Easy-to-Assemble Furniture
HGTV Magazine asked Renovation Raiders’ Amy Matthews to assemble a truckload of stuff and report back.
By:
Colleen Sullivan
From:
HGTV Magazine
Related To:
Pro-Tested and Approved
Amy rated each piece of furniture with a level of difficulty from 1-5, and she promises that you don’t have to be a pro to put together these eight items.
From:
HGTV Magazine
Anywhere Coffee Table
Difficulty Level: 3; $300, pier1.com. Amy’s advice: “Remove the rubber stoppers on the bottom of the drawers with a screwdriver before you start assembling. Also, don’t overtighten the leg bolts or it will be hard to open and close the drawers.”
From:
HGTV Magazine
Stratum Office Chair
Difficulty Level: 2; $169, cb2.com. Amy’s advice: “Once it’s assembled, create some pressure by sitting down on the chair a few times so the base and the seat lock tightly together.”
From:
HGTV Magazine
Tarva Bed Frame
Difficulty Level: 5; $129, ikea.com. Amy’s advice: “Before you dig in, lay out all the parts for the headboard section in the form of the finished piece—it will save you time as you assemble.”
From:
HGTV Magazine
Rolling Storage Unit
Difficulty Level: 4; $599, westelm.com. Amy’s advice: “Sort the pieces by letter, and compare the lettered piece with the drawing in the directions so you don’t get them mixed up.”
From:
HGTV Magazine
Esme Bruno Pedestal Table
Difficulty Level: 1; $499, crateandbarrel.com. Amy’s advice: “Make sure you place the tabletop upside down on the floor when you attach the pedestal—you don’t want to be balancing the top on the pedestal and working from underneath.”
From:
HGTV Magazine
Mid-Century Desk
Difficulty Level: 2; $599, westelm.com. Amy’s advice: “Read the directions first! Rushing through, I forgot to install a simple wood bar on the back. Unfortunately, I had to backtrack. Silly mistake!”
From:
HGTV Magazine
Campaign Bookshelf
Difficulty Level: 2; $280, worldmarket.com. Amy’s advice: “Before you place the shelves, set up the unit where it will eventually live so it’s not too heavy to move. Also, loosely screw all the bolts in their respective holes before tightening.”
From:
HGTV Magazine
3-Cube Bench
Difficulty Level: 2; $199 (seat sold separately), landofnod.com. Amy’s advice: “Use hand tools rather than power tools during assembly so you don’t overtighten the short screws and crack the wood. Shining a flashlight inside the cubbies will help you see when you tighten the fasteners.”
From:
HGTV Magazine

Photo By: Illustration by Tom Garrett