Ikea is a wonderful place. Where else can you go that you think, “This is bigger than Costco by at least 3x!”? I just moved across the country into a duplex with no furniture and no storage space. Therefore, a trip to Ikea was necessary.

Ikeas are mostly outside of large cities since they need so much room. Ikea is an all-day experience. By the entrance is a play place where you can leave your children while you get to work. Then there are arrows that point you in the direction you are supposed to walk so you don’t disrupt the flow of foot traffic. They give you a pencil and paper so when you find something you like, you write it down. The bottom floor is where you actually pick up the items you chose.

The layout of Ikea is such that you go through sections of your house as you move along in the store. For instance, the beginning is sections of designed living rooms. You can get the whole room or individual items from it. There is a section of beds, couches, bedrooms, kitchens, offices, etc. They will come install kitchens for you, deliver items to your house, and install cabinet systems too. You can speak with a staff member and find a design that works for you.

Before you reach the accessories, light fixtures, and warehouse area, there is a cafeteria where you can grab a meal in the middle of your shopping. Once you refuel, on you go to accessories and light fixtures. There, you can find kitchen utensils, frames, lamps, rugs, drapes, bedding, and more.

The bottom floor is comprised of aisles and bins labeled so you can find what you picked out upstairs. You load your things on a dolly and then pay for it up front where you can smell the scent of cinnamon rolls at the next food station. They label an area by the registers “as-is”, where there are pieces of furniture that are discounted with old floor models or put together furniture that people returned. Once you make your purchases, it’s time to finally go home to put it all together!

Ikea.com