[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

I just want to urge people to consider products made from hard wood. These last generations.

This is the approach we took when my wife and I went shopping for our home furnishing. We were lucky to have access to hard wood and a carpenter at a small town called Puttur, Karnataka. We got our first dining table, 3 piece sofa set, side tables and a double independent high cots made from this place. It was a design first approach with the ability to dismantle everything for ease of transportation, as hard wood is heavy and the size of the furniture meant it would not go through most doors. Longevity is a given with hardwood. We had this furniture for about 5 years and its now in use at my in-laws place as we moved out of India. With a little care, they should last forever.

The appeal with IKEA is design and ease of setting them up. The current generation cares less about longevity. Replacing furniture is like replacing your smartphone these days and IKEA have tapped onto that trend. Heck, if it breaks, I'll go buy another one cause its cheap. That's the easy way out. Dump want you don't want at The Salvation Army.

[binoybnair]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

+1 and +1 again. We need to support the local carpenter, the local kirana shop, the local eatery, the local book shop and such others each of which is being utterly demolished by the likes of Amazon, IKEA, Zomato etc. Mind you the business model of at least Amazon and Zomato/Swiggy like Uber/Ola is painfully exploitative of the small self-employed vendor, driver, delivery man.

Unfortunately, the local businesses are not helping their cause by insisting on cash payments, their marked reluctance to give receipts, and questionable work ethics. I base this statement on an incident in my life that changed my outlook completely: I used to buy furniture only from my local furniture dealer. A few years back I had to get my kitchen upgraded to a modular kitchen, the established players (Home Center, Sleek etc.) quoted a much higher amount than this guy (he claimed he could do modular kitchens too) and obviously, I handed the contract to him since he was 'local' and 'known' to me. As it turned out, he outsourced it to a friend of his and this 'friend' and his team of apprentices used my kitchen as an on-the-job training opportunity. The work was pretty badly executed but I couldn't say much because this guy was a friend of the dealer whom I knew well. Also, they insisted on full cash payment. That was it. I made myself clear to those guys that I don't appreciate being a part of this black money generation racket. I never bought any furniture from that dealer again. Now I buy furniture only online (Urban Ladder, Pepperfry, Flipkart, Amazon) or through reputed stores such as Home Center, @Home etc (no Ikea in my state) where I am at least assured of a proper receipt and if unsatisfactory products are delivered, I can at least ask for a replacement.

[condor]

Ikea is more use-and-throw, but looking good stuff. Esp the furniture. They too get the stuff manufactured where ever it is cheap, and then sell it out. Have used their stuff when in US. I may still get some stuff from them, but not furniture that should be lasting.

Originally Posted by binoybnair

, I handed the contract to him since he was 'local' and 'known' to me. As it turned out, he outsourced it to a friend of his and this 'friend' and his team of apprentices used my kitchen as an on-the-job training opportunity.

That has enough red flags to have called it off. Many of us have got work done locally, and the stuff is strong. Some items are such that, we cant even push them around.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

The current generation cares less about longevity.

Yep! While I'm certainly too old to be anywhere near being dubbed "current generation", I understand this completely. While there is something definitely classy about hardwood furniture and it certainly lasts generations, it's a pain to move around. If you have enough space, a family home where your kids and their children are going to grow up, then makes sense to go the hardwood route. Otherwise, as someone who has had to get inherited furniture packed and moved across two houses, let me tell you it's a royal pain! I was looking enviously at my friends who could just disassemble and move! I get the appeal of creating/getting something beautiful created, but spending weeks getting it done with a carpenter is just not my idea of fun.

[achats]

I am a big fan of IKEA and have used their products extensively while in the USA and use them now in India, with the IKEA store not too far from my place in Navi Mumbai. I love going to the store and just browsing around the mindboggling variety of stuff on offer. I like the finish of their furniture, simplicity of design, packaging and love spending time assembling it. I agree that they are not hardwood and cant be passed down generations, but the quality is very good and lasts long, if used well.

[coolvenk]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

I just want to urge people to consider products made from hard wood. These last generations. They can be refinished, repurposed, renewed, & they last forever.

What about solid softwood e.g pinewood, which is not particle board?

