An Interior Designer Finds Plenty of Room for Ikea

Think interior designers would disapprove of a $22 ready-to-assemble bookshelf? Think again.

A New York-based designer, Elaine Griffin, said nearly everything in her kitchen is from Ikea, the Swedish furniture chain that will open its first New York City location June 18.

"I am crazy about Ikea," Ms. Griffin, who is a contributing editor of Elle Decor and is ranked as one of House Beautiful's Top 100 American Designers, said.

She said she's not alone among interior designers, either. "Almost all of us" are fans, Ms. Griffin said. "High-end designers might not be putting it in their clients' homes, but nine out of 10 own at least one object from Ikea in their own home."

Why? In addition to modern, clean lines, Ikea furniture comes at "an unbeatable price," she said. "And they deliver amazing style."

Ikea's ready-for-assembly, flat-pack furniture is so inexpensive that customers can take decorating risks they might not otherwise attempt, Ms. Griffin said.

"It's fun and it's fresh, and when you're done you can throw it out," she said. "If you break something, you don't have to refinance your house to replace it."

Contrary to popular opinion, she said, Ikea furniture, with its tongue-twisting Swedish names, lasts longer than the rock-bottom prices suggest. Because buyers assemble the pieces themselves, she said, the store saves enough money on transportation and storage to keep prices low without skimping too much on quality.

"The truth is, Pottery Barn furniture isn't going to outlast Ikea furniture by much," Ms. Griffin said. "The quality is marginally different."

Owners may even outgrow that $39.99 "Vistofta" lamp or $19.99 sunburst-shaped "Figgjo" before it wears out. "You won't be passing it on to your grandchildren," she said. "But you will own it long enough to recoup your financial and emotional investment."

Of course, not all Ikea pieces are guaranteed home runs. "I think their weakest points are when they try to be anything other than modern," Ms. Griffin said.

The store's more classic pieces tend to look more Scandinavian in influence, and it's easier to tell that the quality level isn't as high, she said. "It's the same in clothing. The more bells and whistles you add, that's when you get in trouble," she said.

For best results, stick to simple, modern pieces, Ms. Griffin said, and spice them up with your own personal touches. "The furniture itself is never the star," she said. An Ikea piece "allows what you put on it to shine."

Here are Ms. Griffin's top five Ikea picks:

o Kulla: This season, she suggests Ikea shoppers look out for the black plastic "Kulla" floor lamp. "If you were to put a pair of them on either side of a big-money sofa, you would never believe they're from Ikea," she said.

o Applaro: The "Applaro" collection of wooden patio furniture, Ms. Griffin said, looks similar to the pricey Smith & Hawken line. "I am crazy about their outdoor furniture this season," she said.

o Gilbert: The chrome-plated "Gilbert" dining chairs come in birch, black, brown, or white. "You see them in model apartments all over town," Ms. Griffin said.

o Motto: The clear-glass "Motto" plates and matching bowls "have the sleekest, cleanest looking lines."

o Billy: The classic Ikea line of "Billy" bookcases have recently gotten a makeover, with a range of different shapes and sizes and "fabulous finishes," such as birch, beech, black-brown, and medium brown. "They bumped 'Billy' up to a new level," she said.