Like comparing apples to lingonberries.

The Klippan sofa from IKEA -- "a classic for 20 years."

If I don't do the math, this IKEA catalog copy actually seems to add some sort of designer prestige to sofa.

Wow! Did they say twenty years?

Instantly, images of sleek Scandinavian showrooms from the 1960s pop into my mind. Pieces of furniture rotate on elevated platforms while women in A-Line dresses smile and point.

You can't go wrong with a classic.

But wait -- this advertisement was written in 2000. And, twenty years past brings us to 1980.

1980? Since when did 1980 become a design year worth commemorating?

Mena: So, we're buying a sofa that was designed in 1980? That's not right.

Ben: But it doesn't necessarily look like something from the eighties.

Mena: 1980? That's the year of latch-hook rugs and dark oak bathrooms.

Ben: In America, perhaps -- this is from Sweden.

Mena: True.

Ben: Sweden and America. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

Mena: Or ABBA and Captain and Tenille.

With logic like that, we felt justified buying two Klippans.

Sure, the Klippan may have been originally designed as a child's sofa and it may not be the most comfortable piece of furniture, but it was the smallest sofa we could find in Hell, or rather, the Emeryville IKEA.

Comments

[Matt]

I don't know... It looks pretty, but he doesn't look very comfortable (and neither does the sofa.) The most comfortable couches have to be the 20 year old, plaid ones that have gone through 5 children and a dog. The measure of a good couch is how far you sink into it - I'd give that Ikea maybe 2 inches.

:)

I'm sorry, it looks great. You going to post pictures of how the new place looks after decoration?

[slack]

Let me be the first to wish you all the best in getting it into your new apt. As it would be a shame if you had to go back to Hell to return it.

1980 was actually a good year when you think about it. Blondie, The Clash, The Police, Cheap Trick and Johns death (kidding). Before MTV, Madonna, and high heels with socks. Post Disco, Farrah hair (Except in Tacoma), and the only good Star Wars movie. (Ok, ok...empire strikes back was pretty good also)

True, there was lots of oak bathrooms in those days and sandwich shops still said "Shoppe" sometimes with "ye Olde" in front of it. Tube socks were still in fashion and all hair covered the ears. Here in the states, Johnny Carson suits were very hip as were wide leg jeans.

The Swedes were coming off a post Abba high that their country is still recovering from. Though it seems like in their depression they were still able to make nice furniture.

I'm sure this is no consolation for the couch you lost but the new one looks nice and with any luck it'll fit in your new apt. (And isn't THAT what it's all about?)

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[kristine]

Yay! Here's to this one fitting in better :) I'm glad you found one :)

And a big :giggle: because I think my Aunt's bathroom looked *just* like the design year link in 1980!!!!

[Matt H.]

Ha - I like how IKEA chose to accessorize that sofa with a groovy asterisk poster ripped off the "Price is Right" set. Classy.

[Patty]

Try my Which IKEA Product Are You? quiz...

http://www.leafqueen.net/quizzes/ikea/ikeaquiz.html

[kismet]

My boyfriend thinks our bathroom is scary (with blue tiles, a huge blue sink, all blue wall fixtures, blue shower bottom, etc). Granted some old lady did it, but geez, and least it's not ALL ORANGE YARN! Eek.

The sofa looks lovely. :)

[Viveka]

I´m pretty sure I bought my first (and only!) Klippan in 1979.
But maybe IKEA didn´t start counting years until they made the first Klippan you could actually sit in.
/Viveka in Sweden

[megami]

It's scary how all Ikeas look the same...I used to work at the one in Toronto and I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference.

The sofa Ben is sitting on in the picture is AWFUL and believe it or not, it's actually much more comfortable than the one it replaced. I don't know from the Klippan, though.

We've got the Holkya futon for sleeping and sitting...it's not bad as far as futons go. And since the man was still working there last summer when we bought it, the discount didn't hurt.

[vis10n]

That 1980 stuff is hard-going... I mean, the 70s were the longest decade ever: started sometime in 68 and lasted well through the spring of 83.