[drive on]

All Ikea furniture is not made of MDF, particle board, saw dust or such material. In fact they have beds and other furniture in solid wood and metal as well. Especially the metal furniture has good level of detailing and finishing. The choice of material directly impacts the price point which I think Ikea is good at. The wide price range offers something for everyone. I too love the solid wood furniture but I think different target group and usage demands for different material and design options.

[mmxylorider]

I am an Ikea fan and have been fortunate to have a store in all the places I have lived. That has been a big advantage whenever we moved. Assembly is time-consuming but not complicated and having a cordless driver is a must. That said, while one can disassemble and move, the reassembly will never be as 'tight' as the first time - especially for the beds and the dressers. The price point for an entire bedroom set is quite lower than the other national brands and the money saved can be put to good use elsewhere. I feel the private furniture (for bedrooms) a good value. IMO, they lack severely in the variety for living rooms and customizations required. We chose LivingSpaces for those items.

[fhdowntheline]

As pointed out earlier, the case for local hardwood furniture is a bit difficult for smaller items like bookshelves, small cupboards, shoe racks etc. I am looking out for a new shoe rack and I am getting all sorts of inflated quotes for handmade furniture. The same one in machined/ softwood costs about 40% less, not to mention GST issues. For larger items , I agree, our handmade wardrobes, beds etc have been rock solid.

[vagabond128]

I am all for supporting local carpenters/businesses. Problem is of reliability/ trustworthiness.

Can someone refer reliable carpenters or local furniture shops in Bangalore who work with genuine hardwood?

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by vagabond128

I am all for supporting local carpenters/businesses. Problem is of reliability/ trustworthiness.

Can someone refer reliable carpenters or local furniture shops in Bangalore who work with genuine hardwood?

Ahaa furniture's offer hard wood made products.
https://www.ahaa.store/

They are on the pricier side. Little or no room for negotiation. But the quality is very good. We have 2 sets of sofa's made from them with a gap of 8 years in between the sets and we are very happy. Price varies according to the wood used. They do offer customizations.

[Jeroen]

I am all in favour supporting local shops and will do so wherever I can.
When we arrived in Delhi in 2012 obviously there was no Ikea, but there were lots of local shops making furniture.

I will spare you how much time and effort it took to find someone who seemed reliable and knew what he was doing. We asked a lot around, visited various places etc. When the furniture arrived, finally, my wife started to cry, it was that poorly finished. Beautiful materials, but extremely poorly put together.

I am sure you can find a good carpenter/furniture builder. If you have the time and maybe the right contacts.

I am not going to defend Ikea, they are a big company and can do so for themselves. However, I do some things mentioned here that don’t make sense.

Ikea was present in India for more than two decades before they opened their first shop. I know, as the lady who rented our apartment in Delhi before us, was a purchasing officer and worked for India all that time.

Ikea is not a perfect company, but there is a lot of independent research, showing they do pretty good on what is called CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)

IKEA Supporting Local Communities

IKEA Group operates 422 stores in 50 markets around the world.[1] The home improvement and furnishing chain aims to cause positive impact on local communities, where its stores are located.
Packing event organized by all IKEA stores in Sweden involved customers and representatives from Save the Children to prepare more than 37,000 welcome backpacks filled with toys and other products for children
In UK, IKEA has planted one million trees in communities across the country
In Australia, IKEA Perth and IKEA Adelaide employees contribute to the improvement of the environment in which children live and develop.
IKEA Educating and Empowering Workers

Starting from January 2015, IKEA has introduced a new hourly wage structure that concentrates on the needs of its employees, rather than market standards.
The furniture retailer has launched My Learning online system that provides employees at all levels access to face-t-face and digital learning solutions.
The company organized a global Talent Focus Week in April 2016 to provide employees worldwide with an oppor*tunity to have a dialogue around the many ways to grow and develop within IKEA.
IKEA and Gender Equality and Minorities

At Inter IKEA Group function 70% of all employees and 40% of all managers are women
Annually on May 17th the company celebrates IDAHOT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, to stand up for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
The Swedish furniture chain is the member of Workplace Pride Foundation and Stonewall, two organisations focused on LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace.
Energy Consumption by IKEA

IKEA is expected to become energy-positive by 2020.
Energy consuming products offered by IKEA are on average 50 per cent more efficient compared to 2008.
Energy efficiency of IKEA-owned buildings increased by 15 per cent in FY2015 compared to FY2010
There are about 700,000 solar panels installed in buildings owned by IKEA.
IKEA owns and operates 327 wind turbines around the world and have invested in 730,000 solar panels on its buildings worldwide.[2]
Waste Reduction and Recycling by IKEA

