Ikea, the Swedish furniture maker has announced its intention of opening stores all over India in the coming years! And I for one, am in full party mode! Yup, I am a hardcore Ikea fan! You name an Ikea product and you'll find it in my house. The first I ever heard of Ikea was after I moved to Singapore. Me and S had just moved into our new apartment and needed everything from a table to utensils to bedsheets, towels and table mats. And that's when someone mentioned Ikea to me. I had heard of them and read about them but beyond that I knew nothing about the brand or their products. My first trip to Ikea was like stepping into a magical land- you thought of something and you could find it around the next bend. It was like section after section of small little things that you had always wished you could get your hands on but had never found anywhere. It was like they had gotten into your brain, read every thought you ever had about homeware and made it into reality. And everything, I repeat- everything, was affordable! S practically had to drag me home that first time.
After that, going to Ikea was like a ritual. Something I simply had to indulge in every month or every other month. It would often be for the smallest of things- like a couple of coffee mugs or a bunch of kitchen towels that I could just as easily buy from any other store around but, it had to be Ikea for me. They even had a small cafe inside the store for when you got tired of shopping and had to rest your legs and sip or snack on something. Their food was a little bland for the Indian palate but even then, I loved the concept. Many a time me and S have spotted people coming in just for a cup of coffee and chicken wings and going home without buying a single thing. Ikea was my go to place for everything under the sun. It was where I went ,when me and S needed a computer table. It was where I got my very own amazing bookshelf from. I even remember me, S and my sister assembling the whole thing. It was such fun- the hammering and figuring out the drawings and fixing it all up. The only disadvantage that Ikea furniture has is that once you assemble something, if you dismantle it and try fixing it again, it will surely turn out super wobbly. But, I still love Ikea!
Ikea was also one place I took almost all of my relatives or friends anytime they stepped foot in Singapore. It was one place I suggested to people who asked me about places to visit in Singapore. I took my Mom when she was there and she fell in love with it. I bought my aunt in Cochin some stuff from Ikea and from then on she would ask me to bring her the same things everytime I made a trip home. I had friends who heard me mooning over Ikea stuff and even had one of them take a snap with me and my precious Ikea catalogue when she visited me in Singapore!! I couldn't take her there 'cos her schedule was jam packed but now that Ikea's gonna be gracing Indian shores soon, am sure she's super excited! Am already planning combined Ikea trips in my head. :D
ET had a feature of the five best Ikea products of all time in their paper today, and I realized that I had used four of them in my time in Singapore. If I flip open an Ikea catalogue, am sure I'll find that I have used/ own/ owned almost 75% of their stuff in the past three years! I still treasure my Ikea catalogues. They issue a new one every 6 months, in addition to the monthly newsletters they mail their customers. And the one time I love Ikea the most is during Christmas. They have the most amazing tinsel and candles in the most amazing hues of read and green and what not. The entire store would be decked up in Christmas colors and for me, it was the perfect Christmas wonderland! :) Ikea has been an indispensable part of my life these past three years and I have always imagined my very own home with tons of Ikea stuff in it. :P What is even more appealing about them is the fact that they have stuff that you can fit into a minuscule studio apartment or a mansion! And it is pocket friendly.
OK, I can wax eloquent about Ikea for pages and pages. :P S and my friends will testify to my obsession for the store. And before I slip into frenzied blabbering, I'll just leave you with some pictures of my favourite Ikea stuff :) Oh, and happy shopping for when they finally get here!! :D
This was the second home me and S stayed in Singapore. The bookshelf you see here is from Ikea. The little basket you see on the bookshelf is from Ikea. The sofa is from Ikea. The picture frame on the wall is Ikea. And in the far left corner where you see the lamp and the pictures of Gods lined up, the table they sit on is Ikea. By the time I moved to house number three I had even more Ikea stuff. :P heh..
This is my bookcase- picture courtesy IKEA website.
I shall stop my Ikea obsession here. Have fun you guys. And I'll see you with something frivolous tomorrow. :P Till then ciao!!