Comments (22)

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  I have the Malm dresser: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80053933 and chest with 2 drawers (nightstands): http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90053918. When we bought it, there were nicks in the furniture and assemble pieces missing. We took pictures of the damage to Ikea and they gave us a 40 dollar credit. Of course it is made particleboard and fiberboard so it is not the best material. We have had this furniture since '07 and a piece from the side is coming off. Overall we are pleased with our furniture, but I know once I buy a house I will definitely look for something nicer. Report Spam Posted by naominh at 12:45 PM on 02/20/10

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  My entire bedroom is pretty much from IKEA lol... I've never had any trouble with my IKEA furnature, but I will say that the directions aren't very easy to understand if you don't have building experience...Overall, though I've never had any problems with the paint or materials for two years, so I'd definately say it's worth your money. @naominh- that's weird I've never had missing parts...I guess it depends on the store Report Spam Posted by crayola09 at 1:45 PM on 02/20/10

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  It depends on the piece, some are worthless and some are great. The best thing to do is go to an Ikea store and give whatever furniture your considering a good shake, alot of people do it so you shouldn't get in trouble. Another is to look at the materials its built with, if it made with solid wood instead of veneer or plastic chances are more time and money were put into making it, though it will also be a bit more expensive. I have the Expedit Media Center and its very sturdy, holds my tv and all of my dvds. So maybe expedit shelving will be good too. Report Spam Posted by evegno at 2:11 PM on 02/20/10

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  If you are looking for pieces that are going to last the rest of your life...No. But if you are looking for a cheap way to fill up your house with furniture there are a lot of good pieces at IKEA. I 2nd evegno with the shake test. I have found all the things fairly easy to put together but I'm pretty handy with a tool belt. If you aren't in a rush I'd recommend hitting up the yard sales, thrift shops and 2nd hand places for furniture. If you are crafty at all you can make old pieces look amazing. My college roommate and I did up our living room with 2nd hand furniture and it turned out fab. An old cedar chest was our coffee table. We had wood couches and he sewed new slipcovers for the cushions. Behind the couch we had a giant headboard for a bed that held potted plants. A corner table was 5 bucks at a yard sale...it needed sanding and a new coat of paint. The only thing that wasn't 2nd hand was a recliner that my mom gave me. The other plus about 2nd hand is that if it is good enough to be sold again, it probably is high quality stuff. Report Spam Posted by elenalee at 2:29 PM on 02/20/10

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  i have many ikea furnitures and i think they work perfetly and i had them for pretty much a long time but some r not really worth buying but some r great,last long,and r cheap Report Spam Posted by hancutie261 at 2:47 PM on 02/20/10

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  I have a white bookshelf from IKEA, its really sturdy and great! i love it. Report Spam Posted by sarahdipityyy at 2:53 PM on 02/20/10

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  Thank you so much to everyone who has replied thus far! I don't have an IKEA store nearby to test anything out easily (drat!), but my husband is going to Atlanta for his work at the end of March and I think I'll accompany him to do the shake test :) Report Spam Posted by maliciousgnome at 3:22 PM on 02/20/10

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  I move about as frequently as anyone I know, and I like IKEA furniture because it has a high resale value on Craigslist. It also makes it easy to part ways with a piece of furniture since you can almost always rely on finding it again (or something similar) if you might want to replace it back at the store. The only drawbacks are that the finishes are veneers so they don't take kindly to moisture or radiant heat. Also, the edges are soft so if you move around you have to be careful not to ding them. I'm not a fan of their couches or other non-particle board furniture. That stuff can't quite stand up to normal wear & tear. Good luck! Report Spam Posted by hrothgars at 3:30 PM on 02/20/10

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  They may make fun of it in Fight Club, but the in-store displays are also a big help. They really show how to maximize the use of a given space... Report Spam Posted by hrothgars at 3:35 PM on 02/20/10

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  I love love love Ikea when I'm shopping, then I start to feel bad when I'm buying it, and I really really hate it when I'm putting it together.Here's the bottom line that I've arrived at after 15 years of being a sometimes-devoted Ikea fan:1. If you can get solid wood, do. It will last and it will be sturdy for a much longer time than particle board (which is 90% of their stuff).2. Measure twice, buy half. By this, I mean be absolutely sure that what you are buying will fit in your space, and if you're not entirely certain, skip it.3. You're not buying a life. I've gone into Ikea too many times looking at all the super cute things they have, only to be disappointed when my apartment looks like an Ikea showroom when I get home.4. The Ikea catalog is a great style guide, but don't overlook flea markets and vintage. The Ikea catalog can be a great shopping start but so many things in it in it are better when they're old. Tear out pictures from it, and take them to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill shops.I hope this helps! PS, I love the Expedit system and the Ribba frames and nearly all the bedding. Report Spam Posted by hbomb at 6:51 PM on 02/20/10

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  i've purchases several bookcases and they were easy to put together (i always use soap to lubricate the screws and woodglue to set in the holes). we use the little strips to attach the bookcases to the wall and with my kitties climbing and jumping i have had no probs. getting the product to the car and up three flights of stairs... not so easy :P... The finished product looks nice, and if we have to move and they get dinged... i won't feel bad for ditching them. i don't think i would buy anything with plasic on it though.http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/13690607 (bought this in red) Report Spam Posted by faerieye at 8:10 PM on 02/20/10

