I find furniture for free on craigslist that is better quality than the crap at Ikea…Plus I don’t have to assemble it. .
The horsemeatballs are the best thing going for them
Never liked the crap at Ikea.
Interesting post Manch! I’m definitely not against Ikea; there are some nice things there! But I only have a few things from them.
I like West Elm and CB2. Ikea is alright. For the price they are charging I think the quality and style is pretty good. Do people really shop furniture at Home Depot? Lowe’s has better style than HD in my opinion…
What the heck is Asley?
I’m an IKEA hacker. Most of their stuff is disposable quality, but some things are better (solid wood vs literally cardboard). I have some IKEA stuff in my house- leftover from my 20s and don’t mind having it in the guest room. The real trick is finding great values that can be creatively repurposed. There are entire websites dedicated to this concept.
So I don’t buy furniture at IKEA, but some housewares are a good buy.
I love crate and barrel. I wonder what that chart will look like in 10 years. Will it just get shifted down? Meaning will 30-year olds of today suddenly start shopping at pier 1 in 10 years or will they keep shopping at crate and barrel? Will crate and barrel still sell the same style or will the style mature to match the aging population?
I wonder similar things about cars. For example a 20 year old gets a civic. Honda can either keep making the civic bigger and bigger (they have) so that the same guy can still buy a civic when he gets married and has a kid. But then they need to introduce a smaller line under the civic for the 20 year olds. Meanwhile the accord keeps getting bigger and when I’m 60 it’ll be a boat like a caddy. Then eventually the demographic dies and they revamp it for 20 year olds?
So that was a semi nonsensical rant but the question is really about how or if brands evolve with their demographics
Well, for me, hopefully a ripe old age because IKEA is a great spot to buy some things for rental properties. I have used their window coverings for example for rental properties for many years now. Way cheaper and the stuff is decent/nice enough.
Shopping at Ikea is like going to a Casino. .can’t find your way out…Have to wait in line to pick up an order. .I refuse to go…Reminds me of shopping in Moscow…totally not customer friendly. …
Costco is well liked. I hope Costco has better website.
Homedepot has the best online experience.
Home Depot has their own furniture division called Home Decorators - it actually has a really good selection (better than Lowe’s) - I’m assuming that is what is being referenced here
Didn’t know that… I thought I know everything there is to know about Home Depot, after dropping ungodly amount of money there… 
Lowe’s is a more polished version of Home Depot, but Home Depot actually offers better deals.
I hate Ikea.
I still shop there.
I am 45.
I will only buy the solid wood items though–Hemnes generally.
How about getting a whole kitchen? Any fans of Ikea kitchen here? HomeBuyer25 of the old forum was a rabid fan of Ikea kitchen…
I like Ikea because I am cheap. 
Why not go with the chinese supply houses for kitchen cabinets? Aren’t they cheaper than even Ikea? Or is it that their styling is still way below that of Ikea?
Right. Chinese styling still has ways to go.
So, ultimately it depends on what the goal is. If you are just renting out a standard apartment, I would go the cheapest way. Style is not as important as pricing. Remodeling to sell of course is a totally different story. Don’t be expecting over asking pricing with cheap materials. Buyers are astute and are up on what is really good stuff or not. You may fool one person, not the herd.
I know someone who did it, but I don’t think I’d recommend it.
I’m a fan of a Craigslist kitchen. 
But it does require extra work cutting things down to fit.
Disagree. You should go with whatever is most durable even if it is not cheapest. You don’t want a fragile set of cabinets that have to be repaired/replaced every 5 years, and kitchens get a lot of wear and tear.
Terri,
Quite frankly, you don’t know what we owners go through. I could use the very best stuff and SOME tenants will still destroy it. I suspect your opinion will change when you go to the other side.