Ikea's not content to be pigeonholed as the place where college students go to get Billy bookshelves, so they're trying to get the word out about their other offerings. This week, the Swedish furniture chain has set up shop in the OpenHouse space in Nolita to give the press a look at their mattress and bedding options—with the idea that mattresses aren't something that most shoppers associate with the chain. But they've got it all: pillow-top, latex-core, pocket springs, even green (as in natural) styles. And it's obvious that they see a need in the market for affordable beds, just as they saw a need for affordable shelving units and couches.
Lots of the mattresses we saw had cool touches, like zip-off covers for easy washing. The same with pillows and comforters: one queen size comforter zips into two pieces so you can stuff it more easily into a washing machine; there's a pillow that has a removable core so you can switch up the puffiness level.
Ikea's been selling bedding and mattresses since they've been around, but with traditional US mattress sellers like department stores and Sleepy's taking a hit during the recession, we can easily see them sliding in to take a piece of the bedroom market.
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