IKEA furniture has been around for over half a century now and its popularity just keeps growing.  This furniture is also known as flat pack furniture, ready-to-assemble furniture or knockdown furniture.  It comes packed flat in a box and the purchaser assembles it when it arrives at its destination.  So why do so many people want furniture that you have to assemble yourself?

The main reason people purchase so much IKEA furniture is that it saves them money. This type of furniture costs less for the manufacturer to produce and ship. The retailer saves money because the flat packages take up much less room in the warehouse and she doesn’t have to pay employees to assemble the merchandise. The end result is the consumer receives stylish, functional furniture for a greatly reduced price. Everyone is happy.

Other reasons people love IKEA furniture is because there is a large selection of styles from which to choose. There are pieces designed for use in every room of your home, from the kitchen to the bedroom. The furniture is styled with sleek lines and there are many available options for compact spaces.

Many IKEA pieces are built of sustainable resources as well.  This makes this furniture appealing to environmentally friendly consumers around the world.

The trade off for the significant savings you get when you buy flat pack furniture is the amount of elbow grease you must contribute.  There are times when assembling a large piece of this type furniture can be frustrating, time consuming and difficult.  There are some secrets to successful furniture assembly, though.

One of the most important steps is reading the directions thoroughly before you begin the project.  Take each item from the box and use the directions to help you lay out the parts in the order you will use them.  This helps makes the job flow more smoothly and you can be reassured that all the pieces are there before you start the work. 

Prevent loss of tiny pieces of hardware by sorting them by type into a muffin tin or other divided container.  Set the container somewhere up off the floor where it won’t be kicked over.

If you find a screw that doesn’t want to turn easily, dip its point into a small amount of dishwashing liquid.  This will resolve the problem.
Of course, if you don’t want to spend your weekend assembling furniture, there is another option.  There are professional furniture assemblers.  Look in the phone book or online to find qualified furniture assembling pros that will get the job done quickly and efficiently.  Look for a company offering competitive prices and that guarantees their work.  Many companies will charge in 30-minute increments after the first hour.  Now that is truly the secret to easily assembling your IKEA furniture.