I went to IKEA today. I do this sometimes because it’s relatively close to where I drop off my older child at preschool, the air conditioning is fabulous, and I can feed the younger one meatballs and drag him around with the promise of a $1.00 soft serve when I’m done perusing. I love IKEA. For many reasons. It reminds me that I’m a grown up and should refrain from buying anything there.
HA! Of course I still get stuff every time. Heck, I’m an IKEA Family Member! My current house is filled with IKEA wares. My kitchen for one is all IKEA cabinets. My dishes live on IKEA shelves, the kids’ toys are in a MALM, we have a damn KIVIK couch! I am surrounded by cheap furniture at the moment. I kind of love/hate it. It works for now with two littles that destroy things just by looking at them. But in my head, I keep thinking I don’t want IKEA all over my new home when we move in. Or so I say now… I have a sinking feeling that the new house will again be filled with practical and cheap IKEA stuff. For one, we are reusing all of our current kitchen cabinets (and adding a few units) until we can afford custom cabinets. The kids will get the GODMORGON we currently own, repurposed into their bathroom. I’ve already planned out my master closets in a row of PAX units. And how much do you want to bet our nasty, chocolate and booger smeared IKEA couch will somehow migrate into the new house as well? Until I can afford the Design Within Reach couch of my dreams, KIVIK it is?
Yes, I’m a grown-up and I shouldn’t have IKEA furniture all over my house, but you know what? IKEA does a lot of things right for, well, cheap and it looks pretty darn good for the most part until it falls apart. Yes, you have to assemble practically everything from the flat pack. Yes, the picture book directions are hell. (They should really consult with the LEGO people!) But sometimes IKEA is just the right solution for the budget conscious parent with kids that ruin everything anyway.
Partial inventory of IKEA in our current home:
And countless other items that are not even on their website anymore…
It’s practically shameless! I actually have more IKEA surrounding me than I ever thought possible!
C’est La Vie.
-K