We Shopped, We Dropped, and.. IKEA won!

Gary and I celebrated our 20th anniversary this May. I can honestly say in the entire time I have known Gary – now over 20 years – we have never spent as much time shopping together as we have in the past four weeks. In fact, neither of us has done as much shopping in such a concentrated period – either alone or together!

The together part is not the problem. In fact, it was what made it bearable! Gary was my translator, decorator and navigator as - I’m certain - we have looked at every furniture and appliance store in the Frankfurt area.

It is stunning just how many new or replacement items a move like this requires: all electrical appliances such as coffee maker, vacuum, toaster, microwave, washer and dryer for starters. Then, Europeans have never warmed up to the idea of closets – even in a newer house. And, we don’t have a newer house anyway. It’s a “newer” older house, nicely renovated but not to include that new-fangled bedroom closet idea.

So…. wardrobes from IKEA are the answer, of course! Have you ever thought about how much you actually store in closets? Let me tell you, a lot! And, we had a very modestly sized walk-in closet in our bedroom on Pine Street AND we didn’t actually ship all our belongings over here. But, even a regular closet holds more than a wardrobe, trust me! Now that we have invested in wardrobes for five people plus a coat wardrobe in the guest foyer, I may just insist on this approach when we come home – to get our money’s worth out of these, admittedly nice-looking, wardrobes!

Those of you who know IKEA will appreciate the fact that I am married to a saint. Gary spent several Saturdays in IKEA before we arrived sorting out the complexities of the wardrobe designs. For those of you who do not yet know the joys of IKEA, this means identifying a shopping list with each shelf, door, drawer, door handle, etc. for each wardrobe configuration you need. It doesn’t just make your head hurt, it risks making your head actually explode! And, because all stores are closed on Sundays in Germany, you can perhaps imagine the scene on Saturdays in IKEA… Score a point for IKEA – half the population is in their store, spending money.

So, the wardrobe parts were delivered and built for us the first Monday we were here. No wardrobe shopping for me -- that was great! But, it was only the beginning… We also needed some armchairs, a dining room buffet and a TV entertainment center as our living space is bigger than it was on Pine Street and some of our furniture was “retired” with this move and did not take the trip across the ocean. Now, one might think this is not such a big deal and might even be fun – who doesn’t like buying some new furniture and doing a mini-redecorating project?

“Fun!” That’s what I thought too. Until the first Saturday found us utterly exhausted and frustrated at 8:00 pm when the stores close. It seems that every furniture store in the area is in competition with IKEA and their answer to it is to beat them at their own game by being even bigger and more overwhelming. (Yes, it is possible!). And, as we found, the irony is that all the furniture looks the same! We searched store after store for furniture that was a darker wood that might blend with the furniture we did bring. It seemed not to be. All the furniture is what I have come to call “Euro-Scandinavian” style and virtually all of it in light-colored woods. I am confident that any German home furnished in the past decade must look just like every other.

Score another point for IKEA for dictating the home décor business in Germany.

Every Saturday we embraced our search with new optimism… surely that huge furniture store we drove by near the airport will have more variety. Surely all the stores can’t sell the same stuff and still stay in business? Wrong. And, to top it off, there are only two ends to the spectrum – nothing in between. Either you pay very low prices and put the stuff together IKEA-style or you take out a second mortgage and pay three times what you would in the US for good quality, made-to-last furniture. No middle ground.

Another point for IKEA for setting expectations that affordable furniture = bring it home in 16 boxes and make sure you have at least 12 hours available to figure out how to put it all together.

By the fourth Saturday, we were beat. We had managed to accomplish the acquisition of all the necessary appliances. That necessity was forced upon us when the rental furniture and appliances departed so suddenly on the day our furniture arrived – that night in fact, for the coffee maker! J But, a month of shopping and still no furniture. We had toyed with venturing back into IKEA but nothing in heaven or here on earth would get my dear husband back in the store.

What to do? Well, score 10 points for IKEA for having a global website. I could browse online in English on the US site and even make an online shopping list! And, Glory Be!, they had some options in “Schwarz-braun.” Of course, those of you in the know on IKEA also know that only some items are in some of the woods. So, you first find all the options in the wood you like and then start browsing. Otherwise, take it from my experience – you find the piece of furniture you like and it is not offered in a compatible wood with the other piece you like. And so it goes…

But, there is now evidence that I’m starting to feel a bit more settled and confident: I drove to IKEA alone – no husband-navigator and no NAVI in the car -- and, I ordered all the parts and pieces to an entertainment center, dining room buffet, two arm chairs and two rugs. Then, to really impress you – I arranged for it to be delivered and assembled on a day the following week - all done with sign language, pictures, primitve German and some very friendly and helpful clerks! Yeah!!!

Score one point, finally, for Kris! But, IKEA still has 13 points…. And our money!