Ikea Beech or Ash finish

Toby

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Looking at getting Ikea Besta shelving units. Just realised the belfast shop doesn't stock the white ones so next option is the beech. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S99837821

Has anyone seen the Ikea beech finish up close and does it look okay - i'm wary of the "fake wood" look.

The other alternative is Ash finish which might be more subtle/natural look. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90134043

Unfortunately I can't go on the trip to pick it out cos then there'd be no room in car for the purchases :(

Thanks
 
Hi toby, are you sure it is not available in white, even if it isn't (which I can't see) can you not find out when the next delivery of white shelving is arriving and go up then to IKEA or whether they can get it couriered over from England/Sweden with there next delivery.

I would say the beech finish is exactly like it looks like on screen. If you like what you see on screen then you will probably like it at home.
 
I was surprised you said they don't do the Besta in white in Belfast, because I got a shelving extension unit in white there a few months ago, which I put legs on and am using as a TV bench (I'm delighted with it, the finish is actually gloss white and looks great).

I've just had a look at the website and although the item you've linked to isn't available in white in Belfast, some other items in the Besta range are (including the one I got). Are you set on that particular unit that you linked to, or would you be happy enough to put something together from units that are available in white?

In my opinion the wood finishes on Ikea furniture (other than kitchens) are not good and look quite artificial. And a unit that size in a wood finish would have a very different impact on a room than the same unit in gloss white. Maybe you need to decide if the unit or the colour is more important to you. Or, if you can, wait until they open in Dublin and see if they have it in white then.
 
I have a number of items in the Ash finish and I quite like them. Beware they are heavier than they look/appear in the showroom by the way.

While the beech by name would match a lot of our furniture we have found that a beech finish from IKEA has been darker than the finish we have in our house. We therefore went for the Ash and it's slightly paler than our beech finish wardrobes.

Gosh I hope that makes sense!
 
Thank you very much for the helpful replies.

I contacted the live customer service on the ikea site and they claim the white will be in stock in a week or two. Pity you can't reserve it before travelling all the way up there though!

Is getting it shippped from the UK really a cost effective option?

I don't really want a whole wall of fake looking wood so it sounds like the Beech isn't for us. If they don't have the white soon maybe we'll go for the ash frame and get some white doors to break it up a bit as I do think they have white doors. GreenQueen, do you think Ash frame and white doors would look good?

Thanks again
 
Hi Toby,

It really depends on your decor and what "look" you want in your room. For me, I prefer light colours and clean finishes so it would be ideal but if you have heavier fabrics/colours in the room then the combination might not work for you.

Personally I would love it!
 
Thanks GreenQueen, like the light colours myself within reason as an all white house doesn't last long with kids around. Sounds like my Ash frame/white doors might be worth going for, all white might be a bit too severe.
 
Re the all-white being a bit severe, I would just point out that the Besta finish is gloss, so it's reflective rather than flat white, which does make a difference (it's not as "blank" looking). It's also very easy to wipe clean with a soft cloth, if you're worried about child-sized hand prints.

TBH I don't think the mix of (matt) wood frame with white doors would look good, I think it would look a bit DIY thrown-together-from-scraps...
 
Thanks for the advice dubgem. I wish I could go see the stuff myself but since I can't its great to get opinions here.

Theres a picture of a besta with a beech frame and white doors on the bottom shelves in the Ikea catalogue so thats where I got the idea of mixing it up.

We have a cream painted kitchen in the open plan area beside where this storage is going so I thought the gloss white might not look right across the space from that. What do you think?

I was worried about the all white getting marked so thats one good thing to hear.
 
I just looked up the catalogue online and saw that unit you were talking about. I see what you mean, but I do think both in the one colour would look better.

I also see in the catalogue that they do other Besta doors that are a darker wood but high gloss. Obviously gloss doors are very reflective and even in a dark colour won't seem overpowering and will make a space seem bigger. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80116657. could they be a third option (as if you aren't confused enough!)

I have to say that IMO white and cream don't really go with each other. Maybe the wood finish would be a better way for you to go if you already have a cream kitchen.

Just remembered, if you get one kind of doors and absolutely hate them you can change them easily enough (although you probably won't get your money back), because all their furniture is modular. So although it's a big decision it's not completely irreversible :)
 
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dubgem, thanks so much for going to all that trouble for me. I agree it can look wrong to have white and cream together, this is on opposite sides of a large room (width of house) with a pillar in between though so might get away with it.

Much to consider, thanks for the help
 
I just hope after the information overload you're not sorry you asked now!

I've managed to check my actual "offline" catalogue, and the high-gloss wood (or wood effect) Besta doors are on page 24, it gives a much clearer impression of them (they actually look much better than on the website, I think). And they're also paired with white there.

Although I do think that you either live in a cream home or you live in a white home, and if you live in one it's very difficult to bring in elements of the other. And although all whites are not created equal, the Besta white is very white.
 
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