IKEA

cart | tins | bin | chair | shelving unit | table legs | step stool 

IKEA. It's hard not to be drawn by its siren song - low prices, designed spaces, everything in one location - who can pass that up?! But then, I learned to be careful with Ikea over the years. Because let's face it - your rooms will never look as good as Ikea's display rooms, the furniture isn't the cheapest, and flat pack assembly just isn't the fun and relaxing family time you thought it would be.

Don't get me wrong, I like Ikea. You can't furnish a place without a trip there. It's just unfathomable. Truthfully, I wouldn't want to try. Even if Ikea furniture can disappoint in the harsh light of your apartment (crooked and mismatched as they can turn out to be) there's nothing like walking into a styled space that's designed to convince you your apartment can look like this too! and this is how! - where everything, from the throw pillow to the bookcase, is for sale.

The funny thing about Ikea is, no matter how much you plan ahead, you never seem to leave with the things on your list. Mostly just nick-nacks. But, I got my table legs, so that's what's important. Even if I've been banned from assembling anything on my own (really, from being in the same room with an open Ikea box), I'm having buyer's remorse, and my place currently looks like this:

It's a work in progress, 
don't judge.