<p>Line drawings, yep, that’s it. They’re quite international so everything needs to be wordless. They could definitely hire some better graphic designers!</p>
<p>Also, all you get are these weird bolt-like thingys and allen wrenches to attempt to fit them together. That, and little wooden pegs. Patience…</p>
<p>My husband is an engineer too. It took him more than four hours to put an Ikea TV stand together. It had shelves and drawers/runners that had to be assembled. As everyone else has said, it’s not high quality furniture but it gets the job done and we like it . I did check to make sure that what we bought said “solid wood”. We also bought a wrought iron glass top patio table w/flour chairs. It was much easier to assemble and we have enjoyed using it on our screen porch for two years.</p>
<p>There are no written instructions. All instructions are pictures/diagrams</p>
<p>I have owned quite a bit of IKEA furniture over the past 22 or so years. Love the bookshelves, wardrobes, linens, lamps, etc… also really like some of the chairs… I think the den chairs we have are called “poang” … comfy, but not plush. We have also done some kitchen counter and drawers from IKEA, as well as storage shelves.</p>
<p>I think different people have different thresholds and expectations… I live in a home that is a combination of IKEA, family heirloom pieces, “shabby chic” antique store purchases, etc… I am happy with IKEA, but others would not be.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure ALL of the furniture in my first NYC apartment was IKEA… I still have some of it… eight moves and eighteen years later.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>Start simple. Pretty much anyone can assemble a Lack side table, and it costs less than the pizza you will consume while assembling it. </p>
<p>The VIKA system tables are almost as cheap and almost as easy, but you have to go find your Philips screwdriver.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t buy a couch or bed at IKEA, though. You can get better prices at regular furniture stores.</p>
<p>Several years ago the “Amazing Race” had a segment where the contestants had to put together a desk from IKEA (in the aisle of the store). It was one of the funniest things I’ve seen. I was surprised that the next stop wasn’t divorce court. They had to put together the desk not only fast but couldn’t have any parts left over when done which was the real challenge.</p>
<p>They built an ikea practically next door to my childhood home while I was in high school. I think their products make great starter furniture, imo. Most of it is very, very cheap and comfortable and in my experience it seems to last long enough for my “starter” purposes. I’ve owned my pieces for about five years now and they aren’t showing any major signs of wear and tear. Now that we’re buying a house we’re planning on shopping elsewhere, but my Ikea furniture saw me through to this point with flying colors. We’re probably going to keep using our bedroom set until it does wear down… I was worried it wouldn’t last that long, given that a lot of Ikea’s wooden furniture seems to be made of pine, but so far these pieces are showing no sign of wear. I assumed I would scratch the hell out of the dresser at least, but not yet.</p>
<p>In terms of assembly, I had no issues assembling my couches, shelves, night stands, and dressers. It’s generally really quite easy to assemble their furniture, and often the tools you need are included in the package. Our bed frame was a problem-- I think some of the holes for the pegs were drilled wrong, or something. But my boyfriend figured it out in the end. I did have a problem once with one of my dressers, the front panel on one of the drawers was gouged, and my ikea replaced it for me even though I’d lost my receipt. I heard I was lucky.</p>
<p>Food for thought: In my case, with the ikea being so close, it is MUCH cheaper to go to the store, pick out my items, and then arrange for delivery in-store. Buying online will always cost me $100 some dollars for shipping, buying in store is only $50. YMMV.</p>
<p>My husband and I would never help each other assemble something, but my daughter and I can work together. She probably defers to me a bit. Hmmmmm.</p>
<p>No divorce here yet. My husband usually does all the assembling. I only help to lift heavy things. I don’t think the assembling is all that hard, my humanities kid assembled for her engineering friends and she did all for her apartment. She bought a powertool, an electric screwdriver from Ikea for $9.99.</p>
<p>Many have noted it is great place for “starter” pieces, but what happens to all that stuff in 5 years? Some items are well made. Some are definitely not built to last, or be taken apart and moved, once assembled. I do like the non-furniture items, and have a chenille rug I absolutely love. It is great looking, but also washable and color-fast. They don’t sell them anymore ;-(</p>
<p>Depending on the item, I would prefer to buy used or consignment quality pieces for similar prices. It keeps things from the landfill, and often better made. I have a fried that nearly furnished her entire house with pieces others discarded. She is incredibly creative with paint, stain, stencils, etc. The advantage of short-lived items is that you can change your look as your taste or styles change. But I think we need to start thinking of where all that stuff goes long-term. (we still occasionally shop there however!)</p>
<p>I am not an Ikea fan…guess I’m in the minority. I think some of their furniture is OK…things like side tables, or coffee tables. Anything that is going to get a LOT of use (dressers, couches, mattresses, upholstered chairs)…are not particularly good quality…in my opinion. If you buy sheets or duvet covers there, check the sizes carefully as some are not standard American sizes. </p>
