View Full Version : The Other Letter by IKEA
Ultralight
11-23-15, 10:04am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ3ePGr8Q7k&sns=em
What do kids want for Xmas? An interesting spin on the question...
freshstart
11-23-15, 10:39am
that makes me want a "do-over"
rodeosweetheart
11-23-15, 3:20pm
Well I worked at IKEA for 5 years and they would not even consider my pleas for on site childcare, so not so sure I am too impressed by IKEA telling me how to raise my kids.
The scheduling was brutal and not family friendly.
Well I worked at IKEA for 5 years and they would not even consider my pleas for on site childcare, so not so sure I am too impressed by IKEA telling me how to raise my kids.
The scheduling was brutal and not family friendly.
Unfortunately, businesses will say anything to get you to like them..........and buy more stuff from them.
that makes me want a "do-over"
I'm so glad my wife and I read "Your Money or Your Life" during the parental leave time we took after our daughter was born.
iris lilies
11-23-15, 3:59pm
Can we pile on IKEA?
We just got one in STL. The level of hysteria surrounding this place, in the years leading up to it and now The Opening, is embarrassing to me. I HATE IKEA's upholstered furniture, it is fugly and cheap looking. Some of their cabinetry is ok, I would take it if it were my style. I do like their in-store demos of tiny spaces such as the 480 sq foot house, the 650 sq foot house, etc.
But in the end, it's a lot of hoopla over cheap crap made in China.
Why does it sound like they are speaking French in that video? Is it because they ARE speaking French? I expected Swedish. I am confused. I am not good with languages, enlighten me.
iris lilies
11-23-15, 4:02pm
Well I worked at IKEA for 5 years and they would not even consider my pleas for on site childcare, so not so sure I am too impressed by IKEA telling me how to raise my kids.
The scheduling was brutal and not family friendly.
Perhaps we should remember how superior the Swedish society is, even given their their high percentage of unmarried parents, in taking care of children and family. I'm sure your experience was just an aberration.
kidding. :D
Ultralight
11-23-15, 4:04pm
I do not like IKEA and I try not to shop there, which is quite easy. haha
But I did like the message in the video.
Why does it sound like they are speaking French in that video? Is it because they ARE speaking French? I expected Swedish. I am confused. I am not good with languages, enlighten me.
It's the kind of French that they speak in Spain :-)
iris lilies
11-23-15, 4:09pm
It's the kind of French that they speak in Spain :-)
haha, ok.
I recognized certain words but assumed they would speak French if not Swedish. Ok, I took both French and Spanish back in the day. This is sad, I couldn't even recognize which language it was, I just knew certain words. I didn't see the introductory phrases in writing that would have clued me in.
Yeah.....I was wondering about the language too. It sounded sort of a mix between Spanish and French.
The big city I live near is getting an IKEA. And they are building on one of the most recently populated (over-populated) areas on a road that is always too crowded.
They interviewed a few women in that area and they were soooooooooooo excited. "What a great addition to our neighborhood!" Yuk, I say.
I still have a couple of hutches I bought at Ikea thirty years ago, back when their furniture was at least partially made of wood, back when I got my first place. They've held up pretty well for crap! I have no idea if Ikea is still a bargain, and I don't care for the modern/flimsy look of their stuff now. Frankly my house is so stuffed with refinished thrift and alley finds at this point I don't see a need for buying new factory pieces. And their meatballs were never that great. :~)
I thought the commercial was sweet, but my suspicious side thinks they skewed the question so the kids were thinking material goods on one hand, and non-material goods on the other, with a convenient lack of translating that fact. And ... The Three Kings? At first I thought how interesting, that's the Spanish equivalent of Santa, but on further reflection, no, those are the people bringing presents to Jesus. That's starting to get really ideologically messy, like the three kings are equally celebrating the birth of Johnny and Susie along with Jesus. Is that really how the concept of Christmas gift giving is referred to in Spain?
Williamsmith
11-23-15, 6:25pm
THATS CHRISTMAS........not XMAS
Do I detect a little intolerance and discrimination from the Christophobic?
freshstart
11-23-15, 6:33pm
I'm so glad my wife and I read "Your Money or Your Life" during the parental leave time we took after our daughter was born.
that and Affluenza. I was on bedrest for both babes and these books started me on the right path, I veer but always aim to move back in that direction. We were lucky, both of us did shift work so the kids were always with one of us, so we got a lot of that magical time. But teens are tough and decidedly not magical 99% of the time and I want that "do over", even just 1 day when they were 4 and 3 or 5 and 4. Wouldn't that be lovely?
