Ashley Furniture just irked me...

[AZRedhawk44]

This weekend I went out desk shopping.

I didn't want a behemoth unit with hutch/bookcase and return... I didn't want a dedicated computer-type desk.  I wanted a generic work table that would function as a computer desk as well as any other use I might put it to.

So, I found something that would work okay over at Ashley Furniture.  Part of an expandable unit that has a return and a hutch, but the base desk has sturdy legs on one side and a 3-drawer stand on the other side.  Price was $250.

I confirmed with the sales weasel that the price included the legs, the work surface and the 3-drawer stand.  He left for 15 minutes to confirm that for me.  I re-confirmed it with a second sales weasel.  I had an intuition that something was gonna get eff'ed up in this order, I guess.

Well, today was delivery and it was eff'ed up.

All I got was the 3-drawer stand.  Which didn't even have a surface to it, since the desk surface is the top of the base unit.

Obviously I refused delivery.  Angry now, though, because now I have to get my $250 back, plus the $40 delivery charge, plus tax, plus the restocking/refusal fee they're gonna try and hit me with.

Once this is all square, I'm going to home depot to get something like this for temporary use for the next couple months:



And I'm gonna work on getting my shop cleaned up in the new house.  The money spent on furniture from Ashley will instead buy me a table router, biscuit joiner and some other tools to further round out my fledgling wood shop so I can make my own damned table/desk.

And then those tools will make me a nice master bedroom furniture set.  I was going to buy that stuff, but I'm so irked right now that I'm not interested in dealing with sales rooms anymore.

Frankly, I was really bothered that I couldn't drive around back and pick up my desk this past weekend... that the only place they had anything in stock was a dedicated warehouse 20+ miles away downtown.

[Harold Tuttle]

I bought a 1930's oak desk from Penn State salvage for 40 bucks last year

It needed a little touch up but was quite the deal

I hit up salvage every couple of weeks...

shipping on the behemoth would be nigh impossible thou...

[AZRedhawk44]

I tried some goodwills and such, HT.  Everything was that junk particle board Sauder build-it-yerself stuff that makes Ikea look like high quality furniture.

I may see if ASU has a salvage dept though.  Good idea.

[Harold Tuttle]

also see if there is a Habitat for Humanity Restore in range

The Gaithersburg MD one is quite the trove

http://www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore.aspx

[lupinus]

Actually those types of tables make very effective computer desks.  Get the table and a filing cabinet or two for the ends and you have yourself a very spacious and capable working area that will rival any computer desk I have ever owned.  Not as pretty but a lot less money.

[Regolith]

Actually those types of tables make very effective computer desks.  Get the table and a filing cabinet or two for the ends and you have yourself a very spacious and capable working area that will rival any computer desk I have ever owned.  Not as pretty but a lot less money.

Yup.  I actually have two of those - one that is serving as my kitchen table, and the other that's being used as a computer desk/work area.  Very handy, and not all that expensive.

[Tallpine]

How about a couple 2-drawer metal filing cabinets and a door ? 

[crt360]

How about a couple 2-drawer metal filing cabinets and a door ? 

That's pretty much what I have at home.  Speaking of metal two-drawer file cabinets, I was looking at some in a store the other day and they are complete crap compared to my old ones.  I'm not sure they could support a door.  They also cost about 3x what I paid for the last ones I bought. 

[mtnbkr]

If you have an Ikea nearby, I really like the Fredrick line of desks they offer: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/10216/

They make one without shelves and one with.  I have the one with.  Quite roomy, sturdy, and flexible in design.  They also tend to show up on Craigslist for excellent prices if you're near a college.  Before buying one at Ikea, I was finding them on CL very frequently, but they were all the lighter wood or shelfless models (I wanted dark wood with shelves).

Chris

[AJ Dual]

Does the Ikea FREDRIK desk go together with the STAVAAAS wing-nuts or the BLARRGH hex-drivers?





 

[MechAg94]

A word of advice, if you want furniture on the cheap or don't care about looks, DO NOT GO TO A FURNITURE STORE!   :D

If you must get a purpose built desk, places like OfficeMax, Best Buy, WalMart, Target, and others like that have more, better, and cheaper options.  If you think you have the ability to build it yourself, that is always a good option.  Personally, I hate Ikea.  A bunch of particle board crap that is impractical and way too heavy.

I have a couple items from Ashley's, but only because I wanted something made of wood that looked decent.  They did tick me off last Spring when delivery went from 2 weeks to 12 weeks on a dining room table.

