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Hygena Strand 2 Door 3 Drawer Sideboard
by PerfectPeaches
I have mentioned in two of my other furniture related reviews that we had been decorating our house from top to bottom and had resisted buying new furniture until all decorating was complete. We had looked in various stores for furniture but found that it was either far too expensive or ridiculously cheap and not well made. However, a ... trip to Argos proved a hit when we managed to find our living room furniture at an expensive initial outlay but certainly not as expensive as we had been expecting.
I have already reviewed the Strand coffee table and TV entertainment unit and this review is of the final piece, the side board. We had wanted to get rid of our bookshelf as nice as it was I didn't like seeing everything on show and wanted somewhere where I could store things away (photo albums etc). The sideboard came as a package deal along with the other two items listed above and it was something that I liked the look of and thought it would be ideal for our storage solution.
The sideboard is just like the other two pieces as it is finished in walnut effect wood and has that contemporary curved top which is accustomed to the 'Strand' range. There are two versions of the side board basically one is bigger than the other. I have the smaller version which features 3 drawers and 2 cupboards. This is the version that comes in the 3 piece furniture package which Argos sell so if you do need the larger version then you will probably have to buy all 3 pieces separately.
The sideboard does come already assembled which for me is ideal as I cannot stand putting together flat pack furniture. Coming already assembled means that it can be unwrapped/unpackaged and used straight away. The only thing you do need to do is fit the brushed steel bar handles which takes only a few minutes. Because it does come ready to use although you can order in store you can only have it for home delivery so you cannot reserve in store which given the size of it, it is quite understandable!
The sideboard as stated above has 3 drawers on runners as well as 2 end cupboards. Just like the other items in the range the drawers are a decent size and quite deep which means that you can pack quite a lot away and still have room to spare. I do find that you can easily store quite a lot which is ideal especially when you have children and you have plenty of space to put all of their items. The three drawers are all the same size and a good depth - this seems to be a popular feature in the Strand range. The brushed steel handles give the sideboard a nice modern touch to it.
The wood effect I have is walnut but it is only a wood effect and if not careful it can scratch so be careful if you move it to position it somewhere else or if you have pets. However, that being said it is incredibly good quality which is what you expect for the price you pay for it! It comes incredibly well built, sturdy but without a doubt it is made from good quality materials as it certainly doesn't look or feel cheap.
I find that this is definitely a useful piece of furniture and it currently lives in our long hallway making it a feature piece of furniture which stands out nicely. We use it for a number of things generally keep most things tidy and out of the way. The only thing I don't like or would like to change would be the shelves in the two side cupboards (the shelves are fixed) as I would like to have one more shelf either side as how it is now they leave a lot of empty space and by having another shelf would make storage just a little easier.
However, on the whole I really like this piece of furniture and whilst it may be quite large for some homes I find that the size is just right in my hallway and provides a lot of storage is certainly a godsend! I find that it is well made and well put together and certainly looks worth the price tag of £249.99. Would I recommend? Well yes I would, although not the most important piece of furniture you need for a home it is certainly useful! 4 stars from me, simply knocking a star off because of the price.
== Useful Information ==
Size H77, W130, D41cm.
Weight 47.5kg.
£249.99
Availability: Argos
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White Shaker Style Monks Bench Laundry Box
by katyj10
This is another example of Dooyoo being lethal for making you want things... I bought this new laundry box as a result of reading ClaireM78's review. I saw it and liked it and wanted it and didn't have the patience to wait for the sale. Under the pretext of buying the MIL's birthday present I sent my husband to pick up her present from ... Argos and told him to get this whilst he was going!
Description
The box is H58, W55, D35cm. It comes flat packed and took my husband around 20 minutes to assemble but he is a whizz at flat pack so it may take a novice a little bit longer. It has a white finish but is not high quality wood as you would expect for the price, it is still a nice looking item though and multi functional as a laundry basket and seat. The lid flips up easily to hold the laundry and then back down to act as a seat. You can rest it open for emptying too which is handy as it would irritate me if the lid fell closed on you when you are pulling everything out. Seat wise, it is easily wide enough for me to sit on (and my bum is, ahem, generous) but a little hard so not one you would use for a long time! It is also worth noting that Argos have photo shopped the screws out of their photos (you can see them on another photo on their website but not on the one listed above) so you can see the fastenings on the side of the unit in real life.
Price
I paid the top price of £34.99 for this but wanted it right now and didn't want to wait but I think it will be reduced at certain times of the year if you keep your eye on it.
Need
I had two thought as to where this hamper would go. We had owned a fabric laundry hamper on a metal frame for over ten years now which was still functioning very well but with two kids now in the family, I needed more capacity and wanted something a little more classy. I thought this could either go in one of the kids' bedrooms (one room has white furniture) or even better, I had a space I wanted it to fit in the bathroom. It fit well in the bathroom so I moved the fabric old one into one of the bedrooms behind the door as it's ideal for when I strip the beds and don't want to do the laundry straight away.
In use
I love this laundry hamper, it looks really nice in our white bathroom and has enough capacity to keep a few days' worth of washing in there. The look is nice and there are other items from Argos that match this that I am tempted to buy like a wooden storage box... the urge to buy never seems to leave me somehow!
Final word
Our unit has a small chip on the back of it which is not exactly noticible but we spotted it when constructing the unit. It's not bad enough for me to return it but I think it's worth checking over the parts if you buy this as quality is important when you've got to live with it! This works well in our bathroom and is an extra seat if sitting in the bathroom's your thing (?) but when you're supervising kids bathing we do spend a bit of time together as a family in the bathroom at the moment. It's big enough to serve as a useful hamper without being a giant space invader but some would prefer a bigger basket that comes to a higher level so I will give this hamper 4 out of 5 stars.
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Argos Value Gas Lift Chair
by user789
I bought this chair from argos as a temporary replacement for my previous desktop chair as I accidentely ruined it by spilling orange juice all over the seat..... it could not heal :-( I needed a chair that could stay comfortable for a long time with being too expensive.
Anyway, I bought this chair from Argos at a very ... reasonable price of £17.99. A hight adjustable chair that can swivel for £17.99!!! I was think this is the deal of the century.
The chair does not come ready to use as it would take up too much space. However, you do get a very simple guide on how to assemble with step by step instructions. I did not find any problems what so ever in understanding the instructions. It only took me a couple of minutes to put this chair together without the help of any one as it is a 1 person assembly.
After trying the chair my first impression was WOW this chair is 100% worth the money. It is very comfortable for the back as it does not cause any strain as the back support is flexible so a good amount of support is provided. It was so comfortable I decided to keep this chair for longer than I expected to use it for. And to be honest with a being careful with this chair it has lasted me for 2 years without causing any problems what so ever. Added points for durability :-)
The adjust feature is like any other desk chair, apply pressure and push the lever to decrease height and add no pressure and pull the lever to increase height. Very simple and easy.
Overall, I would recommend this chair for anyone who is looking for a no frills chair that will provide a good amount of comfort for a very good price.
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