About 60% of all products offered by the furniture retailer are based on renewable materials and 10% of products contain recycled materials.[3]
The retail giant has an ambition to use 100% renewable and recycled materials by 2030
Food is Precious initiative started in 2016 saved 1,400 tonnes of food, equivalent to 3 million meals
Skapro Chair sold by IKEA is made of 100 per cent recycled plastic.
The IKEA catalogue is the largest print production ever to be printed on 100 per cent Forest Stewardship Council certified paper
IKEA and Sustainable Sourcing

All cotton used by IKEA and 85% of wood comes from more sustainable sources
94% of fish and seafood sold by the company is certified to MSC or ASC standards
The company has commit*ted to source the fish and seafood it sells and serves in restaurants and Swedish Food Markets from fisheries and farms certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aqua*culture Stewardship Council (ASC).
IKEA serves more than 100 million cups of coffee every year. The company’s PÅTÅR coffee range is certified by UTZ, as well as, EU Organic
IKEA other CSR Initiatives and Charitable Donations

EUR 7.7 million has been denoted by IKEA foundation to Brighter Lives for Refugees campaign.
76 per cent of cotton used by IKEA is gained from sustainable sources
IKEA enforces Supplier Code of Conduct that prohibits the use of child labour, the use of forced or bonded labour and discrimination at work. The Code of Conduct also requires the freedom of association for employees and the provision of a safe and healthy environment.
IKEA Foundation as an independent charitable body has donated EUR 1 to Save the Children for every soft toy sold in IKEA stores in November and December since 2003.

Source: https://research-methodology.net/ike...esponsibility/

Whether you like Ikea furniture is, of course, just a matter of opinion. We have owned and still own, quite a few pieces of furniture. By and large, the quality tends to be very good. Note, that we have been moving around the world endlessly and a lot of Ikea furniture has followed us around the world too, without too much hassle.

I absolutely hate putting Ikea furniture together. I will say this though, it is extremely well made and thought through. When you start at assembly, you need to switch off all autonomous thought and initiatives. Just go through the manual step by step. Don’t think you can do it differently. It is just very tedious, but you will get there in the end.

Ikea does have solid wood furniture as well (at least here in Europe).

Jeroen

[sukhbirST]

Agree with hardwood material and using local expertise. However, point to note is that old wood is no more available. The trees which are grown now, are not that hard, as they are ready to be cut after few years. The same have been grown by us in our vacant field/land.
We all want quick money so it is difficult to get old trees plus there is restriction to cut trees. Another point to note is that due to changing environment many old good wood variety trees are dying. Have seen this closely in Punjab at least. Some trees which gave the best hardwood will be soon extinct. Neem trees are also not surviving that long. It was really sad to see all old trees gone which were so common in my childhood( late 60s to early 70s)

[vj_torqueaddict]

There is a Leprosy hospital in my hometown , who rehabilitate by providing them training in building furniture from Rubber wood. It's one of the best craftsmenship I have seen. Prices are reasonable since many do not know about it. I got to know that they ship to few people in BLR and abroad as well.

We only buy hardwood furniture as I have seen the longetivity personally. Our ancestral home is currently 76 years old with lot of teak wood furnitures with more than 80 years old easily.

[Lord-Lannister]

As someone who has recently moved in to a new residence, and had the placed furnished through interior designers, I do agree that hardwood material is long lasting and just superbly finished with the right set of hands, however it does come at a significant cost.

That being said, I wholeheartedly recommend using hardwood furniture specifically for the fixed area such as wardrobes, study cabinets and beds etc. The money spent here is worth every rupee, with a design built to taste yet as permanent fixture it's rock solid.

However, IKEA has been a Godsend on the way we were able to accessorise, build shelves, study chair at fraction of interior designer's cost, and oh I love the 12ft long sofa that we got in bargain given it's comfort level and worthiness. Not to mention that mattresses being top quality, that we had our beds custom designed specific to the their mattress size. And, the elegant bar stools that may withstand the test of time with their build quality.

Mix and match is my preferred choice, posting a few photos (if that is okay with the mods) to showcase.