Ikea has everything you would need to furnish your home.

The dizzying array of available goods and their complicated sophisticated names may convince you to buy everything you see.

But don't do that.

You may get the best of egalitarian Swedish quality in most items, but that just means they have been made to be affordable in the Nordic way, not the most excellent.

Here are seven things to reconsider buying the next time you're in store:

1. Decorative trinkets 

They're nice, yes. When you see them in the store.

But Singaporeans by-and-large have been going to Ikea for years and years now and those who have been there say, three times in a year, can spot from a mile away an item that came from Ikea when they see it in your home.

This is due to the distinctive Ikea look to their designs. If you want to avoid people comparing your home to an Ikea shrine, maybe it's a good idea to go easy on them.

2. Mattresses

Good mattresses are hard to come by.

For a piece of furniture that you would most likely spend 26 years sleeping on, it is a good idea to procure a mattress from a certified mattress-maker.

3. Furniture made with fibreboard or pressed wood

If you are okay with buying and tossing out every few years, sure, by all means.

But if you're gunning for longevity, hmmm.

Because instead of solid wood, many of Ikea's furnishings are made with fibreboard, which looks like conventional wood but is made out of wood fibres.

Long-term durability, thus, can be an issue.

4. Cabinets and wardrobes

If you're looking for a quick fix solution to your cabinet or wardrobe woes by getting an addition piece of furniture to use as soon as possible, going to Ikea might defeat the purpose.

Assembly usually takes a couple of hours even for skilled assemblers.

You'll spend extra time to assemble it, or the extra costs of getting someone to do it for you might also add up.

Not recommended for first-time DIY-ers.

5. Ceiling lights and light bulbs

Their ceiling lights had gotten some bad press in recent years: HYBY, LOCK and RINNA had been recalled due to safety issues, for example.

The cheaper light bulbs are also relatively dim -- about 400 lumens.  

Other light bulbs available in the market are brighter and probably have as much variety.

6. Shelves

A sturdy book shelf can be as hard to find as a good mattress.

Any self-assembly shelf don't hold many books well.

While they may look great and complement any room, the weight of your collection might bend the shelf out of shape.

Some higher-end carpentry will last longer.

7. Chicken wings 

Last but not least, their chicken wings.

In recent years, the quality of wings have dropped so much, you're better off re-fuelling yourself with other things on their menu.

Their meatballs, however? Still trustworthy, even though they were briefly pulled off the shelf in 2013 due to a horse meat scare.

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