ApatheticNoMore
11-23-15, 6:39pm
yea something was lost culturally in translation I think, as there may not have been the expectation in that culture for parents to give actual gifts as there is here. The non-family friendly policies is a good point, definite hypocrisy there, to advertise parents should spend more time with their kids and set work schedules that make it impossible. And yes I'm sure they do provide more family friendly policies working at Ikea in Sweden than the U.S., the government and the culture there would demand it.
I don't know, owning Ikea furniture probably means you have the same furniture you bought at 21 or something, which is certainly better than deciding you need new fancier furniture for different stages of life (probably the typical consumption pattern). I doubt it is all made in China, but a lot of new wood furniture is coming from old growth forests etc. (unless it's Forrest Stewardship Council or one of those organizations certified I guess, I don't know I stopped buying new wood stuff when I heard that).
freshstart
11-23-15, 6:43pm
I once spent 6 full-on hours in the Boston Ikea with ex-BF, trying to cheaply furnish my kids' rooms. You'd write down the number of the dresser, take it to the warehouse, sold out. Start over, sold out. Ok, they can mind game you into thinking 6 hrs in Ikea is rational and pleasant what with the meatballs for BF, but they can't manage to stick sold out signs on large pieces of furniture? The dressers we got looked lovely, the bottom of the particle board drawers fell out with very little clothing in them, making the next drawer down impossible to open. But we got lots of cute cheap crap for their rooms. Hmm, we managed 6 hrs in Ikea together without one of us bitch slapping the other back into sanity, we probably were made for each other. On a positive note, their CFLs have lasted 10 years and going strong.
I would, however, like a Costco.....
And ... The Three Kings? At first I thought how interesting, that's the Spanish equivalent of Santa, but on further reflection, no, those are the people bringing presents to Jesus. That's starting to get really ideologically messy, like the three kings are equally celebrating the birth of Johnny and Susie along with Jesus. Is that really how the concept of Christmas gift giving is referred to in Spain?
No. It's in celebration of Epiphany, which is in early January, and one of the main Big Deal holidays/feasts. It's the traditional holiday celebrating the manifestation of Christ. That whole "12 Days of Christmas" thing - look into that :-)
Not everyone decided to culturally-appropriate Odin and create the Santa-gift-holiday-thing...
mschrisgo2
11-23-15, 7:54pm
I think it's a good reminder to parents that kids will ask for everything, but really, there are just certain things that they really want/need. The rest just fills the space.
As for the quality of Ikea furniture, I find that it is like everything else- it varies a lot. I bought an Ikea tubular metal bunk bed for my grandsons when they were 2, and 4. They are 16 and 18 now, and the bed has held up extremely well. A lot of the rest of my daughter's furniture originally came from Ikea, but she got it greatly reduced or free, and already assembled! off craigslist. What she discovered is that if it's still in one piece for someone to sell, it's worth having. (The stuff that fell apart already went into the dumpster. But most of their stuff gets separated into recycling where we live)
I think it fills a niche market in the urban areas where dwellings are small and many people move often. It is easy to move, easy to sell, easy to replace.
I have the Ikea Hemnes dresser and nightstands, solid wood, light weight because they are not particle board, and very well made. I bought and assembled the dresser, but got the nightstands off craigslist for a song. That was 5 years ago and I still love them and they will be among the few pieces of furniture I keep when I move again.
Oh, yeah, the video clip is in Spanish, as in Spain, not Mexico or Cuba :)
No. It's in celebration of Epiphany, which is in early January, and one of the main Big Deal holidays/feasts. It's the traditional holiday celebrating the manifestation of Christ. That whole "12 Days of Christmas" thing - look into that :-)
Not everyone decided to culturally-appropriate Odin and create the Santa-gift-holiday-thing... Ok ok,, stop yelling ... :) What I'm confused about is that the three kings are being represented as Santa. American Style, at least for the purposes of this video. Given what the kids as asking for, I'd say that's how they are looking at it as well. I'm honestly curious about whether the idea of Jesus's praise-givers also being responsible for bringing all manner of expensive gifts to all children is an actual tradition, or just my perception based on this clip.
Miss Cellane
11-23-15, 10:09pm
No. It's in celebration of Epiphany, which is in early January, and one of the main Big Deal holidays/feasts. It's the traditional holiday celebrating the manifestation of Christ. That whole "12 Days of Christmas" thing - look into that :-)
Not everyone decided to culturally-appropriate Odin and create the Santa-gift-holiday-thing...
Whoa. Wait. What? Santa is based on St. Nicholas, a real-live Catholic saint who lived in Turkey. Where's Odin creeping in?
(Interesting fact: The Muslims in Turkey know that Santa is based on St. Nicholas and Santa brings you a gift on New Year's Day.You can see pictures of Santa in the major cities in the western part of Turkey during December.)
Miss Cellane
11-23-15, 10:14pm
THATS CHRISTMAS........not XMAS
Do I detect a little intolerance and discrimination from the Christophobic?
