I know there are several bloggers out there that have done store crashes - Making it Lovely, Young House Love, and Emily Henderson. I guarantee you their pictures will be better than mine. (Have I ever mentioned that I don't even own a camera? I've just been using my cell phone. A story for another day...) I can also guarantee you their local Menards' aren't as amazing as mine.
Strangely, the outside looks just like any other Menards. Large warehouse type building, green awnings, trucks in the parking lot, etc. When you step inside, it's like walking into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Room. (Just a refresher):
This here is one half of the store as seen from an upstairs balcony. I could've gone crazy with arrows pointing out all the fantastic features, but it would have spoiled the view. So if you look closely, there are 3 suspended walkways, the millwork department, kitchens and appliances, cleaning and organizing, paint, flooring, tools, and the building department. Behind me, not in the shot, (because I didn't want to risk looking anymore crazy by taking even more pictures) there was a snack bar with a few tables. This store is so big, you may actually need to stop for a snack and a coffee.
On the other half of the store you'd find bathrooms, exteriors, lighting (behind me), and a huge glass elevator. (I'll leave the Willy Wonka reference out this time...) Somewhere on the first floor there were also cards, DVD's, pet products, hardware, and several aisles of food.
Beside the ginormous glass elevator in the back corner of the store, there's this crazy cool escalator/moving walkway that Husband demonstrates riding so well:
It takes quite a while to get up, but it's waaaaay better than the weird cart carrier contraption they've got at Ikea. Or at least our Ikea.
Example:
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| Schaumburg Ikea via Yelp |
Have you ever tried to wrestle your cart onto one of those things? Oh my word, it is not easy.
The awesomeness doesn't end there though, friends. I've saved the best for last. One of the first aisles we encountered upon walking into the store was none other than the spray paint aisle. Observe:
So. Much. Spray Paint! I could paint so many things. In so many colors. And then the Oompa Loompa's would have to sing a silly song about how I turned myself radioactive from the fumes. (I am so sorry, I had no idea this post would relate to well to the old school Willy Wonka)
On top of the store being amazing in size and product display, I have to say that the employees were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. I'm in no way being paid or perked for this post, I just really had a fantastic experience there. If you live in the area, I highly recommend taking a slow stroll and soaking it all in. And if you don't live nearby, well I'm sorry. Visit us soon?
Anyone else checked this place out yet?
Popular home improvement retailer Menards was established over 60 years ago. The Menards provides and sells all the essential household items, including kitchenware, groceries, and a wide range of other goods. The Menards sells electrical items including fans and lights as well as tools and hardware materials. menards hours - knowhours.com
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