kitchens at ikea were a surprise for me. they are at least as good as the other national manufacturers here. i don't remember them being that good 10 years ago.
i like the kitchen tables there too, and the kids stuff (which now fills my daughters' room) which is very nice (and durable).
techno- I'm going to make a superquick roadtrip of it. I had been planning on going up the coastal roads, stopping for the night in a little town on the CA/OR boarder, really enjoying it. But now it's abbreviated to straight up the 5 as quick as I can, stop in Portland for about six hours to catch some sleep.
On IKEA: as I've been explaining to WonderK elsewhere, I have nothing against the look of IKEA. I just realized lately that I considered much of my IKEA furniture to be disposable (maybe because it has absolutely zero resale value after a couple of years?), and as someone who claims to appreciate design, I'd like things I acquire to have a little more permanence for me. I do really like the 'wares' though, and some of the kitchen fixtures are pretty nice. I remember IKEA was the first place I saw pull-out racks being used instead of drawers, and I was fascinated. Never buy an IKEA plant though, I've tried it several times and every single time they turned out to have bugs.
back in the day if you lived in a large city you could count on finding something good furniture wise next to a dumpster or put out on a curb. now that aint the case as all the furniture people own is cheap crap.
IKEA having food was a phenomena to me. I remember when it was just a warehouse full of stuff. The meatballs take a little getting used to, but when you do...whatch out.
i like buying stuff at IKEA and using it for other things; a galvanized steel shoe rack i use for shelves, a kids wood and plastic storage bin system we use for bathroom storage, two small tv/vcr/dvd units i put casters on and use for little coffee tables....the cheap things they have that i like are the billy? book shelving things, although part bd they do have clean lines abd are simple as crap to fabricate.
I was just in IKEA yesterday. I cannot decide whether I like the place. It is really nothing but a Swedish wal-mart (maybe Target?), but the furniture is pretty good and the cheapest alternative for us, the masses. I like their cinnamon rolls.
rationalist, here in Boston's craigslist you see people selling ikea stuff all the time, you will not make all your money back but it doesn't seem to be too bad.
I value IKEA for a LOT of reasons, most notably their commitment to using young new designers (some straight out of school, intentionally) and paying them to sit and come up with new products.
That is a huge reason why it is not simply "the Swedish Target or Walmart." Target pays well; but does either provide housing for its workers? No. IKEA does.
hmmm i didn't really know that. I was saying more experientially, going there feels like going to wally world or targay, big box, way out on the suburbs (at least here in Boston). I know they try to be a little greener too, but in all reality I think they encourage the repeat mass-consumption of cheap plastic (and non-plastic) stuff as much as the next guy/gal in the biz. Having said that, my entire apt. is an ikea showroom.
I'm exhausted! Honestly exhausted - I can't believe it's only the beginning of week two of a three week program.
It's going great and the kids are doing really well. We had "video night" Friday and showed them a mix of things from the Museum Plaza marketing video to a YouTube clip of computer-projected graffiti writing to Cameron Sinclair speaking at TED.
This last video - Cameron - really inspired the kids, they were so interested in the design projects he showed, and has also influenced our final design project we will assign later this week.
The music and drama students here are also so fun and fearless - maybe I need to gather a few of them to help me create a Tenacious D-type tribute to AFH!!
wow... i'm out of touch for a few days and there's 2-3 new pages on TC... it doesn't usually grow so quickly over the weekend... i've taken today off work to recover from my brain deadness... i've been in david thaddeus' ARE structures seminar since friday... +10 hours days of nothing but structures...
glad to hear that daisy is starting to regain mobility... in other good dog news, my wife took riley (our 9 year old yellow dog) to an eye specialist on friday... our vet had told us that he was developing cataracts... the eye specialist confirmed that it was NOT cataracts, but rather something normal for older dogs...
liberty... you're are correct in the distinction between me and philarch... i'm in florida... philarch is in philly (i think)... i'm pretty sure that there is also a philarct (or something like that)... i've thought avoiding the confusion by coming out of the anonymous closet and switching to my real name... but i haven't gotten around to it yet...
ap, i was in nyc for 1 year, moved in the last week of august, but only stayed downtown until the end of 2001- then i moved to hell's kitchen, which was great for my health in all levels. i was initially next to the southern tip of city hall park.
glad daisy is progressing nicely. i'm not moving anywhere yet but just bought tickets for my next break at the end of august. i'm going to nyc for 3 days [mainly to see the serra show and maybe p.s.1] and then meeting some family in san francisco [i've never been to california!]. yay for travel plans!
