IKEA items not to buy and ones to spend on for a design savvy home

When it comes to creating a tidy and stylish abode, Dubai based interior designer Aliya Rayner has spilled the beans on the IKEA picks she'd gladly pass on. Treating us to a peek inside an IKEA showroom via TikTok, this design maven has unearthed an array of items that she says wouldn't make it onto her shopping list.

First up, entryway shoe storage units—those nifty solutions that promise to corral your kicks in style. She's waving a caution flag on this one.

"Don't buy this," Aliya advises, pointing out several IKEA open rack storage systems that she says can make your entryway look "messier" and take up precious space.

Instead, she directs attention to an alternate option that's sleek and space-efficient.

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Introducing a slimline white shoe cabinet with four compartments, she gives her seal of approval. "Get this one," she suggests, "It's tiny, you can store the shoes here, you can change the handles if you don't like them, you can add a nice mirror and it will really add beauty to your entrance or corridor area."

In a series of clips from IKEA, Aliya shares more items she wouldn't buy from the internationally loved furniture retailer, along with her preferred alternatives.

"The sofa is the biggest piece of furniture in your living room," she explains as she moves through the showroom floor at IKEA, "so no matter what coffee table you have, or armchair, or any other furniture, if you have an ugly sofa in your living room it will completely destroy your design."

Aliya zeros in on the grey GRÖNLID sofa from IKEA, giving it a thumbs down, calling it "outdated" and a design disaster waiting to happen, ready to throw off the balance of your carefully curated living space.

Instead she suggests the olive green JÄTTEBO modular sofa. Not only does it boast removable, washable covers (a sanity-saver for anyone who's ever spilled a cup of coffee), but it also serves up extra storage, and looks chic in any space.

Moving over to the dining area, Aliya's got a clever style switch-up in mind here too. She's all about starting with a clean slate—a basic white dining table that's a blank canvas for a chic upgrade.

Her tip? Trade out those dated white wooden ladder-back NORDVIKEN dining chairs, for the Tobias transparent chrome plated chairs.

Why the switch? These chairs not only bring comfort to the table but also ooze trendiness and style, according to Aliya.

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