Let's face it - you either love or hate IKEA furniture.
Me? I'm in the "I love it" category.
But for a couple of reasons that you might not expect. First, I have to admit I love the sleek simplicity of their designs. Give me minimalist decor with straight lines over highly decorated or curvey pieces any day.
Me? I'm in the "I love it" category.
But for a couple of reasons that you might not expect. First, I have to admit I love the sleek simplicity of their designs. Give me minimalist decor with straight lines over highly decorated or curvey pieces any day.
But the other reason I really like their work is that it tends to drive a fair number of customers my way. After seeing how rickety some of their furniture is - some customers have me build similar pieces, only using better woods, and stronger joinery.
I've even been hired to assemble some of their furniture by people who just don't have the mechanical skills to do it on their own. So when I read that Ikea claims their new line of Regissor Furniture can be assembled in five minutes, I was a little skeptical. (BTW, IKEA just broke ground here in Las Vegas, and I am very excited about visiting their store once it opens!)
Watch this!
I've even been hired to assemble some of their furniture by people who just don't have the mechanical skills to do it on their own. So when I read that Ikea claims their new line of Regissor Furniture can be assembled in five minutes, I was a little skeptical. (BTW, IKEA just broke ground here in Las Vegas, and I am very excited about visiting their store once it opens!)
Watch this!
IKEA = Scandinavian MDF "heavenly" furniture for people who cannot afford the real stuff. Their designs are simple and cool, and it was my go to place when I was a broke student. I still remember when I replaced my "cinder blocks and boards" bookcase with an IKEA piece in the late 1980s.
ReplyDeleteHell, who am I to complain about MDF, when the drawers I am making for my dresser are made of this dreadful material! (At least I still have the decency to make the carcass out of real wood.) :/
Yup, I can't wait to see your face and hear your colorful language when a person that just bought IKEA furniture in Vegas needs you to assemble or repair it. LOL!
Clearly this new location spells "J-O-B-$-E-C-U-R-I-T-Y" - LOL!
ReplyDeletepeople soooo easily forget what IKEA's true mission statement was:
ReplyDeleteAFFORDABLE, stylish furniture for the masses. The way they maintain mass affordability is by flat packing EVERYTHING down to the smallest size and allowing for users to assemble it themslves. Then comes the question of shipping weight, hence the turn to MDF, it's FAR lighter a material. Lastly, their first markets were in Europe, where people use mass transit far more then "westerners" do, and thus carrying flat pack furniture is far easier on a subway/train then a pre-assembled dresser or bed frame.
Is it quality? compared to what woodworkers do... NO, but should you really be jumping on your furniture to test it's strengths? Again no.
I've owned massive amounts of IKEA furniture, and the only times i have problems is due to a large move, where things got banged up good. Our dining room table however is AMAZINGLY sturdy, and for the cost, it just simply can't be beat.
It's like most anything else : buyer beware. You have to be willing to give their stuff a through testing compared to your own needs, but in the end, there's LOT of quality stuff to be found.