site banner
PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   1000 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for May 22, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

1
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

So, the "Mikea" was originally a series of homes designed by a company in St. Petersburg that were 100% compatible with Ikea furniture. Not the most useful idea, but they stumbled upon a style that looked modern without being modernist, while at the same time being relatively easy to build:

  • a simple rectangle in shape with a low-angle gabled roof
  • white rendered walls with some larch planks for decoration
  • large floor-to-ceiling windows with anthracite or wood-colored frames
  • anthracite-colored standing-seam metal on the roof

A super popular style these days.

/images/17795208136517427.webp

What does it mean to be compatible with IKEA furniture? Standing seam roofs are truly a Faustian bargain of giving up aesthetics in return for durability.

It means that all internal dimensions are adjusted to fit standard IKEA furniture. Like, if there's a gap between the edge of the doorway and the wall designed for a bookcase, a Billy will fit in there perfectly. They had a furniture plan for each room that was like: a Malm bed with two Strorklinta nighstands, a Storklinta dresser opposite etc. Wasn't really a big selling point they wanted it to be, but the visual design of the house itself was a hit.

Standing seam roofs are truly a Faustian bargain of giving up aesthetics in return for durability.

Not really. The most common roof material here is corrugated iron. Either simply corrugated or corrugated to resemble ceramic tiles. Standing seam sheets (of the snap-lock variety) are a fancy minimalist alternative that is easy to install on a simple gabled roof. I don't think they look bad, especially when matte. About as ugly as asphalt shingles.

I do concede they are better than asphalt or corrugated metal.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats