The line is actually called 'IKEA PS' not just 'PS'

The following page gives a brief write-up on what the IKEA PS line is about

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/rooms_ideas/PS/index.html

Ikea is a trash store polluting our planet with throw away everything. It makes me sick that on any given Saturday the store/warehouse is packed full of people taking away cheap crap that will be in a land fill in 2 years. The world already has tons of stuff in it, go to a thrift store and make a find or put a little love into a piece to refresh it instead or encouraging Ikea to produce more press board and veneer junk.

This reminds me of a posting about what decorating items are out, (ie. antlers, etc). The best part of the article were the posts after condemning trendy decorators (people who buy plastic antlers from pottery barn) and promoting decorating as a statement of yourself and what you like, not replicating a page of an ikea catalog. This kind of trendy and of the moment decorating is not only completely unoriginal but extremely wasteful. I bet I could go to the Goodwill tomorrow and find a bunch of plastic antlers or whatever was the trend that is now out. Ikea promotes this same wasteful decorating and I'm sure that ugly metal moose will end up at Goodwill in droves as well.

The only top find at an Ikea is the exit.

Whoa, Nick, chill out. You aren't going to change society with a single ranting blog comment.

"packed full of people taking away cheap crap that will be in a land fill in 2 years"

Funny, there's an ikea desk in my study/second bedroom that's been around since the 1980s. I'm sitting at an ikea table typing this, which I've had for more than five years - it's solid timber - and there's an ikea bookcase behind me that I got second-hand two and a half years ago, and it was already quite old then.

Yeah seriously Nick. Take a chill pill. I've had my ikea entertainment center for 5 years and plan to have it for a long long time. But i appreciate that you think its cheap cheap crap.

Nick has clearly never thrifted in some of the areas I have lived in (and currently reside).

Yeah- I've got some solid Ikea pieces that have been around as long as I have- and some of solid wood. In my experience- they're as good or better than many of the other 'affordable' furniture places.

Anyways- I love that moose hook!!!!! I went to pick it up (we're in the market for an entryway hook) but didn't check the measurements. It's HUUUGE!!!! I still love it, but it just wont fit where we need it lol.

Nick, go get a drink!

Does anyone knows if the Ikea PS collection is going to be availble at all Ikea stores? I live in TX and none of the three stores here carry any of the new items. I really love some of the pieces but how to get them, ordering online/phone and paying the shipping is not an option, when I have that many stores within driving distance.

I recently browsed some thrift stores. Around here, there's mostly old furniture that was low quality to begin with. There's also plenty of damaged-beyond-repair or smoke-infused furniture and old veneer. No amount of love could have fixed the goods at most of the stores I went to. Let's face it, we often select furnishings based on aesthetics. As an aside, not everything from IKEA is made from particle board or plastic. IKEA is a great source of materials to be hacked.

ivpb74 - I recently called Ikea and the person that I spoke with stated that the Ikea PS collection is only available in select stores for the foreseeable future. They couldn't give me a reason.

I really like the Slingra chair.

Nicky, Nicky, Nicky, what a little snob you are. Along with several original danish pieces from the 50's/60's, I have some Ikea pieces that are 8 years old and have happily survived 4 moves. Additionally Ikea has some very nice textiles. Their kitchen cabinetry uses Blum hardware and is equal to many of the euro cabinetmakers.

What a dildo. Many of us have had pieces for more than 2... more than 10 years... hell even longer. We've kept our stuff forever and have made things from their as-is pieces. Clearly not a waste for us.

Please, you could say the same thing about Walmart, Target, etc. At least there is a community here that says if you like something you buy from IKEA, use a few of these ideas & hacks to put your own twist on it, so you won't get tired of it after 2 years and throw it away.

Speaking of pollution, stop throwing up in the comment section.

comment vomit! dallas10086 you are HILARIOUS! haha

Dallas .... nicely put.
dunklekatze you get bonus points for the appropriate use of the term dildo... I would also have accepted Douche... I have several Eames and Saarinen pieces in my house and my daughter sleeps in a Stokke crib and eats from a Stokke high chair and yet I am still happy to tell you that I have several pieces from Ikea... all of which are more than two years old.
PS your dinner parties must be a riot!

I purchased my adjustable metal shelves in 1996. Too bad they dont make them any more. Best thing since sliced bread.

I agree w/ Nick to a certain extent - IKEA is mostly filled with crap, and most of it comes from places like China and Bangladesh.

Sure, there are a few pieces that have survived for years - particularly the older stuff which was better made and items that aren't hollow...
...and sure, there are some pieces from there that are well made: But those are the exceptions, not the rule.

It's a shame that folks don't see what IKEA has become and what it's doing to our industry here at home - They only see the low-low prices.

Love it or loathe it, IKEA is here to stay. To which I say ... YAY!!!

I love vintage pieces and most of my stuff is in that category. However, over the years I've added a few IKEA pieces to the mix, and would not ever part with them. They are all in perfect condition after many years and a couple of intercontinental moves which involved disassembly and reassembly.

Viva IKEA!!!

even their cheap stuff holds up good if you don't treat your furniture like crap. I have a lack coffee table, the cheap one, like $25, we have had it for 3 years now, and it has been through a move, and it still is fine. We'll replace it one day, but it seems to be doing quite fine.

really dig the moose hook. Would be perfect for my dad, eh collect moose stuff, and this could go out in his barn, i don't think he has enough room for it out there though, since the walls are filled with tools.

I'm not a fan of IKEA's particle board and veneer stuff, but some of their solid hardwood items are quite nice. Like most people, I prefer well-made solid wood furniture and usually turn to resale shops for my furnishings, but IKEA is great for filling in the holes.