Huh?
The X stands for Christ. Has for millennia. It's a Greek letter that has meant, in context, Christ, for many, many years. It's just a short-hand way of writing Christmas. "Xmas" is pronounced "Christmas."
I liked the message, but pretty much thought it was a set up. Still good to think about. I would have taken a Tressie doll any day over a day with my folks.
Kib - "And their meatballs were never that great." LOL!
Never been in an Ikea or owned anything Ikea. I did like last year's "Book Book" ad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOXQo7nURs0
I just bought a large number of LED lightbulbs from Ikea. They cost less than the LED bulbs I saw elsewhere, and since we are renovating, we're switching lighting.
I agree with Kally, though -- a day with my folks would have paled in comparison to an object when I was a kid. On the other hand, my Mom was home all the time and Dad was a farmer so he was home all the time too. This ad would not have resonated with me!
ApatheticNoMore
11-24-15, 3:05pm
I might have taken a day with the neighbor kids, over my folks any day. It was way more fun to run around with kids my age, being honest. A day with my folks to do what? Go on vacation? Now I DID look forward to that, driving and motel 6 and camping and mountain creeks, and having a campfire and getting out of town etc. were fun. Being dragged to some dreadful boring museum (boring for a kid that is) like I was so often for a day activity? No ..... why can't I just stay home and play with the neighbor kids? Gifts, I not only never got what I wanted really which was toys, but they never tried to, it was always educational gifts or .... socks .... I think I once got a bike that was fun. Skates were fun, frisbees were fun, all toys are fun, but it was the educational things, all the time.
Having grown up with dark, heavy, ornate antique furniture, I adore IKEA. Unfortunately, ours is a long freeway drive away from me. I had some lovely glass bowls I bought there for years and years; I'd give anything to find them again.
I like eclectic decor, but my default style leans modern.
I'm also a fan of Ikea. Have several pieces of painted pine furniture and gorgeous prints on canvas. And I have an Ikea kitchen, which I love. I went with big, deep drawers for my bottom cabinets - no more digging around for pots and pans. After 8 years, they still look brand new and function beautifully. So easy to keep clean. Huge cash savings with DH installing, and I was able to design the kitchen exactly how I wanted it based on how I use it. Would definitely do it again.
we have an Ikea love seat and chair that we bought locally for $25 each. I quite like them. They are the white ones.
I love my leather Ikea couch and its holding up well (2 years now). Yeah, the Poang chairs in leather- while holding up well- do look a little cheesy but I like them. I like a clean/modern aesthetic and my house is on the smaller side, so I like smaller pieces.
As a kid I would have preferred the toys over spending time with my parents. I wasn't quite what my parents wanted, and heard all about that frequently.
freshstart
11-24-15, 7:26pm
it was always educational gifts or .... socks .... I think I once got a bike that was fun. Skates were fun, frisbees were fun, all toys are fun, but it was the educational things, all the time.
socks, roll of scotch tape, pencils, flashlight you were not allowed to use as a toy and bandaids, every year through high school when I had jobs and said I could comp my own bandaids and tape. There was usually one good thing we actually wanted within reason, though and an educational game and thank God, a book we had on our list.
I am shocked we believed in a Santa who brought band aids. I guess we really needed those educational games because we were morons.
We got bandaids, crayons, scotch tape too.
iris lilies
11-24-15, 8:28pm
The IKEA kitchen cabinets fold flat for convenient transportation. DH put together a few of them and thinks they are decent quality but by the time you pay sOmeone to put the together and install them has any money been saved? I don't think so.
I was actually shocked at how cheap looking, cheap feeling, and cheap sitting the upholstered pieces were but then there was one large sofa that seemed very inexpensive and solid, yet it was --ugly. It was their version of "traditional" which was ugly.
So so either you get snazzy style but crap quality, or you got decent quality and crap styling. I'm not even talking about the prices. And as I said earlier, lots of cabinentry in the store was stylish and decently priced. That's their strong point, not upholstered pieces.
iris lilies
11-24-15, 8:31pm
What is the deal with moms denying us kids band Aids? :~) ?My mom was a grinch In that area, too. I have some vague memory of asking for bandaids for a present and she wouldn't do it, yet our bandaids in the house were carefully rationed.
I tend to look at upholstered furniture as a blank canvas. I have had many slipcovers made by Calico Corners craftspeople.
I find most stock cabinetry bile-inducing; IKEA's generally doesn't make me gag.
The IKEA kitchen cabinets fold flat for convenient transportation. DH put together a few of them and thinks they are decent quality but by the time you pay sOmeone to put the together and install them has any money been saved? I don't think so.
