I was reading an entry about vintage clothing on a site, Stuff White People Like, and I realized there’s a trend I was wholly unaware of: Ikea Hate.
It’s like noticing the little arrow between the E and the X in the FedEx logo; once I saw the jab at Ikea on that site, I was noticing it everywhere on the sites I frequent. Whether it’s Facebook or Digg (heck, I’ve even see a bit of it on National Review Online), it seems there’s a very vocal contingent of the interweb that just hate Ikea.And this is where I’m confused. I went to Ikea store once and I found that the majority of their stock was tasteful, inexpensive, and fairly well-made for the price. After that visit, I helped my sister put together a table from Ikea that now graces her kitchen and holds all the bottles of wine that she gets as gifts but will never open. It’s a good table.
So, in my limited, anecdotal experience, I find Ikea to be nice. I imagine that when I finally am un-poor enough to move out, or I actually get The Call to DC, a fair few items in my swingin’ bachelor pad will be from there. So, I ask you, my handful of readers, what’s up with with the Ikea hate?
In closing:
Oh, that’s an easy one. IKEA is fake class – all of their furniture has a certain look to it, and lots of middle-class people trying desperately to look like upper-middle-class have lots of IKEA furniture in their apartment.
Did I tell you the story about my IKEA bed? It’s a doozy.
Fake class, shmake class. I just like the idea of having something cheap that looks good. Perhaps it’s more the mentality than the item itself?
I do believe you did not tell me about the bed.. Do tell this doozy, lest I be forced to utilize some form of “do” again.
I’ve never heard of Ikea Hate. I have some items from Ikea in my apartment that I thoroughly enjoy and will go to buy more at some point in the future. The only reason I’m glad Ikea isn’t closer to me is that I frequent the establishment more often.
IKEA is the IHOP of cheap furniture; it’s what Starbucks is to burnt coffee. It makes a statement that one doesn’t care to look for interesting pieces to furnish with. It’s base housing in a box. If you have an urge to immerse oneself in cheap, fake-fancy furnishings spent the night at a Microtel. Why not just kick out the jams and spring for some of that Rubbermaid plastic dorm furniture. If you need furniture just bring it up at church; you will be supplied with plenty of interesting heirlooms that won’t come with instructions and a wrench.
I think Ikea is a stage of development, coming between adolescence and adulthood. It goes like this:
Adolescence (I sleep in a twin bed bought by my parents)
Dorm (I sleep in an extra-long twin bunk bed owned by the school)
Ikea (I sleep in a Swedish platform bed with the inexplicable name of Juurgen)
Adult (I sleep in a queen or king-sized bed with a box-spring)