Furniture drawing, cutlist, and diagrams are available for free and without registration. MakeByMe is a 3D modeling tool that allows users to design their own custom furniture and add it to their HomeByMe project. Roomtodo is a free online program that allows users to plan, design, and decorate their home in 3D without any special skills. Moblo is a free app that allows users to create and decorate their own furniture in 3D and see it in their environment with augmented reality.
Planner 5D is a free and easy-to-use tool to create floor plans and 3D renderings of any room in your house. Users can drag and drop furniture, decor, and finishes from a vast selection. Havenly offers online and in-person interior design services for any space, style, and budget. They also offer a 3D configurator to design your own furniture with a few clicks.
Havenly offers online and in-person interior design services for any space, style, and budget. Users can match with a talented designer and collaborate 1:1 to see their design come to life. Furniture design software such as Sketchup and Blender are available for those who want a more flexible approach. Coohom is a top platform in furniture design that allows users to create detailed 3D models of furniture and accessories.
In summary, various furniture design tools and apps are available for free and without registration. These tools allow users to create their own furniture designs, customize their floor plans, and visualize their interiors in 3D.
📹 Best Cad Software for designing furniture
Whether you are a furniture designer or simply a hobbyist who wants to draw pieces of furniture, the various CAD programs will …
📹 HIDDEN GEMS | IKEA’s Best Solid Wood Furniture
In this video, I go over some of the best IKEA furniture pieces that are made of solid wood. IKEA is really known for the particle …
Off topic, just got to say my husband and I stumbled across your website and find ourselves hooked mostly for your amazing personality although we love your advice! We love your sense of humor and I can’t tell you how many time we bust out laughing! Thank you for bringing JOY to our living room! Love your style and show!
I’m sure you know this – but pine is the cheapest wood you can get because it’s so soft. It might look pretty, or rustic, but it’s not great wood because it dents easily. Birch is a much better choice for furniture or tables because it’s a hardwood, higher quality. Acacia and Eucalyptus woods are also hardwoods and used outside because they’re so durable.
As someone in the design industry, who started buying furniture in the 80’s, I have always steered people to the real wood pieces at IKEA. Back in the day, much of their furniture was wood and the pieces have lasted forever. I have a 20+ year old IKEA couch that has held up beautifully. I have recovered it with Bemz and Comfort Works covers to update the aesthetic. Furniture, like clothing, should not be disposable. Purchase the best you can buy, in neutral colors, and you can have them for life ~ add your pops of color in the details.
Someone taught you the letter “Ä” and you doing such a great job! Like in Björksnäs, you almost get the letter “Ö” but the “Ä” is phenomenal! And you are right, we dont care if you pronounce it right, it actually fills me with joy hearing you say the names, and it is so charming. I love it! 🥰 To get a bit serious, Ivar save lots of people money, so easy to make your own and you are the creator of this piece of furniture. Also, to all ranting about IKEA, look in to the history of the company and what Ingvar Kamprad wanted to achieve with it. It is kind of humbling. We love our IKEA, much is cheap, but there is some good gems in there, and i think you showed some of it Nick.
I love the way you talk like someone is running after you and you have to finish everything you want to say. I’m a grandma but totally love your style and agree with almost everything you say and you like. I know as a Persian kid used to love when people tried to speak my language. It was the cutest and funniest but in a really nice way! Keep up the good humor and work.
I have Leksvik solid pine bookshelves from the early 2000s that have lasted through 5 different houses. I painted them a few years back, but they remain perfect for books. My sister has IVAR narrow shelves from the 1980s they are still using; the natural pine finish has aged to a beautiful warm wood tone. IKEA is a GREAT option as long as you go with solid wood materials. Particle board and MDF not so much
Hi, Nick! My husband and I had those clasdic Billy bookcases, bought in the early 90’s. They survived 2 moves and had to be reinforced with L-braces, the particleboard shelves were turned once they started to sag – but they held up for 30 years of use. During the pandemic, I bought 2 skinny Billy book cases and was stunned to learn that only the tops and the bottoms are particleboard. The rest is engineered paper in vinyl veneer sandwich! They are affordable, look ok, and are stromg enough to hold my boojs and files. I appreciate that they are also light – when I wanted to reorganize my layout, I unloaded them wnd could move them around by myself. One caveat: don’t kneel on the boards during assembly! 😂
Pine is very soft and will dent fairly easily. To help pine, apply extra pure Tung Oil. It penetrates the pores and hardens. Also, if you take care of veneer, especially a really great wood veneer, you’ll notice veneer furniture is not prone to the same aging effects as solid wood, such as splitting or warping… so wood veneer furniture will often outlast solid wood furniture by years.
