Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with ikea

Ikea cabinet owners: what do you think?

yoga — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:53:05 -0800

Ikea cabinet (kitchen and/or bath) owners! Please tell me about your experience with Ikea cabinets. We're talking anything about ordering, installation, wear & tear, how long has it been installed, are you happy with it, would you do it again? I've read a lot of reviews on forums and watchdoggie type sites like Consumer Reports. I want to hear from the folks who have them and actually use them daily. How are they?

French-press carafe only?

mattbucher — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:56:04 -0800

Is there anywhere online or brick-and-mortar where I can buy just a glass carafe for a French press coffee maker? I'm always breaking the damn things and it just seems silly to keep buying new ones when all I really need is the carafe. I've bought several sizes and brands (Ikea, Starbucks, etc.), but I'd be open to any suggestions.

What is this sand-like dust under my rug?

kmel — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:51:51 -0800

What the hell is the sand-like dust under my rug, and why won't it go away? The rug is from IKEA, Skagen I think. It seems to be shedding a powdery sand and it just won't stop. Seriously, it's been over a year with frequent vacuuming on both sides. And there's a lot of it -- not just a light dusting, I sweep up piles of the stuff every time. Is the backing slowly disintegrating, or is the rug filtering room dirt? (shudder) Can this be stopped, or do we just need to get rid of the rug?

How long does it take a couch to stop offgassing?

sebastienbailard — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:27:18 -0800

How long does it take a couch to stop offgassing? I assembled a new Ikea Karlstad sofa five days ago, and while the odor has decreased a bit, it still smells. Worse, there's some VOC that irritates my nose and throat after I sit on it for half an hour or so, which is rather worrying. (My wife gets the same 'acrid feeling' too.) Bonus questions and info:

Are Ikea Karlstad couches especially bad? (I purchased mine up here in Ottawa, Ontario, if regionalization matters).

Are my cats in danger? They're in love with it.

Am I going to die, Doc?

Any guesses what chemical it is, and would it be the foam or the particleboard?

All I want is a sub-$200 bed that isn't ugly.

showbiz_liz — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:33:54 -0800

IkeaFilter: Do I need to buy a 'slatted bed base' if I have a box spring? I'm thinking of buying this bed, but I'm confused about something. Every bed I've looked at makes a point of saying "slatted bed base sold separately," and if you go to check out, the site reminds you yet again to buy the slatted bed base.

Problem is, I have no idea if I need one or not. Does the base replace the box spring, or does it work with it? Can I just put the mattress and box on the frame without worrying about it? Will it look stupid if I do that?

Am I overloading my IVAR shelving?

washburn — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:20:25 -0800

How many books can an IVAR bookshelf unit from IKEA hold? So, I've just moved into a smaller apartment, and I've got more books than I can fit onto my shelves. I'm tempted therefore to really load up my new IVAR bookshelves, rather than get rid of books.

I'm hoping to hear experiences with really loading up IVAR shelving with books--have you done this and been fine? Have you tried this and produced a spectacular collapse?

Personally, I've got the 6ft (70.5") shelves (2x35" and 1x17" wide), hooked up together, on a carpeted concrete floor. I want to put in at least seven shelves (including the top and bottom piece), and want to load books two deep on the shelves (I'll just have to sort of remember which books are behind the ones in front).

What are the chances that this sort of loading will break the shelves?

Sleep, perchance to sleep cooly, like Sam Cucumber Marlow

oxford blue — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:06:26 -0800

Will an Ikea Sultan Erfjord latex mattress bake me as I sleep? I'm thinking about buying an Ikea Sulant Erfjord latex mattress.

Doing some quick research on the web it seems some people have problems with latex mattresses being too hot during the night. Are latex mattress (a lot) hotter than traditional spring mattresses?

The Ikea website mentions the choice of materials circulates the air, and from what I remember of the in store display there are numerous holes in the latex body of the mattress for (one assumes) air circulation.

By way of context, I tend to be a warm sleeper (I rarely need more than a sheet and a light blanket or two. I recently bought a new doona/duvet and find it's often too warm for me) and when I get hot it takes awhile for me to cool down.

