The redesign is not the reason I’m grumpy about this, dropping the 5x5 is…
We have a bunch of Expedit units in our house. They’re cheap, pretty sturdy, and decently sized. I don’t think I would be overly traumatized if the line was completely discontinued with no replacement, though, I’d just try to find something else that was suitable. It’s a shame they’re dropping the 5x5 though - the one we have is pretty awesome in our kids’ playroom for organizing toys, books, puzzles and such.
I’ll admit my bias upfront: I have a lot of IKEA furniture, because it’s one of the cheapest ways to get solid wood furniture (except for making it yourself, presumably), and I like no-frills design.
Even given my fandom, I’m confused by the rage over this. Do Expedit fans buy shelving weekly? I can’t imagine, say, buying a coffee table, and then 10 years (or more) later, seriously getting offended if I couldn’t find the EXACT same model to replace it.
The cool thing about the Expedit shelves is they come in different sizes and shapes and they all fit together. I’ve bought several sets of Expedit shelves at different times and I can mix and match them to fit in different places. With the redesign, the new shelves won’t fit with the old shelves, so you basically have to start all over again. I might be okay with it if the Kallax comes in more fun colors. Expedit is pretty basic–white, black, birch, and a few sizes in red.
From what I understand, it’s pretty much the only affordable, yet sturdy shelving unit that’s a perfect fit for LP records. So if you have a large vinyl collection and you’re not especially wealthy, it’s the only good option out there. I do know people who have multiples of these in their house and as the collection grows, they buy a new one.
Ikea replacements are frequently less sturdy than the prior model, and with large vinyl collections, you’re putting a lot of weight on the shelves. So, not only does it not match what you already have, but theres a fear that it wont be as sturdy.
(disclosure, I also have a lof of Ikea furniture)
Well that sucks. I have two 5x5 Expedit units and was going to buy one of the bigger ones when I move house some time later this year. I wonder when the last I’ll be able to get it will be. =/
I am reminded of the mini-furor when they introduced a deeper version of Billy…People acted as if that represented the end of the printed word…OTOH, I wish they’d bring back the red-oak color of Billy and drill the missing shelf holes that would enable you to efficiently shelve paperbacks on them…
Yes the idea is as your record collection grows you buy more shelves.
The whole reason most people bought these is because they are a cheap, nice looking, sturdy furniture system that can be expanded infinitely. The whole marketing concept is buy one piece now and expand it as you need.
No mater how slight the change I’m not happy that now my units will not match.
We only recently replaced our big 5x5 Expedit books shelves with some wall shelving that my husband made from cheap brackets and some pretty pieces of laminate plywood. But Expedit is a damn fine system. Our daughter’s “dresser” is one of the 2x5 shelves with pocket drawers slipped into the holes.
Fast Co Design lost me with their choice of examples.Seriously, bottled water, potato chips, ketchup packets… There are problems with these products that go far deeper than the plastic packaging used to contain them!
Do you have a source for that? I don’t see it in any of the linked articles. It sucks if true.
We used to have a 2 x 5 unit that we put perpendicular to the wall near a corner, then we could have books on both sides. Another shallower Billy bookcase against the wall at the corner made that part of the room into a little library area. We organized the books with heavy ones at the bottom, and never had to worry about stability.
I wonder if that will be possible with the new design though: Ikea furniture seems to be getting weaker and less suitable for remixing, although it still does its original job if you don’t put too much strain on it.
A lot of folks have commented on how Expedit is ideal for record collections, which I’m sure is true. I don’t own any vinyl, but I still think the design is unmatched: the separate cubbies let you shelf a bunch of unrelated things while keeping them organized and tidy-looking, and the wide selection of fitted containers (shelves, drawers, bins) make it easy to store just about anything. My 5x5 is staggered like a checkerboard, alternating between books and everything else (tools, computer parts, clothes bins, toys…) and it makes a really nice effect.
It’s also tremendously handy when you have to move. Make an addressing scheme for the shelf cubbies (upper left is A1, bottom left is E5…), get a bunch of small-size cardboard boxes from Lowe’s or Home Depot, fill each box with one cubby (or two or three, whatever fits), and mark the box with the cubby number(s). Once you’re moved in, it takes less than an hour to put everything back exactly where it came from.
It kinda sucks that the new ones won’t match anymore, but I guess if I have to put them next to each other I can put some feet on the shorter one so the shelves at least line up. If they’re discontinuing the 5x5, though, that really sucks. I’m passionate about organization, and nothing is as good as a large Expedit.
Wow. I’ve never even seen a 2x5, and I really wanted one. They must not have sold them in years.
It really sucks that they keep eliminating useful sizes. 
I wonder how much trouble it would be to pick up some lumber, borrow the table saw at the local hackerspace, and make my own. Probably way too much.
Bottled water is a sin against God & I don’t even believe in God. Except for stores against emergency I see no rational purpose in it when weighed against the strength it gives those who want to completely commodify all water everywhere.
A quick Google image search suggests they were actually 2 x 4, not 2 x 5 - it was a while ago so I just went with what other people said. Still, I got it in the seconds section at the end, which always seems to be the best place to start. If you can’t find what you want there, keep going the wrong way around the shop and you seem to save time and money in the end.
You say “screwed up”, I say “garnered a whole bunch of free publicity.”
Oh, and the unions in our local Ikea are still on strike. Since May. From the world’s wealthiest charitable organization.
I guess that this means that there will be a bunch of new IKEA Hacks…
I found the backstory. Walmart is knocking it off in a “Better Homes and Gardens” branded version. See current BHG for ad. 8[