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  If you plan on moving any time in the near future, or at all frequently, I would not recommend buying anything from Ikea. It does not move well, and after a couple moves it will probably fall apart. The best pieces are the ones that are made primarily from solid wood, but then those are more expensive too. That said, Ikea is certainly much cheaper than most alternatives. Another thing you could look for is a liquidation store, or a furniture warehouse. A lot of times they have really good prices on furniture. Report Spam Posted by lynnie482 at 11:05 PM on 02/20/10

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  Things that come from Ikea are always recognizable as from Ikea and I began to feel weird about having them in my home so I got rid of some them. Even painting them didn't change that. I would definitely shop there in moderation, and be aware that their lamps are very low wattage and don't cast much light. Report Spam Posted by lavabunny at 7:42 AM on 02/21/10

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  I love my IKEA furniture! My boyfriend and I bought our big kitchen table, two smaller tables (which we use as desks), eight of their cheapest wood chairs, the EXPEDIT bookcase, and some of their cheapest lamps. My only complaint with our tables is that it is a soft wood so you have to be careful not to throw heavy/pointy objects onto them the wrong way. Not a huge deal and it's def something you will notice about the wood in the store. We have moved three times with this furniture and it still looks great! I also own living room furniture from a bigger well known furniture store and I personally don't think that it is any better than IKEA. I would def recommend IKEA furniture. I want some of the same bedroom furniture you do - especially now that the prices have gone down on a lot of the pieces! Report Spam Posted by konde1kn at 10:29 AM on 02/21/10

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  A big thank you to the second round of commenters! :D I am taking everyone's tips into consideration. I definitely think I might buy a few pieces from IKEA but will also look for some sturdier pieces via thrift stores/Goodwill/flea markets. I'm also eyeing a few pieces at Target and Walmart. Thank you to everyone who has provided input! :) Report Spam Posted by maliciousgnome at 12:43 PM on 02/21/10

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  I like the look of IKEA furniture and whatnot, but have never bought anything from them. It's tempting as I love the clean lines of some of the pieces I have seen, but I would be unsure about the durability of it all. When I buy things I want them to last so when I'm buying furniture for my first home this summer I'm going for classic things that are going to last - it just makes sense to me. Report Spam Posted by x0xsharicex0x at 2:07 PM on 02/21/10

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  IKEA! Yeah, do it. My mom and sister are pretty much obsessed with Ikea. I think the furniture stands on its own, and its all such a good price! Report Spam Posted by dreapuff at 3:57 PM on 02/22/10

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  I have a CD tower from them and I really like it. It is a little confusing to put together but once you start it gets easier. Report Spam Posted by adri_ba_dadri at 11:25 AM on 02/23/10

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  I've thrifted almost all of my furniture, but I did have the malm bed and occasional table and I currently have a little glass top accent table and the Billy bookshelves. The bookshelves have made it through six moves and the only place they're getting a little sad is the sheeting on the back. (I also LOAD them with books, records, movies, crystal.) I haven't asked the accent table to do anything too strenuous but it does seem fairly sturdy. I put the bed under a tremendous amount of stress, including a move, and it showed a fair amount of nicks by the end but it never got unsturdy. So I'd have to second seeing everything in the showroom and really testing it out well. I've noticed that things that have a lot of points of bracing (like the expedit) seem much sturdier than long, thin, open pieces. I think if you're mixing and matching from all over the place, a few Ikea pieces can fit in really well and they're always there for you in a pinch if you need something and can't find it elsewhere. Report Spam Posted by alicatstrut at 6:30 PM on 02/23/10

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  Aside from cheap hot dogs and other food I don't really like Ikea, but they have lots of good designs for cheap. They're tough to beat for the price. Some of their stuff is cheaper (in quality) that others but it's usually pretty easy to tell. You might also consider asking friends and relatives if they've got any old furniture they're looking to get rid off. Every time I've moved I've had multiple people who were very eager for me to take their old/unused furniture away.If you're desperate you can drive to my neighborhood and take your pick from any of the abandoned couches and tables that sprout on the sidewalks every spring. Just make sure you harvest them before the rainy season... Report Spam Posted by mikhail at 4:03 AM on 02/24/10

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  Basically what you need to do, is do what someone up above suggested and shake test the items you look at at Ikea. Ive purchased several things from there, some have been sturdy and great others not so much. If id checked out the sample they had made up then I would of saved myself the time. The site should have reviews of certain items to. A few Ikea pieces would be great, but I dont reccomend going whole heartdly Ikea. Theres also nothing wrong with going cheap while you save up the money to purchase a better quality item. Of course my mother always said "poor people cant afford to buy cheap things" meaning you buy quality the first time around so it doesnt fall apart on you and usually has some sort of warranty. IDK...Good luck! Report Spam Posted by toshiba1 at 12:43 AM on 02/25/10

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  All I know is my grandma love all the Ikea peices she has!!! : } Report Spam Posted by kelsjax at 9:57 PM on 03/04/10