Flat Pack Furniture
IKEA doesn’t have the most spotless reputation — though no major corporation does. There are plenty of reasons you might not enjoy shopping at the Swedish budget furniture store, and we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to. If you like the cost of its goods, the user-friendliness of its flat pack items and its minimalist Scandi style, but you don’t like IKEA itself, you have a handful of other options for affordable, flat pack furniture. IKEA isn’t everything. Here’s the best of the rest.
Kvell Home
Kvell means happy and proud, as you should about the furniture in your home — or so says Kvell Home, a furniture brand focused on simple, functional and attractive pieces. By far, Kvell excels in its storage options, such as the Kube, which looks swell in any space. Kvell also builds storage into other pieces, including its lounge chairs and ottomans, and many of its offerings are collapsible, so you can tuck them away in closets when you don’t need them.
Campaign
The brainchild of an ex-Apple engineer, Campaign not only revolutionizes the way flat pack furniture looks but also how owners use it. Other flat pack furniture is designed to remain put together, but Campaign goods are made for easy disassembly, too, and they can fit in their original packaging for future moves. This reduces waste, as you don’t have to ditch your old furniture and buy new whenever you relocate.
Floyd
Floyd started simple: with a clamp-on metal leg that transforms any flat surface into a table. Now, Floyd has real tables, beds, and shelving — but they remain closely reminiscent of that simple, sleek metal leg. Thanks in large part to the design’s simplicity, Floyd furniture remains easy to assemble and modify, regardless of your DIY-savvy or style.
Burrow
Burrow is the flat pack master of modular furniture, specifically sofas, chairs and ottomans. Even better, this company is devoted to being green, using sustainable wood, chemical-free fabrics and recycled cardboard packaging. Plus, the furniture is filled with nifty features, like hidden USB chargers and reversible cushions.
Hem
The only surviving member of failed E commerce site Fab, Hem is nestled comfortably between affordable mass-market furniture and spendy high design. If you are looking to upgrade from beat-up IKEA goods, Hem offers some attractive options — and you can customize your furniture online, before you buy.
String
If IKEA is a Swedish furniture goliath, String is Swedish David. That’s because String’s products are legally classified as art, or “applied art,” meaning they can provide function to your home. While String might be new to you, it has flourished in Sweden for more than 70 years, so there’s no reason to doubt its quality of materials and service. Because the furniture can be a bit more intricate than your typical flat pack, you might want to use a furniture assembly service, especially if you live in a city with smaller homes like Philly.
Normann Copenhagen
Image Source: Flickr
The goal of Normann Copenhagen is to give city-dwellers options for stylish furniture that they can take home and use immediately. Perhaps the most unique collection in this company’s shop is Ace, which includes eye-catchingly curved chairs, sofas and stools. Though these pieces are priced for the luxury market, they might be a worthwhile upgrade once you’ve grown tired of your dull IKEA design.
Habitat
Image Source: Flickr
In the U.K., Habitat is essentially as monumental as IKEA — but few people know this flat pack furniture brand stateside. In fact, Habitat is largely credited with breathing life into the flat pack market, calling it knock-down furniture at first. Habitat has an extensive catalogue that rivals IKEA’s, so if you can’t find exactly what you want from Sweden, you should try the U.K.
ScS
Image Source: Flickr
Sofa Carpet Specialists might not have a name that immediately screams “attractive, affordable flat pack furniture,” but that’s exactly what the brand does. Tables are perhaps their best flat pack offerings, with eye-catching dining room sets that don’t look like you assembled them yourself. Even better, ScS often has major sales, so you can score big if you don’t underestimate this little-known company.
Tylko
Image Source: Pixabay
Tylko is a Polish company that is highly specialized in the flat pack realm: It only does shelves. However, these shelves come in a variety of modular styles, and you can even modify their designs to suit your needs. You can even use an alternate reality app on your phone to generate an image of the shelf in your desired space, so you can be certain Tylko has exactly what you want.
Greycork
Called a “fresher, more stylish, better-quality version of IKEA,” Greycork started from a successful crowdfunding campaign and is steadily growing toward a furniture phenomenon. Despite having prices comparable to IKEA’s, Greycork has undeniably more attractive offerings, and the flat pack assembly remains as easy as ever.
Flat pack furniture is fashionable and fun, and it is more widely available than ever. IKEA isn’t your only option for convenient design; any of the above brands and manufacturers might even be a better bet.