Ikea expedit bookcase - surprisingly good. (Ikea Expedit Bookcase)

Member Name: giksy21

Product:	Ikea Expedit Bookcase
Date:	16/05/09 (410 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to make

Disadvantages: very heavy

Having just moved house, I found myself in the lucky position, of having two living rooms. So, for the first time in my life, I was going to have a kids playroom, leaving the other living room as a nice 'adult only' space.

Now, if you have moved house recently, you will know how much stuff you find that you had previously forgotten about. In my case, I realised that I had a substantial collection of books, and now I had nowhere to put them. My wife had been wanting me to go to IKEA for ages, so I decided to go and get a bookcase the next day.

Ikea have only been in Northern Ireland a short while, but in its time here it has revolutionised the furniture industry. The story of Ikea is a lovely one. In 1943, a seventeen year old Ingvar Kamprad set up a small store in his village. Now, it has grown to encompass 24 countries, and turnover 21 billion euros a year.

I am a sceptic, and firmly believed that the furniture would be crap. It had to be, right? How could the company turn a profit if the materials were not poor grade. But, on this occasion, I was willing to take a chance. So, off we went to Belfast. The store opened at 10.00 a.m., and we were their for opening. I was amazed by the number of people that were there already. On entering the store, I was struck by the scale of the whole operation. The building itself is huge, but the layout was such that it looked great. Communal space, like the halls or the restaurant were open, and bright. Everything looked fresh, clean and clinical. But at the same time it was very welcoming.

We got our little trolley, and attached one of the yellow bag style shopping baskets to the front. Off we went, and walked around the place for about an hour before we had taken it all in. All the furniture looked great, and the furnishings were really funky too! We had lots of little items in our basket, but as yet had not decided on the bookcase. So we went to the restaurant to decide. We qued for food, and despite the que, we were served very quickly. The cashier told me to grab a loyalty card from beside (Ikea family card), which got us money off the food, and free coffee. A cooked breakfast for me and my wife, and two coffees for £1.98!!

We ate, and drank and decided on the bookcase. We chose the expedit bookcase, which was £106. very reasonable, as the thing was basically a 6 foot long, 6 foot high cube of shelves. It looked sturdy,and stylish. So, we picked it up in the self service lobby, and paid for it, along with our other things. I was happy with the level of service, and the price. I do not usually like these type of shops, but I was pleasantly surprised. I left very happy. The only thing I would say, is that it can be hard to lift some items, and this bookcase was heavy. Although I did not need to, I am sure the staff would help if required. Also boxes are quite big, so check they will fit in your car first!

I got home, and started to build the bookcase, straight away. It was packed tightly, and securely. Everything was in the box, and the instructions were very clear. The colour we chose was black/brown, but you could have got white or beech. The material was a kind of MDF style affair, called particle board. Cheap to produce, but quite strong. It can be finished off to a high enough standard. It took two people to build, due to the sheer size and weight of the piece. It was, however rediculously easy to build, and took no time at all.

The finished piece looked really good, and was sturdy. It needed fixed to the wall, but again all the parts required were in the box. It would be incredably dangerous if not fixed to the wall, as it could seriously injure someone if it fell on them. The bookcase looked great, and was a fraction of the price that I would have paid elsewhere. My overall opinion of Ikea is, that it is incredible. You can work on a low budget, without having to settle for poor quality goods. The store is easy to get round, and has bargains throughout.

If anyone is looking for a smart looking, functional bookcase, without breaking the bank, then I would suggest the expedit from Ikea. The piece could also be used as a rather funky storage unit. Little boxes, and baskets are made by Ikea that fit the expedit perfectly. This would be great for a kids room, or just for extra storage space. Overall, the price is right, the quality is surprisingly good, and the store itself is great. Check them out, you won't regret it!


Assembled size
Width: 185 cm
Depth: 39 cm
Height: 185 cm
Max load/shelf: 13 kg


care instructions
Wipe clean with a cloth damped in a mild cleaner.
Wipe dry with a clean cloth.


product description
Main parts: Particleboard, Fibreboard, ABS plastic, Printed and embossed acrylic paint, Clear acrylic lacquer
Filling material: Paper

Summary: Great option, if on a budget.