How to Choose IKEA Furniture That Will Really Last for Decades
While Swedish furniture and home decor retailer IKEA often associates itself with affordable, self-assembling items that don’t last long, this is not the case for (chipboard) slabs. While you don’t buy IKEA products as heirlooms that have been passed down from generation to generation, it is quite possible to get many of their furniture pieces over the course of several decades, especially if you take care of them properly.
But how can you tell a lower quality lamp from a shelf with a longer shelf life? Interior designer Jackie Terrell, who is the proud owner of several IKEA pieces of furniture she acquired over 20 years ago, recently shared her hidden object strategies that will serve you with Domino . Here are three of her top tips.
Buy items in pairs
While IKEA designs furniture and other items for small European apartments and homes, that doesn’t mean they won’t work in your mid-century modern farmhouse or ranch. The key here, according to Terrell , is to buy things in pairs because “visually it gives them more weight.” This includes consoles, chairs, end tables, lamps, and anything else you can fit. (Besides, if it’s a subject that you really like, you will always have a backup.)
The Stockholm collection and the PS series are a win-win.
The Stockholm collection not only looks timeless but is built to last. “It’s just a higher-end design, ” Terrell told Domino , noting that she owns a line of wardrobe with solid walnut shelves and push-to-open drawers.
She also offers to keep track of items from the IKEA PS series , a line launched in 1992 and repeated approximately every three years to complement the retailer’s usual range of products. PS Series products are usually made by renowned designers, are of higher quality and are produced in limited quantities (which may also increase their resale value in the future).
Mix
As tempting as it may be to walk into an IKEA store, find a showroom you like, and then recreate it at home, Terrell advises against it. Instead, she suggests mixing your IKEA items with other types of furniture. “That’s when I feel like IKEA things are unrecognizable, ” she told Domino .
Plus, we know that not all retailer products are the same. So one of their showrooms likely has a combination of furniture that is built to last, along with items that probably won’t last that long. Buying an entire room usually means ignoring the varying quality of items.