I want to kit out a room with shelves for holding loads of comics,annuals and graphic novels.
IKEA has just opened in Dublin, and as it happened Im going there next weekend for a night, I was thinking of going to IKEA to have a look at their shelving systems.
Has anyone used anything from IKEA, is it shite? The price looks great, and the whole thing looks easy to put up. What concerns me is the weight of the stuff I have to put up, is the IKEA stuff decent enough to cope.
David
It's alright if you want something practical, easy to put together & cheap. Aesthetics are basic but not horrible.
It depends what exacty you're buying from Ikea. Most of what they sell is good quality, and load-bearing depends on how you fix it to the wall more than the quality of the goods.
Coincidence :
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20102149
We've got the "Billy" range of book shelves which do the job nicely. Got tons of film books, including those whacking great Industrial Light & Magic ones, and the shelves show no sign of bowing at all after quite a few years.
Yeah, we have had a bit of Ikea stuff for over a year now, and compared to other similarly priced cheap'n'cheerful furniture from Woodies, Atlantic etc. it's streets ahead. The wall of Billy bookshelves are serving us very well, there's a nice bright wardrobe-thing in the kid's room, and I have a small deep plan chest beside my bed that I'm particularly happy with.
Obviously if you can get some actual furniture made of wood and whatnot, you'll be a lot better off, but if you can afford more than one or two pieces of that in this country you're doing well - I have a kitchen table and chairs, and a coffee-table thing, that both approach the genuine article, just about everything else we own is necessary shite from some B&Q-style operation, or scooped from skip. I've only been to the Belfast Ikea, and mainly bought bookshelves, but it was certainly worth the petrol.
Some advice (from the wife): Do it in two runs if at all possible. Get a catalogue, take a walk through, have a cheap lunch, walk through some more checking measurements and listing requirements (number of shelves, height of cases, doors, finishes etc.), then go home. Then get yourself a van, be there when it opens, scoot in the back stairs into the warehouse end and get what you need from the shelves without ever visiting the showrooms again. I know you'll be coming from the Uttermost West, but trying to navigate, choose, measure-up, find, load, queue and pay all in one go... well, it'll be a hassle.
(http://www.eichlernetwork.com/images/Spotlite/storage_i.jpg)
have kitted both my kids bedrooms with these and also have them down stairs in the front room.
V
Unfunnily enough I've just put up a photo of the BESTA system I use to store my 2000ads over in this thread
http://2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,26822.0.html (http://2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,26822.0.html)
If you scrowl down there are links to the two types of shelving I use (Pete's already linked to one above). I've not put up a photo of the stuff I use for my American comics but if its of interest I'll do that when I get home and post that as well. I've found if an idea system.
We've got our two daughters' rooms done up with Ikea stuff, and at one time had planned to do maybe the living room, but...
Since being here in the UK, and knowing it's not a permanent stay, we've been hitting the antiques barns and auction house pretty hard, and have done our entire house (minus the girls rooms, though they both have Victorian dressers) in antiques. Antiquing is quite addicting, plus NO ONE in the States will have anything near as nice. And if they do, they will have paid out the arse for it!
Cheers all
I was looking at the billie shelves, and thinking it was too good to be true. I have bought stuff from Argos out of nessesity, and it was cheap crap. Good plan Tord about doing it over the two days, not practical for meself, but I could probably pay for it on the day, I know plenty from work that could collect it for me in a van, there in Dublin every other day.
Cheers
David
I'm off this weekend and I think I might pay IKEA a visit after about a 6 year break. I can see a few of these looking quite nice up in the attic.
If your not careful you may end up like some on this thread...
http://2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,20831.0.html (http://2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,20831.0.html)
What a bunch of Nerds ;)
I've got a couple of Billy bookcases, and they're not bad. The only caveat I'd give is this:
When you assemble them, run some PVA glue (not supplied) along the grooves at the sides where the back piece fits in.
I didn't do this and as a result the sides of one bookcase have bowed out due to the weight on the shelves, leading to one of the shelves collapsing.
One day, when I can be arsed taking everything else off the shelves, I'll glue it in place.
Also when assembling,make sure when you tighten them they don't snare the carpet. I fitted a new carpet in Robbie's room then put down new skirting boards. I lifted the fully assembled shelves and pulled up half the carpet. Fun was had by all.
