Aneirin
Posts: 6121
Joined: 3/18/2006 From: Tamaris Status: offline
|
Ikea in the UK I believe presents reasonable self assembly flat pack furniture, in fact pretty good really when compared to other purveyors of self assembly furniture and their constantly evolving design suits many markets. The original idea for the flat pack self assembly was to save on shipping costs as rectangular boxes ship cheaper than irregular shaped objects which by their very nature take up more room per unit and in an assembled nature, tend to be ripe for damage in transit. The other reason for the flat pack, was to reduce the cost to the customer, a very good idea when one considers the cost of already assembled furniture. Ikea does very well with designing innovative furniture to make the best use of small living spaces, something which is quite common in scandinavian town houses and new builds, so much of it's innovation is based upon its home market and design wise, well the Scandianvians are pretty forward thinking when it comes to that. Ikea is now inviolved in a new project called BokLok, where they are applying their flat pack design process to make housing units, housing that can be assembled on site and if what I know of Scandinavian houses is incorporated in these units, they will be well designed and thermally efficient at that. But before anyone condems Ikea flat pack furniture, you just have to have experience of Argos and MFI furniture, that is what makes me praise Ikea, as I have been there on that and will never do so again, as that was money spent for something the consistency of a digestive biscuit.
_____________________________
Everything we are is the result of what we have thought, the mind is everything, what we think, we become - Guatama Buddha Conservatism is distrust of people tempered by fear - William Gladstone
|