(After the summer of love came the autumn of STDs, which was an immediate precursor to the 70s)

As for IKEA... I am so jealous! Back when LA was the only IKEA stop in my neck of the woods, I'd drive 12 hours just to go oggle. I mean... why else would you go to LA?

Now, there's an IKEA in the Bay Area... which means that there's just one more reason to go North.

Yeehaw!

[fairycakes]

It's a small world isn't it - I live in glasgow and i have that sofa.

Very comfy and cheap too.

[Andreas]

They actually call it "Klippan", instead of using an English name (which would be "The Mountain" or "The Rock")?

[cybertoad]

I *LOVE* IKEA... our living room is all IKEA and I can't wait to go back next week for my new dining set I've been wanting for the past 3 years... we just bought our 1st home so IKEA will be my 2nd home fo rthe next few months...

[Todd Dominey]

Stay away from Ikea. Seriously, if you're going to purchase furniture, do it right, and do not buy shoddy Scandinavian knock-offs. Then again, don't buy over priced, cheap copies of Eames / Knoll furniture either. There MUST be better furniture stores than IKEA in your area.

[nicole]

wow, I want to know how you managed to take pictures in IKEA without someone becoming authoritarian. then again, I rarely see people working there outside of the checkout area--prompting me to believe that the ghosts of dead Swedish designers are the ones working there. bear in mind I like wandering around without people asking me every five minutes "need some help?"
hope you kids got some lingonberry drink while you were there.

[darren]

Mena, this is going to sound very odd at first, but trust me on this:

Only shop from the As-Is section of Ikea. I'm serious. Most of the items in As-Is are in perfect to near-perfect condition, but are usually 30-50% off the floor price. Any missing hardware (rarely happens) can be got from the Customer Service desk. Most of the time, the worst thing about the As-Is furniture is that the box is ripped.

We've outfitted our house in As-Is furniture -- some of which we got for 75% off the regular price.

[Tyd]

Ah IKEA. I love going there just to pretend I live in those little 'something we prepared earlier' sections...and to ask the Sales Counter people if they can look up funny named things for me.

But I do love my Vrädel bed. I actually loved ordering it more than the actual bed. 'Yes, that's Vrädel. V R umlaut A D E L.' Hehe, Swedish stuff.

[cybertoad]

I realize IKEA isn't top of the line stuff but it sure works for the basics and as a way to get out of the mis-matched college room phase affordably... Plus, I like the simpler lines. And as Darren says, the "As-Is" section is great. We were going to order our sectional couch and we found *exactly* the one we wanted (same color and size) in the "As-Is" section for several hundred bucks cheaper. It just has a small scratch that is no big deal since it had been the floor model but otherwise it was perfect. So, yeah, I still think IKEA rocks.

[judith]

you have couches? now there is no excuse not to have a housewarming!

[katie]

I really like those, and the price isn't bad either. I wish they would build an Ikea here.

[denise]

all ikeas are hell, mena. if you have more furniture to buy, look for a storehouse (storehouse.com?) furniture store in your area. i've been doing a LOT of comparison shopping and they have nice pieces with tons of color/fabric options for reasonable prices.

[meryl]

Great looking sofa! I won't comment on IKEA since I hate to bring down the happy discussion. When we lived in DC, we didn't have the best experience with IKEA.

[tracy]

I would love an IKEA. Here in Detroit they seem to think we poor folks want are floral prints, bad Mission-style, or Colonial furniture. Target tries, but they don't carry armchairs or sofas.

There's no good-looking cheap furniture in MoTown. Such a tragedy. So I cannot control my drool when the Mail Gods present me with a brand-new IKEA catalogue.

[echo]

I love the sofa and Abba but not The captain or Tennile.

[Josi]

i like that sofa a lot, but i'd like it even more in leather. i'd also like an ikea within a reasonable distance of me. indianapolis isn't some sort of hinterland, is it?

[Oskar]

Ni pratar ju inte svenska!