IKEA furniture

[DisneyBeagle]

I didn't want to hijack the thread about IKEA cabinets. How does the furniture from IKEA hold up? Do any of the pieces come already assembled?

 

[Hedy]

You have to assemble them, and the instructions aren't terribly clear.

 

[FergieTCat]

I have some small pieces (Bookcases, cabinets) that have held up well.

I didn't think the instructions were too confusing.

 

[Adi12982]

We got our TV wall unit from them - actually four thin shelves, two with glass and wooden doors and the piece that goes between the shelves above the TV. . . guess it is hard to imagine, but they had it set up that way in the store and we loved it. My husband built it all in an afternoon and it still looks beautiful (had it for two years). It is very sturdy and good.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I didn't want to hijack the thread about IKEA cabinets. How does the furniture from IKEA hold up? Do any of the pieces come already assembled?

My cousin's SO owns a used furniture store and he will not take any IKEA furniture. According to him the stuff looks nice but does not last. IMO it is cheaply made. Real wood and glue makes better furniture.

 

[disneysteve]

We have a number of items from Ikea, some going back 15 years or more. They are inexpensive, very easy to assemble, look good and hold up well. We have a sectional wall unit in our sitting room, several bookcases, a dining room type wall unit with shelves, glass doors, solid doors and drawers in our living room, my daughter's loft bed, a leather chair and probably a few other pieces I'm forgetting.

I think for the price, they are tough to beat.

mickeyfan2 - Some of the cheaper items are laminate over particleboard but a lot of their furniture is solid wood, like DD's loft bed and our wall unit.

 

[mickeyfan2]

mickeyfan2 - Some of the cheaper items are laminate over particleboard but a lot of their furniture is solid wood, like DD's loft bed and our wall unit.

I guess I compare it to the Amish built furniture in our home and it just does not compare. Even the price is too much compared to the Amish furniture we buy. Our furniture will last for generations.

 

[robinb]

I guess I compare it to the Amish built furniture in our home and it just does not compare. Even the price is too much compared to the Amish furniture we buy. Our furniture will last for generations.

Well, I really don't think it's fair to compare the two. I'm sure your Amish furniture is beautiful and will last forever. Our bedroom set is handmade in Cherry and Walnut to our specific design by a Newport's Wooden Furnishings located only a few blocks away from us. The cost of our bed was comparable to that of the middle to high end furniture stores in the area.

Ikea is a different animal. It's inexpensive without being cheap. We have a TV stand, a large executive-style desk for my DH and a small desk for me. I have had the desk for 3 years and some of the laminate is wearing, especially under my optical mouse. That's not a problem since I don't have any expectations of "handing down" the desk to my DD! I wouldn't hesitate to buy another item from Ikea ... or Newport Furnishings .

 

[mickeyfan2]

Well, I really don't think it's fair to compare the two. I'm sure your Amish furniture is beautiful and will last forever. Our bedroom set is handmade in Cherry and Walnut to our specific design by a Newport's Wooden Furnishings located only a few blocks away from us. The cost of our bed was comparable to that of the middle to high end furniture stores in the area.

Ikea is a different animal. It's inexpensive without being cheap. We have a TV stand, a large executive-style desk for my DH and a small desk for me. I have had the desk for 3 years and some of the laminate is wearing, especially under my optical mouse. That's not a problem since I don't have any expectations of "handing down" the desk to my DD! I wouldn't hesitate to buy another item from Ikea ... or Newport Furnishings .

But our Amish made furniture is in the same price range as the IKEA furniture.
We had a photo of a magazine end table that we wanted made. The photo price was $90 each and he made ours out of oak for less than $90 each.

 

[disneysteve]

Ikea is a different animal. It's inexpensive without being cheap. We have a TV stand, a large executive-style desk for my DH and a small desk for me. I have had the desk for 3 years and some of the laminate is wearing, especially under my optical mouse.

As I said, we have a solid wood Ikea loft bed that we got DD in 2001. She's 11 now, so it has seen 6 years of use from a typically active child. It looks brand new. Not a scratch or mark on it anywhere. And it is just as solid and stable as the day I assembled it.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

Thanks for your replies. I've wondered about the quality of their products. They have a couple of items (nightstand and bookcase) that I liked. They don't really fit the style of my house, but for they price I can make do. I was a little concerned that some of the items seem like they are not made very well. A lot of the items remind me of college furniture... you know the kind of inexpensive furniture you buy when you first move out.

 

[Todd&Copper]

There is a WIDE variety of quality regarding IKEA furniture. I have found that the dining room and living room sets are largely crap, but the bookshelves and entertainment center type things can be very well made. We have bookshelves we bought in 2002, and we have moved twice, and they still look great. They are heavy and were a good price.

mickeyfan2 - I don't have a place around me to get such good, cheap Amish furniture, and I bet lots of other people don't either. Consider yourself lucky.

 

[robinb]

But our Amish made furniture is in the same price range as the IKEA furniture.
We had a photo of a magazine end table that we wanted made. The photo price was $90 each and he made ours out of oak for less than $90 each.

You are very lucky to have craftsmen like that in your area . Most of us don't.

 

[punkin]

But our Amish made furniture is in the same price range as the IKEA furniture.
We had a photo of a magazine end table that we wanted made. The photo price was $90 each and he made ours out of oak for less than $90 each.

Where do you live and who did this?

 

[mickeyfan2]

Where do you live and who did this?

I live in Lancaster Country, PA and there are Amish craftsmen all over the place. I know you are in the DC area. I would recommend a ride to see their workmanship. They also warranty the stuff for life. We have a wood side rail on a bed crack (nephew dove on the bed). I went to buy another one and they said it was designed for abuse and gave us a new wood side rail. The Amish do most of their furniture in cherry, oak and walnut.

Amish women are great woodworkers.

 

[Stucas]

DFi and I LOVE Ikea! The majority of our furniture came from there. I actually prefer going to Ikea rather than other furniture stores. My coffee table, entertainment center, bookcase, night stands, my old couch (which we only got rid of because it didn't fit in our new apt. ) and many other items have all come from there. Everything has held up great. My bunk bed when I was little came from there. It held up fantastic and this is back when everytthing was total junk.

On a cool note recently on a trip to an "antique" store I was looking to get a buffett like item for my living room. I finally found a piece allll the way in theback of the store that looked like it would match out living room pretty goood with only a few changes. After giving it new legs and knobs (only because the others were ugly) I was cleaning it and I noticed on one of the door hinges it was from Ikea. I looked it up and it was from the 80's. It is in great condition. I still think its too funny that I managed to pick out the only piece of Ikea furniture in that entire store.

edit: I decided to add a pic becaue I love it so much, so does my baby Stewie

-Lauren

 

[Navywife508]

We have a few things from Ikea and you just have to watch what you buy there. We bought table and 4 chairs and well the leg on the table broke within two weeks. Just wiggle the show case things around to make sure they are sturdy. Other than that one problem, we love Ikea. Well I have an Ikea problem.