I guess I did also hear that IKEA had provided their euro-workers (why not the americans?) with snazzy folding bikes for Christmas one year, so they can't be all bad.
I am officially ick today, and am planning a fun-filled day of lounging face-down on the couch, possibly with ice cream or some other supercold treat.
For what felt like alllll of last night, I dreamt that my back was being eaten by various types of bugs every night as I slept, but doctors thought that the bugs carried contagious diseases, so they quarantined me. But they quarantined me in the room with the bugs so I kept being bitten over and over and over again. So it's a good morning, if only because I'm out of that dream!
i have a severe case of flip-flop tan from a long Saturday at Coney Island. the Mermaid Parade was definitely something else...either the best or worst day to see Coney for the first time.
I wish I could have been there... Coney Island is possibly one of my favorite places in the universe. Hopefully I'll make it next year... Hopefully Coney Island itself will still be there as I know it.
lb - i got your cd in the mail recently! you've got good taste! =) thanks! you'll be getting something from me soon (as soon as i stop procrastinating, that is).
coney island is a poetic place to see on an overcast day with windows boarded up and only two people left in the train. just record the sounds and take 3-4 black and white pictures.1981
That's why I asked you to say 'hi' to her for me, preferably in person. Hopefully I'll see plenty of her soon enough, since she's moving around the same time as WonderK, right?
AP, AP-gf, and I weathered a recent trip to Ikea! I ate the hot dog. And the ice cream cone. If I'd had more time I would have had the meatballs.
I think some of the furniture is OK. You have to see it in person to see which things are flimsy and which are nicer. I got a work table top and legsand some file cabinets (red) as well as some small household items (over-the-door hooks, bathmat, curtain rods, etc.) but I too feel that I am mostly past the Ikea time in my life. For major furniture, I prefer the 19th century anyway!
AP and AP-gf ate the meatballs, with lingonberries, and loved 'em. every last bite.
our purchases included 2 sets of curtains, 1 rod, 1 cable curtain hanging system, a long/thin (4' x 10" ish) metal picture frame, spatula, pizza cutter, soup ladel, tupperware...there must have been more...i can't recall. the whole experience was a bit of a haze...primarily due to crying kids, almost window-less big box, and the free (IKEA funded) bus ride from Port Authority to industrial wasteland Elizabeth, New freakin Jersey and back. taxing, but definitely worth it...
People bitch and moan about Ikea. Trouble is, when you dont have an Ikea in your territory [NZ] and there is little or no alternative for well priced, well designed furniture, it is not good. I havent been to an Ikea for about 3 years so I dont know how good they are now. I was always disappointed with their sofas, but liked their tables, storage units and lamps. Also, I almost always bumped into another architect shopping there, which prompted a mutual air of nonchalance...
ahh, the mutual air of nonchalance. though not an architect, i have a very well developed air of nonchalance.
maybe it's all the hººch i smoke, but i got that not-a-care-in-the-world-i'm-just-shopping for crap-that-i-know-better-than-to-actually-buy thing going on.
that being said, i wish i were past the ikea stage of my life too. if only my salsry would catch up.
the meatballs at good world are really authentic if you're into that.
and you don't have to do the trip to nj. the lingonberries are also
very good...(this coming from someone with a norwegian mom that
made/bought the real thing)
on the ikea front:
i've wanted to start a furniture firm along the same lines, but with
slightly higher costs and better quality. i've always felt ikea's
intention was to be replacable/throwawayable.. my ideal would be
to make nice/semi affordable furniture that's easy for young
professionals to move with...and want to go through the expense
of moving. somewhere along the same model as eames furniture
(as conceived not the expensive retro versions now) or bauhaus.
I think west elm/hold everything are going for that, but the stuff isn't far above & beyond the quality of Ikea, though it is certainly more expensive. For someone to actually do it with an appreciable jump in quality would be very much welcomed!
