I went to Ikea for the very first time. From the elaborate displays to an unexpected Christmas feast, here's what surprised me.

Kylie Kirschner Jan 16, 2024, 10:14 IST

I recently went to Ikea for the first time.Laurent Guenin

I recently went to Ikea for the very first time.
The staged rooms were surprisingly elaborate, and there were many items for sale that surprised me.

Until recently, I had never once set foot in an Ikea. I've never even ordered anything online from the Swedish furniture giant, though I own an Ikea PAX wardrobe that I bought through Facebook Marketplace and carried up the three flights of stairs to my apartment.

But Ikea's reputation precedes it: Who hasn't heard about the flat-pack furniture, the enormous, winding stores, and the famous cafeteria meatballs?

A few weeks ago, I decided it was finally time to visit an Ikea and see what it was like for myself. I picked a Friday afternoon and convinced my roommate and boyfriend to come with me. The three of us put together a short shopping list, and then set out toward our nearest Ikea.

Here's how it went.

My nearest Ikea wasn't exactly easy to get to.

The closest subway station was about a 30-minute walk away from Ikea.Kylie Kirschner

Arriving at Ikea felt like an event.

There were many giant Ikea flags outside the building.Kylie Kirschner

The store felt like it kept on going forever.

The store was even larger than I was expecting.Kylie Kirschner

The staged rooms were much more elaborate than I was expecting.

I sat down at a beautifully set dining table.Laurent Guenin

The staged living areas were really spacious.

The staged rooms were really big.Kylie Kirschner

There were a lot of unexpected details.

I found some of the decorations amusing.Kylie Kirschner

One of the rooms even came with a picture and bio of its resident on the wall.

This sign was on the wall of one of the staged rooms.Kylie Kirschner

Here's what Daniel's apartment looks like.

Daniel appears to have a cat.Kylie Kirschner

A lot of the furniture was much nicer than I was expecting.

I enjoyed this tiny children's armchair, placed next to its adult counterpart.Kylie Kirschner

There were lots of surprising items for sale.

Ikea sells a bucket hat that matches the store's iconic blue bags.Laurent Guenin

I had no idea Ikea sold so many stuffed animals.

I was tempted to buy the yellow octopus.Kylie Kirschner

I also found some cheesy wall art.

Ikea also sells wall art.Kylie Kirschner

There was a ticketed Swedish Christmas feast the day I went.

Tickets cost about $20 per person.Kylie Kirschner

The food was shockingly good.

The Julbord event had big spread of food.Kylie Kirschner

There were also lot of food and drink items for sale.

There were frozen meatballs that customers could buy and serve at home.Kylie Kirschner

I spent way longer at the store than I planned.

It was dark by the time we left the store.Kylie Kirschner

I ended up leaving with a bunch of things I never intended to get.

I bought a lot of things I didn't know I needed.Kylie Kirschner

I thoroughly enjoyed my Ikea experience, but probably won't be back soon.

I had some fun running up and down some of the giant furniture aisles.Laurent Guenin

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