![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6yVPVYVX9i57qEHQrnVJw5ECua0a3X0Y9u4vFsM57FEXw6lVsesIvoO-vuXWk7Amz431kL8XaDIwAvft5wI3X6gRON8Ofk24sLoqp6hKhM_5Y4hUDJdzRH558BlvsmoDDeTIiqyVGw/s280/Ikea1.jpg)
A new
Ikea store just opened in Charlotte last weekend. My 12-year-old daughter and I made a trek there this afternoon. I’d heard all the great things about Ikea, but was still unprepared ... WOW! This place is huge, and full of wonderful, affordable, well-designed products.
The building exterior is all blue and yellow, like the Swedish flag:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh793xdhZ2W-KUtrH-cN9kd5KW3yDQBYBm5-8prsUjKWXAk7QNpCOz83ZGDN2fIRIzFVD5XBWfZjaFl85EqiSc2Mf_cSpmCBNgvPHw5zNzZu4KbUPrXjUFL4cmBY2YU_9evfnbOZfmcpA/s280/Ikea2.jpg)
The Charlotte store is 365,000 square feet, and has 49 room settings, 3 model homes, 1700 parking spaces, a 350-seat restaurant, a Swedish food market, a bistro, and a chidren’s play area. We arrived around noon, and had lunch before we ventured into the vast store. The restaurant features several Swedish foods, including dill-cured salmon, and Swedish meatballs (which Lea said were excellent):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEFOH-9P78f7UfI1b2tqEQUNDGeQWIhBTfFC6nzaJbi77TeFOBf1Togy3Yl65SwSb3-ezx0KOA4xC4rEjKWgaDC-usKG6JqNifwpxKKsNz2FS5I_Mb4aUpFqpdo0_fUiYv1ElG7SJDA/s280/Ikea7.jpg)
The restaurant is decorated with Ikea furnishings, including these black-and-white fabric panels:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc5poWt2YiG3YYnpz3lU6-47hEuSzt-aX_2tUVQ4ig3KmFiRLtSEL6NgN5xq7MZ3CP_5p959i6Zdo4JVZ8UkzgQo6V0pdGkBybEz0nS3jUvaMRhybmpB0kCG51TvfT02xisf9T3AQhg/s280/Ikea6.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixar-LMbPtM-crAzScUDYItb9H_jFRoiFz1F85Pzvf0SxyeTtfoyMHrfSHuVS51zFvq7Emv677-x4M8KsZqtWswexApb_6_5KqgChTlQa9kS58t2-g7Aivr4BX9uqy5p4MF8TTP7odPA/s280/Ikea5.jpg)
Hung in the windows, the red ovals on the fabric panels glowed in the sunlight. Giant nylon leaves marked a small play area for children:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKL5_o7L_eT9qPtBhbRgLkq5WcC5uynrAJDfK6ynQqNZVUmsZgqHMRcDoyTSVZkpDY9M_xDrmm5YYMKnyvclvJ845uLEfA-WmxtVHNB53JyLc75ILtSR2EhqZi4_Wu9TAxABBFzMOfw/s280/Ikea4.jpg)
These lights looked like they were made from giant potato chips:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxIeBzD6D29L8JDotQBtUNMzeujxJO1c1Bmw6aBoVqXqWwnjTLcMjK0JXCsi58MHTFtNfR8pDZSg71ABjhf7ZWCXzI6BVo1fJ6jhSFpyUmtOeg53YVGfuMZic8hnzC8Kro-FDRDlS8w/s280/Ikea3.jpg)
Of course, what I liked best were the textiles:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGr78_ssyPGVQDZsihLJRCG9l4RUICixDBf22Rlmr9JIgk91ldd_9qOKH-rjx99U9wYYVZ187RRrf2Yoc-fOEowkp-OknDoO74WmtU7rexgK7oNjGnKlU1tG6kL8TY2ssVePjS-ZJcA/s280/Ikea8.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9XzeXu75e3EGXh2_sQp_qN_3GRG9vawt8RaOk-ez5aZQNYIb7amjAOetLQ8-FHGhRdRK_l1PTKXfk8r5l_baF2tLs-cGxnNwavPQfgMHPBQgSXmyL_wPpYCcayETQyayktfVNyJR2w/s280/Ikea9.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxdR91NXwivKNYHAOWtZmbSNaYuOViKfHXIKvp6PNqEJlyajSZYStaSwIW0DvmNdaWojI97eh4TajB6B3Obb7PaReLa-jyePCa834lCTiDxEeoY9Dryf1-SF6abDeKDJAzyj1CaceEQ/s280/Ikea25.