By Jonathan Tay

I have a confession to make. I am a closet IKEA fan (I’m also a big fan of its tables and chairs as well). I love IKEA so much that I even know the Swedish furniture giant’s proper pronunciation – it’s pronounced ee-kay-ah.

Ever since I got my own place, IKEA has become a regular hang-out location for me and the missus. Gone were the days of sipping lattes at coffeehouses while the day wanes with jazz and the aroma of coffee beans. Weekends are now typically spent at IKEA, cruising through colorful displays of household products and domestic drama.

In fact, if you’re thinking of an unconventional Valentine’s Day date and want to avoid heavily-commercialised dinner dates in far-too-expensive restaurants, then why not try IKEA? Here are my thoughts on what makes IKEA such an appealing place to take that significant other:

The Swedish Meatballs. This gastronomic delight, often served with mash and jam, is a staple dish for many IKEA visitors. I consistently find myself lured into visiting the store primarily for the aforementioned dish. More often than not, the shopping of home items is usually the side event following the sumptuous Swedish food fare. Make it your Valentine’s Day dinner too.

The Snack Bar. The second most crowded place in the store after the cafeteria (People are just there for the food aren’t they). Located after the cashier, the snack bar offers hotdog buns, ice cream and other finger food for those who desperately need to refill on calories after conquering the IKEA maze.

The Store’s Spaciousness. While most stores try to cram their shop floor with goods (think Mustafa or Daiso), IKEA offers an uncommon spaciousness. I believe that I’m not the only person who appreciates the comfort of manoeuvring freely about a shop floor. That is, without having to worry about knocking something off the shelf or running over a wild toe with my shopping cart. You also won’t have to deal with other couples and their oversized teddy bears crowding the pavements.

One-stop For Hypothetical Future Home Decorations. If you commute as much as I do daily, I am quite sure you wouldn’t want to spend the weekends travelling. This home furnishing store brings together a comprehensive selection of furniture and household items – conveniently under one roof. Discuss with your date what you would like to put in your future hypothetical home and pillow fight with the extremely fluffy pillows.

The “Purchasable” Showrooms. Aside from the electronic items and the screaming children, almost every item in the showrooms can be bought off the store. If it doesn’t bother you that you might have the same living room as half your neighbours on the block, you could literally replicate straight out of the IKEA catalogue. So, drop that passé bouquet of roses and get her a furry snake from the IKEA store instead as a gift.

Jonathan was not paid to do this blog entry for IKEA but if any IKEA personnel happens to read this and would like to make him a spokesperson, he would do it for a coffee table and a lifetime’s supply of Swedish meatballs. Send all offers of endorsement to jonathantay[at]jobscentral.com.sg.