The Unofficial IKEA Web Journal

IKEA has entered into a new arena with the opening of the Tulip Inn located near the IKEA Concept Center in Delft, The Netherlands. IKEA is the property owner, and Golden Tulip Hospitality Group is the hotel operator. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on August 31, 2007.

Inter-IKEA Systems B.V. along with the municipality of Delft planted 109 trees of 20-30cm width and an ecological bank was established for local wildlife. Solar panels installed on the hotel assist with the water heating. Read more…

In the News IKEA Concept Center, IKEA Delft The Netherlands, IKEA furniture, IKEA hotel, Tulip Inn

BERLIN, Dec. 8 (UPI) — The head of Swedish furniture company Ikea’s German wing says women excel over their male counterparts when it comes to assembling the company’s goods..Petra Hesser, 50, Ikea’s German chief, said women are better skilled at assembling the company’s signature flatback furniture because “men never look at the directions and have the most problems with construction because they always think they can do that,” The Local reported Monday.

“The woman first sorts the parts in an orderly way. Men throw them in a pile and then,something goes missing,” she said. “That is empirically proven.”

Hesser estimated that women make up 40 percent of the furniture giant’s customer base, but men often accompany their female friends and family to give approval for larger purchases.

However, “if the woman is against buying something, then nothing gets done,” she said.

Wow.  That’s quite a statement!  What do you think? Are women better than men at assembling IKEA furniture?  Speak out!

Via UPI.com

Cartoons, In the News IKEA Assembly, IKEA furniture, IKEA Germany, IKEA Official

Affordable dreams in tough economic times call for IKEA!
-by Kelly

Why do people love IKEA? Not everyone, of course, but certainly a great number of people all over the world do truly LOVE IKEA.

I can tell you what IKEA does for me…

It’s about accessibility of dreams. I’m a person who has lots of little plans and dreams about my surroundings from clothes to gardens, and like lots of people I’m influenced by television and magazines on what those things can look like. I want to be individual within a cultural context and to express myself through the physical attributes of my surroundings.

Like nearly everyone, my money and my mind are not in synch. I want more than I can afford or have. My eyes are bigger than my wallet. At times, I live firmly in an unbalanced state of desire. I have Plans without Wherewithal.

And then, there is IKEA. There are interesting, even beautiful things at IKEA- lots of them- that are within the realm of my financial possibility. These things are geared toward people who live in small spaces, who need places to put things away, who need a new bed or couch or kitchen or desk, but who cannot or don’t choose to spend a lot of money, but have a desire to purposefully choose the things they live with rather than take things others are done with.

I lived for too long with other people’s hand me downs, and I suspect that these were hand me downs prior to that. Who actually chose these things? Who desired them? In what home did they make sense, and where were they part of an integrated whole? I am not talking about heirlooms, I am talking about a round dining table when you need square, a light wood when everything else is dark, where nothing really matches or is the right size for the space you inhabit. It is always making do.

So, for me, IKEA is about the freedom to pick things I want to live with.

Why do you like IKEA?
Image by Zeuss via IKEAFANS.com Galleries

Announcements, Opinions affordable dreams, budget, economy, IKEA furniture, IKEA love

“As part of a pan-European initiative, Fiat Auto UK has just announced its new
corporate identity plans with the introduction of IKEA furniture into Fiat
dealerships nationwide.

The IKEA furniture range now becoming available
to Fiat Auto’s 170-strong UK network has been specially chosen to dramatically
enhance the dealer environment, bringing a bright, modern and youthful ambiance
to showrooms and other customer-facing areas.”

Fiat News

In the News IKEA / Fiat, IKEA furniture

This is really sad:

“STALIN, Khrushchev and Brezhnev all dreamed of a Soviet Union populated by dedicated citizens, working all day to build the Socialist dream and studying the high arts in the evenings.

In the News IKEA furniture, IKEA Russia

“think I’m going mad, and so’s my wife: We distinctly remember seeing a green
PATRIK chair online or in a catalog, but cannot find it any longer. Can you ask
your readers? Was there a green PATRIK that was perhaps
discontinued?”

JR
…

Product Link

Personal IKEA chair, IKEA furniture, IKEA Patrik

Next week the the magazine that all Swedes are waiting for will be stuffed
into mailboxes from the far north of Lapland to the southern Skånsk beaches.

After luring so many to redo bathrooms and kitchens, Ikea is set to
dominate the wardrobe market, asking the public to “come into the
closet”.

On Thursday, Ikea presented it new catalogue.

“The past years push on bedrooms and kitchens has gone really well,” said Jeanette
Söderberg, head of Ikea Sweden. “Both the paper Vi I Villa and we have done
investigations that show many want to put more time in their storage, especially
younger people.”

Ikea is planning on lowering prices 5 percent and some
30 percent on wardrobes.

Adam Ewing

The Local

[Thanks Jen!]
…
Request your copy at IKEA

In the News IKEA catalog, IKEA furniture, IKEA prices, IKEA Sweden, IKEA wardrobes

IKEA Hacker has a FLICKR slideshow of the 2007 line.

Check it out

Weblogs IKEA catalog, IKEA furniture, IKEA on Flickr, ikeahacker

Holly Becker posted some pics of new items you can expect in the stores soon:

Product Updates 2007 catalog, decor8, IKEA catalog, IKEA furniture, sneak peek

“Here is a company that I thought was cool – BEMZ – they make custom slipcovers for IKEA chairs and sofas.  Finally!  They even send free swatches, all the way from Sweden.”

Christine

BEMZ

Product Updates BEMZ, IKEA furniture, IKEA slipcovers