You guys. I think we all can agree that IKEA is one of the most magical places on earth. Am I right or am I right? The super stylish furniture, the reasonable prices, all of the fun knick-knacks and kitchen gear in the Marketplace that you just have to snatch up, the meatballs… I could go on. I truly could go on. My state recently got an upgraded brand-spanking-new oh-so-beautiful double-decker IKEA (cue fangirl squealing!). The most awesome part? My sister works there as a kitchen design specialist and she was able to get me and my friend in for a special, private friends-and-family only even the day before the official opening! I was able to run around, drool, and shop to my heart’s content before the public ever got a peek! It was seriously a dream come true.
I got a little snap-happy when it came to photos because I was just gushing over how cool everything was, so I thought I’d show you some of my favorite styling setups, decor items, and shopping tips!
One of the coolest things about the new Ikea is the displays. Our old store had maybe a handful of pretty plain room setups right at the beginning of the store. The new store has amazing miniature-house setups sprinkled all throughout the store. Here are a couple of my faves:
The All-White Cottage
I love the open airy-ness of this space. My sister told me when I walked in that this would be one of my faves – and it is! It’s absolutely possible to go all-white and still have the space feel cozy and inviting vs. stark and sterile.
I thought this was a really cleve way to display pictures in a fun and unique way. Easy to change up and a fun way to display children’s artwork!
This is the perfect little work nook if you don’t have a lot of space. Adding a lot of vertical shelves is a great way to utilize under-used space and get organized. I love how they slipped wrapping paper through the brackets on the shelves!
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Cabinet, Children’s Table and Chairs, Laptop Table
The Bright and Modern Living Space
This room setup was a lot of fun – I like that it doesn’t take itself too seriously! With fun pops of color, quirky artwork, and lots of comfy pillows, this place is perfect for kids and adults alike. It’s also cool that they have a faux staircase set up so you can see how one of their baby-gates works.
IKEA is full of clever styling ideas like attaching a dollhouse to the wall so you can stand and play, or utilizing different bins and containers to keep art supplies organized. Also, that ABC artwork in the top left is one of my faves!
Having the TV mounted at sitting eye level is a great way to prevent neck strain and also keeps kids from accidentally pulling it down on themselves. I also adore how the cabinets around the TV function as built-ins for keeping toys and electronics out of sight.
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Yellow Wall Clock, Printed Curtains, Entertainment Center
The Stylish She-Shed
This little space looks like the perfect interior for a She-Shed getaway. The outside is a smaller version of the mini-houses that are sprinkled throughout the store. A lot of the other ones have full interior walls, ceiling beams and doorways.
It’s full of some comfy chairs and shelves for all your favorite reads and plenty of cozy touches. There’s even a little potting bench in the corner to get your gardening or craft projects done!
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Tool Carrier, Comfy Chairs, Woven Ottomans
The Full Apartment
IKEA set up a full studio apartment in the new store – kitchen, bathroom, bed space, workspace. They gave the measurements of the apartment and suggested which products would work best in a studio setting. It was neat to see a full life-size space set up!
It’s totally possible to live in a studio and still have things look organized and cohesive! The bed doubles as a couch and there’s plenty of storage for everything one could ever need.
Again, here is another bright white color palette that still manages to feel cozy and inviting! I love how you can make areas in a studio feel separate by defining them with furniture and storage pieces.
The kitchen is small, but completely functional with more than enough space for all the essentials!
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Desk Chair, Light Fixture, Daybed, Clothes Rack
Random IKEA Kitchen Spaces
My sister works in the kitchen design department and she showed us all of the beautiful new finishes that they have available. It was so cool to see some kitchens that would fit a wide range of design styles and preferences!
For an ultra modern look, there are bright white and shiny cabinets. I don’t think that’s quite my style, but I love the hanging planters on the walls!
This kitchen looks a bit more like my kitchen with the gray cabinets, white quartz counters and tile. I love the hanging pots and pans and plants! Super handy to have things like that on hand.
