During the thick of our most recent move, the lead mover stopped to look at me and said “You really like IKEA, don’t you?”

First off, he was not hired for his design opinion. Secondly, YES. Yes, I do.

It’s not for everyone, but it sure is for me. Here’s why…

Kids: Little grimy (and lovely) kids. It’s hard to beat affordable furniture that’s pretty darn wipeable when you have KIDS.
Budget: Yes, there’s a reason it’s affordable. You’re building it yourself, but work is free. More decor please.
Style: You read that right. Style. Sure, it’s not all glamorous, but if you know how to weed through the glossy white laminate, there are some downright classy pieces.
Return Policy: 365 Days. That’s a good long time. And when I’ve had my receipt, it’s been hassle-free returns—open-box and all.
Swedish Meatballs: Eat’em there, then take some frozen ones to go. Don’t forget the lingonberry jam. You’re welcome.

Without further ado, here are my top 5 favorite pieces of IKEA furniture.

THE IDANAS CABINET

I own this piece and use it as a bookcase with games in the bottom drawers. It’s much heavier than I imagined and I love the beige gingham backboard, which I didn’t know about until I started building. The doors open accordion-style & it holds A LOT. As someone who loves books and is prone to picking up knick knacks, this is a staple. Highly recommend.

2. THE LOMMARP CABINET

The LOMMARP Cabinet is another item I purchased when we moved to Colorado last year. I was looking for a wide, tall display case that also had storage and some kid-friendliness to it. I had my eye on this one from Crate & Barrel, but it wasn’t in my budget. Instead, I bought two of these babies and placed them side-by-side. I never secured the top trim so that I could adjust it for them to sit exactly next to one another instead of an inch apart. The trim is just resting up there and no one is the wiser! I love that the base of this display case has doors! I’m telling ya, IKEA designers must be parents.

P.S. Everything in the LOMMARP series is darling. They have cream and blue-green options that are to-die for.

3. THE UPPLAND SECTIONAL

I purchased the UPPLAND sectional for our Utah home in the basement, but it now lives in our main living area. I originally bought it in beige and it was very forgiving and washable. I wanted a darker cover once we moved since our room needed to be grounded. I purchased a cover through Comfort Works, but I can’t say I recommend it. If I could go back, I would have purchased the blue IKEA slip cover pictured above. Much better price point and I bet it’ll wear well.

4. THE UPPLAND ARMCHAIR

Before I link this one, do me a favor and don’t pair this with the sectional. It’ll be too matchy matchy, promise. That said, having the UPPLAND chair in another room brings a sense of continuity in the house with the sectional being from the same family. I've had the old version (EKTORP) for 4 years now and It’s been a dream. I’ve washed it multiple times & it’s my favorite chair to feed babies in, fall asleep holding babies in, you get the idea. Great back and arm support.

And, last but not least…

5. THE DUNDRA ACTIVITY TABLE

This activity table has been great. I was looking for something that wasn’t bright green and painted specifically for trains, and this has been just the thing. It has one huge drawer that pulls out, but the drawer is divided in two. We store our trains and our legos in there, separated. I love how sleek it looks when everything is put away, and it’s deep enough that when I tuck ugly fun toy trucks underneath, you barely know they’re there.

And there you have it. My IKEA top 5. I have a lot of other IKEA items in my home from stuffed animals to pillow inserts to baskets, but I’ll save those for another time.

If you ask me? The secret to using IKEA pieces without having a house that looks like and IKEA is to mix and match and add a lot of warmth through accessories.