Since no one asked, heres my initial stream of consciousness thoughts:
It was well packed. There was one slight superficial crack on the back, but it isnt visible and not structural. So I wasnt too concerned.
Its easy enough to assemble. Like most customer assembled furniture, it goes together with cams and dowels and some non structural screws.
It was pretty easy to go together. A couple screwdrivers should do it. I used Philips for the screws and cams and flathead to tighten down the cams. It took about an hour to get finished. I would consider attaching the back prior to the doors, just to avoid racking during assembly.
Additionally, since its just held together with cams, i would consider using a wood glue or other compatible glue (not white glue) to the dowels to add strength. This means that you will not be able to disassemble it when the glue sets. But it will be far stronger.
The hinges are a little unimpressive. Just stamped plated steel. I may replace them in the future (or just think I really need to replace those every time I walk by. The hinges have no adjustments.
The knobs can be easily swapped out as well.
I know some people have had a bit of trouble with the door alignment. I found that an uneven floor left my doors misaligned. I was able to shim the feet and square it up. If you are gluing the dowels, be sure to do this prior to the glue setting.
The instructions suggest not to use anything but hand tools, and I would agree. There are a good many fasteners, and its tempting to grab a drill with a Philips bit. But, since the piece is constructed of MDF, it would be easy to strip out the pilot holes. If anything, turn the torque all the way down, but I wouldnt do it at all.
I may add a stained and finished hardwood top, just to dress it up.
There is a slight odor, but no more than any other piece of new furniture. If youre sensitive to that kind of thing, wait until you can open your windows. But its been a couple hours and I cant smell a thing.
Overall, its a nice piece. Its not exceptionally sturdy nor weak, but should last long enough to outlive it being in style. Face it: You arent going to be leaving it to your grandkids. I would think that over an extended period, heavy items like books might bend the shelf, since its not well supported.
I would say overall its nice, but perhaps a touch overpriced. Id grade it a B.
Pretty good, not exceptional.
Since no one asked, heres my initial stream of consciousness thoughts: It was well packed. There was one slight superficial crack on the back, but it isnt visible and not structural. So I wasnt too concerned. Its easy enough to assemble. Like most customer assembled furniture, it goes together with cams and dowels and some non structural screws. It was pretty easy to go together. A couple screwdrivers should do it. I used Philips for the screws and cams and flathead to tighten down the cams. It took about an hour to get finished. I would consider attaching the back prior to the doors, just to avoid racking during assembly. Additionally, since its just held together with cams, i would consider using a wood glue or other compatible glue (not white glue) to the dowels to add strength. This means that you will not be able to disassemble it when the glue sets. But it will be far stronger. The hinges are a little unimpressive. Just stamped plated steel. I may replace them in the future (or just think I really need to replace those every time I walk by. The hinges have no adjustments. The knobs can be easily swapped out as well. I know some people have had a bit of trouble with the door alignment. I found that an uneven floor left my doors misaligned. I was able to shim the feet and square it up. If you are gluing the dowels, be sure to do this prior to the glue setting. The instructions suggest not to use anything but hand tools, and I would agree. There are a good many fasteners, and its tempting to grab a drill with a Philips bit. But, since the piece is constructed of MDF, it would be easy to strip out the pilot holes. If anything, turn the torque all the way down, but I wouldnt do it at all. I may add a stained and finished hardwood top, just to dress it up. There is a slight odor, but no more than any other piece of new furniture. If youre sensitive to that kind of thing, wait until you can open your windows. But its been a couple hours and I cant smell a thing. Overall, its a nice piece. Its not exceptionally sturdy nor weak, but should last long enough to outlive it being in style. Face it: You arent going to be leaving it to your grandkids. I would think that over an extended period, heavy items like books might bend the shelf, since its not well supported. I would say overall its nice, but perhaps a touch overpriced. Id grade it a B.