Wood you help me?
Its all about the green and I am not referring to the stuff in your wallet. Its about being good to the environment. This post kind of tackles two subjects a once, furniture fabrication and quality and the ways Ikea is on a path to being Green!
I overheard someone say "knock on wood" in the store the other day, the reply was "you can't there isn't any here." I had to smile but they are only half right.
The reason for Ikea's success is in large part by the low prices they offer and, oh yeah, the cute stuff they have. Working here has given me an insight into how they make the furniture, which I was surprised by the fact that my Lack tables are made with something that resembles glued together sawdust, only chunky style! This makes it lighter to ship and uses up what we probably would have thrown out as waste, more genius. If you tap on the legs of the table, it might sound a little hollow, thats because there is a lot of air in there. More air equals less raw materials used equals less damage to the environment. That is the main focus for Ikea now, how to use materials to build good looking, quality products without stripping the environment.
I read that they changed the way they made the popular STUVA series lighter and used less materials. The old way - one tree made 13 STUVA storage boxes. The new way - after the changes, 23 storage boxes. Ummmmm...... WOW! Not only is it lighter, (which is good for you, because you are the one who has to pack it in your car and then carry it up three flights of stairs to your apartment) but now its is easier on the natural resources. Its called Board On Frame, which involves a bunch of technical things like honeycomb paper and hmmm, air. Its sturdy and light.
Green Store
I had never heard of LEED before coming here. It stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Its a mouthful. My building is LEED certified, to be certified you have be able to meet five criteria.
1. Sustainable site - low impact on the site its built on, less hard surfaces and natural landscaping.
2. Water efficient - low flush toilets, using less water to irrigate
3. Energy and Atmosphere - monitoring systems for heating and cooling
4. Materials and Resources - reduce, reuse, recycle. You know the drill.
5. Indoor Environmental Quality - use of low-emitting materials use of natural light through skylights.
Its a lot to process and a little bit serious but is necessary to understand what drives Ikea's low prices. I could honestly go on for pages telling you about how Ikea uses renewable resources such as recycled plastics or how stores use solar power for heating water instead of using electricity but this is a blog, I am not writing a book. It is truly amazing how Ikea spends the time and effort to reduce its impact on the environment and that should keep the tree huggers happy.... for now
Tak,
Krister
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Making it your own! As-is and hacking.
One of my favorite stops in the store is the As-Is section. This is where you can find the scratch and dents, returns they cant sell as new and display items for sale.
CHA-CHING!
It is a first-come first-serve kind of thing, no holds and no requests. If you see it there BUY IT, cause it won't be there later. Frugal folks like myself go there first. I have found curtains, random pieces of wood and fabric. Most of it brand new or has a spot on it, for 50% off or more. It is a DIY persons dream.
This little project cost me some time and $8, four Ribba frames that were once displays. The photos I took and printed out at home, these are now in gracing the wall of my bathroom.
I wanted to be a little more ambitious and I needed to dress up my office. Hot Pink and flowers. It is bright in here now, no more drab vertical blinds.
The vases were what really caught my attention, the bright pink and the low price.
This project cost me a little more. The wood for the pictures was $.50 a piece and the fabric was a deal at $3.99 a yd, (I have some left over, using it to make a matching chair cover) the shelf and brackets were $12, the pink vases were in As-Is at $2 a pice, the flowers were originally two stem but I cut them up and divided them between the vases, $2 each.
The potpourri inside only cost me $2 and it smells like chocolate. Lastly the votives were $.49 each and I even had some Glimma candles on hand. The whole thing took me about three hours, the glue had to dry on the wood before I could hang them.
My office is really an enjoyable place now. I got a pair of Sarita Panels for $6.99 and a pair of Lill panels in, you guessed it, As-Is, for $4. I layered it on two curtain rods, the outside being really pretty and the underside the plain white one. Ahhh serenity now.
Hacking
I would like to give some recognition to Ikea Hackers, its a great website and full of ideas for things you can make or repurpose out of damaged or new Ikea furniture and accessories. It is a website dedicated to just Ikea hacks, really cool.
www.ikeahackers.net
I have a lot of fun finding treasures in As-Is, its hard to stay out. One piece inspires a whole project. The best part is sometimes the items are just customer returns and there isn't a thing wrong with them, now its just marked down and you save a lot of money. But the up side and down side is that it is always changing. Don't come in expecting to find the Karlstad couch you want in As-Is, it won't be there, unless you are lucky.........
very lucky!
Tak,
Krister
CHA-CHING!