I thought this built-in shelving was genius and perfect for cookbooks and wine bottles!
This was a more modern-industrial kitchen and the wood grain is one of their new cabinet finishes. Definitely a cool look! I love the big pendant lamps – they give off quite a bit of light!
This shelving thinger was one of my fave pieces in all the kitchens I saw. A combo of open shelving and little drawers for keeping spices, tea bags, or kitchen doodads was just genius!
Another white, small-scale kitchen with some neat textured wallpaper on one wall. And more hanging plants – I think every kitchen needs hanging planters – perfect for keeping herbs on hand!
Butcher Block counters are in and IKEA has a really good deal on them. In fact, they have a kitchen sale going on now (from March 1st – April 9th, 2017) where all of their cabinets, counters, fixtures, etc. are on sale. It’s how we were able to put in our new kitchen counters for such a good deal!
IKEA Dining Space
I didn’t take a lot of pictures of many dining spaces during my trip – even though there were certainly lots to choose from! However this one below just stuck out to me:
I love the big wood table that fits a ton of people, the stylish chairs, and the funky pendant lights. It looks like it’s ready for a casual dinner party!
Random IKEA Office Spaces
IKEA has a ton of great options when it comes to office chairs and desks. They have standing desks, mini desks, and even kitchen tables that would also make great desks.
The cool thing about the desk above is that it was customly built by using some kitchen cabinets, a counter slab, and some desk legs! The options are truly endless.
Random IKEA Living Rooms
The living rooms are some of my favorite IKEA spaces. Our new store is full of mini-houses that have killer living rooms. It’s just so inspiring to see how the design team put each space together – from the color palette to the furniture picks, to the small decorative details.
Love the utility of this small space. Work, play, and relax all in the same space! This color scheme is also super welcoming and comfy.
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Round End Table, Coat Hanger, Bookcase
The perfect feminine living room – blush couch and ottoman, light walls, and plenty of places to set your drinks, magazines, and accessories!
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Rolling Side Table, Phone Charging Lamp/table, Blush Pink Ottoman
This dark moody space is perfect for curling up with a good book and a glass of red! Love the strong gray tones and detailing on the walls.
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Comfy Couch, Chandelier, Bookcases
How clever is the half painted wall? Love how it bleeds over onto the cabinet – it really grounds the piece in the space and provides visual interest.
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Succulent Print, Standing Cabinet, Dollhouse
This was probably one of my favorite unique living room spaces – usually I go for white walls but I’m loving the moody black in the photo above! So comfy and cozy 🙂
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Coffee Table*, Locker Cabinets, Candle Holder
*not yet available
Random IKEA Bedroom/Bathroom Spaces
Would it be bad if I just decided to live in the IKEA bedroom display models? They are always so cute and clever! Not to mention cozy and comfy and maybe they just make me want to take a nap 😉
The fun colors in this space are perfect for a kid (or kid at heart!) Also loving the natural wood tones and fun stylistic furniture pieces.
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Shelf Headboard, Fun Bedding, Hanging Lights
Love the elegance and muted tones in this space. It looks like a relaxing retreat and the tulle curtains to hide the closet are the perfect addition – a space fit for a ballerina!
FAVORITE PICKS FROM THIS SPACE: Tulle Curtains, Globe Lights, Pillow Cover
I’m loving the beautiful printed wallpaper paired with the clean white storage and fixtures. The addition of a midnight blue plush rug is a fantastic and classy pop of color. The lighting also looks perfect for putting on makeup!
Outdoor Living Space
This was my favorite outdoor living space that IKEA had set up. Can’t you just imagine having a sweet garden party there? Le sigh – dreamy! 🙂
I love the idea of attaching lanterns to either the side of the house or a freestanding privacy wall. The twinkle lights and the tall lanterns and flowers on the table just complete the dreamy vibe!
