4 ms·

This doesn't seem like a bad thing. Many people treat Ikea furniture as disposable and this seems more environmentally friendly. If people are happy with a card

by leros 4y ago

This doesn't seem like a bad thing. Many people treat Ikea furniture as disposable and this seems more environmentally friendly. If people are happy with a cardboard coffee table, seems like a win.

tivert 4y ago
> This doesn't seem like a bad thing. Many people treat Ikea furniture as disposable and this seems more environmentally friendly. If people are happy with a cardboard coffee table, seems like a win. Disposable furniture is the antithesis of "environmentally friendly." > If people are happy with a cardboard coffee table, seems like a win. I had one once, and I was not happy with it (a Lack). It literally disintegrated after about a year. People often push against a coffee table when sitting on a sofa, and it was not designed for those forces and came apart at the seams.
- netrus 4y ago
  I have several Lacks at my place that are >15 years old. When I ever get sick of them, I will put them on eBay for a free pickup, and within an hour a student will show up and be happy with the free coffee table that they can use in their student apartment for some more years. Dinner tables used to be made from solid wood and were pretty much indestructible. But how many families dine on a >100 year old table? Most indestructible furniture will get discarded as well at some point (well before they are actually broken beyond repair), because its out of style, has the wrong measures, is too heavy ...
  - oblio 4y ago
    More than that, you can probably fix the Lack. Just get some cheap metal brackets and attach them to the underside of the table and the legs. Especially if you have a white Lack, you can paint the bracket and screws white and the table will still look nice. And this would make it, dunno, $40 for the table and $5 for the screws and brackets.
- JAlexoid 4y ago
  What did you do to it?!?!?! Lacks are notoriously sturdy for their "cardboardness". People literally turn their Lacks into server racks, they're that sturdy.
  - tivert 4y ago
    > What did you do to it?!?!?! I put my feet up against it. > Lacks are notoriously sturdy for their "cardboardness". People literally turn their Lacks into server racks, they're that sturdy. I'd believe that, but a server on top of it wouldn't put any lateral forces on it. My experience is it can't stand lateral forces.
benj111 4y ago
ill defend ikea as somewhat environmentally friendly, as they sell the same items for years, so instead of having to buy a new crockery set when too many dining plates are broken, or a whole a new set of shelves because you just need one more, you can add to what you already have. disposible furniture isnt environmentally friendly though. if you want a cheap item of furniture for short term use, get one second hand. Having said this, I got my first Billy bookcase 15 years ago, it's still going strong with the more recent additions. So they don't have to be disposable items.
- Brendinooo 4y ago
  My gripe with IKEA in this regard is: yes, they'll keep the same product lines, but they change up the product finishes enough to matter. I had a PAX unit in Beech Veneer which, once they got rid of, I could no longer extend. Also did my kitchen with them and they got rid of the finish I picked shortly after, which meant that I couldn't replace panels like I thought I might have been able to. Could still get accessories for the inside of this stuff though, which definitely isn't nothing.
  - JAlexoid 4y ago
    > Also did my kitchen with them and they got rid of the finish I picked shortly after, which meant that I couldn't replace panels like I thought I might have been able to. IKEA kitchens are actually one of the best things they sell. Their hardware lasts decades and finishes are very sturdy
- oblio 4y ago
  I think if you take care of Ikea and you're not super unlucky or move very frequently, Ikea furniture for sure can last several decades. And at that point... how much furniture do you really need? Does it really need to follow you to your grave?
sct202 4y ago
I agree especially when people seem to throw away solid wood furniture all the time near me because it's too heavy or cumbersome to move or even the wrong color. There's a shop that refurbishes old wood furniture and it seems like the main thing they do is paint it white, blue, or black.
pcurve 4y ago
I hope they keep the original ones though... e.g. (Billy Classic). Wish I had never sold the Jerker desk from 20 years ago. It was built like a tank.
- dbg31415 4y ago
  I just came here to say this! (=
- watmough 4y ago
  Yeah, hanging onto mine! Awesome desk. They used to crop up on craigslist occasionally for $100-$200. not checked in a while.
- 29083011397778 4y ago
  > I hope they keep the original ones though TFA states that the white Billy was already built the "new" way. It's only the mock-woodgrain one that's changing to catch up.
- pragmatick 4y ago
  They already changed the Billy at some point. My mother has a really old one (80s or 90s, I think) and we bought doors for it and they wouldn't fit. Turns out the "new" Billys are 2cm or so wider. We could install the doors but there would be a 2cm gap in the middle. Tried it with a Billy bought later and it fit.