I look forward to nambypambics thoughts on the Ikea in her new Hood. It is the remains of a Marcel building... I hope she has time to visit it and give us an update on destruction of significant Architecture in America.
I like that idea, Lars. For the last 4 years, I have only bought/ acquired furniture that is easily disassembled/ folded and I can lift by myself. It is pretty limiting.
check list:
does it fold
can I lift each piece
needless to say, i haven't had a "real" sofa in years. Always futons of sorts of foldable lounge chairs.
btw, i can't believe no one has mentioned the $0.99 breakfast? I love it.
There was a NPR interview with the CEO of IKEA a few months ago. He is an old man (70+ years) who still drives his mid 1980's Volvo, although he is worth a few billion dollars. He said he never wants to drive a car that one of his employees can't afford.
i'm definitely down with some friday night meatballs and lingonberries.
mightylittle™ ...that was hilarious. thank you.
and diabase, i like very much this concept of an air of nonchalance, as i am continually developing mine...self-imposed lackof hººch as of late isn't helping matters, though. ;-)...
w2d, I think the reason most people haven't mentioned the breakfast is that they don't get there that early (as well the lines are discouraging in the food lines)
Thread Central
rationalist you going make a road trip of it?
kitchens at ikea were a surprise for me. they are at least as good as the other national manufacturers here. i don't remember them being that good 10 years ago.
i like the kitchen tables there too, and the kids stuff (which now fills my daughters' room) which is very nice (and durable).
techno- I'm going to make a superquick roadtrip of it. I had been planning on going up the coastal roads, stopping for the night in a little town on the CA/OR boarder, really enjoying it. But now it's abbreviated to straight up the 5 as quick as I can, stop in Portland for about six hours to catch some sleep.
On IKEA: as I've been explaining to WonderK elsewhere, I have nothing against the look of IKEA. I just realized lately that I considered much of my IKEA furniture to be disposable (maybe because it has absolutely zero resale value after a couple of years?), and as someone who claims to appreciate design, I'd like things I acquire to have a little more permanence for me. I do really like the 'wares' though, and some of the kitchen fixtures are pretty nice. I remember IKEA was the first place I saw pull-out racks being used instead of drawers, and I was fascinated. Never buy an IKEA plant though, I've tried it several times and every single time they turned out to have bugs.
back in the day if you lived in a large city you could count on finding something good furniture wise next to a dumpster or put out on a curb. now that aint the case as all the furniture people own is cheap crap.
Last night we tried to convince a friend who just bought her first condo that she's "graduated" from IKEA.
Nothing beats IKEA's AA batteries, though. 10 for $1.97. And they last a really long time.
If we are going to talk IKEA, may we please discuss how awesome their Swedish meatballs are? Please.
IKEA having food was a phenomena to me. I remember when it was just a warehouse full of stuff. The meatballs take a little getting used to, but when you do...whatch out.
here's my new favorite movie quote - "Moisture is the essence of wetness."
i like buying stuff at IKEA and using it for other things; a galvanized steel shoe rack i use for shelves, a kids wood and plastic storage bin system we use for bathroom storage, two small tv/vcr/dvd units i put casters on and use for little coffee tables....the cheap things they have that i like are the billy? book shelving things, although part bd they do have clean lines abd are simple as crap to fabricate.
I was just in IKEA yesterday. I cannot decide whether I like the place. It is really nothing but a Swedish wal-mart (maybe Target?), but the furniture is pretty good and the cheapest alternative for us, the masses. I like their cinnamon rolls.
rationalist, here in Boston's craigslist you see people selling ikea stuff all the time, you will not make all your money back but it doesn't seem to be too bad.
I value IKEA for a LOT of reasons, most notably their commitment to using young new designers (some straight out of school, intentionally) and paying them to sit and come up with new products.
That is a huge reason why it is not simply "the Swedish Target or Walmart." Target pays well; but does either provide housing for its workers? No. IKEA does.
hmmm i didn't really know that. I was saying more experientially, going there feels like going to wally world or targay, big box, way out on the suburbs (at least here in Boston). I know they try to be a little greener too, but in all reality I think they encourage the repeat mass-consumption of cheap plastic (and non-plastic) stuff as much as the next guy/gal in the biz. Having said that, my entire apt. is an ikea showroom.
