The Wonderful World of IKEA
Take a trip to Tampa to shop this megastore for the home.
By Robert Plunket
Click here to see our Real Estate Junkie discuss his IKEA adventure on ABC7.
The only thing I can compare it to is a ride at Disney World, sort of like the Haunted Mansion. You enter and you ride up an escalator, then you follow a predetermined path, past model rooms, exhibits, displays, ideas, etc. There’s way too much to take in in one visit, so you drift along at your own speed, lingering in the sofa department, perhaps, or moving along to knobs and drawer pulls.
IKEA has virtually everything you need for your house (one floor is nothing but housewares, like glasses and bedding and lamps), but its genius lies in its storage pieces, of which there are hundreds (check out this bookcase, exactly what I’ve been looking for and priced at $199), and its famous kitchens.
If you’re planning a kitchen remodel you’ve got to check them out. Their cabinets have great style, so completely different from the same old same old we’ve been forced endure here in Sarasota for the past 10 years. There’s also a special section for retail stores and offices.
And they have a restaurant! With Swedish specialties like gravlax and open-faced shrimp sandwiches and meatballs. And it’s cheap! Nothing higher than $4.99. Do what I did— arrive hungry, eat, shop for a couple of hours, then eat again. It’s the perfect way to spend a Saturday.