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Easy-to-Assemble Furniture

By: Colleen Sullivan

From: HGTV Magazine

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HGTV Magazine asked Renovation Raiders’ Amy Matthews to assemble a truckload of stuff and report back.

Photo: Illustration by Tom Garrett. From: HGTV Magazine

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1 / 9

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.

Photo: Courtesy of the manufacturer. From: HGTV Magazine

2 / 9

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.”

Photo: Courtesy of the manufacturer. From: HGTV Magazine

3 / 9

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.”

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D. From: HGTV Magazine

4 / 9

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.”

Photo: Courtesy of the manufacturer. From: HGTV Magazine

5 / 9

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.”

Photo: Courtesy of the manufacturer. From: HGTV Magazine

6 / 9

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.”

Photo: Courtesy of the manufacturer. From: HGTV Magazine

7 / 9

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!”

Photo: Courtesy of the manufacturer. From: HGTV Magazine

8 / 9

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.”

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D. From: HGTV Magazine

9 / 9

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.”

Easy-to-Assemble Furniture

Pro-Tested and Approved

Anywhere Coffee Table

Stratum Office Chair

Tarva Bed Frame

Rolling Storage Unit

Esme Bruno Pedestal Table

Mid-Century Desk

Campaign Bookshelf

3-Cube Bench

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