Something about Ikea is oddly comforting, I've decided. There must be something about mass-produced, cheap furniture in compact boxes. Of course, it helps that I recently went there at off-peak hours. Dealing with hordes of people stampeding through mazes of furniture in the middle of the day is definitely not comforting. But the other evening, the store was relatively empty. As soon as I walked in this odd comfort feeling began. It started with the smell of cinnamon rolls wafting through the air when the entrance doors slid open. I'm sure this is intentional. And then it was followed by happy feelings of being on a scavenger hunt as I wound my way through each display, seeing what great bargains might surprise me. Frequent encounters with bins of stuff under $10 added to the "oh, maybe I really DO need this" kind of thoughts. This is part of the seduction of course, as it is so easy to rationalize half the things I purchase there that I never intend to buy in the first place.
I have never associated Ikea with "comfort" before, so who knows if this will become a repeat experience. What I do know is that I left with 6 glasses for $6 and a chair for $34. Can't beat that.