Ok I need to get this out of my system, but FOR PITY'S SAKE WOULD THEY HURRY ON UP AND BUILD ONE IN THIS BLOODY COUNTRY, PLEASE!!!

Am fed up with having no options on reasonable priced reasonably made reasonably designed modern furniture in NZ, you either look at the cheap end of the market in the Warehouse and can stand and watch as the chipboard de-laminates right in front of you or go to the other extreme and go designer with a pricetag you could use as a decent deposit on an Aston Martin, I know what I want but cannot find it in Wellington (or online or on trademe!) and its quite frustrating really...and anything that is reasonbly priced looks like its been designed for a 1920's country cottage....

Maybe if the Aussie guy who owns the NZ IKEA franchise isn't going to push this forward then all the ex-pats should invest $100 each and buy it off him!!!

Or when is anyone next going to Melbourne/Sydney and do you have any spare space in your luggae for a dining table, some chairs and some bedside cabinets...

Could be a great business idea, though you might want to choose another brand since people here have often not even heard of Ikea (why pay for branding that doesn't work?).

I'm not into their furniture though as I tend to like things which comes as a complete kit rather than "most of what you need to assemble...".

Edit: This could be you?

They wanted to build one in Auckland, but the local authorities wouldn't allow it because of fears it would generate too much traffic.

Which sums up how pathetic the people are that run much of the country and how they hold it back from developing.

I'm with you. I will happily chip in. Seeing the incredible prices that second hand scabby furniture goes for on trade me, not to mention 'new' stuff ($500 for bookshelves - hello?) I can only imagine the effect of Ikea here. Yes, things look the same, but its affordable and vaguely modern. This can't be too bad. And surely the 'putting it up yourself' part is the best bit, it's like building stuff? OK, that might just be me

I hadn't heard of Ikea when I started Uni in the 90s. Then I went to the warrington branch and was converted. I don't think you pay for the brand with Ikea, and if NZers find out how cheap it is then they'll be away, just like all the other countries where they've been successful from a standstill start.

I do think though, however, that the 1920s cottage look (dark wood, frills) is strangely popular here, and light coloured wood is very unpopular. Maybe it was the same in the UK and Europe before IKEA...

Mind, if (or please please when) it gets here, I may have talked it up a little too much. My OH is expecting some amazing modern warehouse, full of happy people, where everything costs $6. And wonderful hotdogs.

The only comany I can think of that really makes stuff that looks a bit IKEAish is Design Mobel (http://designmobel.co.nz/furniture.html) but it's very overpriced and a small range limited to just bedroom furniture. They are bent on using expensive wood etc. and you can't buy it flatpack which contributes of it's lack of popularity/shipping costs.

Someone was telling me about this place the other day, again very expensive for what it is: http://www.bellacocina.co.nz/home-page-xidc29609.html

I made the mistake of going into Habitat in Edinburgh a few weeks back when I was home, I was quite depressed when I left!!!

There is an obsession with Rimu as a wood here because it is local, alas its dark colour and its pattern generally make it look like something that has been out of fashion for 100 or so years!

Light coloured modern furniture please, I live in an apartment, not some run down stately home, that doesn't cost the small fortune that the Danske Moble or stuff of that ilk here, I mean $500+ for a bedside cabinet?!?!

Actually the best place for modern (or modern retro style) furniture and not too outrageous prices in NZ is Nood (or The Dogs Breakfast who are owned by the same woman) and have had some nice furniture and house stuff out of there, though their furniture is still limited.

This is no help to you as I am in the US but I just wanted to say I feel your pain. I live in North Carolina and the nearest IKEA to us was hours and hours and hours away ...... that is until 4 months ago when they finally opened one 20 mins from me. I am in heaven now lol.

That's just bragging

Currently live 2 hours from one and intending a visit before hopping the ditch again that's for sure ...

Do you deliver?

Please let IKEA get here soon. Much as I hated their shops, too big and mazelike, I did like their furniture. And I'm with Daisy Blue on this one, I do like putting the stuff together once I've got it home...

Once all my stuff arrived-mainly books and CDs- we went out looking for bookshelves. I thought it would be simple to find good, modern, strong and fairly cheap bookshelves but they don't exist.
All we could find were the expensive solid country cottage type [frills-why?] which are definitely not to my taste or cheap and flimsy flatpack ones from the Warehouse. We went for the latter and they are still standing so far

We are thinking of moving at some point so hopefully they'll have got here by then

My advice to anyone coming here with a container is to bring as much furniture as possible as there is SO little choice here.

Hire a container for your trip back & we'll help you to fill it I NEED Billy bookcases please

Oh mannnnnnn...there's really no IKEA????

I think I understand the dark furniture and frills thing: that's all that seems to get a look in round here (rural Oz)...looks a little like:



EVERYONE I know has this bedroom set...blech.

Just like you, I found Ikea whilst at uni and loved it because it was the only shop where I could actually afford to buy anything, although we are still screwed here in SE Qld cos the one at Springwood is so hard to get to from where we are (requires toll roads or dodgy backroad alongside toll road that is impossible to find now they have dug up the Ipswich motorway...Ikea is strictly a once a year special expedition for us, which makes it a pretty expensive trip!)

Are furnished rentals as strangelyunusual in NZ as they are in Australia?

I used to live 10 minutes away from Ikea in Glasgow.
They have sofas that I really really want as ours is on its last legs.
I also loved the wee things, like the vanilla candles oh and the meatballs!

Don't want to rub it in but container loaded with Billy bookcases,cd cabinets,chests of drawers etc......was going to leave them until I read the woes of furniture shopping on here,so thanks BE

Phyl x

Hey,where you headed to in Scotland? Want to rent a house

Phyl x