IKEA furniture - quality or complete rubbish?

Question

I don't shop there much, but when I do, all I see is lots of cheap rubbish that doesn't even look good any more. Of all the items I have bought there, the only ones that have lasted are items that are completely solid like tables. Other objects have cheap nasty plastics that warp and fail quickly. The swedes also don't seem to understand how things fit in UK houses (especially on the electrics side).

Answer 1

The problem is that no one appreciates fine workmanship in furniture. Many think the best indicator of quality is the price: the lower the price the better it is. So Ikea comes along and makes things out of particle board with a thin laminated surface and all held together by a few metal insert connectors at certain points and this passes as a new standard in quality. Get a solid hardwood piece held together with glue, dovetail joints and wood screws and you will see the difference immediately. The Ikea piece might sell for $100, the real hardwood piece maybe $1000. So the demand is for cheap, shoddy items and that is what you get. The side effect of all this is that the Ikea piece might last 5 years, so all the Ikea pieces are temporary usage on their way to a landfill. Quality hardwood pieces might last a couple of hundred years.

You decide. Is cheap really better? Most people seem to think so. If price were no object, nobody in their right mind would touch the Ikea stuff.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

I just came across a site with over 16,000 downloadable woodworking plans at:
http://tinyurl.com/WoodWorkingTedPlans


Here is an honest review


If you want to start a woodworking project, you need all the necessary information, including schematics, blueprints, materials lists, dimensions etc. That is where TedsWoodworking comes in. The plans are clearly drawn and there're step-by-step explainations of how the plan should be done and put together.

There are several other sites whose collection of plans have the dimensions totally wrong without any indication of parts lists, material lists or the tools needed. If you're one of those people who have bought plans like this in the past, TedsWoodworking will change your perception.

In Ted's Woodworking you will get everything you need:
-Diagrams which are detailed with a full set of dimensions
-Step -by-step instructions how to start your project
-The necessary materials for that particular project
-All the woodworking tools you will need

If you are a beginner or have done some woodworking you will find these plans easy-to-follow as the instructions are very clearly written. The woodworking plans are straightforward so they are not complicated at all. Even if you are a total newcomer to woodworking you will simply be able to master all the techniques that are needed and the woodworking skills very quickly by following the concise and clear instructions.

Another thing which is so great about these woodworking plans is that there have been some videos included and there are some to guide you in how to build benches home furniture dog houses bird feeders sheds and much much more.

There is also a lifetime member acess included in the package and you get these extras for no cost to you as they are free with no additional charges at all! This alone is worth the entire price for TedsWoodworking.

Ted Mcgrath is a very dedicated and experienced woodworker who knows what he is talking about when it comes to woodworking and DIY projects s he has been a woodworker for many many years.

Cons
There is only one drawback that we could find and that being with 16,000 woodworking plans you are bound to get some which look a little disorganized but that is understandable as it is very difficult to place all these plans into their proper categories. Secondly, it might take you a little longer to do the downloads on because of the size of them. But the members area include an option to upgrade to the DVD so you can save time on downloading.

Bottom line:
Truth is, I've been a carpenter for almost 36 years, and I haven't found anything like this for less than 10's of thousands of dollars.Here's the bottom line: If you are planning to start on your woodworking project, this isn't something you SHOULD use, it's something that you would be insane not to.


Check the site: http://tinyurl.com/WoodWorkingTedPlans

Answer 5

Three Quarter Beds Ikea

Answer 6

Ikea Office Furniture Uk

Answer 7

I suspect they are rubbish. If I needed some furniture I would rather buy something second hand that is 30 years old or so, rather than go to IKEA, that way the chances are that it is decent quality not cheap chipboard.

Answer 8

I think many people are mislead by the fact that a lot of IKEA furniture is cheaper than what you would normally find, and they tend to associate that with poor quality. In many instances, that is true with other furniture dealers, especially smaller furniture companies. IKEA is quite unique in that it takes that Wal-Mart approach to selling furniture: creating/buying mass quantities thereby making profit by the number of items sold, not necessarily the price. This does NOT constitute that the items are complete crap. Also, IKEA provides the opportunity for designers to actually DESIGN new furniture. In today's society we are trying to put emphasis on being "green" meaning using only as much as we need and trying to recycle as much as we can. IKEA does just that. No, you won't see intricate antique oak cabinets that used up three trees to make to get just the right pieces of wood. You will find that MDF is a recycled wood product and IKEA employs its designers to make use of materials like mdf and recycled plastics to allow for a more sustainable society. I personally think IKEA is a marketing genius and that they are taking modern design in the right direction and I wish they had more stores around. Again, design today is such a fickle thing, one thing looks good today but tomorrow you hate it. Designers design their products in conjunction with other products they have already designed. It is ultimately up to you, the consumer, to make sure that what you buy looks good in your house or room. If your not sure, buy the entire room you see at IKEA so you know it goes together. Again, IKEA rooms that you see fully desinged, marketing genius.

Answer 9

I have a little (plastic) table that you can take the legs on and off from - I've had it about 10 years and it is still going strong after years of abuse!

Also their bookcases (the Billy range) are very sturdy and still looking good some 5 years after purchase - and not a warped shelf in sight! I took the risk of buying a mattress from them also and it still feels lovely, three years later!

Not much high street bought furniture you could say all that about - so I reckon, pick carefully, go for things you really like - as they will be with you for many years to come!

Answer 10

If you think IKEA is cheap rubbish then go to MFI. At least the instructions and parts for IKEA are complete. Any MFI products I have bought have had parts missing and the instructions are extremely hard to follow.