Is IKEA coming to St. Ann? (St. Louis, Clayton: fit in, house, dorm)

[glamatomic]

billikin: likewise. I've been hearing it for 7+ years with no result

kshe95girl: I don't really get it either.

I had a lot of IKEA furniture when I lived in Australia, as it was cheap / trendy looking when I was younger and just starting out. Honestly though, apart from *looking* more fashionable, quality wise it's just a small step up from Walmart flat pack. It starts dying and looking tacky/ worse for wear within just a few short years.

I think people are better off buying real, solid furniture. If they can't afford brand new, there are plenty of places (including Craigslist) where you can buy older, solid, beautiful furniture even more affordably than IKEA. Of course, as we've previously discovered though, I don't like new and shiny things. I like old things with stories to tell

[flynavyj]

rumor has been going around for ages, and it's been speculated around Northwest Plaza for some time too. The rumor of a bulldoze project and new building setup at NW Plaza was in the papers about a month ago, with plans to put in some big box stores, and some mixed use as well...who knows if anyone will actually pick it up this time or not...last time the planning was going on, funding became scarce real quick.

As to the "Ikea" love...people seem to really love cheap stuff! LoL...Walmart's are flourishing, and Bridgeton is seconds from completing a new Super Walmart...and Ikea would be great competition. And we could finally get some revenue out of NW Plaza again!

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by glamatomic

billikin: likewise. I've been hearing it for 7+ years with no result

kshe95girl: I don't really get it either.

I had a lot of IKEA furniture when I lived in Australia, as it was cheap / trendy looking when I was younger and just starting out. Honestly though, apart from *looking* more fashionable, quality wise it's just a small step up from Walmart flat pack. It starts dying and looking tacky/ worse for wear within just a few short years.

I think people are better off buying real, solid furniture. If they can't afford brand new, there are plenty of places (including Craigslist) where you can buy older, solid, beautiful furniture even more affordably than IKEA. Of course, as we've previously discovered though, I don't like new and shiny things. I like old things with stories to tell

Couldnt agree with you more!

[Dawn10am]

I like IKEA because it's (1) within my price range, and (2) suited to my taste. They've got a lot of other stuff besides furniture (think similar to a Bed, Bath, and Beyond), that's not as poorly constructed. It just doesn't make sense there's not one in STL. If Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have stores, why can't we have one?

[Caesarstl]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

What is it with the IKEA love?
I just dont get it.

Originally Posted by glamatomic

billikin: likewise. I've been hearing it for 7+ years with no result

kshe95girl: I don't really get it either.

I had a lot of IKEA furniture when I lived in Australia, as it was cheap / trendy looking when I was younger and just starting out. Honestly though, apart from *looking* more fashionable, quality wise it's just a small step up from Walmart flat pack. It starts dying and looking tacky/ worse for wear within just a few short years.

I think people are better off buying real, solid furniture. If they can't afford brand new, there are plenty of places (including Craigslist) where you can buy older, solid, beautiful furniture even more affordably than IKEA. Of course, as we've previously discovered though, I don't like new and shiny things. I like old things with stories to tell

Big +1 to these! Ikea is useful, def has its place, and I would like to see one in my old home town. That said, the super Ikea love in the US is really, really odd... As a previous poster put it, it's not too far above wal-mart stuff... yet in the US as a whole it seems to attract a bit of a different crowd who praise it.

That's fine as they make useful stuff, and I've been to quite a few as there are a lot of them around Paris and when I finished/was in grad school here we had a decent amount of stuff from there in our apartment (still have a bit actually). But that's the thing, it is very "young-people," "1st place," "starter-stuff" whatever oriented over here but back home St. Louis almost seems to be downgraded for not having this....

Maybe I'm too defensive, just too much love for the old Lou and I defend her on a lot of real issues that it's strange when things like this come up as a big deal (not that anyone on here said it was a big deal, I visit a few other St. Louis forums though to keep up on news and this issues keeps popping up a lot for some reason...)

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

What is it with the IKEA love?
I just dont get it.

IKEA is a European retailer that sells knock-down furniture at a relatively low price. Up until a decade ago, most of their goods were sourced from Eastern Europe. Now, most of it is made in low-cost locations in Asia.

IKEA furniture is alright if you are furnishing a dorm room or children's room or if you are starting out. However, you do NOT want the furniture if you move around a lot UNLESS you are willing to break it all the way down and ship it flat. It also does not hold up as long as most fine furniture.

For the record, the desk that I am sitting at was from IKEA as well as a couple of filing cabinets. The desk has been broken twice during moves. Fortunately, I have a couple of carpenters in the family that could fix it.

Personally, I would head over to Arthur, IL and purchase furniture directly from craftsman. You pay more up front but you buy it ONLY ONCE.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

IKEA is a European retailer that sells knock-down furniture at a relatively low price. Up until a decade ago, most of their goods were sourced from Eastern Europe. Now, most of it is made in low-cost locations in Asia.

IKEA furniture is alright if you are furnishing a dorm room or children's room or if you are starting out. However, you do NOT want the furniture if you move around a lot UNLESS you are willing to break it all the way down and ship it flat. It also does not hold up as long as most fine furniture.

For the record, the desk that I am sitting at was from IKEA as well as a couple of filing cabinets. The desk has been broken twice during moves. Fortunately, I have a couple of carpenters in the family that could fix it.

Personally, I would head over to Arthur, IL and purchase furniture directly from craftsman. You pay more up front but you buy it ONLY ONCE.

I'm an interior designer.
I know what IKEA is, trust me.

[aragx6]

Most of the furniture we have now is more expensive and of higher quality than Ikea stuff, but I do really like Ikea for all of their cheap accessories, decor and kitchen stuff. It's the same way I am with my wardrobe -- a few, classic expensive pieces and filled in with cheaper trendier stuff that can be changed out within a couple of seasons.

[scocar]

My experience has been that IKEA quality is much better than Walmart, Target and the like at the same price. In my house currently I have 3 IKEA desks, a few bookshelves, and 2 loft beds. All have held up wonderfully. I also have had 2-3 IKEA dressers and all have held up very well and are very sturdy when put together. I have a dresser in my room that I got at Weekends Only. It was on sale due to a slight paint blemish. I've had it for 6 months and it's completley useless. All three drawers on my side do not fit properly and are constatly falling off the track. My IKEA dressers in my kids rooms NEVER came off their track and were in great shape structurally 4-5 years after purchasing them.

I'm not someone that wants to spend ANY money on furniture. To me it's simply a necessity to store my stuff in and make my house look not empty. So IKEA is perfect for me. I've purchased cheap furniture from Walmart as well, and to me their is no comparison in the quality.

[BioMechanical]

The restaurant in IKEA has the best chicken fingers in the world. That was my only concern

(At least the one in Bollingbrook, IL did)