Two additional bed temperature questions; will my choice of mattress pad/mattress protector effect the overall temperature? One I was looking at (the Sultan Timan) has a foam/wool filling; would this make the bed hotter or cooler? Similaraly would a mattress protector (cotton, or a cotton/* blend) make the overall temperature hotter or cooler?

More generally, does anyone have any experience with this bed, latex beds, ikea latex mattresses, or ikea mattresses? As a poor student it's a fairly sizable chunk of change, and having a goodnights sleep is important for me, so I want to make sure this is the right decision.

A question about Ink Spots. Not the musical group, the stain.

rileyray3000 — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 22:41:42 -0800

I got black ink on a birch wood bookshelf from Ikea. Help me get it out. Cheap pen. Too much heat. light colored wood. Now I have a bunch of small stains all over my nice cabinet. Worst case scenario? I'll make it into the floor end for this thing as it's one of those cube deals that can be either side. But I'd rather get it out. Any suggestions for black ink on birch wood?

nice chair

plexi — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:39:39 -0800

I want to buy two Barcelona® chairs, but $5000 each is ridiculous. Is there a physical or online store that sells modern and classic modern furniture at reasonable prices?

Klippan help plz

amethysts — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:22:57 -0800

The Ikea Klippan sofa is a popular model according to Google and is comfy enough to sit on at the store, but does anyone have any ideas regarding its total lack of head support? I'm thinking I need to add some kind of head rest, like a body pillow held in place with a giant piece of fabric wrapping around it and stapled in the back. This seems like one of those things that somebody somewhere must have figured out already (besides get rid of it). Any ideas?

Pros and cons of various closet organizing systems?

bondcliff — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:38:25 -0800

Help me set up a walk-in closet. What are your experiences with the various lines of closet systems (Elfa, Ikea, FreedomRail, Closetmaid) or DIY? I have to outfit a 10.5x8’ master bedroom walk-in closet. Usable wall space is a “U”, with one 10.5 foot wall and 2x 4 foot sections of the abutting walls. I want to design and install it myself, I have no interest in using the services of a Closet Design Engineer, or whatever those way-too-friendly folks at The Container Store call themselves.

My wife and I aren’t big clothing people, I have my nerd shirts and pants, a suit or two, she has a few long dresses and other hanging clothes. We want to keep the majority of our clothing in the closet, including socks and underwear. We want shelves for jeans, sweaters, and t-shirts. Storage for maybe 10 pairs of shoes apiece, half of which are probably hiking boots. (those shoe-cubby things that look like wine racks won’t work for the sorts of shoes we typically wear) Other miscellaneous closety things like cameras, luggage, and the souls of our enemies.

Cost, of course, is a factor. What are some good ways to keep cost down? It’s a closet, functional is more important than pretty.

I’m not opposed to DIY with some Home Depot shelving, though I would like to have a few drawers or bins, which I’ll probably need to buy as I won’t be able to build them in a month. Any creative ideas for this?

Freedomrail and Elfa look similar. Are they compatible?

Do you have a system? Do you love or hate it? Why? What’s the quality like?

What else am I forgetting? Closet tips in general are welcome.

when is the annual ikea no-tax sale?

dityfleur — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:08:28 -0800

does anyone know when ikea has their no-tax sale? we are planning to remodel our kitchen this summer with ikea cabinets. i've heard there are no-tax sales, but haven't been able to figure out when... we'd like to be prepared to order the cabinets when the sale happens since its a big purchase, but does anyone know when the sales are?

thanks for your help!

My kitty has a Real Bear

pointystick — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:21:54 -0800

I can't believe I'm asking this filter: I think my cat has an intimate relationship with his lovie. Is this normal? I have a 2 year old male cat. I have had him 1 year; the humane society neutered him when I adopted him. In an unrelated incident a few months later, I got a plush polar bear (a Klappar Isbjorn) from Ikea, thinking it would be a good tv pillow. Kitty decided he was fond of it and started kneading and sucking on it, much like a kitten would on its mother. I surrendered the bear. A few months later, the sucking stopped but the kneading continued, and now he is definitely humping the bear. My usually not-very-purry kitty purrs loudly during and afterwards goes and licks himself (on the floor, by my bed). My questions:
1)Is this normal for a neutered animal? I had always thought the humping instinct in neutered animals was a dominance thing.
2)Is there any reason I should discourage this? Seems to me it's between him and the bear.
3)Should I obtain a back up bear?- this one is getting kind of, um, flat.

