Amsterdam IKEA Adventure

I have lived in three countries – the Netherlands, the UK, and of course my home country, the good old US of A. Geographically and culturally speaking, these countries are miles apart. But after careful observation, I have found one universal truth present in all three. IKEA. No matter what country you are in, no matter what language the cashier is speaking, the hotdogs will always taste the same. The showroom will always be an over-furnished, windowless maze. And you will always come out of IKEA with at least three items you did not intend to buy.

B and I needed a spring spruce up around the house, and as you know I have been lusting after this duvet for ages. So on Saturday we set off for IKEA, ready to stock up on couch covers and sheets and Swedish meatballs.

IKEA is a bit of a hike outside the city, so we took the metro.

The metro in Amsterdam is super funky. Each train is decorated with cool graphics and happy colors.

“Smile for a photo!” “But this is our stop!”

After a colorful train ride, we emerged into a glossy concrete jungle. Welcome to the other side of Amsterdam! No canals, bridges, or cobble stone streets here.
Tucked away behind a slew of office buildings and urban shrubbery lives IKEA . . . an equally industrial looking shop.

Fun fact: Did you know IKEA is a Dutch company? It has Swedish origins but is actually operated by the Dutch! We ventured inside and up the escalator, and immediately found lots of fun new toys to play with. 
We lounged in chairs, bounced on beds, and compared one thread count to another. You know, typical IKEA things. 
Side note – the lighting in IKEA is terrible!!

Thanks to B we were able to find everything we were looking for in under an hour. This handy-dandy IKEA app helped us keep track of and locate everything on our wish list. I love dating a tech geek :)These little rosebud sheets were my absolute favorite. But of course they were immedietly vetoed by B. Something about them being too feminine. Whattt?? B will regret this one day, because I’ve found a loophole to quench my girly bedding appetite. Two words, one awesome solution: guest bedroom.

After an impromptu match of hide and seek, it was time to check out and snack up. As new IKEA Family Members, we were entitled to free coffee and discounted IKEA snacks. Ohh the wonders of being an adult. As tempted as I was by Krabba Pastej, I decided to go for fruit and a coffee. 
B went for the cheese plate and drank cola out of a wine glass. Quite posh for IKEA!
After filling our bellies with gourmet snacks, we ventured back to the metro.
And made it home just in time to see the sun set. . . . and decorate with all of our new loot!While our house was invaded by IKEA this weekend, the neighbors had an even more special guest at theirs . . . the stork! I think I’m all set with my new duvet cover for now, Mr. Stork.

If you’re in Amsterdam and want to visit IKEA, hop in your car or on the 54 metro line. The stop is Bullewijk and IKEA is a quick 5 minute stroll around the corner from the station.