Ikea? (Houston, Austin, Round Rock: apartment, house, buying)

[scuba steve]

This may have been discussed in the past, but is there going to be an Ikea nearby anytime soon? I enjoy the one we have in Seattle and want to pick up a few things from there after the move, and don't want to drive hours to the nearest location (north of Austin?). Are there any other trendy furniture stores in the area?

[Turtle_Mom]

Motif just opened at 1604/281 (Legacy - near Lifetime Fitness) but I have no idea of their price ranges. I do believe they are higher quality than IKEA though. I was going to go browse through this weekend because I was curious.

[Bowie]

Two years ago, the closest IKEA was in Houston. Mrs. Bowie and I don't mind the drive to Round Rock nearly so much as we did the drive to Houston. We made the drive to Houston for IKEA shopping once a year, and we seem to be on a 2x/year pace to Round Rock. If IKEA opens a store here in town, I worry about how often Mrs. Bowie and I would feel compelled to visit it.

Being based in Europe, I think IKEA's growth is less affected by the current economic downturn in the US. It'll be cheaper for IKEA to expand during a recession, because they'll have less competition for resources.

This is one of the fastest-growing areas in the US and the metro area is chock-full of the younger people and families who like the merchandise they sell. My uneducated guess is that we'll see a store within a mile or two of The Rim or a mile or two of The Forum by the end of this decade.

[tgannaway89]

IKEA is in talks with The Rim to build at the I-10/Loop 1604 intersection. If built it will be located in a section on The Rim that has yet to begin construction. The Rim is also trying to get Sears Grand in that phase.

[luckygreeniii]

Scuba Steve, I love your username!! I hear Adam Sandlers voice every time I see you have posted something! LOL!

Sorry, now back on topic....

[BenjaminNicholas]

Originally Posted by Turtle_Mom

Motif just opened at 1604/281 (Legacy - near Lifetime Fitness) but I have no idea of their price ranges. I do believe they are higher quality than IKEA though. I was going to go browse through this weekend because I was curious.

Motif's price point is MUCH higher than IKEA's, as their quality and design selection is more akin to DWR than the all-MDF construction of IKEA. Motif also introduced their flagship 'studio line' in the adjoining space at The Legacy. It's really quite interesting stuff.



BN

[scuba steve]

Cool, sounds like I'll have to give Motif a try after the move.

I like Ikea's style, just not their materials. Sounds like Motif doesn't use particleboard anyway. I've gone from a 3 small bedroom house to a 1 bedroom apartment (most furniture was old, gave it away) and now buying a 4 bedroom house I'll need to pick up a few things...

Even if you're not looking for a table Ikea's a cool place to go. They sell sweedish food there at a great price.

[cheermomof4girls]

I also love their kitchen gadgets. I had a pampered chef food chopper, but saw that Ikea had one, but it was in a black and stainless silver finish so I bought it. I like it more (the job it does) than the pc one. They have a lot of neat little things.

[CelesteDF]

Originally Posted by BenjaminNicholas

Motif's price point is MUCH higher than IKEA's, as their quality and design selection is more akin to DWR than the all-MDF construction of IKEA. Motif also introduced their flagship 'studio line' in the adjoining space at The Legacy. It's really quite interesting stuff.



BN

I always laugh when I see that store mentioned... "Design Within Reach". Umm, I'm just curious as to how many people find $1,200 coffee tables, $400 desk lamps and $5,500 sofas "within reach". Yes, it's very stylish furniture, and I'm sure there is a market for it. But it's laughable to think that this store is putting great design within the reach of the average consumer. I'll just have to keep window shopping.

[cheermomof4girls]

I have been to both locations and really like the store. True, there are some high dollar items, but there are also some affordable pieces. There are a few coffee tables that we are considering that are only $300-$500, very comparable prices to Star Furniture, etc. They also have a bar stool that I like and have not seen in any other store and it is only $99. Not really more than other barstools that I have seen.