The end of the EXPEDIT shelf era

I have always wanted an Expedit shelf from IKEA. And, of course, I wanted the biggest one they made: 6-feet tall and 6-feet wide. My desire to have one began when I lived in my studio apartment in Philadelphia. I thought it would be a wonderful way to divide space. Looking at the photo below, it can clearly do this!

When I started working at my job in 2007, I was quite pleased to see an Expedit shelf dividing the room. To my dismay, though, it was not adorned with neat decorations, and it did not add to the creative space.

Then, when we moved to a new location in 2009, it got placed in one of the larger office spaces and was forgotten. It held random books and office equipment. It collected more dust than anything else.

Last fall, when my office downsized and moved again, the Expedit shelf needed a new home. I decided that it would be mine! Finally, after 10+ years of wanting one, I would own an Expedit shelf! Unfortunately, I didn’t have a space for it. I got the shelf before I decided to declutter, so it remained dismantled in Eric’s basement for seven months.

I clearly wasn’t ready to own one.

Then, last month, I started getting rid of stuff. I reclaimed my second bedroom. I freed up my space again. I was ready to bring the Expedit shelf to my apartment, assemble it, and get creative. But then I started to feel strange about it. I was worried that it would end up being a cluttered mess. I was worried that I was start putting random things on it or that I would put too much stuff on it.

At this same time, I had lunch with my friend, Arnell. He mentioned that his friend, Esther, and her husband were going to Ikea in Cincinnati to buy new shelves and various things for her new store – Yarn it and Haberdashery. Without thinking, I asked him if Esther would be interested in buying mine.

It’s weird. Something that I had wanted for so long, I was now willing to give up in an instant. I don’t know how to really explain it. I guess my worries outweighed my desire. And I knew if Esther had it she would be able to use it in a creative way.

So Esther and her husband got the large Expedit shelf out of Eric’s basement. She said that, as of April 1st, IKEA was no longer selling them, and they needed another one to put in her store. (And this would explain while they are being sold at a premium on ebay.) When her arts and crafts store opens, I’ll definitely be there!