IKEA recalls LEOPARD chidren's highchair
Please check with your local IKE Store for details.

Shabby Chic

Did you ever facy yourself as a player in a French film ?
(No not that sort - one of the ones with roses on the wallpaper ,cast Iron Beds and little French looking accessories - oh and those lovely frilly white lace pillows too !)
Well this is your chance - to change your home into a filmstar backdrop that will make your friends Sooo Jealous...
We offer literally hundreds of shabby chic pieces - why not click on one of these and then go exploring ?
You'll love them .....

Ikea Curtains

What do you call a house with no curtains - ?
I think it must be somewhere in the Netherlands - they dont have curtains like we do. (maybe they think its immoral - or that people with curtains have something to hide)
Anyway Ikea have some very tasty (ad cheap) curtains for your delectation.
I am sure you will find something here that you will just love !

Gas Barbeque

Hmm did I smell a steak or two sizzling on the barbie ?
Last year was so poor for barbeues and rain that I was getting quite hungry.
Imagine fillets of fish wrapped in foil and garlic with a few nice New Potatos and a salad in the garden.
A chilled bottle of something pink and French to wash it down with and thats my idea of heaven.
We have some lovely barbeques on offer this week - just right for a Spring Party for your friends... and all at bargain prices too.

Is your house safe - really safe ?
Many people have front door locks that were installed in the 1950s or earlier.
The back door lock is even worse - all too often people have a very old basic lock on the back door. For a while I employed an ex-burglar (reformed) for a painting job and he told me what he used to look for :
1 - a tall hedge at the front of the house - its perfect cover for making an entry.
2: an open side door to the back of the house (then he could work in peace)
3: a dustbin to use as a ladder
4: an open small window to a bsthroom (easy to get in through there..)
5 Yappy dogs - all burglars hate yappy dogs - they draw attention to what they are doing.(I have TWO !)
If you have a tv,video,computer,hi-fi then please consider installing MODERN Locks.

Smoke alarms can seriously save your life.

No locks will stop a determined burglar - and neither will a burglar alarm.
What you will gain is TIME - a burglar wants to get into your house and remove valuables in the shortest possible time.The harder you make it for him, the more likely he is to try elsewhere.

Door Bolts are a great idea too - they stop a burglar kicking down your door.Always fit door bolts on your BACK DOOR - that is your most vulnerable area - oh and close that open bathroom windw - just get an aerosol instead !

If you keep valuables at home then get a SAFE !

No one would blame you for keeping cash or valuables at home with the current distrust of banks !

A Safe (if well hidden) is your best security option.

Flatpack Furniture from Ikea
Although Flatpack furniture does not seem to have taken off in Wales  (according to reports),it is really popular everywhere else.

Ikea  has made buying a new wardrobe or desk affordable.
Flatpack is much cheaper than ready assembled furniture - you simply do not have the labour charges.
But is the quality good enough - the answer is a resounding YES !
Ikea has been very careful about their quality control and has sourced much of their raw materials  from the Baltic States to keep costs down - and they pass that saving to you.

Many supermarket chains are looking at Ikea with a view to copying their strategy.
(whoever thought that Woolworths would close down ?)
The credit crunch has drastically affected companies around the world and every remaining company is now cutting costs (and staff) in an effort to stay afloat.
 

It is likely that flatpack furniture may well take over the high street and I foresee a huge explosion in service industries of delivery and assembly of furniture in your home.

Flatpack furniture of the past was indeed a little on the shoddy side with fibreboard frequently falling apart and many of us older folk remember the unexpected nausea
 that came from discovering that vital fitting and hinges were missing - but not from IKEA !

The great designs that come out of IKEA ensure simple assembly and good quality furniture.
With the added thrill of knowing that you built it yourself - and saved money.
Here is one of the IKEA Bestsellers - the Billy Bookcase
http://www.all4yourhome.co.uk/Store/billybooks

The big Blue and Yellow Supermarkets look like they will expand while their rivals look on enviously.

The most common mistake I have seen at IKEA is that people underestimate the size of their car.
This means that when you get flatpack furniture it may not fit inside your car - at least not with you and a passenger too ...
No seriously - people do forget that they have to be able to get into the car and drive it

(Thats why you often see Police cars near IKEA (you thought they were smartening up the police cells ? No they are waiting for an easy booking of a car being unsafely
laden.)
The trouble with IKEA is that it is SO tempting you think thats accidental ?- no - just a great bit of marketing !)

