How to Buy the Most Appropriate Office Chairs for Your Business imageWhether you are just starting a business or considering a remodel, it is no secret that office chairs are important products. In fact, among all the different types of furniture that are purchased for...Read More about How to Buy the Most Appropriate Office Chairs for Your BusinessUh oh, it's the office chair question again! April 17, 2007 Subscribe Uh oh, it's the office chair question again! But this time, i only have $200 to spend (since my dept is budgetarily limited). I'm obviously not looking for Aeron/Leap quality, but something that doesn't leave me in pain would be nicce. Has anyone had any experience with the OfficeMax chairs like this one or Boss products like this one? I'd like something high-backed and as ergonomic as possible, as I will be sitting in it for most of the day. (I'm 6'1 and mid-200lbs)In 1943, the 17-year-old Swedish teen Ingvar Kamprad was given some money by his father as a reward for doing well in school.
He used the money to start a small business selling basic household goods at low cost. This was the beginning of IKEA, a business that would grow to have over 300 stores in countries around the world. Throughout its massive global expansion, IKEA hasn't strayed far from Kamprad's original business model: selling quality, functional products at a low cost. Though IKEA sells many different household products, it is best known for its furniture and has become the leading furniture retailer in the world. IKEA furniture is primarily known for its affordability. The company manages to keep prices down through its cost-control methods. One of these cost-control methods is DIY assembly. Buyers receive all the parts of the furniture and put it together themselves at home. For the most part, assembly is simple, though it may require an extra pair of hands. By selling furniture in ready-to-assemble form, IKEA also manages to keep shipping and packaging costs low because they are not paying for empty space.
Considering the low cost of IKEA furniture, it is very stylish. The company offers a wide range of modern, unique designs for its furniture. Another way IKEA keeps costs low is by using more affordable but lesser-grade materials. Solid wood furniture is incredibly expensive, so most IKEA furniture is made out of pressed wood or fiberboard. Naturally, this material is not as strong or durable as solid wood, and thus cannot be expected to last as long. Also, IKEA furniture is typically assembled with screws. Screws are not as strong as traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery, in which the pieces of the furniture interlock to create a strong joint. Because IKEA furniture is affordable and not very durable, it is often considered for dorm rooms or cheap office furnishings. However, IKEA furniture does have its place for other uses too. IKEA tables,IKEA small bookcases, and IKEA nightstands can last a very long time since these are items that do not usually take a beating or hold heavy loads (as compared to furniture items like beds and dressers).
IKEA does offer some solid-wood furniture that is high quality and very durable, though these items will cost more than the typical particle-board IKEA items. IKEA makes many types of furniture. In general, their furniture can be broken down by room or function. Beds, mattresses, nightstands, wardrobes, chests of drawers, clothes storage systems, wall shelves, dressing tables, headboards Cabinets, countertops, islands, carts, dining tables, base cabinets, shelving units Sofas, armchairs, coffee and side tables, TV and media furniture, storage units Cribs, crib mattresses, changing tables, high chairs Beds, bunk beds, toy chests, dressers, small furniture, storage systems Desks, office chairs, book cases, shelves, filing cabinets, storage units Patio furniture, table and chair sets, reclining chairs, folding chairs, benches, swings, bar tables, umbrellas IKEA furniture is almost exclusively modern (i.e., contemporary) in style, evidenced by its clean lines and geometric shapes.
The furniture design is simple, with a utilitarian focus. It is also common for modern furniture to use bold, contrasting colors, such as white cushions on a black sofa. Modern-style furniture blends well with many technological appliances and comforts. For example, a flat-screen TV will look in place on a modern-style IKEA TV cabinet, whereas a TV would probably look awkward on an "Adirondack" or "Victorian" -style cabinet. Because modern-style furniture is simple, it is also unobtrusive. It works well in various settings and can be easily matched with other types of modern furniture. IKEA furniture typically comes in white, black, and natural-wood colors. However, there are also some bright colors available, such as oranges and greens. Dark-colored furniture has a tendency to look heavier and larger than it really is. A dark color may not be suitable for small spaces or for large pieces of furniture (such as bureaus). By contrast, light-colored furniture usually looks lighter and smaller than it really is, and so may be better suited for small spaces and large items.
Furniture that has an unusual or contrasting color can help make a small room look larger. For example, placing an orange IKEA chair on one side of a room and a blue end table on the other side, it will cause the eye to move back and forth between the objects, creating an optical illusion that the room is larger than it really is. Most IKEA furniture is made from pressed woods such as particle board. However, there are also several other types of material offered, each with its own pros and cons. Particle board and other pressed woods Affordable and attractive but not very durable Suitable for coffee and end tables and other furnishings that won't be subject to a lot of use or weightcan withstand damage well Comfortable but bulky in size; Suitable for outdoor furniture Very inexpensive material but not at all durable Only really suitable for children's small furniture (chairs, tables) and small storage units Strong, very durable, and attractive
Suitable for any item, especially items that get a lot of use and abuse such as beds, dining tables, and kitchen cabinets Before buying any piece of furniture online, it is very important to measure the furniture space. For starters, you will need to measure the actual space where the furniture will be located. This includes the height, width, and depth of the furniture. Don't forget to factor in extra space taken up by baseboards or electrical sockets. Remember to measure the space that the furniture will take up while in use. For example, when buying a dresser, you will need to factor in how big the dresser will be when the drawers are open. Otherwise, there could be problems with open drawers bumping into nearby furniture. When buying dining room sets, there should be at least 25 inches of extra space around the table to make sure that there will be enough space for the chairs to be pulled in and out. With measurements alone, it is often difficult to get a real sense of how big or small a piece of furniture will appear in a space.
It helps to lay pieces of newspaper or boxes on the floor to create a visual approximation of how much space the furniture will take up. For many people, it makes sense to buy IKEA furniture on eBay rather than trek out to a brick and mortar store. Buying on eBay means that you get to avoid crowds and save on gas money. Plus, you can have the furniture delivered, so there isn't the hassle of trying to cart it home. IKEA furniture is known for its compactness when unassembled, so shipping costs for IKEA furniture should be comparatively low compared to standard assembled furniture. However, shipping costs can still be expensive. When buying IKEA furniture online, look for sellers who are located nearby, have low shipping rates, or offer local pickup. Be sure that you are ordering the right product. Even if it is possible to return the item, you may still probably be stuck with the shipping costs. When buying IKEA furniture on eBay, look for items covered by eBay Buyer Protection.