V
I'm thinking of placing them in a corner and probably getting 4. Then I can sit on my NAFFI chair up there and admire them.
Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 17 November, 2009, 08:10:27 PM
Then I can sit on my NAFFI chair up there and admire them.
Have you been proffing again?
V
They were doing the place up and left certain items outside in storage without locking them away and you know what we are like.
"Shiny items..........must have!"
IKEA scares me - it's like some kind of weird religion - masses of people flock there every Sunday, everything is given strange new names, you're forced to walk in procession past every item and it all ends up with wailing and gnashing of teeth.
I do need some new shelves though....
The billy range of book shelves in Ikea.
classic design, durable and cheap to be honest, bought a set years back, just passed them onto a family member, must be ten years old and still hanging tough.
what more could you ask for.
nothing specail, but decent kit.
IKEA
they created the first sublinial messages,
you walk in and below the MUZAC they play is a message saying
BUY SOMETHING-BUY SOMETHING-BUY SOMETHING-BUY SOMETHING
i have never entered and come out empty handied. bloody odd place.
For reasons far too dull to go into here I realised I posted to the wrong link about and my photo of my Besta shelves is actually in this thread.
http://2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,26828.msg468785.html#msg468785 (http://2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,26828.msg468785.html#msg468785)
IKEA is a pain in the tits. Went there a few months ago and my 3 year old son wanted to go into the little creche thing they have there. So that was grand, signed him up and off he went in to play for an hour. They give you this little beeper thing so they can beep you when it is time to collect him, or if there is trouble. So anyway if we go to do a bit of browsing. Five minutes later, the beeper starts going off. FFS, I think, he's bored already or he's got scared and wants to get out. Okay, no problem, I tell the wife, I'll go get him....after all....the creche is only down a flight of stairs about 1 minutes walk away......
Right.
Except the place is like a rat maze and theres only one way you can frikkin go without swimming against a tide of eager shoppers....even running, it took me nearly ten flippin minutes to find my way through the maze and make my way back around in a full circle to get back to the creche where I started. With the flipping buzzer screaming at me in my hand and visions of a bawling child thinking he's been abandoned by his parents.
Night. Mare.
Never again.
(On a positive note, they do sell the cheapest damn breakfast I have ever come across. Something like 3 euros for a full fry up, overflowing plate of sausages, eggs, bacon, beans, toast. If I ever go to IKEA again, it will just be for breakfast!)
Breakfast, cream teas, swedish meatballs.... there are so MANY reasons to go to Ikea.
The "experience" isn't one of them. But the tasty noms make up for the experience. You can see people thinking "nearly done, and then it's a coffee, cake and a good sit down"
There's a cracking set of drawers that's the PERFECT size for holding comic artwork (A2 drawers, two rows of A3 is a bit of a snug fit, but doable, but it'll comfortably hold A3). They also sell a table with a frosted glass insert that's designed to be a light box. I have one of those too.
-pj
The Souster woman isn't around so I can say without my usual reproach I secretly very much like Ikea. In particular pretending I've been invited over to some '70s sci fi pad.
The delivery charges are a fucking rip-off, though.
I have managed to avoid ever going to Ikea so lets hope it stays that way because it sounds like a pain and i dont like being herded around places like that and i find these kind of places that are like aircraft hangers always make me feel a bit odd and out of sorts.
Some of their stuff is alright but only the odd item because i dont like that kind of look when everything is Ikea or flats that have been "Ikead" like all that laminate flooring shit.It just feels sterile.
I did go round to a friends house a short while ago and they had just bought a beautiful drawing table/desk from Ikea that had a frosted glass insert and i could easily live with one of those providing someone else goes to buy it for me or i can buy online because my nearest branch is in Croydon and thats somewhere i would rather not have to visit.
Ikea stuff is cheap but i dont really like buying it because its made in China.
[Its interesting how the AGW types who babble on about CO2 emissions never seem to complain about stuff being shipped around the planet from China]
I hate laminate. God gave us carpets for a reason. Squidgy shit-filled nappies notwithstanding.
Quote from: The Cosh on 19 November, 2009, 07:48:24 PM
I hate laminate. God gave us carpets for a reason. Squidgy shit-filled nappies notwithstanding.