I'm exhausted! Honestly exhausted - I can't believe it's only the beginning of week two of a three week program.
It's going great and the kids are doing really well. We had "video night" Friday and showed them a mix of things from the Museum Plaza marketing video to a YouTube clip of computer-projected graffiti writing to Cameron Sinclair speaking at TED.
This last video - Cameron - really inspired the kids, they were so interested in the design projects he showed, and has also influenced our final design project we will assign later this week.
The music and drama students here are also so fun and fearless - maybe I need to gather a few of them to help me create a Tenacious D-type tribute to AFH!!
Later all, happy Monday.
wow... i'm out of touch for a few days and there's 2-3 new pages on TC... it doesn't usually grow so quickly over the weekend... i've taken today off work to recover from my brain deadness... i've been in david thaddeus' ARE structures seminar since friday... +10 hours days of nothing but structures...
glad to hear that daisy is starting to regain mobility... in other good dog news, my wife took riley (our 9 year old yellow dog) to an eye specialist on friday... our vet had told us that he was developing cataracts... the eye specialist confirmed that it was NOT cataracts, but rather something normal for older dogs...
liberty... you're are correct in the distinction between me and philarch... i'm in florida... philarch is in philly (i think)... i'm pretty sure that there is also a philarct (or something like that)... i've thought avoiding the confusion by coming out of the anonymous closet and switching to my real name... but i haven't gotten around to it yet...
5 days left at my job, 6 days left in Chicago. Happy Monday.
ap, i was in nyc for 1 year, moved in the last week of august, but only stayed downtown until the end of 2001- then i moved to hell's kitchen, which was great for my health in all levels. i was initially next to the southern tip of city hall park.
glad daisy is progressing nicely. i'm not moving anywhere yet but just bought tickets for my next break at the end of august. i'm going to nyc for 3 days [mainly to see the serra show and maybe p.s.1] and then meeting some family in san francisco [i've never been to california!]. yay for travel plans!
I guess I did also hear that IKEA had provided their euro-workers (why not the americans?) with snazzy folding bikes for Christmas one year, so they can't be all bad.
I am officially ick today, and am planning a fun-filled day of lounging face-down on the couch, possibly with ice cream or some other supercold treat.
For what felt like alllll of last night, I dreamt that my back was being eaten by various types of bugs every night as I slept, but doctors thought that the bugs carried contagious diseases, so they quarantined me. But they quarantined me in the room with the bugs so I kept being bitten over and over and over again. So it's a good morning, if only because I'm out of that dream!
i have a severe case of flip-flop tan from a long Saturday at Coney Island. the Mermaid Parade was definitely something else...either the best or worst day to see Coney for the first time.
I wish I could have been there... Coney Island is possibly one of my favorite places in the universe. Hopefully I'll make it next year... Hopefully Coney Island itself will still be there as I know it.
beta - "mer-man... mer-man!"
lb - i got your cd in the mail recently! you've got good taste! =) thanks! you'll be getting something from me soon (as soon as i stop procrastinating, that is).
rationalist
you still on for tonight?
nah, I need a day of rest and recuperation. Say 'hi' to tumbles for me.
nah, I need a day of rest and recuperation. Say 'hi' to tumbles for me.
er, oops.
rationalist
saying 'hi' to tumbles can get you in a boat load of trouble on Archinect
coney island is a poetic place to see on an overcast day with windows boarded up and only two people left in the train. just record the sounds and take 3-4 black and white pictures.1981
That's why I asked you to say 'hi' to her for me, preferably in person. Hopefully I'll see plenty of her soon enough, since she's moving around the same time as WonderK, right?
august 1st
I gave her the news of your sunburn...she said 'bummer'
i'm glad someone got my Zoolander quote...i used to hate that movie then i saw it yesterday, and i was immediately transported to Orgasmo....
AP, AP-gf, and I weathered a recent trip to Ikea! I ate the hot dog. And the ice cream cone. If I'd had more time I would have had the meatballs.
