patrick.net

You should not be able to carry a dresser with one arm and a basket of clothes that can go in it in the other.
Then put a TV on top of that, then let your toddler climb all up on it, unsuspervised.

Buy quality furniture or your kids will DIE, buy American and live Goddamn it!

A commenter compared this bland 1941 furniture, very accurately, to IKEA:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/21079?size=_original#caption

Tenpoundbass says

Buy quality furniture or your kids will DIE, buy American and live Goddamn it!

Fear sells furniture too? lol ... You can buy a whole bedroom at Ikea, or you can buy 1 piece of quality American furniture. I have at-least four good central pieces of American made furniture in my house (couch, coffee table, buffet, kitchen table), a big splash of Ikea, and who knows where the rest is actually from.

P N Dr Lo R says

A commenter compared this bland 1941 furniture, very accurately, to IKEA:

If you don't like mid-century modern 50s/60s look, then Ikea won't be your thing. My 1960s ranch house likes it. Looks Mad Men fantastic.

When I used to do Flooring, the people that had real furniture, had peices 20 years or older and still in top shape. Wasn't rickety, didn't wabble, bottoms didn't fall out when you picked it up, the mirror wasn't screwed into desenergrated partical board. It was fassened to a solid chunk of Cherry, Oak or Hickory. And it took two people to move it with out ripping huge chunks out of the door getting it out of the room.

People with the crap that has now become the most common furniture, even most Room to Go and City Furniture is crap now. Barely lasts 5 good years.
Most people realize what a huge chunk of junk Ikea and RTG furniture is, the first time they do Spring cleaning and falls apart in their hands, as they try to slide the dressers out of the way. Because they were too lazy to empty them first.

It's such crap the wife and I decided we didn't even want dresser bureau or a chest of drawers in our BR, because virtually every thing we looked was cheap bull crap.
We hang everything or folded and on a shelf in our huge closet.

Just say NO to particleboard furniture. Anyway, article fails to mention dimensions of furniture being recalled, and I am guessing that it's something that does not have a lot of depth.

If I bring them a pile of sawdust, do you think Ikea will accept it for a recall?

epitaph says

If I bring them a pile of sawdust, do you think Ikea will accept it for a recall?

That and mix match millwork that don't line up.

Rew says

about to be

Simplest solution is to find two wall studs and drive a screw into each, then use a line to secure the furniture. You can use steel wire if you're fancy, or even fishing line can work, depending on how much lateral force you are expecting. If you're child-proofing, use a really strong material. If you're earthquake-proofing, the lateral forces are ironically less than climbing kids can exert, so you have more flexibility. You should definitely secure anything really tall somehow though, if you live in an earthquake zone.

curious2 says

If you're child-proofing, use a really strong material. If you're earthquake-proofing, the lateral forces are ironically less than climbing kids can exert, so you have more flexibility. You should definitely secure anything really tall somehow though, if you live in an earthquake zone.

All true, but you should secure it even if you don't live in an earthquake zone either.

This is what happens when you don'e secure top heavy stuff:
www.youtube.com/embed/WvaDSkdfZlg

Rew says

50s/60s look, then Ikea won't be your thing. My 1960s ranch house likes it. Looks Mad Men fantastic.

I think houses of the 50's and 60's, just like the cars, are the best they ever were. By the 50's and 60's all the modern conveniences had been invented as well as air-conditioning developed to its finest. I'm sure there were some poorly built homes from then. but for the most part they were well built without the cost-cutting of the 70's and later, especially in the realm of aluminum wiring. A 1960 kitchen is 55 years old, yet looks perfectly up to date and servicable today:

By contrast, a 50 year old kitchen in 1960 stilled looked like a relic from the 19th century, which it was:

There was more progress in the first half of the 20th century than in any 50 year period in history.