<p>We had very good success buying furniture to be assembled at Target. No it’s not solid wood, but this was a starter apartment. Then the kid found some GREAT buys on Craigslist to add to the basics.</p>
<p>I DO love the chicken salad sandwich at Ikea, and those swedish meatballs are great. Their dishes, towels etc are reasonably priced and I would get those there.</p>
<p>I love Ikea. It is a 2.5-hour destination from where we live. My kids had dressers from there in our old house. They didn’t fit (physically) in our current home, so I sold them on Craigslist). But they were solid and better-built than a lot of cheap furniture. Assembly is NOT that big a deal on most of their stuff–if I can do it, anyone can.</p>
<p>I also had a “custom” Ikea kitchen put in last year. They guy that did the installation really knows their stuff and how to make it work in awkward spaces. I LOVE IT. The cabinets and fittings are super-high quality, way better than the furniture. Everything has a 25-year warranty and it is really intelligently designed to make the best use of limited space.</p>
<p>I agree that assembly isn’t a big deal if you have all the parts. My daughter put her workstation together by herself. She did have help with the bed though.</p>
<p>D’s dresser has lasted beautifully, despite her abuse.</p>
<p>Imo, you buy Ikea becase it serves some purpose. No, it’s not haute style. I have nothing against better quality, antiques, or even 2nd hand. But, personally, I’m not keen on the mish-mash of pieces we’ve inherited, no matter their “value.” Much of that was designed for the needs and lifestyles 100 or more years ago, not today. It made sense to get D2 an inexpensive, servicable dresser, with the sort of storage she needed, at Ikea. It didn’t make sense to invest more money into a “great” piece- not considering the abuse, not considering she may not want to take it with her, later. Someday, the Ikea piece can go to the Salvation Army or some place that serves needy families.</p>
<p>
[quote]
We had very good success buying furniture to be assembled at Target.[/quote</p>
<p>Yes. Somehow I wonder how K-mart and Walmart stay in business, given that Target serves the same purposes so much more effectively.</p>
<p>The difficulty of assembly depends on the specific piece, but if you have people who don’t usually use screwdrivers or wrenches, it might be a bit challenging. In some cases, more than a bit challenging.</p>
<p>My TV sits on an IKEA stand with two drawers, and the price was right. But it takes a long while to assemble even simple pieces.</p>
<p>What I like about IKEA, is if you can get to a store, they have “rooms” fully set up, that show you how their space saving furnishings can best be put to use, AND on the wall of said room will be a total cost for this look. It has inspired many ideas that my D has incorporated into her (very tiny) place. </p>
<p>Their stuff is inexpensive (by comparison) but is not to be considered for the long haul. It is PERFECT for a first (or second) apartment & for those without young children (except the kids furnishings, which, because they are not for the long haul, work out great & are charming for little kids). My friend got one of their couches which she loved, however a neighbor came over and plopped down on it and it cracked the frame in two. So not for those who like to flop down either. </p>
<p>Excellent for outfitting a kitchen.</p>
<p>Am I the only one who finds IKEA overwhelming? We have none in our state, but we’ve shopped in the Twin Cities store twice when visiting our kids. The first time we were looking for a desk chair for our son and I wanted to shop at IKEA, having heard so much about it. The store was crowded and we had no idea what to do. An employee explained the procedure to us and showed us a back door, quick exit way to the “warehouse” area. I was experiencing serious sensory overload and we felt like a couple of rubes. We went again on our last visit, looking for counter stools. After deciding on the style of chair we wanted we moved on to the first floor marketplace, but again I just started to feel overwhelmed by SO MUCH STUFF. I’ll go back,though. I figure that my IKEA tolerance will increase with each visit.</p>
<p>The New York Times ran an article some time ago about IKEA hackers. Here is the blog mentioned in the article: [IKEA</a> Hackers](<a href=“http://www.ikeahackers.net/]IKEA”>http://www.ikeahackers.net/)</p>
<p>I have sensory overload issues every time I walk into ikea… any time we go we make a day of it and come home and go straight to bed, it is exhausting. You do get used to it, though, and I can shop there effectively. I don’t know how people who don’t live there manage it, I am only used to it because I have been there ten or twelve times in the last year, but people seem to get the hang of it. I think once you’ve been there a few times it gets easier to tune out some of the “stuff” you don’t need to see!</p>
<p>For those of us that don’t need to travel TOO terribly far, it makes a HUGE difference to go on a weekday. I want to shoot myself any time I try to go on a Saturday or Sunday. Weekdays are (relatively) quiet at our location.</p>
<p>My first experience was in Germany, where you head for whatever dept. In the US, yes, there’s that “yellow brick road” thing where you have to wend through all depts to get where you want to be.</p>
<p>I don’t get the IKEA love. The few times I’ve been there, I didn’t find it fun, I find it overwhelming and unattractive, and the one piece that we got from there (a computer desk for my daughter) didn’t wear well at all. I wouldn’t go back there again, and I wouldn’t waste the money on it. There’s a reason it’s disposable furniture, and I’d rather spend a little more and get something that would hold up. Plus, the aesthetics aren’t really all that great IMO.</p>