I have a small solid pine dresser from them that I've used as an underwear drawer for five years now and have no intention of tossing. My outdoor set is solid acacia and held up well through its second summer. A cheap pine side table I bought ages ago in college that I outgrew in terms of decor is enjoying a second life as a printer stand.

I've had my Ikea bed and mattress for almost nine years now. I installed Ivar components in my closets 3 years ago and they're still going strong. I've got a little pine table from Ikea that served as a tv stand in my first apartment 12 years ago and now serves as a printer stand in my little office area. As with any large retail chain, you can find some crappy stuff at Ikea. But you can also find some great bargains that last a long while, so long as you don't abuse them.

Between 1970 and 2000, the US population increased 37%, and the average home size increased 66%. Also older furniture does wear out. So, even if you like the style and function of older furniture, there is not enough thrift store furniture to go around. Something has to fill the void. You might also notice that Value City and some other popular starter furniture stores have low quality furniture. None can beat IKEA for variety of other home goods offered.

"It's a shame that folks don't see what IKEA has become and what it's doing to our industry here at home - They only see the low-low prices."

That's making a pretty big leap. Just because you shop at IKEA (as many of us do, often due to circumstance), doesn't mean you're not aware of or concerned about those issues. But let's face it: Where else should people in lower income brackets get furniture? Target? Walmart? Oh no, you say, what about vintage stores? Hey, not everyone has access to good vintage. Maybe it's possible to find stuff in major metropolitan areas, but quality vintage isn't easy to find everywhere.

Having the option to not shop at big box stores is a luxury that only some can afford.

I love IKEA, but I feel guilty about it. Does that make it more OK?

Is it just me, or does every single post that in any way involves IKEA quickly devolve into the same pointless argument?

IKEA displaced crapfests like Levits. And thank Dog for that.

hey Nick, what would happen if I was to purchase an Ikea product from a thrift shop?

Should I feel guilty, or smug and self righteous?

I love me some Ikea. Love to hack it, make it my own, etc.
And I'm digging the clean lines of that laptop hutch...

Warning, Entourage: purchasing an IKEA product in a thrift shop might cause your brain to explode!

LOL

Scheisse, dude. Chill.

http://cozylittlecave.blogspot.com/2009/10/majestic-moose.html

There is no way that anything that is functional and looks like that is bad. Cheap AND sturdy. Period. I love it.

Nick...bitter much? If its materialism that you're so upset about then it escapes me why you're so angry with a company that makes design cheap and accessible to all, not just the wealthy portions of society. The founder of IKEA is incredibly rich as you can imagine, but the guy only ever flies economy.

And you being upset about people buying trendy and of the moment stuff...who are you to tell them what to buy?! And FYI, the "cheap and trendy" IKEA stuff that my parents bought in the 70s is still in their house and used daily...after having moved with them between 3 different countries. Twice.

Nick - You might enjoy the book "The Natural Step For Business" which outlines how four successful companies including IKEA are positioning themselves for continued success by paying attention to environmental issues. The book was published ten years ago. IKEA is not perfect but flat pack furniture lessens the issue of long distance transportation of products, they have discontinued the use of PBDEs (major chemical issue) and they no longer hand out plastic bags for your purchases to name a few improvements.
Better choice would be to buy a local made product from sustainably harvested lumber but not possible from a cost stand point for many people.

swindienne: (while i love ikea as much as the next guy) you might appreciate this article from the economist... the most illuminating quote "Clearly, the Kamprad family pays the same meticulous attention to tax avoidance as IKEA does to low prices in its stores..."

I know this won't make me popular here, but I've got to agree with Nick to a certain extend.

IKEA has recently been accused to be using wood from virgin forests in the Russian Federation, wood that is being smuggled into China to end up in your living rooms. Not sustainable, not managed, not in any way responsible.

IKEA and paying corporate taxes. Google it and be amazed. Always just on the right side of the law. Just.

Those are just two issues I personally have with IKEA. For me they are important enough not to shop there anymore, just like I don't show Walmart. For others, maybe not so much. But to tell people with a valid point of view to "take a chill pill" is short sighted.

If you can find it at Goodwill, it's not going into a landfill. It's going to folks who need easily accessible furnishings for their homes.

That's why I started off buying furniture at Ikea. They make furnishings that your average person can easily afford. So get off the high horse. Not everyone can drop $2k on a new sofa or a bed for their kids. Ikea fills a need that wasn't available previously. When I was a single mom and suddenly had to outfit an entire household, I was very thankful for Ikea as a resource and that at least I could get cute things for my home that I could not only afford, but could enjoy.

Anyone who tells anyone else how to shop or where they should shop needs a reality check - you are not better than anyone else. There is research that can be done regarding everything you do, buy, work, and eat that would make you wrong as well. We do as much as we can as often as we can. Ew, people, EW.

@ andreasduess - While I don't condone the ravaging of Russian forests, if I were running a public company I would also try and find ways to minimize the taxes I pay. If the laws exist that allow companies like IKEA to use creative accounting methods to minimize taxes, that's a problem that's much larger than IKEA's executives utilizing them. To do otherwise would be financially irresponsible to their shareholders.

I don't think Nick deserves a lot of the vitriol he's gotten in the comments. I have some Ikea items, and I do appreciate the cheap storage solutions, but I think he has a point. We all just have so much stuff.

It sounds counterintuitive, but because of the relatively new surge of products that are reasonably priced and well-designed, it's so tempting to consume more, and "re-do" your space even when it's not necessary.

As an example, just look at all the waste college students leave when they move out of their dorms for the summer.

Has anyone done research into what other furniture companies do? We're all talking about how IKEA is an evil company, so we should shop somewhere else, but no one talks about WHAT company would be good to shop with.

Crate and Barrel and CB2 use the same type of construction in their products that IKEA does. Read their tags.