IKEA furniture has definitely revolutionized home design with its huge variety of aesthetic furniture for quite affordable prices. One of the reasons for this affordability is the self-assembly aspect of their products.
No one, least of all the furniture manufacturers, expects you to just know how to assemble a bed frame or dining room table, so they provide instructions that should make it a little easier for you. However, we all know that sometimes the instructions might seem like gibberish. There are ways to make it easier for you, however. Keep reading for some useful tips to make your IKEA journey an enjoyable one.
IKEA furniture comes with instructions. The instructions can also be found in pdf format on IKEA’s website. The instructions are in pictograph format to negate having to translate them and also to cater to individuals who struggle to read. Users often make videos of self-assembly that can be found on YouTube.
Furniture Comes With Instruction Booklet
In 99.9% of cases, your newly bought piece of furniture will come with an instruction booklet on how to assemble your chosen piece. This booklet tends to have a page or two dedicated to the various parts that came in your flat-pack, including the tools provided and any power tools required, so that you know how to identify them in the step-by-step instructions provided.
The 0.1% of cases where instructions are not provided will be the result of an error.
Backup Plan: Look Online
If there was a rare error and your package did not come with instructions, or if they’ve been damaged or lost there is always the internet.
If this is the case, you need not fret as you can easily access the correct instructions via the IKEA website.
- Go to the site.
- Search for the item you purchased and select it.
- Scroll down the page until you see “Product Information”.
- Click on it and another drop-down menu will appear.
- Scroll until you find “Assembly and Documents”.
- Once you click on it, the list expands.
- Click the name of your product once more.
It will open to a new page that can be downloaded and saved as a PDF for future reference, or if you need to easily print it out to have it right in front of you during assembly.
Instructions Are in Pictographs
The instructions you receive might not be what you expect. A lot of the time, instead of written words explaining each stage of the process, the instructions are given in the form of pictographs. Each step is illustrated, showing how to combine each piece where and when.
| Pros of Pictographs as Instructions | Cons of Pictographs as Instructions |
| Pictograph instructions can be quite handy as they are not language-dependent. That means that it does not matter what language you speak, the instructions should be clear enough to understand. This saves IKEA having to translate the instructions into multiple languages for each product. | Sometimes the pictures can be quite vague or confusing, and you are left a bit in the dark as to what to do. |
| This method of instruction can also be quite appropriate for individuals who cannot read or who struggle to do so. | Pictographs are not for everyone. People who are not so visually inclined might find it quite difficult to follow the instructions and probably would prefer to have some written instructions to accompany the images. |
| It is easy to become overwhelmed by the various pictures as your eyes might dart to another step and you could start to panic if you think that the task looks relatively difficult. |
Tips for Working With IKEA Instructions
If your furniture comes with instructions, you might be overwhelmed when looking at them. Fear not, as here are some useful tips to working with IKEA instructions that will make the entire process a lot easier:
- It will be in your best interest to set up an area in which you can finish the entire project. You need a lot of space in order to see everything in front of you at the same time so that the pictures and instructions make sense.
- Laying out the pieces in order of their use in the step-by-step instructions will help you remain on track and avoid confusion.
- Count all your pieces to make sure nothing is missing before you begin with assembly. Make sure that the required amount of pieces are available for each stage of assembly. If there are any extra pieces, place them somewhere safe but out of sight so that you don’t get confused. If there are missing pieces, you will need to order them through IKEA.
- Read through every single instruction BEFORE you begin with assembly. It will help you to see how the product should look at each stage and right at the end in order to get the bigger picture.
- Sometimes IKEA furniture comes with all the tools you might need for assembly, but in most cases you may need to provide your own hammer, drill, or screwdriver. In these cases, getting all the additional tools you need and laying them with the components will definitely help you stay organized and prevent any running back and forth.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Yes, too many people might overwhelm the situation and cause a lot of extra sweat and tears to appear, but sometimes having one or two experienced people to help you can definitely help you to understand the sometimes confusing instructions.
- Making use of online research, such as YouTube videos, can definitely help if you are stuck on a certain step and cannot seem to progress.
Search for Assembly Video Online
It is common for the instructions to be a bit unclear, or just so in-depth that they may start to confuse you.
In such a case, YouTube will definitely become your best friend. IKEA itself is yet to make instructional videos available, but that does not mean they do not exist.
Simply search for your desired product, for example, “IKEA MILLBERGET Swivel Desk chair assembly” and you are likely to find that someone else has built the item and filmed a helpful video. These videos are usually around 10 minutes long, yet they still tend to be quite informative.
Usually, the video will start with the person showing you how the final product should look, and then will dive into how they assembled it by showing you a step-by-step process, albeit slightly sped up.
It will be quite beneficial to watch these videos before you begin assembling so that you do not have to press pause every few minutes while you construct your furniture.
Opt for IKEA’s Assembly Service
There is really no shame in admitting you need help. If reading instructions is just one of those tedious tasks that you simply do not enjoy doing, or you just really struggle to make sense of the pictograph, then you do have the option of utilizing IKEA’s assembly service.
When you order your furniture, you will be given the option of hiring a Tasker to assemble your furniture for you. You will need to select a date and time that suits you and is available, and then the professional will come to your home and construct it for you.
You may be amazed to see just how good these people are, as something that could take you close to 2 hours to assemble, will take them less than half an hour.
You will simply need to pay a fee for their services, but sometimes it’s a necessary price to pay in order to save your sanity.
Sources
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/customer-service/product-support/assembly-guides/
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/customer-service/services/assembly/