[AZRedhawk44]

f you must get a purpose built desk, places like OfficeMax, Best Buy, WalMart, Target, and others like that have more, better, and cheaper options.  If you think you have the ability to build it yourself, that is always a good option.  Personally, I hate Ikea.  A bunch of particle board crap that is impractical and way too heavy.

Ikea stuff is much better quality than the Sauder and other build it yourself crap that Walmart/Target and office stores peddle.  I have one of those right now and I hate the thing.

[MechAg94]

I guess I have at least one big Ikea desk and it is sturdy, but heavy.  It isn't my preference.  I know the Ikea store in Houston is always pretty busy.

I bought a glass tabled desk from Officemax recently and it was a breeze to put together and looks decent. 

[mtnbkr]

Personally, I hate Ikea.  A bunch of particle board crap that is impractical and way too heavy.

Not all of it is particle board.  They do have some nice solid wood products.  The problem is, you have to read the labels and inspect the stuff in person.  That's the nice thing about having one of their stores nearby. 

Chris

[Racehorse]

And I'm gonna work on getting my shop cleaned up in the new house.  The money spent on furniture from Ashley will instead buy me a table router, biscuit joiner and some other tools to further round out my fledgling wood shop so I can make my own damned table/desk.

That's the way I like to do it. If I want good furniture, I build it myself. $250 is only going to buy you either a router or a biscuit joiner, though, not both. Unless you buy cheap stuff (harbor freight or similar). If you go that route, be prepared for a lot of frustration.

[brimic]

Does the Ikea FREDRIK desk go together with the STAVAAAS wing-nuts or the BLARRGH hex-drivers?

Probably the Kiivuula glue-in dowels.

[mtnbkr]

Actually, it's all slipjoints and screws.  It's pretty damn sturdy, even holds up well to my 6yo.

Speaking of glue-in dowels, I've found using wood glue on any wood to wood surface in Ikea furniture makes things much sturdier. 

Chris

[AZRedhawk44]

$250 is only going to buy you either a router or a biscuit joiner, though, not both.

Yep.

I'll start slow... I've got a buddy down the street with a wood shop that puts most high school vo-tech departments to shame, so I can mooch off his shop with his blessing while I make progress on my own available tools.

I'll probably get a planer/jointer first and borrow his biscuit joiner and table router until the next project justifies the cost of another tool (the table router, most likely).  Gimme a year or two and I'll have a pretty decent shop setup out there.  Already have a scroll saw and compound miter saw from some other projects (when it comes to station-oriented tools), and I'm well set with just about any handheld power tool.

[Gewehr98]

We didn't like Ashley Furniture very much when shopping for a new bedroom set.

However, Mrs. G-98 and I are probably going to buy that set from Steinhafel's.

Both the quality of materials and construction, as well as the customer service at the latter are what swayed us.

[brimic]

However, Mrs. G-98 and I are probably going to buy that set from Steinhafel's.

Both the quality of materials and construction, as well as the customer service at the latter are what swayed us.

I like Steinhafel's too, good service, decent prices, good quality.

If you want high quality wood furniture, and don't mind waiting a year to get it, I can give you the name and and address of at least one Amish craftsman that lives over in Columbia County, and possibly another in Southern Green Lake county- if he's not already retired. We've had 2 dressers, two night stands, a desk, a dining room set, a bench, and an odd corner table made so far and have 2 more complete bedroom sets on order. Prices are a fraction of what you'd pay for lesser quality in a store. 
The last quotes we got were roughly:

King size oak mission bed: $800
Oak chest of drawers: $500
Oak night stand $150
Maple mission Double bed: $650
Maple Chest of drawers $550
Maple night stand $180.

[CNYCacher]

If the rest of it shows up on tomorrow's truck, you are gonna feel mighty silly.

[Gewehr98]

Brimic, I am indeed interested.

The Amish set we were looking at in Steinhafels was a Hickory Captain's Bed, with drawers instead of a box spring, but there was also a Mission-style Captain's bed for slightly less in a darker oak wood.  We decided on queen-size so it doesn't totally dominate the master bedroom.

Columbia County is just a couple miles north of my home in Dane County.   

[brimic]

What my wife does is take pictures of furniture at Steinhafel's or P.M. Bedroom along with measurements, prints them out and takes them to the man, he can pretty much make any style or finish. Everything is done face to face or by snail mail.
I'll look the contact info up tonight.

[Balog]

I'd appreciate that info too Brimic, although shipping might be an issue.

[brimic]

Let me know if you didn't get a PM, I'm not sure if its working or not...