re: Is shopping at IKEA trashy?

Antique auctions. Can get better furniture that is quality made.

It’s great for kids rooms and small stuff

I wouldn’t buy “real” furniture or appliances from Ikea though

IKEA stuff sometimes doesn’t handle moves very well. I’ve had to toss some IKEA stuff (ex: bookshelves) after a move cause it broke/cracked during the move.

That said....I still would shop at IKEA. Maybe not for major pieces of furniture though. Have no experience with their kitchen cabinets so don’t know if those are decent quality(they always look nice on te commercials).

Ultimately, it is starter furniture. It is also good for experimenting with the minimalist/Scandinavian aesthetic. It is pretty far from "quality" furniture which should last more than one lifetime and certainly more than 5 years. If you have settled on a preferred style of furniture and have the money then Ikea wouldn't be my choice.

It is a shame Design Within Reach closed their NOLA store.

Yea its somewhat trashy. Its good for college kids I guess but more than that is pushing it. about one step maybe two above Target furniture

Like others have said, its good starter furniture and they have good accessory items such as kitchen stuff, lighting, etc. But I still sit in my Poang chair every night. It is really well made and you can buy new cushions for it in different colors and materials which I do every year or so.

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Most of it really isn't what you want when you're married with kids though.

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I disagree. Their furniture is perfect for when you have little kids and don't want to spend a lot on something they will just destroy. We have the Ektorp sofa/loveseat/armchairs in the living room and I love being about to throw the covers in the washing machine every couple of weeks to get rid of kid funk. We will get something nicer when they aren't such animals. Our oldest has one of the bunk beds. We got it because it is cool for her now but by the time it is too-babyish she will be ready to pick out nice stuff she can take when she moves out.

As for the original question, depends. Some stuff is decent, some of it is crap but at least you aren't paying a lot for it. The non-kid bed are crappy though so I'm with your wife there.