It is a first-come first-serve kind of thing, no holds and no requests. If you see it there BUY IT, cause it won't be there later. Frugal folks like myself go there first. I have found curtains, random pieces of wood and fabric. Most of it brand new or has a spot on it, for 50% off or more. It is a DIY persons dream.
This little project cost me some time and $8, four Ribba frames that were once displays. The photos I took and printed out at home, these are now in gracing the wall of my bathroom.
I wanted to be a little more ambitious and I needed to dress up my office. Hot Pink and flowers. It is bright in here now, no more drab vertical blinds.
The vases were what really caught my attention, the bright pink and the low price.
This project cost me a little more. The wood for the pictures was $.50 a piece and the fabric was a deal at $3.99 a yd, (I have some left over, using it to make a matching chair cover) the shelf and brackets were $12, the pink vases were in As-Is at $2 a pice, the flowers were originally two stem but I cut them up and divided them between the vases, $2 each.
The potpourri inside only cost me $2 and it smells like chocolate. Lastly the votives were $.49 each and I even had some Glimma candles on hand. The whole thing took me about three hours, the glue had to dry on the wood before I could hang them.
My office is really an enjoyable place now. I got a pair of Sarita Panels for $6.99 and a pair of Lill panels in, you guessed it, As-Is, for $4. I layered it on two curtain rods, the outside being really pretty and the underside the plain white one. Ahhh serenity now.
Hacking
I would like to give some recognition to Ikea Hackers, its a great website and full of ideas for things you can make or repurpose out of damaged or new Ikea furniture and accessories. It is a website dedicated to just Ikea hacks, really cool.
www.ikeahackers.net
I have a lot of fun finding treasures in As-Is, its hard to stay out. One piece inspires a whole project. The best part is sometimes the items are just customer returns and there isn't a thing wrong with them, now its just marked down and you save a lot of money. But the up side and down side is that it is always changing. Don't come in expecting to find the Karlstad couch you want in As-Is, it won't be there, unless you are lucky.........
very lucky!
Tak,
Krister
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Food, Glorious Food!
I would like to talk about my favorite subject, Food. Without it sounding like a sales pitch, yes I eat something from Ikea everyday, well it's only natural, I work there. Some people come in just for the food. It is a great deal cheaper than going to Ruby's or Friday's and you don't have to tip.
Where to start? Upstairs!
If you feel so inspired as to get up and join us early, my Ikea has a free breakfast everyday a half hour before the store opens for shopping. YEP FREE! Its bacon, potatoes and scrambled eggs. Not too shabby, but it might not be the same at all stores, so DON'T say "I heard that you had free breakfast, Kristine said so", please check your stores websites first.
I mentioned before that you would need your strength before going into the Market Hall. The place to get good food cheap for the family is the restaurant. They offer a selection of Swedish foods, like Salmon with stuffing and dill sauce, Gravad Lax (smoked salmon), Swedish pancakes, Shrimp Sandwich, Buffalo Chicken Wraps and oh...what am I forgetting....OH DUH, the Swedish Meatballs. For $3.99ish you can get about 15 meatballs in a lovely sauce served with potatoes and lingonberries. As a bonus, there are kids sized meals for around $2.50 and it includes a drink.
MMMM. You cant beat that. Try to feed a family of four at McDonald's for less than twenty bucks and it is good food, not a fried monstrosity. They have weekly specials that change, sometimes ribs, sometimes baked chicken (my personal fave.)
More Yumminess Downstairs
There is a quick serve area, called The Bistro, which has a few items that you might like to grab on your way out. A pizza combo, a slice of cheese with a drink or the hot dog combo, two dogs, drink and a bag of Lant Chips, all for $2.00. WOW. I get this a lot. Where else can you get a snack for $2.00??? And don't forget the ice cream and Cinnamon buns, the ice cream is lowfat and the cinnamon buns are yummy, sticky, gooey goodness, (whispers) they are only a $1.00.
The Swede Shop
Most of the goodies you find in the restaurant can be found in the Swedish Food Shop. Meatballs, cakes, fish and fish products like crab spread, Anna's cookies, various cheeses, breads and sweats (think chocolate), hard to find traditional foods like Tangkorn, a seaweed topping or Torta Mandel, almond cake. There are a bunch of freezers and shelves full of tastiness.
So If you have Scandanavian roots or just want to eat like a Viking, this is the place for you. There is even a convenient freezer bag you can get for .99 cents to get it home in.
Tak och glad äter,
Krister
Where to start? Upstairs!
If you feel so inspired as to get up and join us early, my Ikea has a free breakfast everyday a half hour before the store opens for shopping. YEP FREE! Its bacon, potatoes and scrambled eggs. Not too shabby, but it might not be the same at all stores, so DON'T say "I heard that you had free breakfast, Kristine said so", please check your stores websites first.
