For the first 24 years of my life, I lived hours from the nearest IKEA. The first time I visited one shortly after my recent move to Philadelphia, it changed my life. I had become cynical after years of buying cheap, cruddy hardware for my home from places like Walmart, and I had largely avoided investing in new stuff that I thought would lead to more clutter That changed when I saw the brilliance of IKEA's business model: less is more. By putting the burden of assembly on the customer, IKEA can charge far less for some of the finest furniture you can buy on a budget.
Since I learned what the coveted IKEA experience is truly like, I've been on a mission to outfit my home with more of the brand's home organization gear. Yesterday, I set out to find whatever I could to help me organize my embarrassingly cluttered home office. My strict budget was $150.
