Tag Archives: furniture

IKEA in Germany (near Leipzig)

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We happen to stop by in a market area to our drive from Nurnberg to Berlin. I wanted to check out what IKEA in Germany looked like. Well, as you can expect, it was exactly the same as here in Canada except for everything being in German and in Euros.

The layout was the same, the products, etc. It was quite deserted and the cafe looked much bigger than the Richmond one. I wondered how they made any profit.

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Barely any customers…

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Tried their 1 Euro coffee

But then again, we had just gone to a mall which was literally empty – Nova Eventis. It was one of those odd modern mall you’d expect from a movie, so huge with big brands inside, kept sparkling clean, but no people. It could be because it was on a Monday, but I was told this is how it usually is.

I wouldn’t recommend going to IKEA unless you’re wanting to buy furniture. In Europe, IKEA is seen as the ‘cheap’ furniture, for students and low-income. It still has that branding here, but I feel it’s a bit more accepted as the ‘modern, clean, middle-income’ customers. And it’s true that you can make some pretty stylish rooms with their furniture and decor.

IKEA Karlstad Sofa

So when I was a student a few years back. My sofa in the living was composed of foam mattresses and blankets rolled up into sort of a ‘sofa’. Of course, since it was tied together with strings, it kept falling apart. Once I graduated, I bought a small compact SOLSTA sofa-bed from IKEA. $169 + tax and delivery. (see how I sold it for $80 on Craigslist in my other blog post)

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My old Solsta sofa bed in living room

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Karlstad sofa and chaise at IKEA showroom

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However, although it was nice, it was time for an upgrade. So…we recently went to IKEA and got the ‘buy one sofa, get the second on 50%’ deal :) Because my living is so small, I had to pick carefully.
Luckily, IKEA has a wide selection of different sizes, styles, colours and prices.

Because we had a mini-van (Dodge Caravan – barely fit!) and transported it ourselves this time, we didn’t have to pay for delivery. :)

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Assembling the sofa in the small apartment was a bit of a challenge :)

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Lots of boxes!!

Tadaaa~! The new Karlstad Sofa and Chaise!! in Lindo Beige. Originally $1199.99 + tax = $1343.99. But with the promo, it came out at $1041.00 with tax! Big savings! :D It took a few hours to put it together and put the covers on, but it was well worth it!! Yay!!

idearabbit-karlstadMy new Karlstad sofa and chaise in my living room!

IKEA Cafeteria in Richmond

IKEA Restaurant on Urbanspoon

With the recent upgrading of my furniture and interior decorations – from a student lifestyle to a working designer, we’ve been to IKEA more than we can count on our fingers. Also, almost every time we go, we stop by the fairly cheap cafeteria.

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Meatballs (10 pieces) + Milestone soup with bun

The price is really cheap. Pasta with tomato sauce is only $1.99. The taste is a bit bland, but it’s perfect for students! Or, if you’re trying to save up for a nice new sofa ;) We always get the Meatball Plate (15 pieces of meatballs and mashed potatoes with gravy) for $5.99 On Tuesdays, it’s even cheaper for $2.99 from 2pm till closing. This special offer is on until Dec 31st 2012. There’s also an Organic Chicken Mandarin Salad – Regualary for $5.99, but $3.99 on Wed after 11am. They’ve got the Haddock & Chips for $6.49 but only $2.99 on Thurs from 2pm till closing. The taste is pretty decent for the price, and you get to eat it in the nicely designed IKEA cafeteria.

You pick up the dishes you want, and drinks are self-serve – so no tip required! The cafeteria is kept fairly clean at all times, and very well lit.

It’s worth giving it a try! There are two locations in Lower Mainland: (note that the hours for the store and restaurant is different!)

3320 Jacombs Rd. Richmond
Store Hours: Monday to Friday: 10am – 9pm | Saturday: 9am – 8pm | Sunday: 10am – 6pm
Restaurant hours: Monday to Friday: 9:30am – 8pm | Saturday: 8:30am – 7pm |Sunday: 9:30am – 5pm

1000 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam
Store Hours: Monday to Friday: 10am – 9pm | Saturday: 9am – 8pm | Sunday: 10am – 6pm
Restaurant hours: Monday to Friday: 9:30am – 8pm | Saturday: 8:30am – 7pm | Sunday: 9:30am – 5pm