Is my Ikea desk killing my MacBook Pro hard drive?

fenriq — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:47:19 -0800

Bizarre Hard Drive Failure Filter: Is it possible that my desk from Ikea is helping to send my hard drive to an early grave? Okay, I know this is going to sound insane but here goes. When I use my MacBook Pro on my desk the hard drive will soon start whining and screaming and sounding like it is about to explode. When I use the same exact computer on my table in the kitchen, it is almost perfectly silent. I can use it on the table in the kitchen for hours without even a slight whine. But within minutes of placing it on the desk from Ikea, its like there's a helicopter in my office.

The noise gets so loud I can't hear my television. And right now, on the kitchen table, it is almost silent.

Can anyone make heads or tails of this?

The sound does occur far less frequently when I use the computer while laying in bed and it sits on a pillow (these suckers run HOT!) but it appears that the issue is exacerbated by the desk.

Anyone have any insights? Yes, it is under warranty and I have the box ready to send it back to Apple but I'm pretty they don't use Ikea desks and they may not be able to replicate the problem.

Disk Utility says the disk is totally fine but I found I cannot upgrade to Leopard because of some failure (can't remember now) and I did try it several times.

i usually love ikea, but those lekman drawers are ugly.

kidsleepy — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:53:11 -0800

Help me find storage drawers for my Ikea bookshelf! I have this Expedit bookshelf from Ikea. I set it up horizontally, and would like to get four containers for the bottom row. I don't like the plastic Lekman drawers that Ikea carries. Ideally, I'd get something like these green fabric cubes from Target, but they are one-inch too big. Where can I find 13" x 13" (or smaller) cubes/boxes/drawers/containers, in a non-clear material (bright colors desired, but optional), without spending more than $50?

Can I make an Ikea product

carefulmonkey — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:35:16 -0800

I need plans to make my own ikea inspired furniture, do these even exist ? I don't live anywhere near an Ikea and I want to build my versions of their stuff and I need plans to work from. I've googled this several times with very little results. Please Help, I would like to start building very soon.

I suck at IKEA.

hellbient — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:20:47 -0800

How do you get a plastic IKEA rivet out of a half-built drawer? I was on auto pilot putting together the last drawer and did this step, except I put the middle board in upside-down. So I desperately need to get that middle board turned right side up, otherwise the drawer set is pretty useless. I tried pulling it out, but unfortunately it seems to be in there nice and good. I'm afraid I'm going to tear apart the particle board if I pull too hard.

Do you like your Dalselv bedframe from Ikea?

lorimer — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:12:14 -0800

Do you like your Dalselv bedframe from Ikea? Does it wobble or is it very stable? Did you finish/paint it, or did you leave it bare?

Help me fix my couch.

triggerfinger — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:50:33 -0800

Help me fix my Ikea couch. I have a 3-seater leather Ikea Ektorp couch, which I love. However, there is one point on the couch where everyone sits and now the cushions at that part have lost their firmness and are a little saggy. You can't tell from looking at it but it is noticeable when you sit on it. For some reason, the seat cushions (unlike the back cushions) are attached to the frame so I can't remove them to get new foam put in.

Has anyone else with an Ikea couch experienced this? How do I go about getting my sagging cushions replaced?

IKEA vs. DIY

cgs — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:02:49 -0800

Has anyone bought closets from IKEA? I have been planning on buying a set of these PAX closets from IKEA. I recently knocked down my existing closets and have all my clothes hanging from a rope out in the hall, so I need storage sooner than later.

Pros:
- Look nice
- Fancier stuff (drawers, nice doors) than I could build myself.
- I can get this done in an upcoming weekend rather than an extended DIY project in the middle of my apartment for a month. (The recently completed closet demolition was one of those).

