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Am I crazy to think $400 is not a reasonable price point for this given that it's Ikea?

Love Ikea! On the blog www.cococozy.com...there is a whole ikea kitchen using high end upgrades like CeasarStone Counters, Kohler Sinks, and AKC faucets. Also, in one living room recreate it shows how to incorporate an ikea leather sofa with other high end items.

Nice find with this cabinet by the way!!!

Also Ikea has a great Saarinen table knock off.

Very sleek and cool! But the white space also tempts me to draw big colorful polka dots on it... ;-)

Bhavna

I agree, Bhavna. It would be tough to buy this and NOT use wall decals on it. Like maybe these, in green... http://www.tonkydesigns.com/borders/islamarch/index.html

I don't think $400 is unreasonable for this item. I paid close to that for a two-cabinet combo from the Effektiv line. It was a lot cheaper than something similar from Blu Dot that I was considering.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcweiss/106041265/in/set-72057594065573151/

In my opinion, these cabinets have held up pretty well; the hinges work great and the doors haven't gone all wonky (like they do on the instore models).

The only problem with the NORRSTEN is that it only comes in white.

The only problem with the Norrsten is that you have to attach it to your wall, otherwise it will topple.

BB: IKEA recommends attaching a LOT of their cabinets to the wall, probably for legal reasons, not that they HAVE to be attached.

Kathryn: The Effektiv line is from IKEA's office products line and from my experience is constructed more durably than many of their other products. Not saying that the NORRSTEN isn't constructed durably, just that it may not be.

thanks Daily Nuance. Unfortunately, I've learned the hard way in not following IKEA's directions exactly -- specifically a bookshelf that came crashing down! -- so if I ever by IKEA again, I just wouldn't want to take the chance. Too bad for me because I am looking for a white cabinet and I just don't want to drill holes in my walls.

Is there some new creative direction at Ikea these days? I feel like the design/quality of the newer products I've seen in-store this spring has been vastly improved.

ANY large cabinet or bookcase should be attached to the wall for safety reasons. Especially if you have little climbers around. I haven't seen this piece in the wild yet, but it looks very interesting. Especially with drawers inside the doors. Can't wait for them to introduce it in black-brown.

IKEA's furniture isn't designed any differently than other similar pieces and they usually suggest attaching to the walls to prevent children from pulling them over/climbing etc. (Which is mainly to cover its a$$ from lawsuits) Or for items with heavy doors that when open, may cause the item to tip.

A note for items at IKEA that are higher quality such as Effektiv...IKEA's philosphy is to offer several price points (usually three or four) for the same function and in each style category (hence wood vaneer vs. the fake stuff etc.). Also, several product lines, particulary in storage/display, kitchen, and office are rated for business use and since they will get more use, they're generally constructed stronger and cost more in comparison to other IKEA items.

I've had the tall wide Billy bookcases for at least 20 years- never attached them to a wall, never had a problem. I don't have any climbers in the house- I can see that the straps would be necessary under those circumstances. I've never actually attached any of my furniture with those little straps so I have stacks of them cluttering up my tool box...

i think 400 bucks is too much to pay for a cabinet made out of particleboard.

maybe if you set it up and never move or move it, it will last... but these things disintegrate when they are moved and taken apart.

I really think here, what you're paying for isn't materials, but design. Just saw a few like these in Met Home Mag and they were priced at $1,500; yeah materials might've been... $50-100 more expensive, but what you're paying for is design. Either you like it, or you get a 20 buck Walmart piece.

I can totally see this hack into the Crepax Kadhorna cabinet at Moss and save $5K!
http://www.mossonline.com/product-exec/product_id/41321/category_id/459

Sorry, I meant $7K.