My first visit to IKEA!

I went to IKEA for the first time today in Charlotte, NC. I've heard a lot of great things about it, but the experience was by far better than what I imagined. The store was huuuuuuuge, and people from all over were visiting this particular store.

I was so excited, I couldn't help myself from snapping photos of the entrance - they made it feel like it was an expo center. When you walk in, they give you a tour map of the levels, and show you where to go. The whole store is like a museum tour of furniture (I remember telling Scott how I was drooling over everything I saw). The best part of the experience, was the prices. Everything was completely affordable.


Right after the tour guide person/lady told us where to go, this dresser is the first piece that I saw, that I think Scott and I may purchase a little later when we start on our bedroom.

We have all plans to do a white kitchen, so everywhere we go we are always looking for white cabinets. I hope that Scott and I agree to do an IKEA kitchen because it's so much cheaper and the style is highly functional. The quality is definitely better than the stock cabinets at Lowes or Home Depot.

I took a picture of this because the sink was sooo tiny and it was located in a tiny little bathroom but it didn't feel crowded because the equipment was soo tiny. That's what IKEA is all about - modular furniture for small spaces.
This room matches my personality. Highly organized chaos. I love to have alot of stuff, but organized.
So, I have a thing for chairs....cool chairs. I have to sit in as many as I can find, and give an opinion on each one. I tend to go for funky sophisticated chairs that I would actually put in my house. This one is just my size. :)
This is not a white kitchen but for some reason, I really liked the style. There's lots of storage in these cabinets.
I think I would die in a kitchen this small.
This is probably my favorite kitchen and the one I will consider purchasing for our house.
Aahhh....I'm incredibly wiped from spending 3 wonderful hours at IKEA. Time for some Swedish Meatballs!!!
Boy, I sure love this place!
I brought some goodies home....not Jelly Rats, but some Swedish cookies and chocolate.
Well, I did buy some stuff besides food. We bought curtains for every room in the house except the bathrooms. kitchen, and mud room. Window draperies are the BEST DEAL at IKEA. I got 10 panels for $150! Pottery Barn/RH/Crate&Barrel/etc. sells on average 1 panel for that price! AND these panels are 98" with hemming kit so you can hem to your desired lengths! My windows need 96" and I have not been able to find any 96" panels for less than $50ea panel. Not to mention I've only found 2 in Johnson City at Lowes.

I think we're going to head back tomorrow to pick up a few more decorative items. We found some art we'd like to pick up there. I think we're going to head up to Blowing Rock, NC and Boone to look at some art galleries. We're thinking about purchasing a statement piece for the living room.