1 day Ago By The Telegraph
After an 18-month delay and much fanfare, the new Ikea on Oxford Street in central London opened this morning. The shop, occupying the site of the former Topshop flagship just off Oxford Circus, offers fans of the Swedish superstore a shopping experience in the centre of the city, away from its usual retail-park location, and with a more colourful, cheerful interior to match. While a three-hour trawl around an out-of-town Ikea is a rite of passage for most homeowners at some stage, the focus in the Oxford Street store is on the smaller products you can pick up and take home easily (i.
e., the things you actually buy in a larger store after you finally reach the warehouse and discover the chest of drawers you came for isn’t in stock). The larger pieces of furniture are on show in room sets, so that you can see and feel them; but you’ll need to order for home delivery or collection from elsewhere, rather than taking them home with you on the day.
There’s also no parking, so you’ll need to be able to carry away whatever you buy – hence, all the products in the store weigh less than 15kg and are no more than 150cm in length. Due to the lack of parking , some might question whether the shop is in fact in the wrong location; the idea, according to Ikea, is that you can go in to plan your kitchen or wardrobes, and choose the bigger pieces of furniture such as sofas and tables that you want to buy, but have them delivered rather than taking them away; a model that they hope will reach more customers in a more accessible way. The shop is accordingly designed more as a retail experience and has less of the feel of an aircraft hangar than the typical Ikea megastore; and yes, there are tea lights aplenty and, naturally, a Swedish Deli serving hot dogs, cinnamon rolls and meatballs .
Of the 3,500 products that will be available to buy in the store (or order online if you’re not in London), here are our pick of the best accessories, textiles and tableware that you can fit into a Frakta bag – and what to leave on the shelf. What to buy: Stockholm 2025 table lamp £65 There are some gems among Ikea’s table lamp collection. This one, from the brand’s recent relaunch of its Stockholm collection, has a neutral style that would work in most rooms, with a limestone base, a brass-plated pole and a linen-mix shade that diffuses the light.
It also comes in a floor lamp version for £99. Tjärlek glasses £19 for four Many food and wine experts (including The Telegraph ’s Victoria Moore ) swear by the Storsint wine glasses (£12 for 6) for their price and practicality. From the new collection, the Tjärlek cocktail glasses have a wide bowl that would work for different types of drink, and pretty stems in four spring-fresh colours.
Övermätt food covers £4 for a set of three If you’re trying to cut down on cling film use, these stretchy silicone food covers come recommended by Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay . They can be used to cover leftovers in bowls or jars in the fridge, and are dishwasher-safe. Vippärt chair pad £9 With warm weather on the horizon, a summery seat pad that you can use inside and take out to the garden table for alfresco dinners.
This one comes in soft beige or a more practical charcoal grey, and its cotton-mix fabric gives it a more premium look than some of the cheaper, shinier versions. Gladelig 18-piece dinner service £49 While Ikea’s plain white plates can be a little on the bland side, this set has a reactive glaze coating that gives it a more expensive, handmade effect that would look great with rattan place mats on a rustic wooden table. It’s safe for the microwave and dishwasher too.
Gångstig kitchen mat £19 Flatwoven rugs are a Swedish speciality, and Ikea’s range includes the classic black-and-white-striped Stockholm (a stealth favourite with interior designers) and the new Stockholm 25 , which has a smart geometric design. At 80 x 150cm, the Gångstig is just about small enough to pop in a shopping bag, and would work well by the side of a bed, or to soften a tiled kitchen floor. Monstera deliciosa pot plant £5 The house plants are the unsung heroes of the Ikea Market Hall: there’s a good range of very well priced potted plants (and fake ones for the less green-fingered).
The plant pots – for indoors or outdoors – are great value too. Sannahed walnut-effect picture frame £7, 25 x 25cm Picture frames are another popular product: this one, with an extra-deep frame that gives the effect of a far more expensive box frame, comes in various different sizes, with a wide mount that gives posters and prints a more elevated look. Gulvial bath towel £9 At under £10, this textured, cotton bath towel is a steal, and it comes in six other colours to suit a variety of bathroom decor.
Klotstarr throw £19 The pale, clay-pink colour of this waffle-texture throw is derived from waste beetroot, and is great for summer, both indoors and in the garden. With a tasselled edge that gives it a decorative flourish, it also comes in charcoal grey, and there are cushion covers to match. What to leave behind: IKEA 365+ glasses £5 for six While the wine glasses are a favourite, some of the water glasses are not such a hit – these are a little too chunky, which perhaps makes them more durable, but also gives them a cheap, basic look.
Jämlik vanilla-scented tea lights £2.50 for 30 While packs of tea lights make it into many a shopping trolley on a trip around Ikea, the scented ones are a bit of a disappointment. These have a sweet, slightly synthetic scent that is probably best left on the shelf.
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