Some local excitement
Sun, 4 Dec 2011Yesterday afternoon I should have been studying French, finishing up my Christmas shopping or doing some laundry. Instead, I went to Ikea. And why is this exciting (according to the title of this post)? I am fortunate to live in a city that has had an Ikea for as long as I can remember. The only problem is it was SMALL. Trips to Ikea were successful if you were able to pick up half the items on your list (and of which the large items you had to drive a few minutes down the road to a second warehouse to pick up). Very frustrating. Yesterday was the soft opening (to friends and family) of the LARGEST IKEA IN CANADA - here in Ottawa! A very kind reader of ours named Erica, a kitchen designer at Ikea, sent me an invite so my husband and I went to check it out. It is HUGE - triple the size of the old store, which only had about 15 decorated showrooms, and now has 55. The restaurant holds 640 people and serves booze! Other reasons why I am excited - I finally got to see a Docksta table in person. (The old store has NEVER carried it). And about 10-15 years ago the old store decided to stop selling fabric. Now Jo doesn't have to ship me some from Australia. The store officially opens on Wednesday and I guarantee it will be insane.
Reader Comments (27)
I know your pain. It is over 2.5 hours to the nearest IKEA for me. Did you sit in the ARVIKA chair you photo'd? Is it comfy for reading?
I unfortunately did not get a chance to sit in the Arvika chair. We were trying to stay ahead of the swarm of people so we didn't slow down too much. It's a gorgeous chair and I think would make for a fab reading chair.
Our IKEA is 10 minutes away by bike ... just around the corner.
I think your Ikea is like the one's we have in France, as you learn french, you have to come in Paris to verify!
Hey. Ikea's owned and run by a former member of the nazi party. Yes. Did you know that the owner, founder and "hero" of Ikea (he's still running the company), named Ingvar Kamprad has been an active member of the nazi party in Sweden? (He has admitted to this in Swedish press, but has a great PR team and because the brand was already so loved, most Swedes forgave him. However, Sweden was not involved in the WW2, except for selling about 50 % of the iron/steel that the german nazis used to make guns and stuff, which Swedes tend not to speak so loud about... but should be shamed of... I know I am... Well, the point is: I guess most Swedes don't think of the nazis too often. I do hope that Americans do, though, and that you consider what people you buy furniture from. Not only was Ingvar Kamprad a nazi; he's become rich by using child labour (not anymore, though but still, that's how Ikea grew so big). So. Why do people love this man? Because the furniture is cheap? Well, they're _very_ cheap, so cheap that most of the designs are stolen from small local designers and design students! Also, Ikea is one of Sweden's richest companies, still they do not pay tax in Sweden like other big companies but have found ways to avoid this. So. Well. Yes. Feel free to love Ikea, but know this: It's not only super bad for the climate (Ikea is far from enviornmental friendly). It's a company ruled by a former nazi who became rich by using children as labour. Still want that sofa?
somehow it scares me how the ikea stores all around the world seem to look totally the same. Just the currency is different.
Yeah!! I'm happy for you. Your fabric selection looks awesome. I am in Chicago and we have two locations, but I don't think the IKEA fabric selection is as big as yours.
Haha, go IKEA! They make me feel proud of being swedish ;)
Thank you for a wonderfoul blog - I read and enjoy it every single day!
Jealous! We don't have a single Ikea store in the country! Nor do they ship here!
Wow soo cool! I sooo wish that we had an IKEA here in New Zealand..but sadly no, and we have nothing close to it. And unfortunately i think we will never get it because of some politics with competing companies..so sad :(
For crying out loud-when will they figure out that there's a gold mine down here in the eastern end of Canada (AKA the Atlantic provinces!) that is screaming for a store!
Lucky you, getting a chance to go before everyone. I've been thinking how insane it will be when it opens and wondering if it will be as insane if I go during the day while everyone works. But I'm happy, I actually wrote them not that long ago to tell them that I've been saving things to my shopping list because I'm moving to a new house soon and I will need a few things but that more than half of the things on my wish list were out of stock or not even sold in the Ottawa store. They told me that they only kept what was most popular and you know how Ottawa can be conservative, so none of the things I wanted are popular lol I read last week in an online Ottawa magazine that they will now have things we've never seen. Just in time for my new house.
