Ikea furniture sucks. If it's what you can afford, well, it's still functional- but if you can afford better, I've come to feel like good furniture is worth some extra stress.
Exhibit A: 6-10 year old Jerker desk (no idea of age, bought 4 years ago on CL) is one of the solidest pieces of furniture I've ever purchased.
Screenwriter John August says that Ikea's motto should be, "for now, it'll do".
Non-Ikea furniture often seems horribly overpriced. I think there is a furniture store in Mountain View that sells $1000+ shelves or coffee tables. You'd think there is a middle ground.
My solution has centered around two items; taking advantage of great sales at my preferred high-quality furniture retailer, and only going with the high-quality units for specific pieces of furniture.