Great quality furniture/household furnishings/decor at fairly affordable prices. I have a few pieces scattered throughout the house and after several moves they still look as they did the day I bought them.

One night while sitting around with friends talking about IKEA and the names, we developed a marketing campaign over margarita's: White screen, an ikea pew like item in the middle of a screen, and dude with a knit winter cap with an Ipod tucked in his ears, pants in his pockets kinda rocks his way past the item, stops, looks at the furniture and says, "Benchen!" And then lifts bench and carries it out like it was a boom box.

The advertising campaigns are usually funny/interesting, and yet simple in their design, like the furniture. The shopping experience is usually fun, despite the crowds, and I like the self-serve aspect, how no one is hounding you when you're meandering through the store, their scratch n dent, and that I can drive my car up to the doors to pick up the item because spots are reserved there for just that purpose.

I've been looking at IKEA kitchen cabinets. I also read somewhere that they will ship several items regardless of size and weight for $100 and since these stores are few and far between (I have to drive 6 hours to get to one) this makes for easy catologue shopping for the big ticket items. I dont' know if you can purchase items from catalogues in other countries (they do have different things out there that aren't available closer to home-). (LOL @Copywrite, Lixi, 2009)

So, drop your kids off in the play room (if you want to, at least I still think they have the plastic ball pit there), walk through the store, sit down and have some sweedish meatballs for a lunch snack, and then have a nap on Benchen.

If anyone from Ikea is reading this, I really really need a new kitchen because I'm pretty sure the old one has an evil spirit that causes me to burn water and screw up on toast.

Reasonably quality furniture for the price. All my bookshelves come from here, and they've stood up for over twenty years and four moves.

What kills me about this place are the names. Where else can you buy a Grodung or a Pabflag and put it in your living room with a straight face?

Ikea is good because it fits my price range. If I were more well off I would definitely outfit my house with a higher quality furniture, and yes...something I didn't have to assemble myself. However, for those who can't afford nicer furniture or just don't care to spend their money there, Ikea can be a great place. Prices are reasonable, and there are plenty of styles and colors to choose from.