In light of the death of Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad at the age of 91, we got to thinking about our tumultuous relationship with the global furniture empire. Our conclusion? Whether it’s those tiny, tiny pencils or the canteen filled with meatballs, Ikea is a lot like marmite: people either love it or hate it.

Allow us to demonstrate…

Making a pilgrimage to your nearest store

For some, Ikea is the Mecca of the furniture world and totally worth the 50-minute drive to get there. For others, it’s the very reason the internet was invented (thank you home delivery).

Navigating the car park

For some, finding a space can feel like the ultimate victory – especially when you’re committed to buying half the store. For others, the half an hour park-fest is both boring and infuriating. #sendhelp

Trialling the beds

For some, nothing beats recreating ‘500 Days Of Summer’ Ikea scenes in public. For others, witnessing couples canoodling on the display beds is nauseating. Sick bags at the ready.

Munching the meatballs

For some, Ikea meatballs are the human equivalent of catnip. For others, they’re just totally overrated clumps of meat.
For some, the tiny wooden pencils are a collector’s item. For others (read: anyone who doesn’t have child-sized hands) they’re a complete nightmare and a waste of trees.

Ending up in the weird warehouse bit

For some, picking up furniture in the warehouse is the pinnacle of an Ikea visit, a backstage pass. For others, it’s the biggest anti-climax.
For some, the big blue Ikea bag is a fashion statement (see here). For others it’s noisy and there’s nowhere to store it.
For some, the idea of demonstrating instruction-following capabilities is the best thing ever. For others, it’s about to kickstart the mother of all arguments starting with ‘where’s the Allen key?’ and ending with ‘you’ve been using the wrong screws’. Oh, yay.