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furniture at Ikea

post #1 of 78
2/21/07 at 6:31pm
Thread Starter 
I need to buy a good leather sofa. A friend advises me that Ikea furniture is "cheap" and won't be durable.

Is he correct?
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post #2 of 78
2/21/07 at 6:34pm
I have a lot of ikea furnature. the exception - I don't buy stuff that you sit on. I have had a sofa and several chairs and they didn't last.
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post #3 of 78
2/21/07 at 6:34pm
Yes. I would rather not have a leather sofa, but a cheap one is horrible. A nice one is simply bad (only IMO).
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post #4 of 78
2/21/07 at 6:42pm
Thread Starter 
What don't you like about leather?

I'm looking for something that won't easily stain, as my current sofa has over the years, and leather seems to be the best choice of material for this reason.
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post #5 of 78
2/21/07 at 7:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dapperdude
What don't you like about leather?

I'm looking for something that won't easily stain, as my current sofa has over the years, and leather seems to be the best choice of material for this reason.
I just think that it is kind of cheesey looking. I don't mind leather chairs, but a big leather sofa screams bachelor pad to me. There are, of course, exceptions.
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post #6 of 78
2/22/07 at 4:58am
yeah, ikea sofas probably won't last 10 years, but a "durable" leather sofa will cost you the price of a new car.

!luc
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post #7 of 78
2/22/07 at 5:26am
I've been to Ikea before and it was a rather surreal experience. The low ceilings and pre-fabricated rooms emphasized the large crowds intent on cheap "designer" goods. There's also a "Swedish" cafe manned by Hispanics; no Swedish chef, but the language barrier was there.
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post #8 of 78
2/22/07 at 1:21pm
I find Ikea furniture intensely depressing and a little bit of me dies every time I assemble or oversee the assembly of some tragic table that I'll probably throw out when I move.
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post #9 of 78
2/22/07 at 1:23pm
Ikea is a great "college students sharing an apartment and we need furniture" store.

Just say NO to particleboard furnishings. When I buy furniture, I don't want to build it.
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post #10 of 78
2/22/07 at 1:28pm
Being as my family is scandinavian, I have a soft spot for Ikea. As an infant, I wore H&M pajamas in an Ikea crib. I've had the Kramfors leather sofa, which is their top of the line, for a couple of years now. It's holding up like a champ. No complaints whatsoever. It's by far my most often-complimented material posession. I agree that their furniture assembly can be a bitch, but for low-intesity usage things, it doesnt bother me. Can't say i'd buy an Ikea bed or kitchen table though. The Kramfors came all in one piece, and its very structurally sound, despite being surprisingly light (just metal beams,dark espresso leather and dense foam... they also have a flat black one, but it looks wicked cheap). When you go to Ikea, I advise going in-through-the-out-door (never bad advice) and pass through the check-out to hit up the as-is section. Thats where returns and display models end up. Some stuff ther is badly damaged, but when a choice piece lands there, it's snatched up immediately. Using this method, I paid under $900 (down from $1400) for my 2 Kramfors sectionals because it was a floor model. Had I taken the normal hourlong-browse upstairs route, i'd never have gotten it.
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post #11 of 78
2/22/07 at 2:19pm
I moved into my apartment not too long ago and furnished it entirely with IKEA. I'm well aware the quality is not great, nor do I particularly care for particleboard, but then again, the fact that I was able to get out of there with just around $1000 worth of damage to furnish the whole place was a greater priority. Furniture gets really expensive fast, and considering I'm just living in a simple studio, there's no reason to spend way above my means for a marginal increase in perceived elegance.
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post #12 of 78
2/22/07 at 2:29pm
One alternative to a leather sofa in a studio might be a futon couch. The coverings are very durable and they double as a bed. Just make sure you get a thick pad that's comfortable for sitting.
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post #13 of 78
2/22/07 at 2:43pm
My first apartment was primarily furnished by ikea. A few of the pieces were fine, and it was a good deal in the end because I had to sell everything two years later before moving abroad.

When I came back to the US I vowed to buy as little from Ikea as possible. My current apartment has only one piece of Ikea furniture - a free-standing metal rack for the kitchen. Great price for a basic, sturdy item.

A little creative shopping can get you better quality or style for roughly the same price, sometimes even cheaper.
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post #14 of 78
2/22/07 at 2:44pm
Ikea is the Armani Collezioni of the furniture world.
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post #15 of 78
2/22/07 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnapril
Ikea is the Armani Collezioni of the furniture world.
wut duz that make Armani Casa?
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