In the He Says/She Says series, we discuss financial-ish topics where we agree to disagree. And Joanna’s usually right (shhh!). Johnny and I argued a lot the first year of our marriage. Always about little things. It would start off with “Wait, you don’t think that [insert opinion here]?” And then 9 times out of 10 it’d turn into a full-blown argument. Well, I’d tend to get huffy and puffy almost immediately, and in response Johnny would get more annoyingly calm and pragmatic. And then we’d get more mad at the other person for acting that way. One such example manifested itself at IKEA our second week of marriage. We had a one-bedroom apartment, zero furniture, and zero money, so IKEA was our interior-decorating drug of choice. I had assumed that all the furniture-buying decisions would be up to moi since I was the wife and CEO of decorating our home. But apparently Johnny didn’t get that memo, and he mistakenly assumed he should have a say as well. Luckily, IKEA is just big and neverending enough that even my heated whisperings and Johnny’s silent treatment couldn’t last a whole trip there, so we didn’t go home angry at each other.
IKEA furnished apartment from our college days, circa 2009 But now we have a different disagreement regarding IKEA and its furniture (but not its Swedish meatballs, horsemeat and all…kidding). Our apartments over the years have been an IKEA faux-wood furniture heaven. In college, such furniture only made sense. And when we moved to NYC and Boston, we kept with that trend since nothing stays nice being lugged up three or four sets of stairs to a tiny old apartment. But now I’m ready to put an end to the IKEA faux-wood fest. And I wouldn’t mind buying a couch or table that was put together before arriving in our home. I get that it’s cheap and it saves money. And I know I’m always the “spender” in our He Says/She Says series, while Johnny’s always the cheaper one. The truth is I am quite thrifty, but not in any areas where Johnny disagrees. Now that we have Baby Girl and our house is becoming a home, I want to fill it with meaningful pieces that will last a long time.
And that might mean spending extra $$$ or having to buy a nice piece of furniture for cheap that requires a bunch of DIY handiness. Gimme a paintbrush and sandpaper. In my mind, if we buy nice furniture once, we won’t have to buy it again, at least not for a very long time. Johnny wants to stick with IKEA for a few reasons: It’s practical. He likes the simple style. And, get this — he actually enjoys putting the furniture together. To quote him, “It’s like LEGOs for grown ups!” And so we continue to be at odds with the giant blue store. Johnny has started making a few concessions. Our current coffee table, though from IKEA, is solid wood. I can get down with IKEA’s higher end stuff. I’m just done with cheap IKEA once and for all. I’m hoping to go all Inception on his brain and change his mind. So where do you stand on buying furniture? Do you like to keep things cheap and simple, or are you ready to do whatever it takes to have some quality pieces in your home?
So in other words, are you right (with me) or wrong (with Johnny)? (Original photo by IKEA)Turn a $50 Ikea chair into a unique statement piece that looks like a million bucks, with this clever Ikea hack. You'd never know that this DIY leather lounge chair, from Style Me Pretty Living, was previously an Ikea chair. The new look gives this inexpensive chair a more mid-century vibe. Visit Style Me Pretty Living for the full tutorial and more photos. The Spring 2017 Palette Creativity starts with a spark - ignite yours with these fresh ideas Get your daily dose of inspiration right here 2 week open return policy and secure payment Care for our planet Machine washable fabrics with a focus on 100% natural materials 3 year quality guarantee & designed to fit beautifullyCourtesy of Bildfeldt AB Midcentury modern and Scandinavian furniture designs seem as ubiquitous, relevant, and on trend as they did in the middle of the 20th century, and even more so as our gadgets get more futuristic and our interiors have gone decidedly retro (helped along no doubt by a glamorous boost from the Mad Men effect).
Courtesy of Bildfeldt AB Now under the guise of celebrating 70 years in business, Ikea has launched the limited-edition Argang collection, 26 reissued designs from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s that include furniture, lighting, textiles, and tableware from its archives (available only in select Ikea stores). “Retro design is a big trend right now, so the timing for A RGA NG Collection is just right!” exclaims a press release about the collection.These days both low- and high-quality originals of midcentury and Scandinavian designs flood the secondhand furniture markets in the U.S. and Europe, often at reasonable prices. Knockoffs abound, and many contemporary designers use midcentury pieces as inspiration. The Ikea midcentury line offers the aesthetic at an undeniably cheap and easily accessible price point, but does it stand up for the increasingly design-savvy consumer whose tastes might be a little more sophisticated now that the midcentury trend has dominated for so long?
Ikea dipped its toes into its archive last year when it reissued the 1955 Lovet table, the piece that launched its flat-pack modus operandi that helped make them the home furnishings monolith that they are today. I remember seeing it online and thinking it was cute. I then spotted several original tables with exactly the same look and not too much higher of a price point at a Paris street market, as well as online. So why do consumers opt for midcentury Ikea when there were better options on the market, complete with their enduring cachet and inevitable charm? Even furniture and decor pieces made from cheap materials more than half a century ago seem of better quality than much of what is produced in our era of planned obsolescence. Part of the thrill of picking up a piece of midcentury design—whether in its original state, restored, or made over to add a contemporary twist—is knowing that it has stood the test of time. There’s something reassuring about sitting in a chair or putting your feet up on a coffee table that is older than you are.