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

[Paul Mezhir]

the greatest thing about living on the US-Canadian border is the 45 minute drive to Ikea in Burlington outside of Toronto. I lived in Chicago and thought that moving to a city (Buffalo) that had no Ikea was like going to hell. 45 minutes is not a long drive and it is quite scenic. Considering that the speed limit is not enforced in Ontario, it only takes about 30 minutes to get there. I can't wait to go back!