I prefer the 1925 look myself:

My sister bought us a Stove when we moved in. We didn't ask her to.
But after that we then needed a matching fridge. The new fangled fridges, Although it fit just perfectly into the allotted space provided for it between the Kitchen exit door and the edge of the Cabinet. The problem was when it was slid in, the double door on the exit Door side wouldn't open because the new Frige doors need at least 9 inch clearance on either side of the frige for the doors to open. Because they all can hold a gallon of milk in the door. That's what they say, but that's not really the reason. There's perfectly damned good reason why the Home Depot sells new Fridges that can hold a gallon of milk in the door, next to the Cabinet and Granite samples.

So needless to say when we got the fridge home and saw it wouldn't fit. We then had to replace our cabinets.

It's a damn shame too, because that was framed in Oak and set in place with the lathe and plaster finish work over the edges. I had to saws all out some damn fine cabinets, and put in some first class crap.
Because you can't buy those ugly solid wood cabinets anymore. It's all prefabbed with crappy maligned mil-work.

Rew says

Fear sells furniture too? lol ... You can buy a whole bedroom at Ikea, or you can buy 1 piece of quality American furniture.

Seems that way doesn't it?

I have a friend who's been building his own furniture using blueprints from annawhite.com or something like that. Furniture looks great and should last a lifetime.

I still buy most of mine from Costco, but the thought has crossed my mind.

Tenpoundbass says

We then had to replace our cabinets.

It's a damn shame too, because that was framed in Oak and set in place with the lathe and plaster finish work over the edges. I had to saws all out some damn fine cabinets, and put in some first class crap.

Because you can't buy those ugly solid wood cabinets anymore. It's all prefabbed with crappy maligned mil-work.

"Lathe" and plaster? Do you mean trimwork turned on a lathe, or do you mean lath and plaster? Lath and plaster is used for walls, not trim work, and was replaced by gypsum board in the '40s/'50s and later drywall. What exactly are you trying to say here?

Sorry yes lathwork and plaster.

Philistine says

What exactly are you trying to say here?

Most of TPB's post leave me wondering this very thing. The funniest part of the story, is it's like the "I new an old lady who swallowed a fly" version of remodeling.

joshuatrio says

I have a friend who's been building his own furniture ...

Would need more tools and time for that. For me, at my skill level, probably not as cost effective as a trip to the store and purchase. That's cool though.

When I first moved to California some new friends suggested I look into some low cost furniture at Ikea. I was amazed at the affordable prices, and bought four pieces including a dresser, an end table, a couch, and a coffee table.
What a mistake.
I had tossed out every piece within three years, except the couch which was leather and I managed to sell on Craigslist to a guy for about a quarter the price I paid for it. The wood stuff went into the dumpster after I broke it to pieces in rage about its poor quality. Never IKEA, never again, I swore. The prices were cheap but I might as well have invested in cardboard boxes for my clothes. They would have lasted about as long, and cost less money.
Don't buy IKEA stuff unless you're itching to completely waste money. You may as well burn your cash. It's absolute shit!
Everything else since then has been a quality piece of furniture that I've either saved for and bought new or purchased lightly used off Craigslist. I haven't regretted any of those buys.

Quigley says

I had tossed out every piece within three years ...

I always hear this, and wonder what people are doing to/on their furniture?

I've owned: 3 shelves, a couch, 2 beds, 6 dressers, and various other pieces. All have survived 6+ years, and the couch and one of the shelves was given to a friend and both are still in use. About a third of the pieces survived two moves (disassembly, handling, reassembly). A few pieces are solid wood (night stands, dressers, crib).

I love IKEA stuff. I've even started to hack bits of furniture together a-la ...
http://www.ikeahackers.net

Some Ikea stuff is okay, just make sure that it doesn't get daily use. I have a mirror and a TV console from them that has been able to last a while. I think the biggest problem with Ikea furniture is that it is very easily recognized as Ikea furniture.

Rew says

I always hear this, and wonder what people are doing to/on their furniture?

