I've written before about how you have to approach IKEA will a laser-like focus. And that, how in my 20 years as a design journalist, I've worked out which IKEA pieces will stand the test of time, and that I wouldn't buy from anywhere else. But what about the ones I'd never buy from IKEA, and would always suggest you look for elsewhere?
Follow this list and you'll be able to navigate the Swedish megastore with ease, leaving only with the good things (in my opinion, the IKEA pieces that won't date are picture frames, table linen, and storage) and keeping firmly away from the rest. These are the 5 things I would always avoid buying from IKEA, plus the place I would shop instead.
1. Freestanding armoires
People tend to do a big shop at IKEA when they first move into a home, assuming it's the most affordable place and somewhere they can just buy everything. But while the last part is true – you can get your whole house from here if you want – it's not always the most affordable.
Its free-standing storage is never as low-priced as you'd expect, and unfortunately, IKEA's bedroom armoires, like the BRIMNES, above, are all pretty characterless. And is it just me or has anyone else noticed that they lean forward quite menacingly whenever they have more than two shirts in them?!
Instead, I think ones of the best places to buy bedroom furniture is Wayfair, which has a wider variety of styles and finishes with more texture to them.
More affordable than many armoires at IKEA but with so much more character, this would work in a modern rustic scheme.
With its beachy, aged driftwood finish, this armoire adds just a subtle natural texture and would work well in a neutral bedroom.
Warm woods are a rising trend, taking over from ashy and pale oaks that have dominated for years. This well-whorled armoire is a prime example of why.
2. Mattresses
I'll admit, it's been some time since I've slept on an IKEA mattress, and they may have improved. But for all the ones I had in various early rentals, they tended to be so light you could practically roll off them.
The world of mattresses has evolved since then, and mattress companies have proliferated. I now sleep on one from Soho Home which was a lot more expensive, true, but cushions me in a way I could only dream of when I had my IKEA bedding.
Soho Home is very luxe, but I will always recommend it. However, if you are looking for something more affordable, the Homes & Gardens' sleep experts put Nectar and Saatva up top when it comes to buying the best mattress.
3. Candles
Ok, this is a controversial one. I know that many people only go to IKEA for their candles, and perhaps a plate of meatballs while they're there. And I have nothing against the candles per se. It's what they represent. The ultimate impulse purchase, the who-cares feeling of throwing an extra $4.99 purchase into your cart. The trouble is that 20 $4.99 purchases – and it's very easy to do this – quickly adds up.
Instead, I ask you to be more targeted, and buy your candles more thoughtfully elsewhere from brands that do them really well like H&M and Anthropologie. Yes, they might be more expensive, but for the five candles you throw in your cart without thought, you could buy one far better candle from a quality brand.
Cheaper than a pack of IKEA tealights and so, so much prettier, these taper candles come in six other colors.
Celery? In a candle? But wait, come back! It's the freshness of celery, that satisfying greeness, that Anthro has pulled out to pair with citrus in this zingy little scent.
This set of six comes in a variety of different shapes, all creating architectural forms of their own on your dinner table.
4. Entryway furniture and storage
IKEA's entryway furniture very much 'does the job.' Super functional, well thought out, it offers you a place for everything. Like the NIPÅSEN / BAGGMUCK coat and shoe rack, above, it neatly solves a problem of where to put everything you take off the moment you get home.
But I'd wager that IKEA's vibe is too industrial, too functional for it to be the first thing you want to see as you walk in the door. An entryway should make your shoulders sink, should encourage you to relax and well, feel like you've come home. Instead, shop around for a mix of pieces with softer finishes and materials and shapes that come together to seem so much more inviting.
Officially being sold as a curtain holdback, this marble peg would make a wonderful coat hook. And that veined stone has a sensual softness.
The rustic finish and gentle wood grain of this bench create a sense of homespun charm, and is much more inviting than a metal frame.
More wood grain, and this time being used for the most functional and specific piece of storage – a shoe rack. It has the vintage appeal of something with a much more lofty use.
5. Art
I stand by my assertion that IKEA is the only place to buy picture frames, but I would never buy my actual art here. Despite teaming up with artists for dynamic furniture and decor collabs, the prints at IKEA are no masterpieces. And they feel like an afterthought, like the eyecatching but soulless BJORKSTA, above.
Decorating with art doesn't need to be expensive, and it doesn't need to come from IKEA. Instead, shop at specialist outlets like Artfully Walls which can be super affordable but are curated by a team that works with independent artists and truly understands how to source.
This print of an original gouache painting by the artist Aisyah Amiru is just one of the many, many, many prints by all sorts of independent artists found at Artfully Walls. And if the thought of buying art is overwhelming, you can even search by subject - 'black and white dog' 'sunny beach' or whatever speaks to you most.
This may be my list of things to avoid buying at IKEA, but please know I am not hating on IKEA as a whole. I have found some great pieces that have really lasted in my home, and I love its design forward collections. However, I just want to warn you, IKEA is not always the best place to head for everything because you think it's going to be the most affordable option. It pays to shop around a bit to see if you can in fact get a similar piece for better quality, or ask yourself would it be best to invest a bit more for a piece that's going to last longer/smell nicer/look chicer?
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