Steppenpig Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 On the sobject of shopping, I've been thinking of buying a couple of these for years. I like the look of them, but I suspect they are held together by paper clips, and if I put a pair of socks in the drawer, it would fall through he bottom. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10242635/ Any experiences, or alternative sources of cheap furniture? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossybabe Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I've had similar IKEA furniture in my bedroom since around 11 years ago. It's still going strong, even after being built inexpertly by me. I've moved it around the room quite a bit and no problem. Haven't moved house though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I feel a giant HPC shopping thread coming on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 On the sobject of shopping, I've been thinking of buying a couple of these for years. I like the look of them, but I suspect they are held together by paper clips, and if I put a pair of socks in the drawer, it would fall through he bottom. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10242635/ Any experiences, or alternative sources of cheap furniture? If you are worried about socks falling through, then put each sock in SKUBB box, 6 SKUBB boxes will be sufficient for 3 pairs of socks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steppenpig Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 I've had similar IKEA furniture in my bedroom since around 11 years ago. I suspect the design quality of Ikea is cheapified over time. When I looked at them recently, they seemed much flimsier than I remembered. Are your drawer bottoms simply held in place by long bit of angled metal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Are your drawer bottoms simply held in place by long bit of angled metal? That's a bit personal isn't it? Can we keep this thread about furniture please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossybabe Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I suspect the design quality of Ikea is cheapified over time. When I looked at them recently, they seemed much flimsier than I remembered. Are your drawer bottoms simply held in place by long bit of angled metal? No. They're just hardboard glued into a groove in the sides and back of the drawer. For that reason I'm careful how much I load into my drawers. That's as personal as I'm going to get. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Indeed, I see no sign of any angled metal supporting the bottom. Unless the paddle is hiding something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossybabe Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Indeed, I see no sign of any angled metal supporting the bottom. Unless the paddle is hiding something. You'd be surprised. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepLurker Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 FWIW - I quite like Ikea furniture. Better quality than the competion, with clearer instructions. Not perfect, but there's a lot worse out there. I once got a wardrobe from them - the "El Cheapo" model. Was dead after 7 years, but by then it had already been through the dismantling/reassembly of 3 housemoves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachman Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I got this for the birth of my son 4 years ago. It was used as a changing table, it has been full daily. It still looks like new. Why ? Because I built it properly and used wood glue in all the dowels and grooves. We have the top draw with inserts, but more as an organiser than for weight distribution. Some ikea stuff is simple crap. This, given an extra half hour of care when built, is good value ..... I modified it my changing the handles for letters with my son's name on them... Helpfully his name is six letters..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash4781 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I had the Ikea wardrobe with the plastic panels. That one fell to bits (i think they skimped on the glue). I have the Klippan sofas and they are probably the most uncomfortable sofas I have ever sat on but they were dirt cheap. In retrospect Argos would have been better but at the time most retailers had a 8week lead time. Or worse many went bust in the great recession. I have no idea where to get decent furniture. I do like the look of the Next Home furniture but suspect it's the same old rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Any experiences, or alternative sources of cheap furniture? No experiences with that. But in answer to the second half of your question, Argos have an excellent range of furniture, ranging from ultra-cheap to middling-price. You should at least check out their website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I've had some Ikea stuff that's been rock solid, others that's fallen apart if you try to move it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Secondhand/antique is the way to go - if you can live with a non-contemporary look. But it is often cheap - providing some fool hasn't sloshed emulsion all over it and called it shabby chic. The various variations of oak furniture land are good if you have more cash to spare. Personally, I'd rather save up and get a decent piece of furniture every couple of months than fill a room for the same price. Never actually been to an IKEA, but from renting experiences I'd trust a small chest of drawers to do the job, but they will be too flimsy to fill with clothes if they are decent size. With respect to the OP, if you've been thinking for a couple of years about whether to buy a set of drawers for £100 or not - I'd suggest you are perhaps overthinking it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest_northshore_* Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Most of my furniture is from ikea (desks, bookcases sort of stuff - not a chest of drawers as it goes) and it's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 That one fell to bits (i think they skimped on the glue). Doesn't mean you shouldn't use your own additional glue when assembling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Ikea MALM drawers are very sturdy, we have several sets, which have been going strong for 10 or so years. All stuffed with clothes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozen_out Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Ikea's sort of alright. I find the cheap stuff to be of dubious quality and the decent stuff there not be particularly cheap. Last pieces of furniture I've bought have been handmade. Bought some drawers (stop sniggering) handmade for £300, the guy who makes them is a retired woodwork teacher and the quality is outrageous compared to what you'd find on the high street at the same price. No chance of the bottom falling out of my drawers. Also currently in the process of getting fitted wardrobes with an integrated bed made. That will be made out of MDF to keep the price down. It will be costing me £700 but something similar on the high street from the same material would be over £2k. So my advice - if you have the money to buy decent furniture off the high street street, find a local joiner/carpenter to make it for you instead. You'll be amazed at how much more you'll get for your money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Ikea's sort of alright. I find the cheap stuff to be of dubious quality and the decent stuff there not be particularly cheap. Last pieces of furniture I've bought have been handmade. Bought some drawers (stop sniggering) handmade for £300, the guy who makes them is a retired woodwork teacher and the quality is outrageous compared to what you'd find on the high street at the same price. No chance of the bottom falling out of my drawers. Also currently in the process of getting fitted wardrobes with an integrated bed made. That will be made out of MDF to keep the price down. It will be costing me £700 but something similar on the high street from the same material would be over £2k. So my advice - if you have the money to buy decent furniture off the high street street, find a local joiner/carpenter to make it for you instead. You'll be amazed at how much more you'll get for your money. Does this guy have a website? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozen_out Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Does this guy have a websiute?Yes, search Google for Bob Ellis furniture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 The best furniture has been purchased on-line from auction sites....lots of ikea stuff about, I do agree their older models tended to be more sturdy than the newer stuff, another reason why second-hand often means better quality....some items might need a rubbing down with some sandpaper and a coat of wood protection or paint. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Doesn't mean you shouldn't use your own additional glue when assembling. And more generally, there are often ways of strengthening/ reinforcing furniture. If you particularly like a piece of ikea furniture, but worry that it is not too strong, this might be the way to go. Battens glued to a back or base to stiffen it, longer screws, extra brackets, cross-bracing, more glue, etc. In particular I think of Ikea shelving as a cheap starting point. A saw and drill lets me cheaply tailor-fit shelves for specific items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 could always chop down a tree and saw the shelves to fit.....strong solid wood shelving should last....spalted wood looks rather attractive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steppenpig Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 That reminds me, I need to update my own shopping experiences No. They're just hardboard glued into a groove in the sides and back of the drawer. For that reason I'm careful how much I load into my drawers. That's as personal as I'm going to get. Went back to have a look. the current model actually has grooves, but just in the door front and the back panel. At the sides, it is just held in place under the side panels by the sliding mechanism. The display models all seemd a bit rattly, but maybe they could be assembled with a bit of glue or something. This applies to most of their models including the more expensive ones, although there are a couple of models that used slots on all four sides, including a sturdy new pine model. With respect to the OP, if you've been thinking for a couple of years about whether to buy a set of drawers for £100 or not - I'd suggest you are perhaps overthinking it. I actually just go and sit in the showrooms and pretend it is my home. It is much simpler than going to the trouble of getting the stuff transported. And it seems to stay cleaner than stuff does, when it is in my flat. And coffee is only 50p for an endless refillable cup. No need to own your own kettle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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