I mentioned before that you would need your strength before going into the Market Hall. The place to get good food cheap for the family is the restaurant. They offer a selection of Swedish foods, like Salmon with stuffing and dill sauce, Gravad Lax (smoked salmon), Swedish pancakes, Shrimp Sandwich, Buffalo Chicken Wraps and oh...what am I forgetting....OH DUH, the Swedish Meatballs. For $3.99ish you can get about 15 meatballs in a lovely sauce served with potatoes and lingonberries. As a bonus, there are kids sized meals for around $2.50 and it includes a drink.
MMMM. You cant beat that. Try to feed a family of four at McDonald's for less than twenty bucks and it is good food, not a fried monstrosity. They have weekly specials that change, sometimes ribs, sometimes baked chicken (my personal fave.)
More Yumminess Downstairs
There is a quick serve area, called The Bistro, which has a few items that you might like to grab on your way out. A pizza combo, a slice of cheese with a drink or the hot dog combo, two dogs, drink and a bag of Lant Chips, all for $2.00. WOW. I get this a lot. Where else can you get a snack for $2.00??? And don't forget the ice cream and Cinnamon buns, the ice cream is lowfat and the cinnamon buns are yummy, sticky, gooey goodness, (whispers) they are only a $1.00.
The Swede Shop
Most of the goodies you find in the restaurant can be found in the Swedish Food Shop. Meatballs, cakes, fish and fish products like crab spread, Anna's cookies, various cheeses, breads and sweats (think chocolate), hard to find traditional foods like Tangkorn, a seaweed topping or Torta Mandel, almond cake. There are a bunch of freezers and shelves full of tastiness.
So If you have Scandanavian roots or just want to eat like a Viking, this is the place for you. There is even a convenient freezer bag you can get for .99 cents to get it home in.
Tak och glad äter,
Krister
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Okay, you found the couch of your dreams...lets put it in your...Miata?????
Todays topic: Getting it home!
I have to sigh when I see these tiny little cars pull up to the loading dock. The owners try and try to tie down huge boxes with nylon twine. Hilarity ensues.
Before you decide to take something home, have a plan or at least a friend with a pick-up truck. Ikea is a two man job for starters, one to guard the goods and hold the parking space (sometimes by standing in it while snarling at anyone who even thinks about pulling in) and one to go gets the truck or whatever you brought.
DON'T move the cones on the weekends. They are there for a reason and its not:
"Oh I thought it was reserved for me"
"It was like that when I pulled in"
"It was the only spot empty"
NO NO NO...no touchy. They help keep the flow of traffic at the exit doors to a minimum.
Being the wonderfully low priced place that we are, we don't just deliver things for free. But you do have options, you can rent a U-Haul Van (the essence of self serve) or you can have it delivered for various rates, depending on where you live. OR you pick what you want, load it and then drive it home. Twine provided for free by Ikea.
Time after time I hear this "We only came to check it out" and they have three trolleys and two shopping carts full of stuff. You can always come back and get it tomorrow, we will be here.
So you did plan ahead and brought a sizable enough vehicle to get it home, great! Most of the time there will be a worker or two out on the dock that can help you load you stuff. These guys are heard working so be easy on them and tipping them a buck or two might be nice too. Its hot here on FL.
Have a great week
Krister
I have to sigh when I see these tiny little cars pull up to the loading dock. The owners try and try to tie down huge boxes with nylon twine. Hilarity ensues.
Before you decide to take something home, have a plan or at least a friend with a pick-up truck. Ikea is a two man job for starters, one to guard the goods and hold the parking space (sometimes by standing in it while snarling at anyone who even thinks about pulling in) and one to go gets the truck or whatever you brought.
DON'T move the cones on the weekends. They are there for a reason and its not:
"Oh I thought it was reserved for me"
"It was like that when I pulled in"
"It was the only spot empty"
NO NO NO...no touchy. They help keep the flow of traffic at the exit doors to a minimum.
Being the wonderfully low priced place that we are, we don't just deliver things for free. But you do have options, you can rent a U-Haul Van (the essence of self serve) or you can have it delivered for various rates, depending on where you live. OR you pick what you want, load it and then drive it home. Twine provided for free by Ikea.
Time after time I hear this "We only came to check it out" and they have three trolleys and two shopping carts full of stuff. You can always come back and get it tomorrow, we will be here.
So you did plan ahead and brought a sizable enough vehicle to get it home, great! Most of the time there will be a worker or two out on the dock that can help you load you stuff. These guys are heard working so be easy on them and tipping them a buck or two might be nice too. Its hot here on FL.