Or who is assembling it. It's meant to be cheap and not last forever, which is nice for a mobile society that changes fashions frequently. But if put together carefully and used as intended, ive found it to be a good value.

Rew says

Ikea Death Furniture : MALM recalls

Hey, at least they're not made from horse.

zzyzzx says

This is what happens when you don'e secure top heavy stuff:

The cat did that on purpose. Never trust a cat.

Quigley says

When I first moved to California some new friends suggested I look into some low cost furniture at Ikea. I was amazed at the affordable prices, and bought four pieces including a dresser, an end table, a couch, and a coffee table.

What a mistake.

I had tossed out every piece within three years, except the couch which was leather and I managed to sell on Craigslist to a guy for about a quarter the price I paid for it. The wood stuff went into the dumpster after I broke it to pieces in rage about its poor quality. Never IKEA, never again, I swore. The prices were cheap but I might as well have invested in cardboard boxes for my clothes. They would have lasted about as long, and cost less money.

Don't buy IKEA stuff unless you're itching to completely waste money. You may as well burn your cash. It's absolute shit!

All the items I buy from Ikea are unfinished furniture grade pine, which I then stain and put several coats of high gloss polyurethane on. They look great and will easily outlast me.

Rew says

I always hear this, and wonder what people are doing to/on their furniture?

I'm guessing that it's their kids that are ruining the cheap furniture that they bought.

Quigley says

The wood stuff went into the dumpster after I broke it to pieces in rage about its poor quality.

Sounds like me.

Rew says

I've owned: 3 shelves, a couch, 2 beds, 6 dressers, and various other pieces. All have survived 6+ years, and the couch and one of the shelves was given to a friend and both are still in use. About a third of the pieces survived two moves (disassembly, handling, reassembly). A few pieces are solid wood (night stands, dressers, crib).

You probably buy that stuff that people like me look at and say... "$1200 for that!? Shoot I'll buy Broyhill before I'll pay that for IKEA!" Some of there stuff does look more higherendish. But then it just caries to big of a sticker shock.

Solid wood is always the way to go when looking for longevity. We have a Malm dresser because we needed a cheap storage solution and it has worked for us for 3 years. If it falls apart in another couple of years, I don't care. We will be able to buy something better then. We weren't able to purchase quality back then because we were just starting out. But, it is holding up nicely so it could last longer than expected.

I have a tall solid pine bookshelf and two solid pine small end table type shelving units that I finished all by myself back in 1996 during a miserable heat wave in Chicago. At 20 years old and 3 moves (one across the country) they all look as good as the day I finished them. They were reasonably priced as naked furniture. But the sweat equity I put into finishing these pieces more than made up for the reasonable price. I swore never to do that to myself again. But I don't regret the purchases or the way they turned out.

I have a solid oak display case, a long large solid pine dresser with a large mirror, and a big solid pine armoire that I have had since 2001. They moved across country with me and they look almost like new at 15 years old. I bought them finished, new, and paid a good hefty sum for them. I had to repair my armoire left door because I fell into it years ago but it looks great and is stronger than ever.

My point is that you are always better off investing in solid pieces if you plan on keeping your furniture. Ikea furniture is good as disposable furniture that will not generally survive a move.

We do have an Ikea Tildafors couch that is 3 years old that has held up ok but I don't expect it to last beyond 5 years more if it makes it. It was cheap. It's comfortable. And I don't cry when the cat pukes on it. We have put a couch cover on it due to the cat puke. So, I won't be so upset when the thing finally falls apart since it's our cat's favorite target. I saw no sense in buying a solid quality piece with a pukey cat in the house.

So, since I never expect Ikea furniture to last, I am never disappointed when it falls apart.

Ok, an exception is the two solid wood stools we got at Ikea. Since they are solid, they seem to be quite sturdy and may last. They were pricier than most of the dreck that Ikea sells though.