by leros 4y ago

This doesn't seem like a bad thing. Many people treat Ikea furniture as disposable and this seems more environmentally friendly. If people are happy with a cardboard coffee table, seems like a win.

tivert 4y ago

> This doesn't seem like a bad thing. Many people treat Ikea furniture as disposable and this seems more environmentally friendly. If people are happy with a cardboard coffee table, seems like a win. Disposable furniture is the antithesis of "environmentally friendly." > If people are happy with a cardboard coffee table, seems like a win. I had one once, and I was not happy with it (a Lack). It literally disintegrated after about a year. People often push against a coffee table when sitting on a sofa, and it was not designed for those forces and came apart at the seams.

netrus 4y ago
I have several Lacks at my place that are >15 years old. When I ever get sick of them, I will put them on eBay for a free pickup, and within an hour a student will show up and be happy with the free coffee table that they can use in their student apartment for some more years. Dinner tables used to be made from solid wood and were pretty much indestructible. But how many families dine on a >100 year old table? Most indestructible furniture will get discarded as well at some point (well before they are actually broken beyond repair), because its out of style, has the wrong measures, is too heavy ...
- oblio 4y ago
  More than that, you can probably fix the Lack. Just get some cheap metal brackets and attach them to the underside of the table and the legs. Especially if you have a white Lack, you can paint the bracket and screws white and the table will still look nice. And this would make it, dunno, $40 for the table and $5 for the screws and brackets.
JAlexoid 4y ago
What did you do to it?!?!?! Lacks are notoriously sturdy for their "cardboardness". People literally turn their Lacks into server racks, they're that sturdy.
- tivert 4y ago
  > What did you do to it?!?!?! I put my feet up against it. > Lacks are notoriously sturdy for their "cardboardness". People literally turn their Lacks into server racks, they're that sturdy. I'd believe that, but a server on top of it wouldn't put any lateral forces on it. My experience is it can't stand lateral forces.

benj111 4y ago

ill defend ikea as somewhat environmentally friendly, as they sell the same items for years, so instead of having to buy a new crockery set when too many dining plates are broken, or a whole a new set of shelves because you just need one more, you can add to what you already have. disposible furniture isnt environmentally friendly though. if you want a cheap item of furniture for short term use, get one second hand. Having said this, I got my first Billy bookcase 15 years ago, it's still going strong with the more recent additions. So they don't have to be disposable items.

Brendinooo 4y ago
My gripe with IKEA in this regard is: yes, they'll keep the same product lines, but they change up the product finishes enough to matter. I had a PAX unit in Beech Veneer which, once they got rid of, I could no longer extend. Also did my kitchen with them and they got rid of the finish I picked shortly after, which meant that I couldn't replace panels like I thought I might have been able to. Could still get accessories for the inside of this stuff though, which definitely isn't nothing.
- JAlexoid 4y ago
  > Also did my kitchen with them and they got rid of the finish I picked shortly after, which meant that I couldn't replace panels like I thought I might have been able to. IKEA kitchens are actually one of the best things they sell. Their hardware lasts decades and finishes are very sturdy
oblio 4y ago
I think if you take care of Ikea and you're not super unlucky or move very frequently, Ikea furniture for sure can last several decades. And at that point... how much furniture do you really need? Does it really need to follow you to your grave?

sct202 4y ago

I agree especially when people seem to throw away solid wood furniture all the time near me because it's too heavy or cumbersome to move or even the wrong color. There's a shop that refurbishes old wood furniture and it seems like the main thing they do is paint it white, blue, or black.

pcurve 4y ago

I hope they keep the original ones though... e.g. (Billy Classic). Wish I had never sold the Jerker desk from 20 years ago. It was built like a tank.

dbg31415 4y ago
I just came here to say this! (=
watmough 4y ago
Yeah, hanging onto mine! Awesome desk. They used to crop up on craigslist occasionally for $100-$200. not checked in a while.
29083011397778 4y ago
> I hope they keep the original ones though TFA states that the white Billy was already built the "new" way. It's only the mock-woodgrain one that's changing to catch up.
pragmatick 4y ago
They already changed the Billy at some point. My mother has a really old one (80s or 90s, I think) and we bought doors for it and they wouldn't fit. Turns out the "new" Billys are 2cm or so wider. We could install the doors but there would be a 2cm gap in the middle. Tried it with a Billy bought later and it fit.