Cons:
- I rent now and think I might move in a year or two. The new place might have not be appropriate for these freestanding closets.
- IKEA furniture doesn't transport well, if at all.

What should I do, AskMeFi'ers?

Also, per my initial question, I'm interested in anyone's personal experience w/ these type of closets. I looked online for reviews and didn't really find anything.

Thanks for your time-
cgs

Is there an IKEA of the patio furniture world?

nitsuj — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 08:27:20 -0800

Is there an IKEA of the patio furniture world? From what I can tell from the website, IKEA doesn't sell patio furniture, and the closest store to me is approximately 400 miles away so I can't easily check.

So, where can I get IKEA-quality/priced patio furniture? (Yes, IKEA quality isn't the best, I know, but it's decent for the price, no?) Are there specific brands I should look out for? I'm looking for stuff that's a little better looking and lasting than the plastic Wal-Mart setup.

Budget: ~$200, online or off.
Medium-sized table, four chairs.

ID this photo of an Ikea part, please?

pants — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:28:12 -0800

How to identify and replace an Ikea part? Ah! But I have a photo of its twin! Before I was working at my current office, a bunch of Ikea furniture was purchased (although it should probably be something like a hövmäl of furniture, not a bunch). Since then, a small piece of a filing cabinet was lost in a move.

The piece that was lost was used to hang file folders from. There were two in our file cabinet, so a photo of the remaining one is posted here.

I'm not sure if it was from catalog or retail, or how I would identify this part. The Ikea folks say that this item is not replaceable - based on the photo, but no part number. Help me, Mefi! Is there any way to look up the part number for this? Or, is this a common enough thingy that other stores might carry a usable file-hanger-thingy? What do you even call these things? I'm running out of space in my half-a-file-cabinet here!

How to get someone to buy & ship something from IKEA to me?

Wild_Eep — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:52:41 -0800

Where can I find someone to buy something from an IKEA store and mail it to me? Last time I was in the Baltimore area, I stopped by an IKEA and bought a track lighting system that takes these bulbs. While they're available to view from the website, I can't order them.

Lately, a couple of the bulbs have burnt out, and try as I might, the replacement phillips bulbs from my local home improvement center (rhymes with "blows") simply don't light up in otherwise perfectly good sockets.

So, I'd really like to secure some genuine IKEA bulbs. The problem is that I'm 6+ hours from my nearest US-based IKEA store.

What I'd like is to find a place where IKEA-fites hang out, and get someone trustworthy to secure this item (and possibly others in the future) and ship it to me. I'd compensate them for the item and the shipping, of course, and a fee for their trouble.

Anyone know of a place where I could find someone to help me out?

Montreal with no car and a desire for IKEA

TauLepton — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 05:20:42 -0800

In Montreal for business with no car - how to get to IKEA and then post what was purchased? There are so many things at IKEA that they won't ship. Since my husband is in Montreal for business, I'd like him to go over and pick up some of the things I've been craving. He said he'd go if I could do the logistics for him, as he's busy with work.

Problem: No car and the current size/weight regulations of the airlines.

Because I'm not familiar with Montreal nor the French language, I'm finding the navigation of the STM impossible. How can he get from the Omni Hotel Mont-Royal to IKEA (9191 Cavendish Blvd)? I'm just looking for the stops nearby & connections here. Thankfully, I can read the schedule times. :-)

Then, is there any place nearby from which he could post the packages to the US? (I'd like him to get at least one flat-packed furniture item, so proximity is very important.)

Thanks!

Where can I find affordable trendy/modern furniture in the UK?

Sevenupcan — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:49:24 -0800

Where can I find affordable trendy/modern furniture in the UK? For ages I've looked for furniture that's innovative, fresh, trendy and simply affordable, but I really struggle to find an alternative to Habitat and Ikea within the UK.

I really like...

Design Within Reach
Design Public
2modern

but unfortunately all these sites only deliver to the US and Canada, and trying to ship some of their stuff over to the UK I can imagine would cost a lot!