DIY particle board and odd fasteners give me the shivers.
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And after a couple of years of kids, those fasteners will pull out of the particle board in quite a destructive way, then there’s no saving the piece.
I don’t step into an Ikea often, but when I do, I must remark that it is where craigslist fodder is born.
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at the end of a three-year house clearout, after my parents both died? I realized? We had NO heirloom furniture. They had some okay mid-century stuff, that raising 3 kids turned to dented, abused, beat up crap.
BUT? We LIVED in the house. It was not a preserved showroom to pass along. It was lived in, climbed on, barfed behind, dates felt-up on, slept on, recovered over and over. And? sold off on Craigslist, or given away.
I don’t NEED heirloom quality furniture, My home will NEVER EVER be in “Architectural Digest” - my son won’t like my taste anyhow. I need something to hold my books, a table to eat at, and chairs to keep my keester off the floor.
Ya know what? Why spend a great percentage of my income on furniture that will outlast me? I can buy mid-line Ikea, spend a Sunday afternoon putting it together, and it will last a great 10 years? totally worth it.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE some of the ikea-hacking pages that have been featured on BB and other places - this is probs my fave - https://ikeahackers.net/ I am not talented or creative enough to make or need most of the stuff, but I like looking at it.
THE ONE thing hacking pages taught me? read the assembly manual (look at the pictures) then highlight where gorilla glue would help hold it together long term. It makes everything sturdier, I even clamp some sections and let them dry before moving on.
When my kid was 3? I came out to find him repeatedly striking a heavy padlock against the Hemnes coffee table? the cool one with drawers that they don’t make anymore… and? I did not care. it was what? $50 and a few hours to assemble?
it still works. it holds coffee. and books, and my feet. and now? it has a story and some character.
If you buy the mid-line stuff, build it carefully, and have the right expectations? well, it works. and thats all I need.
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While it may be surprising to some, it generally helps to use their included tools instead of grabbing your set of T-handle hex wrenches, power drivers, and the like. Their fasteners, cams, etc., are cast out of low-strength zinc, and will easily strip if you apply too much force to the tool. Their included hex wrenches are short, sharp, and uncomfortable, and it hurts to tighten them. That encourages people to stop before they overtighten the connector.
Granted, if you have the tools you probably know how to use them, but it’s easier to make a mistake.
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yeah, exactly. they look like simple cartoons, but like i said upthread, they are INCREDIBLY detailed.
and while i understand the general hate against particle board stuff, not ALL of their stuff is crappy. you have to look and be discerning, but there’s some real gems for a steal. we bought a 12" enameled cast-iron pan from IKEA 20 years ago that i still use regularly. the thing is a champ.
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Ikea is excellent at what it does, and what it does is provide furniture at a reasonable price which is exactly as good as it needs to be.
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A much better way to utilize the hours instead of building furniture.
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It’s not the assembly I take issue with.
I bought a bed once (frame, box spring, mattress), and it took 5 trips to the local Ikea until I had all the pieces, which were the correct pieces, which all went together, which weren’t damaged in some way.
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… making “furniture” out of sawdust and glue?
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The chair I’m sitting in right now is an IKEA spindle chair and is all solid wood. I got it in the 1980s, though, don’t know if they have anything like it now.
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That’s the thing. Lot’s of “heirloom quality furniture” is a burden on heirs rather than a desirable inheritance. Not all sturdy furniture ages well in terms of style, or necessarily is the taste of one’s descendants. I see bulky “heirlooms” being given away on local free stuff groups because bulky, outdated furniture can be hard to sell, even if it is good quality.
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My wife inherited her grandparents Sears bedroom set circa 1950. It’s made of plywood and ugly as shit, yet we’ve dragged it to four houses over 20 years and never used it
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It’s not the meatballs?
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They do. Ikea has plenty of chairs and tables made from solid wood, the MDF is mostly reserved for cabinets and drawers and such.
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And table tops. I’ve got a Linmon table top - cost $9 - but it is built like a hollow core door, hollow, with cardboard. Not durable or good as a workshop table - can’t clamp anything to it safely. But it is perfectly flat, and well engineered for its limited lifespan and use case - pretty amazing buy for $9.
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I love the little Nordic grocery section that they have at IKEA. I don’t even go there for the furniture.
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Carbonated pear juice, FTW!
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Panel 5 speaks to this
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