Oh, forgot to say that I bought 4 stacking stools, bent plywood, from Ikea about 15 years ago and they don’t make them anymore. Love them as they’ve held up in a tiny beach guest cottage, meaning they have to be stacked often and got a lot of rough use in a humid beach environment. They have held their shape and finish well. Ikea has been great for me.
I have a dark-stained Hemnes dresser (I unapologetically love the whole Hemnes set), and got 2 of the Tarva nightstands and stained them in a dark color too. Then I swapped out the hardware for one type so that it all matches. I also have the unfinished pine dining set that I mixed a couple of different finishes on. Love them, love being able to customize my furniture. I feel like that’s one of the great things about solid wood furniture, is the ability to customize, refinish, etc.
I love Ivar… it is one of the most versitile systems I have ever worked with… easy to paint, stain, customise… and a lot cheaper than erecting dry wall, and plastering… used it to half divide an open plan space… I used it to create a home office in a large living room, where the second sofa/ day bed was my spare bed (I moved there when I had visitors and gave them my bedroom) the day bed was 70 cm x 1.9 m, with storage underneath – and then realised I could do it again to create a separate zone (3 in one room) without compromising too much on natural light or having to move heavy furniture to re jig purpose… so using Ivar to delineate zones… a bit like playing with Lego . it’s not ‘cheap” cheap when you add in the bits and pieces… I wanted two glass door cabinets and two closed door cabinets – and I didn’t do it all at once… but by the time I was finished, a 58 sq m one bedroom apartment could sleep 4 ( 2 couples) or .. just once .. 5 adults and 3 children, but still leave my life and home office intact!!! You can leave it looking like industrial wooden shelving for garage and warehouse… or you can stain, sand, or paint the life out of it to make it look like expensive built in cabinetry… Can’t praise it enough.. and as pine, it is sustainable, and none of the bits I got had issues with knots, etc that needed to be addressed. P.S – love the Swedish… but some of those words/ names have actually meaning…. I love that the baskets are “shabby”
I have 3 havstaa glass top units set together as a wall unit. No hacking required to achieve that look. Got the black, which looks better at home than it did under the store’s flourescent lights. They solved my storage problems and I really like them so far. They have excellent dimensions. I do not have pets or children and only lightly access them. Not sure if they would hold up over time to daily abuse, but for my needs, I think they are very good.
I have two Ivars in my kitchen!!! I feel so proud that Nick likes it!!! Ikea’s solid wood furniture are great. My family has two kitchen shelves and a loft bed. They are 30 years old and still serving. My sister has been using the loft bed since she was in high school. She is in her 40s now and she is still sleeping on it!
Imagine my overwhelming sense of ecstacy when I heard that IKEA was opening up a store in my home town. How can this be true I asked myself? Well, it kind of isn’t. Evidently they are opening a ‘Plan and Order Point’ which is so not what I was hoping for. Oh well, have car, will travel. Thanks for the article Nick!
I love acacia wood and am so thankful for this article. Didn’t know Ikea did acacia furniture. I was born in what used to be Lourenço Marques in Mozambique, with pavements adorned with acacia trees galore. The fragrance was to die for. I live in the UK, with loads of TK Max stores with acacia chopping boards. I made a lamp stand out of one. It’s got my chinoisie lamp. It’s beautiful and wish you could see it. 😊
The IDANAS bed is really good – all the important bits (frame, headboard, baseboard) are solid wood, and the underbed drawers are lovely. The nice stain they put on the pine makes it look a lot more expensive than it is. The only issue I have with it, is that it’s quite expensive – about 2/3rds of the price of a hardwood bed, so if you can stretch your budget a bit, maybe go for that. I’m very happy with my IDANAS though!
