goodwill. I think their couches have vastly improved since then. If I ever get another one from there I'll be sure to get extra covers, or a model that a conventional slipcover will fit. Leather is out of the question because we allow our dogs on the furniture.

Why wouldn't even cheap Ikea furniture last a while, unless you move a lot (which can be hard on even very solid pieces)? I have a bunch of Billy bookcases full of heavy books, and they're just fine, sitting there. What are people doing, crashing into them?

And I might add that it's very difficult to get nice furniture at second hand stores if you live in a poorer area. People just don't have the money to buy nicer stuff to begin with, and even if they have and it's still good they certainly aren't going to give it away to Goodwill, etc. What little there is, is usually snapped up by "antique" dealers and resold for, frankly, more than people who would be shopping at Ikea, etc. could afford.

I personally only shop IKEA out of desperation. Though I admit there are occasionally pieces that I think are quite charming, in my mind IKEA represents apathy towards the home. And I do think their stuff is terrible overpriced. I would much rather spend the same ammount of money on a second-hand piece that is better constructed and is meaningful to me because of the time and effort it took to find it.

i guess the writer of the story never saw the ikeahacker site.

You must have to read the book to fully appreciate this article, because it has plenty of assertions and absolutely no facts or data to back it up.

"By some measures the world’s third-largest wood consumer..." - what measures? No sources listed.

"Nor, despite a lot of self-serving hoopla, is energy conservation: the company boasts of illuminating its stores with low-wattage lightbulbs but positions outlets far from city centers, where taxes are low and commuting costs high—the average IKEA customer drives 50 miles round-trip." - source for the 50 mile figure? Also as many have already pointed out, many stores are also located centrally. Further, Shell would benefit from the knowledge that Ikea centers (it is a warehouse afterall) require a lot of space, not often available in the middle of dense urban centers.

"IKEA bookcases and chairs, like most cheap objects, resist involvement: when they break or malfunction, we tend not to fix them. Rather, we buy new ones." - based on what data? Did Shell do a market survey on this? Did she actually analyze the cost/benefit case of repair/replacing Billy bookcases?

Lastly, AT, you state "It's something we all probably think about daily as we assess how we live and better our homes." Sorry, it's a worthy conversation, but daily?

Who wants their furniture to last for a lifetime unless paid thousands of $$$$ for it. I want to be able to change it when is outdated and not live with something that I came to hate just because I spend so much money on it.

***•[IKEA] positions outlets far from city centers, where taxes are low and commuting costs high—the average IKEA customer drives 50 miles round-trip.***
That is a stupid point. Ikea is not Target to have a store every few miles. Most people live in the suburbs that's why the stores are usually there, if it's downtown all these people will have to fight traffic, burn gas to go to the store and pay higher taxes.

I shop at Ikea, I have furniture that I moved 3 times across the country and everything survived but when it's time to change it I wouldn't feel guilty doing it.

"Who wants their furniture to last for a lifetime unless paid thousands of $$$$ for it. I want to be able to change it when is outdated ...."

You've just made Ellen Ruppel Shell's point, and the same point that is made in

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Retailers are constantly changing styles, making things "in" and "out" in order to give people the feeling that they *need* to buy new stuff. If the stuff lasted in the first place, this tactic wouldn't work as well, so things (from panty hose to sofas) are made cheap, unrepairable and unable to be upgraded (computers, tvs) -- it's called planned obsolescence.

Enough of this Ikea bashing by AT.
Sometimes I feel like there is a conspiracy afoot among the Hi-design companies and the design media to convince us all to pay ridiculous premiums for furniture. I guess that's where their salaries are coming from.
I pity the poor saps who drank the kool-aid and bought furniture from Knoll, Vitra, etc.

I must also ask, what are people doing to their Ikea furniture for it to be wrecked within just a year or two?! My sister is still using the bookcases that we bought sixteen years ago and they're solid as ever. She's also still got the ginormous particleboard wardrobe (it covers one whole wall of her bedroom) - sure a couple of the doors came off, but my PARENTS bought that thing when we were babies, and then it survived being handed down to us when we were kids. I still remember catapulting (don't ask) my sister right into those doors and giving her a nice lump on her noggin. The equally ginormous IKEA particleboard cabinets in our basement are 100% intact and solid. All these pieces have survived being moved.

Well hello. How has this not been obvious the whole time?!

But the problem is a bit more complex than just Ikea is bad. The home furnishings industry as a whole is a big, dysfunctional mess.

i'm currently reading shell's book 'cheap' and i love it. it has compelled me to thrift and seek second-hand goods even more than i normally do.

I think the key is to know how to shop Ikea, I have four peices that are all made of solid oak. I love them and they can possibly last me a lifetime. Right now they have lasted for six years and are still in great condition.

Beautiful homes are about creativity and personal style and taste, not today's trend or how much you spend.

My sofa is not me. It is a sofa.

My apartment, overall, is me - and it evolves very slowly over time.

Buy the best, most classic modern basics you can afford, add flea market finds and flat pack filler and bank the rest.

