Like many Singaporeans, I enjoy going to IKEA once in a while. It is always fun strolling through the many picture perfect kitchens and cosy bedrooms while mentally noting down nice home interior decor tips that abound in any IKEA stores. Much as I like many of their range of furnitures, for my first home though, given the wide array of home furnishing choices available, I did not get any ‘big’ items (household gadgets no count) from there.
Things are however different when you are trying to do up a place in a foreign land. Losing the home advantage, you are less likely to know other furniture stores besides the more well-known ones. While it is tempting to shop around and compare prices, given the time constraint (I only had one week to do up the new home before returning to Singapore as I am still working), and also there is this thing called the budget, it was not quite feasible.
Naturally, IKEA with it’s international presence is the first to come to anyone’s mind. On Monday, just a day after we found the place to rent, we made our way to the only IKEA store located on HK island. Situated in the basement of Park Lane Hotel at Causeway Bay, the familiar yellow and blue sign greeted us cheerily as we got off the cab. I was amazed that it was less than 5 min ride from my new home. Wow, IKEA is literally at our doorstep, how convenient!
Once inside, I whipped out my shopping list and went about my business with a renewed sense of purpose- before the end of the week, the apartment MUST be furnished, at least with the bare necessities, so that my husband will have a roof over his head after he evacuate the hotel room on the 22nd. Taking into consideration the delivery time, we did not have much time to lose.
From the first time we set foot there till we finally came back to Singapore, we’ve been to IKEA a total of 5 times! After the first 2 visits, with the help of Dad (Alvin has already started work by then), we finalized on the big (bulky) ticket items: a 2-seater sofa, a dining set with 4 chairs, simple shelf to function as the TV console, 2 extra shelving units, 1 movable wardrobe storage for the guest room, 1 double and 1 single bed frame and the mattresses. It was a good thing that his company is giving us a sum of ‘settling in’ fee that we can use to claim for all these purchases. Though not considered high-end, it was still too much to be coming out of your own pocket, especially when you had just renovated and furnished a flat less than one year ago.
3 days later, the goods were delivered to the apartment and assembled in under 1.5 hours. The popular perception of IKEA furniture being not hardy enough does not bother me particularly. Neither was I overly concerned that my little abode in HK will resemble a run-of-the mill IKEA showroom. I liked what I saw. The living room looked sparse and cold but I am sure this will change once we move into it and the apartment becomes more lived in. A couple of pillows and a rug, some wall hangings and photos of home and family in frames, a TV and some books and plants, this place will be transformed.
Based on the IKEA concept of offering low priced products to help more people live a better life at home, the company’s motto ‘Affordable Solutions for Better Living’ is both succint and apt. Where else can you find home furnishings that are affordable, functional and yet not aesthetically compromised? Oh and did I mention that I was suitably impressed by the overall level of service experience at the Park Lane store?
Leave a comment