As part of the renovations we needed new cupboards in the pantry area. The previous shelving had been hastily built against an unfinished wall complete with nails jutting out in awkward places. Consequently, anything pushed too far back on the skinny shelves plummeted to the floor. The nails added a touch of hazard and excitement to the otherwise boring task of retrieving something from the basement.
We wanted something adjustable and decided on IKEA. We felt this would offer us options without being too expensive. I hadn’t purchased IKEA furniture in years. There have been many changes since my last visit. Though IKEA has always been a leader in offering customizable options, it’s at a whole new level now.
Browsing on the IKEA website, I was surprised to see options for designing your own storage units. Options for designing a bathroom, kitchen, or other living spaces were also handy. When I purchased PAX units to make built-in closets about 7 years ago, I probably went to the store to see floor models. Now, you can design everything from home without making a trip, or 20, to IKEA.
Customizing units is easy in the design feature. As well, adding room measurements is also quick and easy. Swapping out colors and interiors takes only a few minutes. Rotating or moving units to see different placements takes a few mouse clicks. There are even built-in design rules that flag flaws. For example, in one design, there wasn’t enough space between the cabinet doors and the walls. On paper, it seemed that everything would fit based on the measurements. But likely, had I built it that way, the doors wouldn’t have opened properly.
Picking up the order at IKEA, I had another pleasant surprise. Near the warehouse area, I used one of the available computers to enter in a code for my design. Instantly, a check list appeared on my phone with locations and amounts for the items. However, that’s as far as the customizing went.
Arriving home, I felt slightly disappointed that IKEA didn’t create a customized manual for me to build my design. Instead, I fumbled through the printed manuals figuring out how to build a multi-cabinet unit. I also felt annoyed with some of the waste. Many pieces didn’t get used because they weren’t part of the design. The levels of customization we experience daily alters our expectations for everything now.
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