When you want a change, paint, get new art or other accessories. And use the money you save to pay for something important in your life.

2 yrs ago I purchased a heavy duty made solid white Ikea desk at a garage sale..the thing is beautiful...bought it for 50 bucks! So I would say at one time they made good stuff that lasted but now its all about "how cheap can we make it and how cheap can we sell it". So look for the old Ikea stuff...its beautiful!

Second-hand stuff is the solution, as many others have already said. And yes, older IKEA stuff (and some of the newer stuff) is well made and well priced.

The point in the Globe and Mail article is a good one, though: she's not saying that we should buy expensive, but that cheap is the enemy of good. I miss mid-priced brands, especially since the difference between 'Designer' stuff made in China and H & M/Ikea stuff made in China is usually the price tag and nothing else.

Probably half of my furniture is Ikea stuff that I've found on Craigslist over the years. Am I killing the earth or saving it?

Also, I agree with some of the above comments- what the hell is everyone doing to their furniture? I'm at least the third owner of my Malm dresser and it's still going strong.

And, um, third: I would imagine that a person who can't afford "crafted" furniture would be unlikely to replace an Ikea piece simply because it breaks. Personally, I would love to be able to replace stuff when it breaks, but I'm pretty much financially obligated to get out my toolbox and take care of it myself.

"If you treat your furniture well and assume you've bought for the long-term, even IKEA can last for the long-term."

Yeah, but there's lasts, and then there's lasts.

We have family furniture that's been in our family since the 1600s. No-one can tell me their Ikea furniture is going to last 400 years. That said, I have an Ikea kitchen table going strong, but I've also had billy bookcases that have fallen apart.

We have family furniture that's been in our family since the 1600s. No-one can tell me their Ikea furniture is going to last 400 years.

Why wouldn't some of it last 400 years? Many of their pieces are dead-simple and very sturdy.

Most furniture from the 1600s is long-dead, having either fallen apart or been thrown out. The same fate awaits today's most expensive furnishings. Dumping lotsa de casha into furniture doesn't make a lick of financial sense for 99% of the world's population.

I'm not convinced it makes any environmental sense, either.

Somebody should alert consumers to Ellen Ruppel Shell's enormous negative environmental impact, because this book sounds like a massive waste of paper.

Cheap furniture has always been with us. We had a middle class house full of the crap when I was a kid in Phoenix in the '70s, mostly purchased from Levits and Pruitts. Particleboard and veneer garbage, and ugly as hell. Sofas and chairs that deflated and disintegrated faster than they went out of style.

IKEA got to be as big as they are by offering much, much better "cheap" furniture - better designed, better built - at even lower prices. Whatever environmental impact they have is certain to be much smaller than the impact all of the cheap hacks they replaced were having. Do you think those other operations hired even one person to audit where the wood was coming from? Did they flat-pack most of their goods in order to increase the amount they could pack into a container ship or warehouse in a given location? Oh, hell no!

I also find it hilarious that Ellen Ruppel Shell thinks it's bad that IKEA's furniture is made from particleboard and pine. What would Princess Ellen have our furniture made out of? Mahogany? Zebrawood? Unicorn farts and pixie dust? Thank god IKEA uses pine and particleboard, fast growing junk wood that regrows fairly quickly. If everybody ran out tomorrow and bought furniture that was designed to last 500 years, there wouldn't be a stick of hardwood left on the planet earth.

Ellen Ruppel Shell sounds like yet another clueless elitist poseur, one who couldn't think her way out of a flatpack cardboard box. She probably had a nervous breakdown trying to follow the kindergarten-simple instructions that accompanied a Billy bookcase, and now harbors a grudge.

The more I read about this book - there was an article regarding it at Salon the other day - the dumber it gets. Another complaint Princess Ellen has is that the average IKEA customer drives 50 miles roundtrip. Well, duh! The average American drives a zillion miles to do anything, but that's hardly IKEA's fault. At least in California, IKEA's stores tend to be very centrally-located, but I have no doubt that folks drive in from far away to shop there, because there aren't many alternatives for well-designed cheap furniture. Again, this isn't IKEA's fault - blame every other clueless furniture manufacturer and retailer instead.

Oh, finally, I love the baseless assertion that, IKEA bookcases and chairs, like most cheap objects, resist involvement. O RLY, Ellen? Tell that to the folks over at IKEA Hacker. Heck, I've hacked half a dozen IKEA pieces myself, work I never would have attempted with impractical, expensive pieces of furniture made from rare hardwoods. You can't get much more "involved" than that.

IKEA's furniture may be "designed but not crafted" and "not meant to last a lifetime", but it certainly seems better-engineered than Ellen Ruppel Shell's arguments, and doesn't fall apart half as fast under heavy scrutiny as her book does.

Shell makes all of these negatives points about Ikea. And some of them are legitimate. Some of them, however, are quite shaky.

But, naturally, in a world where we tend to narrowcast our vision, and where people don't look for unbiased reporting, the point of all the good that Ikea does, has sadly been missed.

