apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This company is going to make a fortune.

So then you have an instantly recognisable Ikea piece covered in an instantly recognisable Marimekko fabric. How does this alleviate any awkwardness?

The slipcovers are all right, but I'd like to point out that IKEA is not quite ubiquitous in many parts of the US. Probably KLIPPAN is instantly recognizable for people who read home blogs, and the same with EXPEDIT. Otherwise... the nearest IKEA stores to me are three and four hours away in various directions. Their furniture isn't yet very common in this city.

I think the slipcovers are gorgeous! However....they're expensive. For the price of the IKEA piece and the Bemz slipcover, it would make more sense to buy a better quality piece, IMO.

I agree with Miranda. I'm a little over 2 hours from the nearest Ikea. People ask me all the time where my Ikea pieces came from. So for some of us, Ikea is both a good choice based on price but also on style. I can't afford more, know I'm not exactly original in the eyes of most, but then no one is walking around my place yelling "Malm! Kappa light!"

the Ikea phobics are really entertaining :-D what is the problem with a piece being recogniseably Ikea (or Marimekko)?

(well said, ThatGirl :-D )

The only people who recognize Ikea are the people who already shop there themselves.

That first example makes my eyes want to vomit.

People are really funny about Ikea. We moved into an apartment that had no closet in the bedroom, so I went and got a tall Pax wardrobe (we have 11ft ceilings). We had some friends over who had seen our old bedroom with the same furniture and suddenly, according to them, we now have an Ikea bedroom.

I do like those slipcovers, though.

I like IKEA and I like Marimekko AND I love the pinwheel design in the first picture. (No vomiting eyes, here!)

IKEA is still pretty new around here (over an hour away, and only in the last couple of years) so it's not as ubiquitous and more established areas, but as I said, *I* like it. If I like something, I couldn't care less what other people think. I certainly am not going to buy classy expensive furniture I can't afford so other people are impressed by my exquisite taste! Or something.

I'm proud of my frugal ways, and how I can make a room look good on a budget. IKEA is at least contemporary, not more of the boring, ugly (although potentially valuable) traditional antique stuff everyone in New England seems to favor. But that's me -- and everybody's taste varies, thank goodness.

I think these slipcovers would be great for someone a bit tired of their current IKEA look, to jazz things up. I don't think I'd buy both new furniture and the slipcovers due to the total cost.

My husband looked over my shoulder at these and shuddered. "Don't you do anything like that."

Marimekkko & IKEA. Snobs all over AT are quaking in their Santanas... ~:o)

maike: I totally agree. I think there's a snob factor there (people don't want other people to see that they have the same cheap furniture everyone has).

I swear I see the same three or four MCM pieces (Saarinen tulip table, Eames shell chair, Eames lounge chair, etc.) in every single AT house tour or contest entry. How is that any more original than having a Poang chair, Expedit bookcase or Lack shelf? The only difference seems to be the air of exclusivity that expensive items can give.

Hmmm -

For the price of a $500 IKEA sofa and a $400 BEMZ slipcover, you could have gotten a $900 sofa from Room and Board or Macy's...