On 1/25/02 12:02 PM, "Sarah Howard" wrote:

Hi,

I've seen some of your journal entries and I'm just wondering, where does the interest in IKEA come from? (seriously).

Thanks,
Sarah

Hi Sarah,

I like IKEA because they present a more appealing aesthetic than my local Sears, Levitz, or Lamps Plus. The general design is consistent enough that almost anything goes with anything else, and the prices are in general lower than other 'department stores' and certainly lower than the stores that have the same kind of 'artistic' stuff like Scandinavian Designs, Z Gallerie, and the like.

Mostly, it's friendly, it's an experience, walking through the whole showroom rather than just finding the department that has the thing you came there to buy. It's like the difference between going on Pirates of the Caribbean versus walking through a halloween store. Also, there's some satisfaction in assembling my own things. I'm proud of my Ikea furniture, because in it I have a poor man's unified, upscale design, while still getting the pride of having designed it yourself and the money left over to accent your space with nice personal touches.

Or maybe it's just a big lemming cult thing, but what's the difference?

Hope that helps!
Kevin