Putting together IKEA furniture can be an incredibly satisfying, 'adult' achievement. Sometimes, however, assembling flat-pack items is not as easy as you first thought. If you're doing it with the help of a friend or loved one, it can become a source of arguments as you both grapple with the DIY task.
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Whether we fail to read the instructions properly, lose screws or accidentally scratch a part of the brand new furniture, it can soon become a complicated task.
HouseHoldQuotes analyzed nearly 50,000 IKEA-themed tweets using TensiStrength to identify stressed-out homeowners. Then, they figured out which designs cause the most anger, and where in the world the flat-pack-induced frustration was coming from.
The online service designed to help customers get a good quote from tradespeople found that the IKEA furniture most likely to cause stress is the sofa. 50.6% of IKEA sofa tweets showed signs of agitation, which you could argue isn't all too surprising. If you're compelled to tweet about your sofa, it's most likely because you want to express frustration rather than rave about it.
The sofa is one of the most hard-working items of furniture in our homes, so it's not something you can wing it with. If parts aren't secured correctly on your best sofa, it'll soon show once put to use.
The cupboard, nightstand, dresser, and crib came close behind the sofa in terms of how stressful they are considered to be. Other stressful items included the headboard, bookcase, and chair, while the cabinet was deemed the least stressful of all.
Mississippi was shown to be the US hotspot for IKEA furniture-related stress, and the most cool, calm, and collected IKEA fans were revealed to be in Kansas. In Kansas, less than a quarter of IKEA tweets betray an angry tone. Instead, Kansans say things like 'Yo!!!!!!! I put a piece of furniture from IKEA together by myself. This is seriously an accomplishment.'
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If you're investing in new IKEA furniture, give yourself twice as much time as you think you need. Ask for help, as some furniture parts are heavy, and give yourself plenty of space. There are now disassembly instructions, so if you're passing old furniture on, you can take it apart properly. There are so many ways you can make IKEA furniture your own, for inspiration, look at our favorite IKEA hack.
Don't forget that IKEA provides a furniture assembly service, so if the prospect alone of doing it yourself is making you panic, consider calling in some help.
