Having owned a bunch of older and newer Ikea stuff, the real problem IMHO is Ikea knockoffs. If you're willing to buy actual wood, Ikea sells it and it works f

Having owned a bunch of older and newer Ikea stuff, the real problem IMHO is Ikea knockoffs. If you're willing to buy actual wood, Ikea sells it and it works fine--it's not especially decorative but it is at least decent at being tables/beds/whatever. However, if you're in the market for a bookcase, say, and decide $100 is too much to pay for one, your choices are all bad particle board with melamine poorly installed. If you're very lucky they last a year. Ikea makes this too, but I'm convinced it's because they felt they had to compete with the purveyors of this junk. Older Ikea stuff tends to be made with wood and actually holds up pretty well--I have a pair of 30-40 year old Ikea end tables that are perfectly stable and usable, although not pretty.