Ikea-Meccano

I am a sucker for Ikea build-it-yourself furniture. My favorite toy as a child was a Meccano set and Ikea is Meccano for adults. I doubt I would be so tempted by Ikea furniture if I didn't have to screw it together and, like Meccano, know that the bits fit together faultlessly.

After building kitchen cupboards a couple of years ago there has been a hiatus but last week I gave away the small bar table to a student who needs to stand at her computer instead of sitting all day.  As a replacement I bought an island bench.

Ikea staff had to help me load the three heavy boxes into the car and I drove home carefully, aware that they could become lethal missiles in an accident.  By the time I had them in the kitchen at home I was too tired to think, but still I couldn't resist opening the boxes and reading the assembly instructions before I went to bed.

Kitchen 2016

The island bench is easy to construct but you end with it upside down. It was far to heavy for me to turn over, even with ingenuity, but my friendly neighbour and her son came to my rescue. Once it was the right way up we stood admiring it and asking ourselves why the kitchen looks much bigger with this big bench than it did with the small bar table. It has made a remarkable difference.

Kitchen 2013

My Ikea kitchen drama

In the first week of April I bought an Ikea kitchen and prepaid installation. A first installer came in May and a second in early June. Last week Ikea rang and said (three months later and without the hint of an apology!) that the installer was too expensive and anyway they would not install as one of the walls has asbestos in it. I had heard that Ikea had had a lot of problems with installation after their kitchen sale (they no longer offer full installation) so I think the wall is a convenient excuse. The local kitchen company tells me every kitchen in this area has fibro walls and you just have to be careful not to disturb it.

40cm kitchen base cabinet

So boo to Ikea. They don't hold to their contracts if it becomes inconvenient and I am less than impressed. My local kitchen company is going to do the job and removal is scheduled for tomorrow. Meanwhile ... I spent the weekend assembling Ikea  cupboards  and discovering how that soft-close drawer mechanism works. Pretty cool that!

Addendum: turns out I was right about my fibro wall being an excuse for Ikea. The Department of Fair Trading says that the firm subcontracting to Ikea didn't have a license to install kitchens (I had wondered why they seemed so amateurish) and have been told not to offer installation services. I had asked the Department of Fair Trading whether I was owed any compensation for the  extra costs involved for my installation. The answer was no, and I am fine with that... just happy to have a new kitchen.

Kitchen revamp 2

The frog hangs from the fridge door and laughs. The fridge was moved a couple of weeks ago in preparation for the installation of a new IKEA kitchen, but the local installer went out of Ikea business the day before he was scheduled to remove the old kitchen. The new installer has not yet made a date to begin the job. So my kitchen remains empty and the many IKEA boxes continue to clog up my studio. The frog keeps laughing.

Kitchen migration

My big oak table is very stable so it's an excellent work bench ... mainly used for framing pictures. I had to remove all the picture framing equipment last week though as the contents of the kitchen cupboards needed a home.

Kitchen cupboard contents

Fantastical fabrics

If you are selling furniture in a giant featureless warehouse, why not decorate it with fantastical fabrics to give it character? This is the IKEA pick-up area in Tempe where I waited for some time for my cash'n'carry kitchen.

Fabric hangings at IKEA

Kitchen revamp

My 50 year old kitchen is overdue for a revamp. There is nothing much worth saving - benchtops (45cm!) are falling apart, cupboards don't shut, stove is so old it is probably dangerous to use -  so the whole lot will have to be replaced.

Old kitchen.

It has taken me ages to bite the bullet but now IKEA has a kitchen sale with 20% discounts if you buy three appliances, so I have finally ordered a new kitchen.  I used the excellent online application that shows you what wont fit and what will but still had to visit the store twice to check things out.

The kitchen was delivered yesterday. Now it will sit in my studio for a month as they can't install until May. But I don't mind. I am looking forward to using a stove that works and having a range hood finally. That will be pure luxury.

New kitchen