Filed under: Design, etc, News & Trends
Ana Resende
The year was 1990. The place: Elizabeth, N.J.
At the time I was living with my husband-to-be in a tiny Manhattan pre-war apartment. We were jonesing for a kitchen update, but we didn't want to spend a pretty penny on a dime-size redo. And then one day the IKEA catalog landed in our mailbox, a vision of what our eating space could be. It was most opportune timing. It would be the first time I laid eyes on big blue.
So off we went to the Elizabeth IKEA, and without much planning, we bought three kitchen cabinets and some shelves. Back in the city, we grabbed a few friends, and we had a more organized and efficient kitchen by that afternoon.
I think it was love at first sight.
Up until September 2007, my visits were far and few between. If I happened to rent a car and found myself by Exit 13A of the NJ Turnpike I would get off the highway and visit. If I was traveling in a city that had an IKEA within 20 miles or so, I would make the time to visit. I have been to stores in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Hicksville, Paramus and Elizabeth. For years, I was convinced that the root of my lust was in IKEA's inaccessibility. I started to believe IKEA was playing hard to get, or maybe I should say, hard to get to.
I was wrong. Now, I have a store just 30 minutes away from my home in Florida and I visit regularly. Its presence has only made my heart grow fonder. As a mom, a homeowner, and a professional stylist and writer, IKEA is the perfect blend of business and pleasure. I can entertain my kids, get work done, and find ideas for my home. While I am not crazy about the metaphor I am about to use, I am crazy for IKEA. Every trip is like killing two birds -- sometimes more -- with one stone.
Twenty years later, that true love remains. I still get a familiar rush of giddiness when in proximity. IKEA's good looks and ultra-fair prices have always made my heart go pitter-pat. I'm far from alone: At last count, the official IKEA Facebook page had 92K fans. The number increases daily. People post from all over the world, in multiple languages. The profess adoration, beg for stores to open in their area, and naturally, the vent too.
Happy anniversary to you, IKEA. Two decades could strain a relationship, but not you and me; we've made quite the team. Here are 10 reasons why our relationship works.
Style meets function: At left, the Hemnes mirror. At right, a milk glass vase that sits on my kitchen counter, holding straws. It makes me smile everyday.
1. We share values. High-functioning, stylish living at budget-friendly cost is important to both of us. Your business model is to offer a wide range of choices "at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them." I couldn't have said it better myself. As a writer, I get my thrills discovering great style that's neither bank-breaking or ball-busting. I still think one of the biggest style bangs for-the-buck is the 65" Hemnes mirror for $99.
2. You challenge me. I see in you things that I lack in myself. I yearn for simplicity and order, and you are a symbol for what I can be. You represent clean, organized living. Over the years, I've leaned on you for organizational support: magazine holders, Trofast, wire-drawer systems and laundry carts. The results, so far, are optimistic but we have a ways to go.
I am a fan of this white bedroom. It's pure, breath-taking and glam. Every time I pass this particular display, I imagine myself in this bed. Photo: Ana Resende
3. You enrich my fantasy life. I've always had decorating dreams; I now call them fantasies. Beyond the décor, I envision the lifestyle that goes with it. I stop in front of this white bedroom of yours and my mind takes off. I am freshly showered, propped up on downy pillows in the Aspelund bed, one leg under a floaty duvet, the other on top. My sweet labradoodle is good company. I am wearing a linen robe, and I am engrossed in a great novel. A soft glow radiates from Fillsta lamp ($29.99) which, of course, is on a dimmer. The bedside table, glimmering with some shiny silver glam, holds a big white mug filled with Darjeeling tea with cream, lightly sweetened. It is quiet. I am content.
It's no different when I flip through the catalog. It's a page-by-page seduction of how my life could look. Modern, but not sterile, organized but not stiff, colorful yet not chaotic. Two million people receive the IKEA catalog worldwide. It's the world's most distributed free publication. I wonder if those people are fantasizing about you too?
