Yesterday 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.
tina says:
Some day. . . some day there will be an ikea within a days drive of where I live.
W Conklin says:
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.
Christina says:
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.
oregonbird says:
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!
Mat says:
"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."
KiM says:
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!
Greta Sutherland says:
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!
Niniek says:
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,
ia2sf says:
Kim – I've been coming to Ottawa for work since July (you gave me the original recommendation for the Arc Hotel)… and watching the IKEA progress as I drive up the freeway to our jobsite. Funny – I KNEW I could count on a posting from you to let me know when it was finally open. My next trip is in January and I might just need to stop by for a nice plate of meatballs!! 🙂
Marina says:
I´m from Argentina. I want IKEA in Buenos Aires!!!