Have a great week
Krister
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Hej! Välkommen
Okay, for you english speaking folks, thats Hi! Welcome.
I have been working for IKEA in FL for over a month now and these are some of the comments I have heard from friends and family-
1. Isn't that the big furniture store?
2. I've never been to Ikea (gasp!)
3. I like swedish meatballs, do they have them there?
4. I heard the stuff was cheap (as in poorly made)
5. I don't like to build anything!
and the list goes on....My bff Jenna got me hooked about two years ago, I love to build things, so this is my Mecca. My house is a strange menagerie of furniture, decor and as-is hacks.
The first lesson will be all about the store itself, you will have to come back for the rest (food, building stuff, hacking, as-is, quality, the environment and Ikea, various scandanavia, getting it home, etc.)
Da Da DA Daaaaaaaaaaaa!
Okay, you hauled your pitiful self out of bed this morning, hell bent on getting to Ikea. Great! First of all, every store has different hours so check before you leave the house. If I have to look at another sad face and say sorry we are not open till 10 am or sorry we close at eight, I will poke myself in the eye with a pretzel, it will be less painful.
The store is HUGE, let me say that again...The store is HUGE. a couple hundred thousand square feet. It is broken up into three main areas
1. The Showroom - this is where the dreaming and planning begin
2. The Market Hall - all the decor and home goods you could ever imagine or need
3. The Self -Serve warehouse - yep SELF-SERVE, that means you get it YOURSELF!
You feel faint already? It may seem a little overwhelming, cause it is, but that is why I am here, I am all about education. Lets start at the front door.
The Showroom
Come on in and get on the escalator, cause your journey begins in the Showroom. The title is self explanatory really. Once you exit the escalator, STOP, don't go any further, you will need a map or two, a pencil and perhaps a measuring tape. All provided free of charge just to make your trip to IKEA a little more enjoyable.
Once you have your supplies and a map, start following the large arrows on the floor, these are your friends. You can't get lost if you follow the arrows. Trust me! As the title implies, it is a showroom. Very crafty people spend a lot of time putting together these rooms, so that you can get all the ideas you will ever need to furnish your home. It is still a furniture store after all and all the DISPLAYS are clearly marked with a tag that gives you the following:
1. Price
2. Location in the warehouse or markethall
3. Materials
4. Dimensions
5. and in most cases the designer
This is where the pencil and map come into play. On the back of the map is an empty list, waiting for you to fill it up with names and numbers. Please don't take the tags or try to buy the display, there are plenty in the warehouse that are untouched and clean in tidy brown boxes.
Once you have had your fill of dreaming and planning, stop and get a bite to eat, you will need your strength to tackle your next area. I will discuss the restaurant later.
The Market Hall
This is where the fun really begins. Get a cart, you will need it. The yellow bags are great but you will be wanting a cart. YES, it was crazy wheels, its made that way on purpose. The Europeans know how to navigate tight corners. Again this is broken down into sections like every kitchen item known to man, flowers and plants, picture frames, etc. Some things will catch you off guard and some things you will swear you need because, OMG its a dollar!! Its all good. Spoons for $.49, a whole cooking set for $40.00, holy crap! (yes I actually heard this the other day.)
It may seem like time has stopped since you first walked in but low and behold its three hours later, I work here and that still happens to me. Okay your cart is full of things you can't live without, time to go the the warehouse.
The Self-Serve Warehouse
Don't be intimidated by its size, Home Depot is bigger and less easy to figure out. Since you were a clever rabbit and wrote all your numbers down, this part will be a breeze...for you! There is an aisle, bin and shelf number. Follow it! Once you find the location, verify that you have the right item and use the handy dandy trolly that you got at the entrance of the warehouse. Load it up and proceed to the cash lanes.
Ikea had the brilliant idea that you could save a boatload of money if they pack everything in small boxes, keep staff to a minimum and you build your own furniture. Don't black out yet, all of the instructions are super easy-to-follow pictures that my three year old understands, so can you. And just imagine the sense of accomplishment when you are sitting on your new couch and watching T.V. on that new T.V. stand that you built and oh yes, saved a ton of money on.
You have two options, SELF checkout or regular cashier. Self checkout is fun and faster sometimes. I always use it. There is still a Swedish food shop to browse with frozen foods and cookies and all sorts of delicious goodies. Thats another blog day.
Finishing your day
YOU DID IT! I am so proud of you. Now I know I say SELF a lot here and that is the great part of Ikea. You are not alone though, there are co-workers all over to help you get things, answer questions and help you navigate the titanic that is the store.