Nick, wanted to say: I despise gateleg (and all “drop-leaf”) tables. Which is weird, because bureau desks and davenport desks alike: love. And then I twigged. I’m ADHD / Autistic, which together cause major additive risks to both “having a lot of junk on my table” and “I accidentally bumped into my table”. Davenports: accidentally or deliberately close it? That counts as tidying everything away! Bureau: built so that the “table” surface will not drop below horizontal Anyway, just thought I’d mention, since you take different forms of accessibility and reasonable adjustments as seriously as they deserve.
Lovely article Nick!IKEA is a vast universe and there are many solid wood pieces out there. I had a solid wood kitchen from IKEA a long time ago, that lasted 15 years,then I sold the apartment and it was still perfect! In Argentina we have pinewood and it IS in fact used as a base to paint or stain…very sturdy and reliable!
Someone already mentioned how pine is an inexpensive wood and also very soft. If you do paint it you need a good primer to stop the bleed through sap of the knots. I will also say that most modern furniture and mid-century furniture is not all solid wood but wood veneer on particular board. Also, a lot of cheaper furniture is made of MDF which is different from particle board and often has a fake paper wood like veneer which peals off easily…IKEA will use laminate over particle board. More durable than MDF however both MDF and Particle board will absorb water easily.
I bought that bjorksnas (however it’s spelled) chest of drawers. Be super aware that the drawers only open about half way (just over). It is super inconvenient to put away and take things out in thsoe drawers. I had to take the chest of drawers back (and uk ikea was super unhelpful stringing me along about doing and not doing a free collection for the retun)
Painting solid wood is anathema – or sacrilegious; take your pick. How can you tell it’s wood then? But I love IVAR and always have. In my opinion, that bed table’s best feature is the leather drawer pull. And I’ll reiterate: There is no earthly reason to PAINT solid wood. If you have to paint, do it to the particleboard.
I’m gonna send in my space because it’s ’out there’ and I know you’ll hate it. 😂 Sidebar: if you did a vid on the most well made dupe accent chairs I wouldn’t be mad. I have my eye on BoConcept “Imola” but with foot stool is $9,518 + tax and shipping. I’ve sat in it, it’s not comfortable… at all… but the look of it is. 🥰😍 Soooo…. 🤔
I actually have a solid wood, very simple, executive style desk from Ikea that I got when I lived in Germany back in 2005, and it’s still one of my favorite pieces of furniture. Since then it’s literally been moved thousands of miles and to about 10 different places. It’s still going strong. I would definitely recommend Ikea wood furniture. p.s. My aesthetic is minimalist meets comfy library/study using a mix of antiques and new MCM furniture, and this desk fits perfectly.
Pine is a pain to stain! It can be stained but will splotches unevenly because of the oils in the wood. It must be very carefully prepped for stains and even then may still have an disappointing outcome. Pine is definitely better painted. Birch has a natural redish under tone to consider when staining, but it does stain far better than pine.
For the Hemnes bed – unless you are 100lbs and never get frisky in bed, DO NOT use the mattress support structure that comes with it. Lest you find yourself unexpectedly closer to the ground… Use a regular steel bed frame and a thin box spring to hold the mattress, and let the Hemnes be strictly cosmetic. Thankfully I learned from a friend’s mistake before I got mine, LOL.
I loved this article! I much prefer solid wood furniture. I can get rather cranky if a visually appealing piece turns out to be dependent on particle board or other fake wood. My impression was that IKEA almost exclusively offered furniture based on manufactured wood components. I’m delighted to learn otherwise! Thank you.
Please don’t buy wood furniture unless you’re planning to keep it forever. There’s nothing wrong with particle board if it’s just a temporary piece that’s going to go out of style in a few years. Particle board reuses sawdust, a waste product. Trees are a natural resource that remove carbon from the atmosphere, so please do not waste solid wood.