The other mistake many people make is to park too far from the loading area .
Then you have to carry big stuff to your car - not a smart move.
Take a friend with you and get them to wait in the loading area while you get the car or van ( really clever people get a friend with a van to go shopping with them .. I must try that sometime !)

Saving the Planet is really important and its up to us to do our bit.

We have all bought energy saving lamps but which one really is the best ?

Its the IKEA 20 watt Sparsam Stick which was the winner of the extensive WHICH test in November 2008.
In the test the lamps were switched on for a total of 8000 hours (equivalent approximately to 8 years use)

Just changing 4 ordinary lamps to energy saving one will according to which save you up to £ 28 a year.

This is a great reason to buy Ikea Sparsam Stick lamps - they are a bit ugly though so take care where you put them.
We seldom offer these lamps but we do offer other energy saving lamps.
(most people just buy them and any they do not need they stick in that cupboard with the spiders under the stairs !)
Thanks to Which? magazine for this information.
Other energy saving lamps are here :

Why Shop at IKEA ?

There are three main reasons to shop at IKEA
First is CHOICE
Ikea has a huge choice of all the basics of setting up a house or apartment.
You can completely fit out your home from the front door knocker to the kitchen sink.
Their Bookcases are outstanding bargains.

Second reason is DESIGN
Ikea produces beautifully designed furniture and furnishings with a very attractive Swedish Style.

Third reason to shop at Ikea is COST
Taking into acount the Quality of Ikea products of all kinds, when you relate them to other suppliers
they are very much more cost effective for similar products.

There are stores like ARGOS that have a wider range of products but they are really dependent on
their suppliers for quality control whereas IKE directly commissions most of its products and has its own quality control program.

The only snag with shopping at IKEA is the TRAFFFIC - car parks are often very full at weekends and this is of course a measure of their success.

IKEA has mastered the first principle of selling -
Give the customer what they want - at an affordable price.
They even have Yummy Swedish food and great prices on long life light bulbs

Miss the Sales and You Miss The Bargains !

Ikea annually holds a HUGE Discount sale at each of their UK Stores both to clear their stocks and to attract new customers. This often happens during Bank Holidays or other public holidays.

Ikea regularly brings in new models of furniture and to make space for these they sell off stock which has not sold quite as well or stocks that have been replace by new models. This happens in all sections of each store. They also give away bits and pieces to add to the fun of the sale.

Ikea is basically offering low prices on most of their furniture anyway so additional discounts are more than welcome to anyone setting up or refurbishing their home.

You will often see in the Ikea Sale specific items for children (Ikea are well aware of the power of the demands of a child ! )

How can you benefit best from an Ikea Sale ?

First thing is to go around all of the store a week or so before the sale with a notebook and a good pen (those pencils are really not good enough for what you want to do !) and make your own notes of items that just might be of interest to you at the right price.

A really great idea is to go online and make a hit list from there (remembering that many items will sell out quickly during the sale.

This way at least you know just what you are looking for and not just peering around through the crowds and confusion.

An Ikea Sale draws MANY people and you really just HAVE to be there early to get the best bargains. Congestion is not just an idea during the sale – it is an astounding collation of people and traffic.

Do not go to the sale alone – first of all you may need someone to guard your purchases while you get your car (better still borrow or rent a Transit or larger Van for the day).Secondly you may well need two people to load larger items into the car/van.

The people around you will all be trying to get their purchases into their cars too.

Park your car as near to the loading zone as you can at least an hour and a half before the store opens. (You will not be alone !)

Lets be honest about this – an IKEA Store is a massive impulse buy store.

Everyone that goes in comes out with more than they intended.

Make sure you get what you really want FIRST !

Then go round again and shop for unexpected bargains.

It is almost certainly NOT a great idea to go to Ikea during the sale and try to plan your kitchen there and then. That way madness lies – you need peace and quiet to plan a kitchen properly and perhaps advice from a salesperson too – which may not be available during the sale. PLAN before you go for best results.

Make your Ikea Sale Visit a Pleasurable Experience and have lots of fun.

For suggestions on Ikea Storage bargains : http://www.all4yourhome.co.uk/Store/Storage

(C) Copyright 2008 Keith Jones