Good luck and I will see you next time
Krister
(its really Kristine, but that is my Swedish name)
I have been working for IKEA in FL for over a month now and these are some of the comments I have heard from friends and family-
1. Isn't that the big furniture store?
2. I've never been to Ikea (gasp!)
3. I like swedish meatballs, do they have them there?
4. I heard the stuff was cheap (as in poorly made)
5. I don't like to build anything!
and the list goes on....My bff Jenna got me hooked about two years ago, I love to build things, so this is my Mecca. My house is a strange menagerie of furniture, decor and as-is hacks.
The first lesson will be all about the store itself, you will have to come back for the rest (food, building stuff, hacking, as-is, quality, the environment and Ikea, various scandanavia, getting it home, etc.)
Da Da DA Daaaaaaaaaaaa!
Okay, you hauled your pitiful self out of bed this morning, hell bent on getting to Ikea. Great! First of all, every store has different hours so check before you leave the house. If I have to look at another sad face and say sorry we are not open till 10 am or sorry we close at eight, I will poke myself in the eye with a pretzel, it will be less painful.
The store is HUGE, let me say that again...The store is HUGE. a couple hundred thousand square feet. It is broken up into three main areas
1. The Showroom - this is where the dreaming and planning begin
2. The Market Hall - all the decor and home goods you could ever imagine or need
3. The Self -Serve warehouse - yep SELF-SERVE, that means you get it YOURSELF!
You feel faint already? It may seem a little overwhelming, cause it is, but that is why I am here, I am all about education. Lets start at the front door.
The Showroom
Come on in and get on the escalator, cause your journey begins in the Showroom. The title is self explanatory really. Once you exit the escalator, STOP, don't go any further, you will need a map or two, a pencil and perhaps a measuring tape. All provided free of charge just to make your trip to IKEA a little more enjoyable.
Once you have your supplies and a map, start following the large arrows on the floor, these are your friends. You can't get lost if you follow the arrows. Trust me! As the title implies, it is a showroom. Very crafty people spend a lot of time putting together these rooms, so that you can get all the ideas you will ever need to furnish your home. It is still a furniture store after all and all the DISPLAYS are clearly marked with a tag that gives you the following:
1. Price
2. Location in the warehouse or markethall
3. Materials
4. Dimensions
5. and in most cases the designer
This is where the pencil and map come into play. On the back of the map is an empty list, waiting for you to fill it up with names and numbers. Please don't take the tags or try to buy the display, there are plenty in the warehouse that are untouched and clean in tidy brown boxes.
Once you have had your fill of dreaming and planning, stop and get a bite to eat, you will need your strength to tackle your next area. I will discuss the restaurant later.
The Market Hall
This is where the fun really begins. Get a cart, you will need it. The yellow bags are great but you will be wanting a cart. YES, it was crazy wheels, its made that way on purpose. The Europeans know how to navigate tight corners. Again this is broken down into sections like every kitchen item known to man, flowers and plants, picture frames, etc. Some things will catch you off guard and some things you will swear you need because, OMG its a dollar!! Its all good. Spoons for $.49, a whole cooking set for $40.00, holy crap! (yes I actually heard this the other day.)
It may seem like time has stopped since you first walked in but low and behold its three hours later, I work here and that still happens to me. Okay your cart is full of things you can't live without, time to go the the warehouse.
The Self-Serve Warehouse
Don't be intimidated by its size, Home Depot is bigger and less easy to figure out. Since you were a clever rabbit and wrote all your numbers down, this part will be a breeze...for you! There is an aisle, bin and shelf number. Follow it! Once you find the location, verify that you have the right item and use the handy dandy trolly that you got at the entrance of the warehouse. Load it up and proceed to the cash lanes.
Ikea had the brilliant idea that you could save a boatload of money if they pack everything in small boxes, keep staff to a minimum and you build your own furniture. Don't black out yet, all of the instructions are super easy-to-follow pictures that my three year old understands, so can you. And just imagine the sense of accomplishment when you are sitting on your new couch and watching T.V. on that new T.V. stand that you built and oh yes, saved a ton of money on.
You have two options, SELF checkout or regular cashier. Self checkout is fun and faster sometimes. I always use it. There is still a Swedish food shop to browse with frozen foods and cookies and all sorts of delicious goodies. Thats another blog day.
Finishing your day
YOU DID IT! I am so proud of you. Now I know I say SELF a lot here and that is the great part of Ikea. You are not alone though, there are co-workers all over to help you get things, answer questions and help you navigate the titanic that is the store.
Good luck and I will see you next time
Krister
(its really Kristine, but that is my Swedish name)
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