There is the flat-packing, which is obvious, and the self-serve warehouse, which is less obvious (greener because you're not driving somewhere to pick things up). The fact that they charge for delivery, that they no longer provide (read: give or sell) plastic bags in many of their stores.

The fact that many Ikeas are being renovated for sustainability. The fact that while they do have a number of forests in China and Russia, these are all owned by Ikea, and are well maintained. The forest minders, that Shells speaks of, are there primarily to ensure that the harvesting is done properly, and that the trees can flourish to a point of maximum productivity.

Ikea is also very involved in using alternative materials, such as chairs made from banana leaves or recycled plastic. Their newest chopping board is made entirely from sawdust. They
don't use stain repellents on their sofas. Their appliances all carry the Energy Star symbol. 75% of their products contain renewable materials.

Also, all their stores are along major bus routes, and many offer shuttle service from the downtown core, thus allowing people to carpool for their visit.

Shell argues that Ikea is home to a lot of products that are used and tossed. But, if that were the case, why would they dare offer warranties on their beds, mattresses, kitchen cabinets, sofas, chairs and desks?

I don't think that Ikea is doing *everything* right, but I do think that they are doing a lot better than many of the other retailers in the furniture industry.

(Disclosure: I am a former Ikea employee. However, everything I have posted here can be found on the Ikea Canada website).

Before Ikea, kids out of college had hand-me downs and stuff they hauled home from the curb. There was no pressure to have a "designed" space at 21. Now, design manufacturers even target dorms.

What's causing environmental waste is impatience. No one wants to spend 10 years acquiring nice furniture. They want to go to one or two stores and have their apartment "done" right away.

And anyone who takes a longer view, collecting quality pieces one at a time, is often scorned for not having any "design sense.

like all things, it's not so horrible in moderation. some of us just can't afford other things. & when it comes to window coverings or a nice organizing system for your kitchen, they can't be beat.

most of my stuff are nice, vintage pieces i got from craig, ebay, or relatives. but sometimes, ikea fills a need.

I despise IKEA and always will. Cheap, tacky 50's looking garbage that will sit forever in garbage dumps instead of being handed down generation to generation.
I do not now nor will I ever bring this standard issue garbage near, never mind anywhere in my house. It screams boring. Gotta ask those 'what would I do without IKEA' garbage collectors: isn't it so embarrassing to go into your friends or coworkers homes to see the exact same thing looking as ugly in their homes as it does in yours?
While I do not collect Roche, Lignet or any other high end furniture and accessories, I do love the creativity and ultra exclusive products they use to construct their lines.
The rooms and rooms of very nice furnishings we now have have been handed down for generations and have been added to a few newer pieces to make for one heck of a high style house. All it takes is a little imagination and an adventurous spirit.
Forget the IKEA people, I am sure we have all been out of college dorms for decades now, right?

I certainly understand the appeal of IKEA. They have a darn good design team that makes that store pop and their items are unique. My first trip there 14 years ago left me breathless.
As i have read more and understand the repercussions of mass production on the environment and the health of individuals in places like China, the glow has worn off. I wouldn't, however, single out IKEA. Many of the major retailers shelves are filled with mass produced, cheaply made junque. We have become stuff addicted and stores are the dealers.

Many of the major retailers shelves are filled with mass produced, cheaply made junque.

And this is new how exactly? We've been mass producing cheap furniture since the industrial revolution.

[IKEA] positions outlets far from city centers, where taxes are low and commuting costs high—the average IKEA customer drives 50 miles round-trip.

The problem with making blanket claims like the above - which is a blatant lie in both Australian cities I've lived in - is that I then regard the rest of the assertions as rubbish as well.

"Stick to reality" is a good idea for articles, otherwise it's clearly - as in this example - simply propaganda.

One good thing on IKEA stuff (buying it second-hand): you can easily find on craigslist what you are looking for.
Just enter the IKEA-name (Malm, Kramfors or whatever ..) and you get it ...
I bought the furniture for my whole apartement used at craigslist (LA-area) and could resell it after 3 years for ~75% of the price I payed! - this is what I call sustainable. (the craigslist price is normaly 40-60% of the original price w/o taxes).

I am sure we have all been out of college dorms for decades now, right?

um. no. I'm living in a rental one-bedroom, which I only moved into about a year ago. I discovered AT through a friend of mine living in my dormitory.

So for the record, it's not just the upper class who visit Apartment Therapy and its other websites. Please don't act like it.

thanks kaitlin, you said exactly what i thought. i just moved out of a dorm, and my family hasn't been here for generations to pass things down...sorry, but i'm a near-broke graduate student, I can't afford (or move from apt to apt) furniture that can't be disassembled for the most part

I agree that we all have been able to update, fix, and hack our ikea, but we're AT readers... I feel like we have a natural drive to do this. Most people don't. My Malm came from someone's curb, and it just needed a fresh coat of paint to look new again. The previous owners figured trashing it would be best. So wasteful. But we here can keep up the good work!

@sunspot42, you are on the money, every word.

@kaitlin, thanks for articulating the IKEA good side. You mentioned that you agree with some points the author made ... care to elaborate at all?