4. You have faith in humanity.
When I visit you, I never feel like Big Brother is watching. You aren't policed like other stores. I've never seen anyone reprimanded for unruliness. There seems to be a "Please touch" policy here. People get comfortable -- really comfortable -- in the room settings, and yet the crowd seems to know boundaries. Joseph Roth, director of U.S. public affairs, says, "IKEA is designed to make people feel at home." They "move in", plunk down on mattresses, sink into sofas, run their fingers through shag rugs, and slurp up meatballs. There's an unspoken trust. It's pretty much anything goes. I just love that freedom.
5. There's very little drama. Some people thrive on the drama in a relationship; I don't. Some people publicize tales of woe about your ready-to-assemble furniture and customer service. Not me. Every now and again, I've had to drill my own holes to make things fit, but that's no biggie. In the long haul, I've had many more rewards than disappointments. The only real "bad date" was with a Malm bed back in 2004. With the lure of plenty of Pinot Grigio and a Mediterranean spread from Whole Foods, a few girlfriends came over to my New York apartment to help me redecorate the bedroom. (It was actually featured in Country Living magazine).I was excited. But after 3 hours, no progress, some profanity, and one head injury, I took a deep breath and said, "Let's pack this up. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." I could have bitched. I chose not to.
6. I'm in good company. Not that it matters, but when you really like somebody or something, it's nice to know that your peers approve. Many members of the style elite -- editors of glossy shelter publications - are wild about you too. Sarah Gray Miller, editor in chief of Country Living magazine recently bought a boatload of white Rotera lanterns ($5 a piece) to hang from trees at her country house. Patrick Cline, a guy with a great eye and co-founder/director of photography for Lonny Magazine, among other things, has been shopping at the Elizabeth location for years. His most recent acquisition is a brushed steel desk. When he was in Paris recently he scored a vintage gold desk clock to go on top.
7. We've got an open relationship. When I'm with you, IKEA, I want it all. You make me want to zip home and start decorating all over again -- after stopping for your famous dollar frozen yogurt, sometimes. But the drive home calms me and I remember that my style is eclectic; a mix that includes inherited pieces, flea market finds, and leftovers from photo shoots. I have a soft spot for old velvet crazy quilts, paint-by-number art, and traditional camelback sofas. I could never commit to you exclusively. I'll never be faithful to just one style nor do I have to be. And that is perfectly okay.
8. You like kids too. You believe that, "play is the basis for how children learn, develop and become who they are." Your store has an authentic child-friendly vibe that encourages exploration and interaction. You've got one of the best free indoor playgrounds. When I say, "Let's go to Ikea", my kids say, "Yay!" because it's always an adventure. My nine-year old likes Smäland, the established supervised play area, but she also finds plenty of amusement throughout the store. She has done cartwheels in the aisles, practiced yoga in the rug area, and sank into pillow bins. I watch other parents minding strollers and sippy cups as their children test out beds, crawl through tents, and hug stuffed animals.
9. You're kind to the Earth. You've accrued so many accolades over the years. The company is a trailblazer when it comes to social and ethical responsibility, and environmental leadership. That is the ultimate turn-on! Recognition has been given for your efforts to support sustainable forestry and to cut down on greenhouse gases and pollutants. And that's not all. You recently committed to phase out incandescent light bulbs in all stores by 2011.
Roothie, as she is called, is my daughter Sammi's regular sleeping buddy.
10. You are simply irresistible... sometimes. "No more stuffed animals!" I told my children, laying down the new house rule. But I never imagined that I would fall under the bewitching spell of a plush kangaroo that was ridiculously soft and cuddly. I should never have picked it up. At 28" high, with big soft front paws, she felt like a small child in my arms. There was even a baby joey in her pouch. I put her back. I picked her up. I put her back. I left. I returned a few days later and bought her. And she lives with our family, happily ever after.
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or see ShelterPop's past coverage of all things green!