I heart Ikea usually. We have one less than 30 minutes away, and I pity you fools who drive 4 hours to go to one (you’re not fools- I would probably do the same thing). Sure, some of the crap is, well, crap, but a lot of the time you can get decent essentials for el cheapo.
A couple weekends ago, we totally went through the second bedroom. This happened:
That’s right, Stan transformed into Niecy Nash and kicked my butt until I got rid of stuff. Then we went to Ikea to buy more stuff to hold the stuff I kept. Ah, stuff.
Anyway, I was delighted to find these inexpensive but sturdy Kasset boxes, which the Ikea employees assured us were for holding hanging files. I didn’t want to spring for an actual file cabinet, and these are cute, so it was the perfect solution.
Or so we thought.
Look at it there, looking so innocent.
“Yes, I’m here to hold your files! See, I have cutouts for hanging file holders and everything! Yay! Love me!”
I don’t love you, Ikea box. You are a major disappointment.
How do you explain this???
We even bought the stupid hanging file holders from Ikea (which was a dumb move in and of itself- they are way cheaper at Office Depot!). And don’t tell me that the box is for legal size- it’s not! Legal is 14″, and letter is 11″. This box is the uglier sister of a letter size box at an awkward 11.75″ or so.
I’m glad Ikea is only 25 minutes away and that Stan and I enjoy spending lots of extra time in the car together, because I put these sorry excuses for file boxes right back in the car and demanded a refund (and by “demanded” I mean “shyly placed the huge embarrassing failure box onto the returns counter and waited patiently while the guy inspected, re-inspected, suggested it may be for Legal size, offered to give me store credit, then changed his mind and gave me cash because he was embarrassed to work at an establishment that engineered such an asinine product”). So yeah, I got my refund, bought a few more magazine boxes (which are actually useful for holding magazines and magazine-sized objects), and proudly skipped the cinnamon rolls. Ikea victory!
As for the final solution for file holding, I broke down and bought a cute little file box from Office Depot for all of my 2011 papers, and stashed the old ones in some old plastic file boxes I had and hid them away in the closet because they’re not too attractive.
This is how the room was looking after we de-Hoardersed it, but before we got some new boxes to hold the stuff that’s just stuffed on those bottom shelves. I think I have a hard time with “styling” bookshelves, because I have too much stuff that I want the bookshelf to hold. Styled bookshelves are awesome, but a vase/picture frame/other trinket takes up the space of lots of books! Maybe that just means I need two bookshelves…
February 4, 2011 at 10:59 am
Don’t apologize. Bookshelves are for books. I have one in every room.
February 4, 2011 at 11:14 am
Yikes! I hate when stuff like that happens… at least you were able to return it no prob!
P.S. I’m totally envious of your Ikea-closeness.
~Chelsea
February 4, 2011 at 12:15 pm
That’s a seriously lame ikea box. I can’t believe the folders didn’t fit! At least your ikea is close so returns are easy.
February 4, 2011 at 1:14 pm
That makes no sense at all! For shame, IKEA! (But I do love you IKEA for all the things you do right).
February 4, 2011 at 6:24 pm
I completely know that feeling of being torn between a “styled” bookshelf and one loaded with actual stuff, that needs to go on the bookshelf!
February 8, 2011 at 1:52 pm
I LOVE Niecy Nash! And I have the same problem with bookshelves.
February 11, 2011 at 12:51 pm
IKEA……(sighs like a love struck girl)
I guess they have to mess up sometimes, but it’s always when you find the PERFECT solution…and find out it’s all so wrong.
February 17, 2011 at 2:23 pm
haven’t you ever noticed that some of ikeas picture frames are this way too? you can’t just get one that is 8×10, it’s an awkward 8×10.75… then you have a random edge around the picture you have no idea what to do with!! it’s happened to me more than once but i still just buy the dang cheap frames there! I just replace them with smaller picture that have mattes. Oh well, what do you do? you just keep loving Ikea and it’s random Swiss measurements!
February 28, 2011 at 12:06 pm
How insanely frustrating. I agree with “Schmand” that the frames are annoying with their weird sizes too.
March 1, 2011 at 8:29 am
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February 12, 2012 at 8:10 pm
These boxes were probably perfectly cut, only not for letter-sized file folders. Since Ikea is a Swedish company (those these are most likely made in China), they probably don’t use our backwards “letter” and “legal” sizes, just as all of Europe frowns at our archaic use of inches and miles. These boxes are most likely made for A4-sized paper. Unfortunately for us, A4-sized hanging folders appear be in short supply in the states.
August 10, 2012 at 3:31 am
Oh how I wish I had read this before I bought a Malm file cabinet. That is exactlly what happened. The A4 size. I suppose I can start looking for those. Thanks everyone.
December 4, 2013 at 4:34 am
It’s lucky you only invested in the boxes! I just bought a MALM rolling filing cabinet that has the same problem. SUPER obnoxious Ikea!
May 20, 2014 at 8:11 am
The entire world uses “A” sized paper (A4, A3 etc) except for the USA. IKEA is not going to change their global products just for the US market. They could do a better job communicating this. Also there are only 3 countries in the world which are not metric. One is the USA and the other two are African dictatorships!
October 4, 2018 at 8:49 am
Ugh! I hear ya! I have an IKEA file cabinet – which I love – but finding hanging folders that fit the bloody thing is proving to be a nightmare – and we live in the Yukon where it costs a second mortgage on your home, and the college fund for your children, to ship to if you shop online!