Did you know IKEA also sells those brown wood deck tiles you see in the bottom left corner of the picture above? They do! They sell them in packs and the interlock together to create cool movable decking – definitely a game changer!
Cool IKEA Finds
I had to buy this set of ceramic cacti when I was at the friends and family event. Aren’t they just the cutest?? I love the bold bright colors and 15 bucks for the whole set is a steal.
One of their new products are these genius storage basket tables – the lid pops off and you can store blankets, toys, or anything you want inside! I also love the exposed filament bulbs that you can buy individually or cluster together for an awesome looking pendant!
This TV stand is a brand new design and I’m totally digging the rustic industrial vibe. So cool! It’s so new it’s not even available on the website yet!
Whenever I go to IKEA I always have to pick up a couple of fake plants – I kill real ones, so faux it is for me! They have a great selection of different styles. I also love all of their kitchen storage jars, trays, and hanging systems! Great prices and great for keeping everything organized.
This bird cage is also a brand new item and I love how gorgeous it is! It would be cool to get a bunch of them and fill them with candles and hang them from the ceiling. All of their decor items are just so cute and affordable!!
Alright, if you’ve made it through to the end of this verrrrryyyy long and verrryyy gushy post, then I commend you! It was so much fun traipsing around an almost-empty brand-new IKEA, taking photos, scheming and dreaming, and of course dropping some cash on some fun new home items. If you live in Washington state, you’ll definitely have to check it out! I have it from my sister that the grand grand official opening is sometime in July and they’ll be having some giveaways and other fun activities.
What’s your favorite IKEA product?
So many amazing goodies! I wish we lived closer to an IKEA!
I seriously wanted to snatch up everything! I live about an hour away from IKEA, which is an hour too far! But I guess if it were closer then I’d be spending lots more money on a much more frequent basis…
Great article! Very well thought out and a ton of great ideas and suggestion!
Thanks, Momma! I had a ton of fun at the store and can’t wait to go back and check out more goodies! 🙂
Do you have a link to the abc poster? I cannot find it anywhere on the website
Hi Sarah, I tried looking up the ABC wall art and couldn’t find it again either – it looks like it is likely discontinued. 🙁 So sorry about that!! I hope you can find something similar somewhere. Maybe try Etsy?
I have seen something close to the abc picture on Pinterest. Don’t know what site had it but you can probably search it there. Hope that helps.
Thank you so much! I’ll keep an eye out for it!
Hello –
i tried finding the metal shelf thinger with the drawers on IKEA with no luck. Did you get it from there?
Thank you.
Hi Valerie,
Unfortunately it’s a now discontinued item 🙁 It was brand new at the time of the original posting of this post, but now they’ve taken it out of their stores. Which is such a huge bummer since it’s such a cool product!
“shelving thinger” – do you know what it is actually called? Can’t find it on the website. Thanks!
Hi Dianne – Unfortunately it’s a now discontinued item 🙁 It was brand new at the time of the original posting of this post, but now they’ve taken it out of their stores. Which is such a huge bummer since it’s such a cool product!
Great post! Loved all the pics! What is the white picture shelf with the white hanging frames near the beginning of the blog post I am not even sure how to search for that but I love it!
Hello! Thanks so much for your kind words and for stopping by! It looks like the shelf with the hooks in that photo is this item: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00374264/. As for the frames – it looks like they no longer carry the frames with the straps, but you could easily make your own by finding some cute frames here: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/decoration/10757/ and then attaching a loop of leather to the back! 🙂
The office photos…third one…the large 6-drawer silverish cabinet….I know that is a kitchen one but do you know the name of it?
Where is this ikea? I work at the one in Las Vegas and it looks like ours!
This is the one in Washington State!
The office section….third photo down…the six-drawer cabinet With black handles that is made into a desk…what is it called?
Hi, do you happen to have a link to the tv stand with wheels in the “studio apartment” (was in one of the first few photos in article)
I just loved this post… definitely makes me want to go to IKEA now but the nearest one is 3 hours away lol