Renovation - IKEA Giveth and IKEA Taketh Away...

Did the obligatory renovator's IKEA trip on Saturday. I've always called IKEA the divorce maker, for reasons I shouldn't have to explain to anyone that has felt the misery of arguing at every twist and turn of the never ending maaazzzeeeee..... I don't know how many times I had to explain to J that you have to walk all the way around as that is their selling trap - you will buy some drinking glasses as well, and you do need some more throw rugs don't you? So go with it, stop fighting it.

Well, IKEA always seems to start well for me and I'm pretty skilled at putting the blinkers on and targetting only the items I have to buy. But this is where I always come undone - we saw a perfect mid 20th century coffee table that could serve as a tv lowboy (and it was from a new "special" IKEA range, designed by Inga Van de Van de Sweden or something). Where do we come unstuck?? "Uh, yeah" IKEA girl twirling hair and looking completely disinterested, "we're out of stock" "No I don't know when they'll be back in". "No, we don't do orders".

Ugghh.

And then I always come unstuck again at the checkout. Five million people with five million items. 2 cashiers on. And the two groups before us both separately questioned the price of their items, and one forgot to put on a pick up invoice so we had to let her back in to pay for it.

Why? Why do we go there?

Is it for the meatballs? Is it for the $4.95 felt throw rugs? Is it for the basket of 99c Swedish milk chocolate at the cash point?

No.

It's the affordable price for a few key items. And that's how they get us all in.

This was our original 80s faux leadlight lamps:

What were the previous owners thinking?

And now the IKEA pendant light: $139

Much better. Worth the arguments and misery at the checkout? Hhmm, maybe.