I think some of the furniture is OK. You have to see it in person to see which things are flimsy and which are nicer. I got a work table top and legsand some file cabinets (red) as well as some small household items (over-the-door hooks, bathmat, curtain rods, etc.) but I too feel that I am mostly past the Ikea time in my life. For major furniture, I prefer the 19th century anyway!
my taste runs shabby 1940's seedy private detective/ edward hopper painting chic.
ooh...namby...me likey those leggys. I have a panelite table top that I have been looking for legs for...
since IKEA stuff usually looks pretty disposable, I sort of like the ironic [intentional or not] referential designs.
you know you're in college when most of your furniture is second-hand ikea furniture.
AP and AP-gf ate the meatballs, with lingonberries, and loved 'em. every last bite.
our purchases included 2 sets of curtains, 1 rod, 1 cable curtain hanging system, a long/thin (4' x 10" ish) metal picture frame, spatula, pizza cutter, soup ladel, tupperware...there must have been more...i can't recall. the whole experience was a bit of a haze...primarily due to crying kids, almost window-less big box, and the free (IKEA funded) bus ride from Port Authority to industrial wasteland Elizabeth, New freakin Jersey and back. taxing, but definitely worth it...
People bitch and moan about Ikea. Trouble is, when you dont have an Ikea in your territory [NZ] and there is little or no alternative for well priced, well designed furniture, it is not good. I havent been to an Ikea for about 3 years so I dont know how good they are now. I was always disappointed with their sofas, but liked their tables, storage units and lamps. Also, I almost always bumped into another architect shopping there, which prompted a mutual air of nonchalance...
ahh, the mutual air of nonchalance. though not an architect, i have a very well developed air of nonchalance.
maybe it's all the hººch i smoke, but i got that not-a-care-in-the-world-i'm-just-shopping for crap-that-i-know-better-than-to-actually-buy thing going on.
that being said, i wish i were past the ikea stage of my life too. if only my salsry would catch up.
wtf is a salsry you ask?
it's mightylittle™ for salary.
'natch.
ap, ap gf, and namby..
the meatballs at good world are really authentic if you're into that.
and you don't have to do the trip to nj. the lingonberries are also
very good...(this coming from someone with a norwegian mom that
made/bought the real thing)
on the ikea front:
i've wanted to start a furniture firm along the same lines, but with
slightly higher costs and better quality. i've always felt ikea's
intention was to be replacable/throwawayable.. my ideal would be
to make nice/semi affordable furniture that's easy for young
professionals to move with...and want to go through the expense
of moving. somewhere along the same model as eames furniture
(as conceived not the expensive retro versions now) or bauhaus.
I think west elm/hold everything are going for that, but the stuff isn't far above & beyond the quality of Ikea, though it is certainly more expensive. For someone to actually do it with an appreciable jump in quality would be very much welcomed!
oh and I am very familiar with Good World's meatballs and lingonberries; in fact I will probably have some on Friday. ;)
I look forward to nambypambics thoughts on the Ikea in her new Hood. It is the remains of a Marcel building... I hope she has time to visit it and give us an update on destruction of significant Architecture in America.
I like that idea, Lars. For the last 4 years, I have only bought/ acquired furniture that is easily disassembled/ folded and I can lift by myself. It is pretty limiting.
check list:
does it fold
can I lift each piece
needless to say, i haven't had a "real" sofa in years. Always futons of sorts of foldable lounge chairs.
btw, i can't believe no one has mentioned the $0.99 breakfast? I love it.
There was a NPR interview with the CEO of IKEA a few months ago. He is an old man (70+ years) who still drives his mid 1980's Volvo, although he is worth a few billion dollars. He said he never wants to drive a car that one of his employees can't afford.
[beta] have you ever heard of IKEA hacker - seems like there's a community just for you (and me too really).
i'm definitely down with some friday night meatballs and lingonberries.
mightylittle™ ...that was hilarious. thank you.
and diabase, i like very much this concept of an air of nonchalance, as i am continually developing mine...self-imposed lackof hººch as of late isn't helping matters, though. ;-)...
w2d, I think the reason most people haven't mentioned the breakfast is that they don't get there that early (as well the lines are discouraging in the food lines)
new thoughts about IKEA!
Oh and for the love of those meatballs
AP and What to Do, I have a mild 'Air of Nonchalance' coupled with a 'Tinge of Menace' - very effective.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.