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In America at least, the only way to make a significantly better desk than an IKEA one at similar prices is to omit the costs of tools and labor. Even after om
by eropple 6y ago
In America at least, the only way to make a significantly better desk than an IKEA one at similar prices is to omit the costs of tools and labor.
Even after omitting the very significant cost of tooling (my corner clamp jigs for cabinetry cost half what a GALANT table does), getting good material you actually want will easily hit a hundred bucks for a fairly small, plywood-based desk. (Baltic birch isn't cheap! But it's cheaper than solid wood.)
I would rather own that desk, for sure, but it's not cheaper, and IKEA is pretty amazing at what kind of quality they offer at what prices--sure it's all fiberboard or cheap wood, but it's reasonably reliable and it's impressive that it's doable at that scale at all.
- SamBam 6y agoYup. Anyone who starts to make their own furniture suddenly has a new-found appreciation for why furniture costs what it does. That fact that you can easily spend $400-600 on the wood alone for a new dining table is staggering. (And makes you really, really careful while you build it.) (My pandemic working-from-home desk was made of cheap box-store plywood, because I wasn't going to splurge on baltic for something that I hope I won't be using in a year. And it still cost what an IKEA desk would cost (but fits perfectly in my space, which is why I made it.))
- Ygg2 6y agoI never said I was in America. In fact, it's much more likely I live outside of America. Price of labor is way less. And so is cost of materials.