Solid wood is great option but don’t rule out veneer because there are different types. Example of something many people might assume would be considered solid wood but is technically veneer is butcher block. There are many different types of veneers and so it is easy for people to associate veneer with plastic but veneer can be made all types of natural products! So if something says veneer take a closer look before turning down. Another example is proper brick/ stone veneer. In situations when you don’t need stone/ brick structurally but you are looking for the aesthetic of stone/ brick then stone/brick veneer is actual stone/ brick just cut into pieces. It is still stone/brick but because it is cut & used as a layer (not whole) it is considered a veneer.
1. Havasta – cabinet. Good for cottage look. 2. IVAR – CABINET 3. KNAGGLIK- Wooden baskets 4. RISATORP 5. TROFAST – Organizer for kids, sewing room. 5. VILTO- Bath organizer 6. PANGET – mud roo. PINNTORP – FOLDABLE TABLE 7. NORDEN – DESK /ISLAND 8. ASPEN- SHELVING UNIT 9.Foorhoja 10. Arkelstorp – coffee table 11. PERSBOLL – chair, traditional😊 12. EKENASET- Chair mid century 13. Bjorknas – Bed pieces 14. TARVA – Nightstand 15. HEMMES – Bed country DUVSKAR- Outdoor piece 16. KLOVEN- Arindorak chair 17. NAMMARO – Outdoor pieces, very solid, good value.😊 ** Look for Eucaliptus, Pine, Acacia woods**
Hi Nick. Really like this info on IKEA quality wood pieces. Seems like a trend with reviewers recently. Also, I checked out the Trofast product after perusal another reviewer’s content & discovered that IKEA now has epoxy powder-coated, mesh steel drawers in 4 colours to appeal to teens+! They look nice though not sure of their durability. Good idea to expand the appeal of a classic product!
Great article/topic! I love natural materials. ❤ Maybe you could do a part 2 on this for leather and cotton/linen.. Or lamps & baskets etc. ☺️ I do agree with Ikea though, for me it is known for (also) using real wood! Some furniture retailers don’t have that at all! And yes, birch is one of the most beautiful wood colours/species!! Also acer. ❤
I have a sister in law who… I think she believed me to be an actual alien species. When we were looking for the first home for her and my brother, she claimed “only a moron would rent!” and I said “gee, thanks;” at that point I was 5 years into a 25-year stretch of moving from place to place doing project-based work, she’d never left her parents’ home. Her idea of “making friends with another woman” involves describing her latest clothing purchases; I’m the kind of person who’d happily wear yoga pants and a joke T-shirt every day. Not much in common. The first time she came to visit my house, she was amazed at the wood furniture. Almost fell down when I said it was from IKEA. “But, isn’t that all cheap, fragile plastic?” “Not everything is plastic and it’s usually not fragile; bars buy so much of their furniture precisely because it’s not fragile.” Half their furniture is from IKEA, now. Anything that may be getting replaced due to things such as “baby not a baby any more”: IKEA. And the replaced items usually are in good enough condition to be passed to another family.
I can attest to the paintability of the IVAR cabinets. The knots in the pine are prominent so I painted ours black but I used milk paint and finished them with hemp oil. The wood grain is still visible but the milk paint with hemp oil finish is smooth and fairly matte. This all sounds quite rustic but we wall-mounted 4 units about a foot off the floor and they seem kinda sleek and minimal (no handles/knobs required). Milk paint is pretty different from conventional paint but I’m so happy with the results.
I have the HEMNES media console in unfinished pine and not only do I love the look it’s also incredibly solid. I have a ridiculous amount of stuff crammed in the drawers and I’ve never been concerned about moving it when rearranging the room. Meanwhile I’ve had pieces from other places that a light wind could knock over.
That Norden really lasted a long time. We bought one just around the time I started Uni/College, which was around 2011 – 2012. It still lives at my parents house. I think my mom want to get rid of it now cuz it’s s old. Still solid though. Aside from the light stains and the scratches, nothing’s wrong with that piece of furniture. Should she get rid of it? Comment down below.
I made my kitchen island out of 4 Havasta cabinets (2 on one side 2 on the other side) & a used marble slab that weighs around 400-500 lb on top. It’s such a sturdy cabinet. I did this to replace an Island which was twice as long & somehow only had half as much storage space as this. The cabinets are only 17″ deep, but that makes it easier to get out pots & pans. The cost of any kitchen cabinets with a body made from anything other than partical board or melamine at Home Depot is way more expensive.
Solid wood furniture is miles better than anything made from MDF or particle board. For the first time ever I’ve decided my next kitchen will NOT be one from Ikea because they’re now using particle board and so the 25 year guarantee isn’t worth anything anymore. Stop debasing furniture to the point that its just the same trash you buy anywhere else
One thing that you need to warn people about with the Ikea chairs is the weight limits! Even their solid wood chairs may only be rated as safe for up to 100kg – and with many people having family/friends/loved ones or even themselves who are above this you risk the chairs not being sturdy or comfortable for larger people. For the cost of their solid wood items you may be able to get a similar piece at another company with a 125kg or 150kg weight limit – which adds a bit of extra piece of mind. The other danger is ‘spindle backed chairs’ with large gaps as I’ve had my cat get his head stuck in one and it was only luck that I was able to stop him breaking his neck in trying to escape it…small children may also get a head/arm/fingers stuck in them – so as much as I love the Ikea hardwood chairs they may not be safe in every situation.
I bought two IKEA pantry units and had to weigh out what would go on each shelf as to not tear the particle board. You can put 45lbs per shelf, but if you add more shelves than what they give, you are risking catastrophe. Are swedes complaining about language because people are finding out their products rival China in cheaply made and they need to troll to distract?
Oh my gosh, just discovered your website and I have to say it makes me want to just come and hang out with you even if just for a little while. I burst out in laughter at some of the some of the comments you slide in really quick. And although you have the same sense of humor I do, you are so full of information and I do love your style tips. I am in California and tried to look up the “Vito” shelf unit at ikea. I would buy that if I could find it.I went to the website and the App but I could not find it. I’m wondering if it’s only available in Canada?
I think it depends on the market. Here in Europe they actually are known for the wood. That’s where you go get simple wooden pieces u want to stain or diy. I feel like a lot of the particle board stuff they produce is just to appeal to a very demographic that actually is looking for that (hence laminated fake wood stuff plus ugly parents style living room over bulky couches)
So just FYI. I bought a couple of bookcases at IKEA and boy am I sorry. I was going to scoot one over and it totally started leaning and falling apart and a Waterford crystal piece that I brought back from Ireland fell off and broke. I will never go cheap on furniture again. Maybe if you are furnishing your first apartment and really don’t have the money, then maybe. .but BEWARE DONT PUT ANY weight on their furniture such as books or God forbid a child crawls up on it !!!
Solid pine for a dining table or coffee table is a bad idea. I had one from Ikea and it was horrible. You can get a dent in it with your finger nail and you cannot clean them with soap without oiling afterwards. It saves money in the long run to get a cheaper one with veneers as it will stay nice around the same time. If solid wood is really the material one aims for in tables or kitchen furniture one should save up and get pieces made of very hard woods like beech, aspen or oak. The dents in them will be a lot smaller and sanding them down is manageable. However sanding down takes more time compared to very soft wood. Still no use of soap or very rarely and oiling regularly. Same with shelving. Pine tends to bend / sag in the middle a lot faster than a hard wood. So wide shelves in pine won’t last very long if there is heavy stuff stored on them. On the downside beech as a wood deteriorates very easy when outside unprotected. If one wants to use solid wood for a piece of furniture it is wise to learn about the properties of the wood and how to care for it properly.
Correction: It’s ‘Havsta’ not ‘Havasta.’ Two syllables, not three. A rare mistake by the (usually) articulate and precise Nick. I’ve heard that Swedish people actually are forgiving about pronunciation, as Nick suggests, but that they’re real sticklers for spelling. And you don’t want to make the Swedes mad. “No meatballs for you!”