Their kitchen cabinets are geared for the DIY, I believe, because DH had no problem doing the assembly and install himself. No special tools or experience needed - just patience and a willingness to read the instructions! :) We thought we might have problems because our house is old and the walls are not plumb, but they worked out great.
I can't be sure, but from what I saw at Lowe's and such, even if you pay someone to assemble and install, it's still a good bargain. From what I understand, many people do that. You just get such a good selection and you can really customize your cabinets the way you want, rather than being stuck with stock cabinets. When you're done, you pretty much have a custom-designed kitchen at a very affordable price.
As for the quality of Ikea furniture, I find that it is like everything else- it varies a lot. I bought an Ikea tubular metal bunk bed for my grandsons when they were 2, and 4. They are 16 and 18 now, and the bed has held up extremely well. A lot of the rest of my daughter's furniture originally came from Ikea, but she got it greatly reduced or free, and already assembled! off craigslist. What she discovered is that if it's still in one piece for someone to sell, it's worth having. (The stuff that fell apart already went into the dumpster. But most of their stuff gets separated into recycling where we live)
I think it fills a niche market in the urban areas where dwellings are small and many people move often. It is easy to move, easy to sell, easy to replace.
I have the Ikea Hemnes dresser and nightstands, solid wood, light weight because they are not particle board, and very well made. I bought and assembled the dresser, but got the nightstands off craigslist for a song. That was 5 years ago and I still love them and they will be among the few pieces of furniture I keep when I move again.
Oh, yeah, the video clip is in Spanish, as in Spain, not Mexico or Cuba :)
I had good luck with a Hemnes dresser. I have one of the Ektorp upholstered arm chairs. I've had it for about seven years, and it's held up very well. Still very comfy. It has a slipcover that can come off to be washed. I know other people who've had the Ektorp sofas through multiple children, and they'll all held up really well. I guess it all depends on the specific piece.
My next sofas will be Ikea or something similar. Now that we allow our pets on the furniture, I don't want them to last forever!
The sofas we have now are very well-built and will last longer than I'll want them to. I imagine I'll have to reupholster them and that might cost as much as buying something new.
freshstart
11-25-15, 2:01pm
What is the deal with moms denying us kids band Aids? :~) ?My mom was a grinch In that area, too. I have some vague memory of asking for bandaids for a present and she wouldn't do it, yet our bandaids in the house were carefully rationed.
when my kids were toddlers and got hurt at her home, they came home with Sesame Street bandaids on. I called her and said, "really, the fancy bandaids? you've gone soft, I'll mail you a check."
iris lilies
11-25-15, 3:54pm
I had good luck with a Hemnes dresser. I have one of the Ektorp upholstered arm chairs. I've had it for about seven years, and it's held up very well. Still very comfy. It has a slipcover that can come off to be washed. I know other people who've had the Ektorp sofas through multiple children, and they'll all held up really well. I guess it all depends on the specific piece.
I just looked up Ektrop and I think that was the one sofa I sat in that seemed VERY sturdy, and inexpensively priced. But it hasn't got a lotta style, gotta say.
DH and I played a game making up IKEA sounding words for things in our kitchen. We shouted out made-up words like Sobveke and Crinout and Grabjesk. We managed to amuse ourselves for a few minutes while making dinner one night, so at least IKEA was good for something in our household.
I bet by the time you have an Ektorp tarted up with an interesting slip cover, an afghan, and a cat or two, it looks a lot less pedestrian. You could even throw in a couple of pillows...
iris lilies
11-25-15, 5:27pm
I bet by the time you have an Ektorp tarted up with an interesting slip cover, an afghan, and a cat or two, it looks a lot less pedestrian. You could even throw in a couple of pillows...
For me, lines are primary, fabric is secondary.
For me, lines are primary, fabric is secondary.
Its lines don't bother me, but I've seen plenty of couches and chairs where that's not the case, so I understand. Color, texture, pattern, and comfort do it for me.
ToomuchStuff
11-26-15, 12:35pm
Went to IKEA for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I've known they have had some stuff I would be interested in for some time. Examples, are those sit/standing desks, and butcher block counter tops. The desk was replaced with a table for me and a hospital style sit stand keyboard monitor desk I found cheap. (where I really need the sit stand feature). The counter tops will probably be bought there, when I redo my kitchen and I am thinking about the acrylic countertops, for the other wall and a farm style sink (always wanted and appropriate for the time frame of the house, but budget of the ones I saw wasn't right).
The other stuff I liked or liked bits of, I wrote down styles, as I view it as idea's for furniture I would like to build (this feature, with that feature that is elsewhere, etc)..
As for Christmas, well it is a commercial holiday, that Christian's see as their own, but is based on Pagen Solstice beliefs, not an actual birthday, and uses images, from all over (including Odin).
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