Ikea has always been known for low prices on furniture. But an April 2012 visit reveals just how amazingly low the Scandinavian furniture giant can go. If you are setting up a household and lack funds, you can get aptly-named “Lack” end tables with a white laminate finish for only $7.99. Other finishes are slightly more expensive. These are short 21 5/8-inch by 21 5/8-inch tables that stand 17 and 3/4-inch high. Basically, they have four legs and no frills. But, they will hold a lamp. If you want to prop your feet up, a “Lack” coffee table is only $19.99. It has a lower level that can serve as a storage shelf. The 35 3/8-inch by 21 5/8-inch coffee table is available in “birch effect”, brown-black, and white laminate finishes. The table stands 17 and 3/4 inches high.
Since man can’t live on tables alone, Ikea offers appropriately inexpensive tables and chairs. If you add a Solsta sofa bed for $149, a Pello, “Holmby natural,” chair for $49.99, and an Expedit cube shelving unit for $39.99, you’ve just laid the foundations for very basic living room for less than $300. Since the Solsta sofa bed folds out into a bed that is about 80-inches long, you save money by sleeping on it for a couple of pay periods while you save up for a proper bed. The Holmby chair is a very comfortable chair with a frame that appears to be wooden and a fabric cushion. The Expedit shelving unit provides four 15 3/4 by 15 3/4 by 15 3/4-inch cubby cubes that work well for storing books and other items.
Of course no living room is complete without a television. While Ikea doesn’t sell consumer electronics, they do sell television stands and other items that can function as a television stand. If you are on a tight budget, you can get a traditional non-HD television for less than $50 at a thrift store or for free at an apartment complex dumpster. For a television stand, Ikea offers the low cost Laiva for only $20. This sparse unit holds televisions up to 66 pounds. A little nicer Mosjö television unit sells for $39.99 and can hold up to 99 pounds.
This leaves about $180 to $200 for lamps, throw pillows, area rugs, art and vases to accent the living room and render it more livable. Fortunately, Ikea excels at providing these items inexpensively. For example Eivor cushions cost $9.99 apiece. A 2-foot by 4-foot Alslev flat-woven area rug costs about $20. Candle holders are a pittance and art posters can be bought for as little as $8. Holmö and Trogsta floor lamps cost only $9.99. Hemma table lamp bases are $5.99 and plain or colored shades are $5 each. Basically, these are basic metal stick and bulb lamps, but they will let you see. However, the 46-inch high Holmö provides a tall, 9-inch diameter, cylindrical shade that casts a soft light into a space.
In a world where people have to move where the jobs are, this Ikea furniture is highly mobile. While a friend could certainly help with the bulky, 93-pound, couch, everything in this sub-$500 living room can be moved by a normal person. You can also fit this furniture in the smallest of moving truck. This can save you a lot of money in moving expenses alone.
Sources:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/
Other articles by this contributor:
How to Furnish Your Home for Free Moving Tips: How to Pack Up for Your Move
Seven Sanitary Routines for a Healthier Home
