The Best Finds for Student Accommodation in Sheffield’s New IKEA

Students rejoice, Sheffield finally has an IKEA – and we have put together the best finds for student accommodation!

After being stuck in the planning stage for literally years, the flat-packed furniture giant is now open for business over in Tinsley, near Meadowhall.

You can get there by tram if you don’t drive: get yourself a day-rider, hop off at Carbrook, and then just try to remember not to buy too much if you’re going to have to carry it home. Following on from our post, “5 Ways to Make Your Student Accommodation Home”, here are some of the best IKEA finds for residents of our student accommodation in Sheffield.

Basic student accommodation supplies

IKEA do a good range of kitchen utensils, from washing up brushes to pots and pans. Stock up on things that are going to get broken easily, like bowls or plates.

Beware the impulse buy though. With a tight budget, it’s worth keeping in mind that IKEA has been carefully designed to encourage people to buy things that they don’t really need. Are you ever, realistically, going to use a teapot warmer?

As you wander around you’ll also find some reasonably cheap stationary. Keep your desk organised with a paper tray, some files, and a pen pot. A little organisation now will make your student life easier in the long run. Honest.

Cushions, duvets, and rugs

Soft furnishings like cushions, duvet covers, and rugs are a great way to personalise your student accommodation. With bedding though, before you get taken in by any of the IKEA designs, double check that it will, in fact, fit your bed. IKEA do stock the standard UK sizes now but they generally favour the European sizes which, annoying, are ever so slightly different.

Shoe racks suitable for student flats

If you’re someone who has a pair of shoes for every occasion, it’s probably better to bite the bullet now and get a shoe rack, rather than keeping them in a big pile by the door all year. You can get a basic one, called “LUSTIFIK”, for a fiver or a slightly nicer one for a little more.

Plastic storage boxes

Not the most exciting thing in the world, but a couple of “SAMLA” plastic boxes might be the secret to tidy student accommodation.

They’re a little cheaper than similar boxes from city centre shops, so while it might not be worth going, if you’re making the journey out of town anyway you might as well pick some up while you’re there.

Student-Proof House Plants

IKEA might not shout “garden centre”, but they actually do a pretty impressive range of house plants. And if you don’t trust yourself to keep one alive, they also do some artificial plants. A plastic flower won’t make the air any fresher, but at least they’ll always be green.