To Hello,
Thank you for this information. I had heard vague rumours of Kamprad's involvement with the Nazis in the past but didn't know any details, nor did I know about the company having a history of using child labour.
i'm so excited!
i was getting tired of discovering that they never seemed to carry the items i wanted.
sadly, the VISA needs to be paid down...like, way down before i'll have a chance to do some damage but i'm making my list!
What a fun day!!
I have that Docksta table, and hopefully this week I will hack it by painting the base in metallic gold before my holiday party.
I have had it for a few years and the base gets really dirty so I thought I would paint to see if it would be better.
xx
callie
This is a very accurate tour of an Ikea store - looks just like my local!
Thank you, Hello, for posting this information. I heard an interview with the writer of a recent piece in the New Yorker about Ikea. Here's an abstract (or should that be abstrakt) of the article:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/03/111003fa_fact_collins
You can listen to the radio interview with the writer here:
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/inside-ikea/3700134
There are many uncomfortable truths about things that appear to make our lives easier, but exact a heavy cost on others - like eating meat and other animal products, or using Apple products - made in China by low paid workers amongst whom there is a very high suicide rate.
Here's a piece by JM Coetzee the prize winning author, on factory farming:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/nothing-biblical-in-factory-farming-20111204-1od9i.html
Here's a piece about the life of workers who make Apple products:
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/the-dark-side-of-apple-20110930-1l0ne.html
It makes me rethink my product choices - I'm no longer desiring an Apple laptop or ipad, and I don't eat meat, fish or dairy any longer. The next step is to have my bookshelves made by a local, rather than by eco-unfriendly Ikea.
Love the blog, Kim and Jo.
Congrat's on your new IKEA store!! I dont know if I'd ever be able to live without one (as much as I hate to admit it haha!).
-Danielle
Some day. . . some day there will be an ikea within a days drive of where I live.
Me and Ikea have a love hate relationship. My problem with them is the quality of their products vary greatly. Things that need to be assembled once they are moved typically break, however their lighting fixtures and solid furniture are great. Its sad they hrt their brand name with cheaper products.
Guuuuuh so jealous. The nearest IKEA to me is just over 2 hours away. I've been there 3 times. If it was nearer, I'd probably be there once a month. Haha.
I have to admit, while I like the modern designs, most of what Hello had to say, I've read over the years from reliable sources. So my choice was always to go 2nd hand rather than - and now that so many of us have been disenfranchised and cut loose, there are other reasons to think twice before supporting a corporation that doesn't pay back what it takes out. All the same, I can see the joy you have for a physical presentation of modern design, and hope your holidays are stylish!
"Yesterday afternoon I should have been studying French"? Let me give you a chance to practice, try to translate :
"Merci pour votre blog. Je le lis tous les jours et j'y trouve énormément d'inspiration pour ma décoration intérieure. J'aimerais pouvoir etre assez fier un jour de mon intérieur pour pouvoir vous le présenter mais j'en suis encore loin. Dans quelques années peut etre...
Bravo pour votre travail,
Mathieu, 31, France."
Merci beaucoup pour votre commentaire (et votre désir de m'aider) Mathieu! Je suis heureuse que je comprenne tout!
Si vous lisez notre blog chaque jour (!!) je crois que vous devriez etre fier pas dans quelques années, mais MAINTENANT de vos réalisations avec votre décor. ;) Quand vous etes enfin fier, envoyez-nous des photos SVP!
You do realize, right??...that many of us would KILL to be able to "drive to a second warehouse down the road"?! -ha. Thanks for the look inside an IKEA for those of us that have never seen one inside. Enjoyed the tour!
hi I"m Indonesian.
been reading your blog, n found it very inspiring.
the closest ikea store is in singapore, the "city"country. i only buy if there are relatives or friends visiting the country.
anyway thanks for share,