Furniture from Ikea may not have the same character as vintage pieces, but Ikea’s furniture is affordable and smartly designed. I know I will always find what I’m looking for when I visit this store — their frame department and kitchen supplies section have never failed me. Even if I’m not looking for anything, I like wandering around, looking at the designs. Plus, I’ll take a free ferry ride just about anywhere.

I just moved and have gone to Ikea two mondays in a row. It was actually pretty painless- I took the subway to the bus. There are free shuttle busses, but they don’t start running until 3pm. I picked up a bunch of energy efficient lightbulbs, and a roomful of furniture- delivery the next day was only $60, and they brought all the heavy boxes up into my apt, thankfully because it was HEAVY!

IKEA is a great one-stop shop when trying to furnish an apartment affordably. Their styles have really evolved over the last few years, and I think it’s possible to find pieces that mimic more expensive designs you’d find elsewhere. The best part is that you can assemble most pieces on your own! That fact never ceases to amaze me!