I dont mind it at all if its solid wood and its laid properly so it doesnt squeak when you walk on it but not that horrible cheap stuff that is MDF with a faux woodgrain .
Carpet's far more comfortable and, come winter, warmer too.
Quote from: pauljholden on 19 November, 2009, 01:36:54 PM
There's a cracking set of drawers that's the PERFECT size for holding comic artwork (A2 drawers, two rows of A3 is a bit of a snug fit, but doable, but it'll comfortably hold A3).
Mmm-hmm. I believe I have one of those as my bedside table. It's brill, and a fine replacement for the cardboard box I had for
9 years. It's also good for storing current comics and erm, Star Wars uhh, collectibles, in a wife-friendly manner.
You don't need carpets, you need a rug on a polished floor.
You know the advert, "you might as well set a mantrap" ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIoL0PDaxtQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIoL0PDaxtQ)
Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 19 November, 2009, 08:51:17 PM
You don't need carpets, you need a rug on a polished floor.
You know the advert, "you might as well set a mantrap" ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIoL0PDaxtQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIoL0PDaxtQ)
If i might as well set a man trap as its the same difference as a rug then i will set mantraps.
The voiceover sounds like John Hurt.
Quote from: Peter Wolf on 19 November, 2009, 08:42:09 PM
Quote from: The Cosh on 19 November, 2009, 07:48:24 PM
I hate laminate. God gave us carpets for a reason. Squidgy shit-filled nappies notwithstanding.
I dont mind it at all if its solid wood and its laid properly so it doesnt squeak when you walk on it but not that horrible cheap stuff that is MDF with a faux woodgrain .
Agree. Good quality flooring, solid or decent engineered I like but not the cheap thin stuff that pretends to look like it's made of small pieces of wood and makes that horrible tapping sound when you walk on it. I gave up sanding floorboards. Did that twice and never again. More hassle than it's worth, well for me anyway but it does suit older houses. I don't like carpets and have only had them on the stairs in the last two places I've lived in to keep noise levels down.
I've got asthma which is triggered by dust and since its easier to sweep wooden floors than hoover carpets I ended up taking all the carpets out of my house and replacing them with wood panels (proper ones lads, dont worry!) Just kept the carpet on the landing and stairs.
I do find I miss my bit of carpet in the bedroom during winter though. When you get up to go take a leak in the middle of the night and put your feet down on the floor, woohoo, you dont have get a cold electric shock wakemeup right through the soles of your feet!
Interestingly enough Peter, the one thing I did see in IKEA that I fancied (as I was legging it through the store trying to find the way out of the maze so I could rescue my screaming son) was one of those desks.....dead trendy they are and I'd like to have one.
But I ain't going back to get it!!!! Maybe Santy might bring me one...
Quote from: Van Dom on 19 November, 2009, 09:29:07 PM
I've got asthma which is triggered by dust and since its easier to sweep wooden floors than hoover carpets I ended up taking all the carpets out of my house and replacing them with wood panels (proper ones lads, dont worry!) Just kept the carpet on the landing and stairs.
I do find I miss my bit of carpet in the bedroom during winter though. When you get up to go take a leak in the middle of the night and put your feet down on the floor, woohoo, you dont have get a cold electric shock wakemeup right through the soles of your feet!
Interestingly enough Peter, the one thing I did see in IKEA that I fancied (as I was legging it through the store trying to find the way out of the maze so I could rescue my screaming son) was one of those desks.....dead trendy they are and I'd like to have one.
But I ain't going back to get it!!!! Maybe Santy might bring me one...
I think it must be the same desk that PJH referred to as well.
I have had to assemble quite a lot of IKea stuff and the quality of it is pretty good.
Van Dom, just to let you know there are quick ways round, there are short cuts, one tend to notice them the second or thrid time around, staff use em, they are mostly in the 'rooms' if I remember right the are marked for fire exits.
last time I was in it was straigjht to the back warehouse via these.
Interesting...thanks for that tip Proudhuff. If the wife ever manages to drag/coerce/bribe or blackmail me into going there again I'll be looking out for them!
Trip cancelled to Thurrock IKEA due to Sam being ill all day and sleeping on the settee ::)