My First Ever Visit to IKEA!

I have never visited IKEA before. Yes, I know—I’ve heard about it from practically everyone, and yet, I never managed to experience it for myself. That is, until Ramesh (@bighungrypanda) decided to change that. During our last weekend getaway to Bangalore, we made it a point to visit the legendary store.

The Hype Around IKEA

Before we went, everyone kept telling me that IKEA would take hours to explore. I kept hearing things like, “You’ll need at least 5–6 hours to cover the entire place!” Even Ramesh's friends, who had already been there, told me that they spent that long just wandering through the store. I was honestly baffled. How on earth could anyone spend an entire day just looking at furniture and home decor?

But, curious as I was, I figured I’d give it a shot. We left the house at around 10 am and hopped on a metro to IKEA. And here's the best part: the metro station literally opens up inside IKEA. How convenient is that? We got off the train and walked straight into the massive store.

A Whole New World

I had seen pictures of IKEA before, but nothing prepared me for the sheer scale of it. The first thing that struck me was how organized and neatly laid out everything was. I’ve been to other furniture stores, but IKEA felt different. It was almost like walking into a mini home show, where every corner had a new design idea to offer.

Our first stop was the living room section, and I kid you not, I was blown away. The setups were absolutely gorgeous. I instantly wanted to buy everything—furniture, lamps, rugs, the works. I found myself picturing an ideal version of my home, imagining how I could set up a cozy space just like the ones displayed. Everything looked so perfect, down to the last cushion on the couch. Of course,
there were a few items I wasn't too impressed by, but most of the stuff was pretty great.

The Kitchen and Bathroom Displays

Next, we moved on to the kitchen section. This was my favorite section. IKEA has this way of making even the smallest space look so functional yet stylish. And then, we moved on to the bathroom displays. I didn’t expect to get excited about bathroom furniture, but I was surprisingly impressed. These were just gorgeous, so clean and minimalistic, but still felt cozy. If only my bathroom could look that way, right?

The bedroom displays were also worth a mention. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the way IKEA arranges their bedroom setups that makes you feel instantly like just settling down there. There was a vibe of comfort, calm, and warmth that was hard to ignore. And as we walked through the kids' room section, I couldn't help but feel a bit wistful, thinking how amazing it would’ve been to have a bedroom like this when I was growing up. The kid in me still wanted it, and so don’t be surprised if I end up buying a princess bed for myself in the future. 😅

The Real Fun: Pretending to Buy Everything

After all that exploring, it was time to do what most people do at IKEA: pretend we were buying things for our imaginary home. Ramesh and I spent so much time discussing which sofa would go best with which coffee table, debating the merits of various lamps, and even comparing the prices of different rugs. Some of the prices were actually reasonable for the quality you get, but there were moments when I was genuinely shocked by the absurdity of the pricing.

For example, there was this carpet that I wouldn't even take if someone gave it to me for free. It looked so cheap, yet the price tag was a ridiculous 15,000 INR ($176)! That is a lot to pay for a carpet in India. But then, I came across another carpet that looked beautiful and felt soft, and it was only 6,000 INR($70). I was left wondering what kind of pricing logic was at play here. It was a funny, yet slightly confusing moment for us, trying to make sense of the price tags.

Lunch Break: IKEA’s Hidden Gem

By the time we’d covered about half of IKEA, we were exhausted and decided to take a break. To my surprise, the food at IKEA’s cafe was actually quite decent. We shared the veg balls, and they were absolutely delicious! Ramesh had a chicken roll, which was pretty tasty too. We also grabbed a cookie and two butter croissants, and they were delicious. The best part? They offer unlimited drink refills, so we treated ourselves to two glasses of lemonade. To top it all off, we had a guava ice cream that was more like frozen yogurt, but just as delightful! I never expected to have a meal at IKEA, but it was the perfect pit stop to recharge before continuing our adventure through the rest of the store.

Next we moved on from the interior decor displays to the floors where they have a ton of little household utilities. From plastic containers to organize your drawers, vacuum hooks to hang things, to mugs and all sorts of quirky knick-knacks. It’s like a treasure trove of practical yet stylish stuff you never knew you needed, but once you see it, you can't resist!

When it comes to shopping, Ramesh has the self-control of a 5-year old child and he is fully aware of this. So, he gave me the impossible responsibility to stop him from buying stuff. I failed this task, not for lack of trying. Well he walked out with only two things, that he swore he really needed, so I'll consider this a half-successful mission.

Is IKEA Worth the Hype?

As we made our way to the exit after a solid 3–4 hours of exploring, I had to admit: I understood why people love IKEA so much. It wasn’t just the furniture or the decor that impressed me, but the whole experience. The store is more than just a place to buy things—it’s an experience in itself, one that makes you think about your home in new and exciting ways. And yes, I can see how someone could easily spend an entire day there just getting lost in all the displays.

If you’ve never been to IKEA, trust me—go when you get the chance. But be prepared for a few surprises along the way. But be warned, you might just leave with a few things you didn’t plan to buy :)