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Xc9JbicwJnSneyWekRc0obUoEB8_zV0pHDVaHyjOZ6I2HHFAhBYtUfeoiN1ZTtXre_JDlyHufPBTu8jE6fpbOoOVz7OQ3-lqubGjt967Ob6PiqX1PCdEB2Nfcl0Kat423HNHYaduwg/s280/Ikea23.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH2-JyZG-jA_ULBQw_KRBJAvM1Xq-2pRVisA0npOaKslJNECKOFXSiirE99wKv6bRBJbzBpzezwO7sHs6ju-or0pO73_vzFyhWuJwLOHwaw5GczJd0Dcs0i7hfAiFeJ9oJgvc74tQ2w/s280/Ikea11.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2RGN_snOgVTbLaiNzU7ac2WtctlXaHpEdl2tUG6kilFdYm44G_OxokfHa36mU3t-RO10o2OCjI0qArnElgkFHgX_MwqKU3AWpjO1bJM7Lxd2GRjxt37J8XJFV-8gtFVKXvpD3Q6gQA/s280/Ikea21.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlFtzCp5xVKRtg5UdbZ9pYsHk8GEkShbclDDz1VCvmgQNLDg9Z3q17_Tk5UnjOs_eIni4zjZg7CZpk43t49srvRf9GnC7VeTUUTa28mmv4G-mm7oSqBsJvXrEpDYW6O_M3-BR4K2S5w/s280/Ikea19.jpg)
These two panels of fabric were used as curtains but they also make a bold statement as wall art:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qm7friE8RqhMgSgzSHBbBMVeq1aIcKu5yY-B1B8pRT8kCO3LDuM4ihYAGvlpMfqNcJ7Zxs3t2eSD3xbdlO5C26hq0FldWebadoW_nFO5YLaPN00yN_9gNXbH00kN2qFp0m6lo9362w/s280/Ikea17.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodQZjU6whpv1Gwk1ZYl49B3R1dA35dijYW01NddD0Ca8WU4pyiPjT8TQc7xe99PNde7LQDYgBpEQp43LARp66uEoZBwL7_EESKnA_UhJsLawtvKBLHNGQ2eG5JoHv0JOvIYNexK_MqQ/s280/Ikea16.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkE6PwoWR9MVyUXlLnL_ooCqQBUh1Sv48nhT2rQmSqHOp07R3MprxWvtgZJM-4EyyBjEfK_g2mZT7GoG4RITSy2Xr3b6kxqQki53zA5QeV-pN3G4NV9b0BGMPLy8e4K1M81lpQTPMZQ/s280/Ikea12.jpg)
Here’s the same piece of fabric as above, under glass in cool customizable panels that cover shelving units:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFE1_39_aGwZLr-B73UzyCTr9doA9iPyJMp4-6Dz6BTJNz3uvmYpZ-cwFQbjwuAEMnjtNd0_y6IQl8TNx0-CLXyaqMcJHq0nBzN_sMj_bKFf0GMWorKva-CVXMy2ZT3lQjEfqOozAYtw/s280/Ikea13.jpg)
These bookshelves had wonderful frosted glass coverings etched with floral designs:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvoia9013jt5UWfAfLRFE0B3uTHnDqY6n-32bXmX4LIapL382RlUkfgTxDicG0Gjl1Kd16vKbSCgv36nzu7eNLqLuwbVT0RKvem24E0cRoutkUC1I7VLW3DentDg1gvRqc6OsPtbIew/s280/Ikea20.jpg)
This wall light was made from compressed glass:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hGol54fOTwur7kxTKHEmq3ZQ7xBNVtyjxsPmRkcBaD9rY6A5eQyv8DKERTv_JNlV1jAlnvjZvGjWJv6AfiBHG6CsTl_t9yUDMlRs63uHbKhsXaZhbaZ0Ce8QEgf6TyDWs3zLcRAIYg/s280/Ikea18.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjkyi91Au3qvISQkBUL-y4CYVIUUGsaHyZeAg-CMD6MPEyDqisTNNF4lyCUcM7b7wPgEdzFa30igMjMXBXNU6K6gjSHSQlCWpS-XTC7z4JuruLm7xKvBNOPE1yBZXOUK6frUCor9Ckg/s280/Ikea15.jpg)
These bookcases had a beautiful black floral print at the back:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbHNVTxuQ26_09SNg_j2ndvBLnXaKTuLE-ggp61KEYaUWUFxRrJuk7521j3dqdxj9jykHzUdB6HpG9ZF5EcEjOwU_Gi2-PA1KVMi_83ehYjWZlc44OiSD6BijXRzhyXPRLSog37fI5g/s280/Ikea14.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-0RkNnAE2m5IEgOX_vbXws_bVb2HN0yyfX4gn_z3QTs4ontdgByyYPqZEUdMEOnQaOpi04h_ap4LNN0jRjsm7xQnZKxg-6h923LlvNTuNt2fKJ6zFfozwkKzH6KKUaXOyH0hM1fxBA/s280/Ikea10.jpg)
Cool lights for a child’s room: