I love assembling IKEA furniture. For me, it's quite simple and straightforward. Any time I've bought another furniture item that needs assembly (like my boys bunkbeds) that isn't IKEA, I compare which was easier. The single tool concept to me, just makes so much sense.
I kind of enjoy comparing the little assembly tricks different companies use. There is a range, though I lack the engineering mind to pin down a lot of the differences.
@@PhilEdwardsInc One thing I've noticed with IKEA is they seem to keep same types and sizes of screws/fastners/pegs. I'm the weird type who lays out all the parts and pieces on the table and set up an assembly line. Got a new subscriber by the way. Not sure how you ended up on my front page but I like what I've seen so far!
@@PhilEdwardsInc I think it's usually less of an engineering decision and more of a design decision. Like using a single tool is about making sure that it's simple enough to assemble that everyone both has the tools and the skills to assemble it because otherwise they'd be limiting their market.
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@@PhilEdwardsInc I like how much insight into how things are built and what they are built from IKEA offers by making you put it together yourself. I also laugh at those "Do YOU know IKEA tables are made from cardboard?!" articles and videos... Like - yeah, what did you think?
For a long time Ikea has offered something many competitors still can't and that is the ability to get your furniture on the same day. It's not uncommon that other stores will have a waiting period of months on some goods, hardly practical when moving houses. May the algorithm continue to shine upon you this week Phil, dispite your lack of faith.
Yeah, that's a very good point. Heck, you can even look at the website and make sure they have the products you want in stock before you ever go to the store.
@Dr PotatoSalad Any furniture store that doesn't stock more than one display copy of a particular item. Usually, furniture stores function more as showrooms where you pick out what you want, then they deliver it to you from a warehouse.
Being Swedish and working in North America in an IKEA store, the culture shock was definitely real. Ingvar Kamprad was spouted as an ingenious pioneer of business, making things for "the little man", with environmental concerns being at the forefront... and here I am going "Yep, he is definitely just some dude that started just another company".
In my perspective when I first heard of Ikea, I and most people I knew thought it was just some large regional furniture store that sold cheap furniture. We thought it was nice for it's affordability and simplicity in furniture design compared to like Ashley's Homestore, or a RoomsToGo or something. I didn't know people made it a big deal over it's business practice or environmentalism. I guess it's probably something more sensationalized by articles and I don't think the average person here would think that way about it either (if they think anything about it at all); but I do think a lot of people like their style as more "modern" and some tend to apply the "it's foreign/European, so it's special" tag to things lol.
Oh my my, look how it's all a matter of perspective. For someone from USA it just another corporation. For many people from Sweden he might seem good uncle who cares for simple folks and environment. When in fact Ingvar was devoted fascist, and IKEA is constantly striving to comply with the image it is promoting - that of a leading environmentally responsible company preaching "a better everyday life for the many people" philosophy. Mainly because of IKEA’s attitude to developing countries. IKEA has long history of exploiting difference in standards of living, income, legislation, business culture, environmental regulations and general level of corruption in such countries. IKEA likes trading with non-democratic and totalitarian regimes. They sourced wood from communists, and after fall of iron curtain they started same tricks with fallen states like Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and poorest member of EU Romania.
I like it but when I moved out and had to assemble an entire apartment's worth of furniture I must admit I started to get really bored and frustrated. I think it's gonna be at least a year before I go back to IKEA after that.
I've went to my "local" IKEA with my family a couple of times. Either for furniture, the food, or both. I've had my first experience putting together my new desk when I was around 12 (I'm now 18). I found it quite fun, maybe because I loved building with LEGO's and transitioning to IKEA furniture was quite intuitive. I've been doing it since and half of the furniture in my room are from IKEA.
Never thought I'd happen to see my grandfather in one of your videos (Marian Grabinski), he was actually quite close to Ingvar and even designed the MTP line of cabinets which were a modular set of cabinets released in the 60s as a gift to Ingvar and his wife when they were getting married and is featured on ikeas 'History of ikea' page they have. (would have linked it but seems youtube doesn't like me doing that) He can be seen standing furthest back at around 5:50
Having grown up with IKEAs headquarter just around the corner I gotta say you made me feel real proud as a Swede with this short history of IKEA. In Sweden IKEA is for *everybody* , it's so cheap that almost everyone gets their stuff for their first, second and perhaps even third apartment there. I don't know how you look at it on the other side of the world, but I think Ingvar Kamprad would be proud and happy to say that *anyone* can afford to have a beautiful home.
Ugh, the temptation to just buy stuff at IKEA is so strong! I studied industrial design for a short time, and everything looks so pretty and functional! ☺️😅
When I got my first apartment I was able to fit all the furniture I needed into a minivan. Not having to rent a moving truck and just making one trip was so nice!
I went with a couple of friends to a newly opened IKEA and we had a competition "who would spend the least in IKEA" I came home with six coloured plastic beakers but the winner came home with just a jar of lingonberry jam!
@@johncrwarner swedish jam tends to not have too much sugar in it, just enough to preserve things and maybe a bit more especially with jams that are tart like lingonberries where there is basically next to no unnecessary sugar. sure the sweeter jams tends to have more sugar in it than neccesery but in no way close to the american jams.
Do a video about why we don’t have world’s fairs anymore and the legacy of them. I feel like there’s a story there that I’m missing and your production is always succinct yet gives the full breadth of the subject. It’s digestible and palatable yet I feel informed and still sort of like I’ve learned some deep secret at the same time. It’s really great content and I’m sure you would tell this story in an amazing way.
As a Norwegian living in Denmark: IKEA is the furniture for students and people who want something cheap. Many of us enjoy assembling the furniture, but most of us think going to IKEA is exhausting (too big, and too many people).
@Tanja . . . it's like that in the US, too. I've been to an IKEA retailer once, and the aspect that struck me was the difficulty to "backtrack" my steps in the store. In other words, once I found what I was looking for, to reverse course, pay for the item, and leave. It seems that IKEA compels customers to travel the full length of the store to exit the premises.
You bought. One. Thing. At IKEA... You, sir, must have a will of iron. Also growing up in the UK, I never thought of IKEA as design-y or "prestige" - it was just one the cheapest places to get furniture. Enjoying your videos x
Yeah, from the uk too, it's very much seen as a studenty, first time home or as a place to buy furniture if you don't want to pay a lot, also everyone here has at least a few pieces of Ikea furniture or products here.
Ugh, the temptation to just buy stuff at IKEA is so strong! I studied industrial design for a short time, and everything looks so pretty and functional! ☺️😅
Hi Lianna 👋 I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹🌹🌹
@@kawaiilotus similar in germany, the association is with students and i feel it *used* to be kind of looked down at. let him who doesn't own anything from IKEA cast the first stone. actually i only have glasses and coathangers from there.
I’m glad this channel’s finally blown up and getting the views it deserves. Well done sir 🥳 On-topic reply: I like the IKEA building process, went through it a lot with my most recent house move a few years ago. They don’t get enough credit for how clear their instructions are vs half the stuff you get on Amazon.
I had my first experience with IKEA this year, the first one in my country. Honestly I just went for the food. Furniture seems nice. Maybe I'll get to assemble one in the future.
Yes, it's home to the world's largest Ikea store. It's at the SM Mall of Asia, one of the biggest malls in the world. Speaking of, you've got to look into Philippine malls, Phil.
I just found this channel, and it’s my new favorite channel. It feels like I’m watching an individual be able to explore their interest without being stuck exploring one theme or topic or influenced by other peoples vision of what something should be. But with the production value of a major studio.
I personally enjoy that if you want to look at one item before you buy you have to walk past every item sold in the store. I call it the slaughter house sales technic... just have faith in the arrow on the floor and eventually you will reach the inevitable checkout. (I assume this is all locations) Great as always Phil!
Everytime I discover a vox's employee personal channel I feel like I stroke gold. I've been binge watching since yesterday, pretty good stuff! Keep it up
Ikea and the play place has such a permanent impact on my child hood. My parents were broke most of the time so Ikea was like a fun gettaway trip. They look for furniture and have time away from kids. And we watch old Disney movies and jump in the ball pit. And can't forget meatballs after. I love Ikea great informative video as well.
You have really good content here! Vox-style but without all the requests and what you wanna say! It sounds authentic and so entertaining but educational.
Did you see that video by future proof on that $9.99 table? I was watching it yesterday and just today got a notification from this video by coincidence😂😂
I'm surprised to hear that you used to think IKEA as a fancy designer company. I always thought it as a Walmart of furniture. They compete with price, volume, and cost cutting.
@@Piedude345 it used to be a lot better 20-30 years ago, but it might have flipped back around again. I bloody love their sitting/standing raisable electronic desks, at least.
The apartment I have now was furnished by a professional interior designer specializing in custom works for the filthy rich. (No, I can't afford that kind of luxury, she's my sister.) I was shocked when she took me to IKEA to do the bulk of the shopping but she was adamant that some of the stuff they sold there was just as good as the expensive prestigious brand items she used for her paying clients. And it turned out she was absolutely right.
Same I always thought of them as lower quality stuff. I have friends who put ikea cabinets in their kitchen. I never had the heart to tell them how bad they looked, but they also didn't do so great at any of the other remodeling either so I might just be bias from watching people fail at assembly
Huge fan of Ikea. A lot of the stuff I've gotten from them has lasted years, and is cheaper than similar designed (but lower quality) stuff from Target/Walmart.
These videos are just the perfect length. Right around 10 minutes is enough to get in depth on the key points, but it's not dragging it out to where it feels like watching a full TV episode .
A while ago I lived near an IKEA. I had a very stressful but high-paid job. I used to buy stuff to assemble as a form of therapy and then donate it to charity shops aka thrift stores to make way for the next project. It was cheaper than counseling!
I love these quirky videos. I appreciate that you take a serious documentary approach on something that influences our daily life, but isn't this big existential thing all the time. 👏👏👏 And the exact right amount of self-deprecation and observational humor 👌
Absolutely loving the content! Love having wonderful creators do the hard work for me so I can look at friends and family and say “well did you know” 😂 thank you!
Ikea's flatpack strategy is genius; Not only does it save space and is more eco-friendly due to less cardboard being used, quote on quote building it yourself also leads you to like that furniture piece more than if you just bought it complete, since you had to put your precious energy and time into it, you don't want those to go to waste. This applies even to people who don't like the assembling part, and even more to people who do like it (such as myself).
I actually went to IKEA today. I love building the furniture, I love spending most of a day walking about the huge store checking out every seat and trying to pronounce all the item names [emphasis on trying], I love stopping at the restaurant. People in my country sometimes look down on IKEA furniture because it's relatively cheap, but their stuff actually holds up amazingly well. I have pieces of furniture from there that I bought when they first opened a store in my country - 2001
Thanks for the IKEA video. I also enjoy assembling IKEA furniture. I find the prices to encompass a wide range. It is possible to pay a lot for a piece. But's also possible to get a similar item very inexpensively. I like that they have the concept of collections with names. There's something about a "collection" that might make somebody want to buy at least one of every item in the collection, they way their collection is complete. I got a nice standing desk and a couple metal drawer sets which I think should last a long time. Also, I got a shelf with sliding cabinet doors. My wife observed that their designs are very good for helping you make good use of small or oddly shaped spaces. There is also a certain esthetic their designs exhibit, which I think is why people think of them as "designy."
Amazing as always Phil. It’s incredible to watch your numbers going up so quickly. You deserve every bit of the success you’re having right now. How exciting!?!?!
I love putting furniture together as it makes me feel like I’m putting my house or my room together by myself, it also makes moving or if you’re simply throwing thy piece of furniture away really easy. The only thing I don’t like is when you put something together and it’s cheaply made and the materials are bad.
I'm wondering how else you get your furniture in the US if you are not into self-assembly? In Germany basically, all affordable furniture is to self assemble, no matter if it's from IKEA or not. However, Ikea usually has the best and easiest to understand assembly guide. Also, the things they sell are of higher quality compared to other shops of the approximately same price. And from my place, it's just a 20 minute walk to a (or more) free cup(s) of coffee. 😉
Some stores deliver whole furniture to you and most stores deliver self assembly but it’s less parts to assemble. For example, a bed frame from another store I ordered from I did have to put parts together but it was much less parts and way easier to assemble than ikea. But ikea ends up having smaller packaging for this reason
Hey, just wanted to say thank you for putting out these videos. They're well-made, thoughtful, and feature a unique style that avoids a lot of video essay genre pitfalls. Have you ever read any Uncle John's Bathroom Reader? They had longer articles/stories in their pages, with topics ranging from the production of Spanish-language version Dracula to the story behind Murphy's Law. I read them religiously growing up. Your videos fill the same sweet spot as those books, helping a person understand more, connecting very strange dots, big and small, to a fuller picture of our world. It's also been really inspiring to see you go (I'm assuming) independent, and it's frigging awesome how your channel's subscriber number's exploded in growth these last few months. Congratulations. Anyway man, wish you well, and keep up the amazing work. Cheers!
Definitely know Uncle Johns! Thanks for the nice words - this is still a side project for me but it’s gotten really cool lately to get the algorithm’s love.
Just came across this channel. Truly fantastic job. This is what I think majority of all docu series tries to be. You're genuine and deliver information in a energetic but relaxed way. Thank you!
Great video Phil! I'm from Småland so it was quite unusual to see this kind of video about something so close to me. Your pronunciation was excellent! Thanks.
IKEA is truly the place to go when you just moved into a new place, especially when you're on a budget and a small space, it's because they often advertise it to be so. At first before I actually shopped at IKEA I always assume they are some fancy furniture store, but when I finally went there years later I realise they are relatively cheaper also because the furniture have simple designs. You dont have too many choices that makes it difficult for you to make a decision. The quality of material is obviously subpar, but you dont really care because it does its job, it looks nice and would last years, and on top of that at a relatively low price. Not to mention you can shop a little at a time bring furniture home on the same day. I remember I had the 60cm wide bookshelf and I carried it all the way home on a bus. It wouldn't have been possible if kot for the flat design and also not possible if it was made of solid wood planks because it would've been too heavy. There's that joy and sense of accomplishment assembling it, but also because you assemble it for people who dont often get to built stuff, you get to learn how these furniture's are built and you'd more likely know what went wrong and how to fix when the furniture isnt functioning like it's supposed to.
To flat pack it. Also you can break down the furniture to move it more easily. When creating self assembly furniture you have to consider it's strength. Your competition is actual carpentry joints that are very strong. I've seen shelves made in Mexico that were cheaper and extremely poor construction, broken from the get go, and everything is held together by drywall screws. A small upgrade of using dowel machine screws, better wood, and more precise drilling where the pieces screw together mean that the furniture will be able to be assembled quickly and not as likely to break. Ikea-esqe furniture (most furniture sold on Wayfair is now designed like this) can also break down just as fast as it was assembled to move or sell to someone else. You can assemble IKEA furniture faster with a hex drill bit with a slip clutch that you can adjust the max torque. I think at this point everyone should own a battery drill.
Hey Phil, this is the 2nd video I've watched of yours (just watched this and the running track videos back to back), and I'm already wanting to subscribe. Your videos have a Vox vibe in terms of information quality and presentation, but even more personal and fueled by your own curiosity. Thanks for the great content. Look forward to future videos and digging into what you've already got on your channel!
As a Dutchman - one of the most surprising things I learned in my business undergrad studies was that IKEA may look very Swedish; but with their current corporate structure they are very, very Dutch
@@triciac.5078 In a nutshell: IKEA nowadays is not one company legally speaking, but rather a whole collection of different companies (some owning the stores, some managing the supply chain etc.). All of these companies are owned by a number of IKEA holding companies that are located in the Netherlands nowadays. That is where their headquarters are and where the board meets. Why this complicated structure? Unfortunately it was largely to evade tax payments...
@@max-de-boer that sounds like American more than anything :) I’ve been trying to explain to a coworker that even though our company is worldwide, we can’t actually work worldwide if our job is based in America. Your job needs to be transferred to our international version of our company if you want to work outside of the USA. And your chances of that are less than zero. Cuz corporate sucks. We’ve lost good people because their spouse was transferred internationally and the company wouldn’t move their job to the international version.
Wow your pentagon video really helped your channel. a boost of 30K subs in a matter of a few days is great to see!. I'm glad i stumbled across your channel you'll fit right into the rest of my video queue
I have no idea who this is, and they didnt just pip up in my recommendations. This is the only channel I can see now. I refresh and it just shuffles the videos. This man is the only channel I can load now. Other videos are just buffering for ever. TH-cam has a gun to my head telling me to watch you.
@@PhilEdwardsInc I was outside climbing to sunfish pond in the Appalachians with snow spikes to strain for when I go hiking in the Greenland portion of the greater Appalachian range in a few years. I'm exhausted and hurting like hell. And it gives me more Appalachian trail history. Train not strain
Very interesting. Thanks! PS: Love the approach you take to your videos. Cleverly put together, good audio (always a must), nice cuts, excellent script! But, again, I learned a lot about IKEA. There is a much more fascinating history there than I originally thought.
You keep this up... And you might very well be the first journalist left out of my "last will and testament." Because at the moment.... my family has been instructed to throw my cremated ashes in the eyes of every journalist they can find. Really been enjoying your stories
Wow. I would have never have guessed that I would be hyped about the history of Ikea. Good editing and timing can really work magic, can't it. I hope someday I can make videos with this kind of quality. But for now I'll just have to enjoy your videos :)
I love assembling furniture, but some people simply can't stand it, and I get that. Also, if y'all are sick of hex keys, you can always uses a star bit in a drill (if you don't have a hex bit.)
Even with the times, i did mess up i actually love the feeling when i assemble the furniture myself, i don't know why, just seing something useful pop up out of my own 2 hands it's insanely gratifying. I think its similar with building your own PC.
I love IIKEA. It's amazing all the ways they came up to save money. No words in the instructions means no cost to translate into different languages. No coloring on the flat packs and all the packaging can be recycled.
As a swede in the diaspora (Australia) i don't care much about the furniture. It's all about getting some food from home at a decent price, so that you can forget the fact that you haven't been back to the home country for years. I wouldn't mind if they put the embassy in an Ikea so that I could renew my passport and get lingonberries at the same time.
At least for China, my mom use to help IKEA import their stuff in the 90s. It use to be fully assembled furniture. The custom at the Chinese Shanghai port decides that they will tax 200% import tax on these stuff as they see them as luxury items. IKEA found my mom's logistic company and start working on how to deal with these by giving them the idea that it is best to take them apart and import them into China. Since they are categorized as parts, their tax is only around 20%.
Ikea Furniture has the best instructions, and the Ikea Allen Wrenches are iconic and double as Philips screwdrivers. I had an Ikea desk as a teenager. Got rid of it despite having a lot of life in it left. The quality is superior to most other flatpack furniture brands, and Ikea instructions are language agnostic, so even children can assemble Ikea furniture given they are strong enough to handle it. A 3-year-old can put together a lack end table.
Wow I have an original Billy bookcase still - at least from the 90s. It's basement furniture that stores my vintage computer spares, but those things survived like 5-6 college and 20s moves lol. They're still fairly solid!
About to buy some IKEA stuff in the near future with my father, counting down the days when you release a new video and - boom! The next video is about IKEA. Perfect! :D
This actually reminds me of a video done by "future proof" on TH-cam They do videos on economics and behavioural psychology And they're around the same sub count as you phil So you guys could potentially collab ??? Would be so cool to see that happen!!
I love assembling IKEA furniture. For me, it's quite simple and straightforward. Any time I've bought another furniture item that needs assembly (like my boys bunkbeds) that isn't IKEA, I compare which was easier. The single tool concept to me, just makes so much sense.
I kind of enjoy comparing the little assembly tricks different companies use. There is a range, though I lack the engineering mind to pin down a lot of the differences.
@@PhilEdwardsInc One thing I've noticed with IKEA is they seem to keep same types and sizes of screws/fastners/pegs. I'm the weird type who lays out all the parts and pieces on the table and set up an assembly line. Got a new subscriber by the way. Not sure how you ended up on my front page but I like what I've seen so far!
@@PhilEdwardsInc I think it's usually less of an engineering decision and more of a design decision. Like using a single tool is about making sure that it's simple enough to assemble that everyone both has the tools and the skills to assemble it because otherwise they'd be limiting their market.
@@PhilEdwardsInc I like how much insight into how things are built and what they are built from IKEA offers by making you put it together yourself. I also laugh at those "Do YOU know IKEA tables are made from cardboard?!" articles and videos... Like - yeah, what did you think?
It makes me feel smart 🙃
For a long time Ikea has offered something many competitors still can't and that is the ability to get your furniture on the same day. It's not uncommon that other stores will have a waiting period of months on some goods, hardly practical when moving houses.
May the algorithm continue to shine upon you this week Phil, dispite your lack of faith.
Yeah, that's a very good point. Heck, you can even look at the website and make sure they have the products you want in stock before you ever go to the store.
@Dr PotatoSalad Any furniture store that doesn't stock more than one display copy of a particular item. Usually, furniture stores function more as showrooms where you pick out what you want, then they deliver it to you from a warehouse.
Being Swedish and working in North America in an IKEA store, the culture shock was definitely real. Ingvar Kamprad was spouted as an ingenious pioneer of business, making things for "the little man", with environmental concerns being at the forefront... and here I am going "Yep, he is definitely just some dude that started just another company".
In my perspective when I first heard of Ikea, I and most people I knew thought it was just some large regional furniture store that sold cheap furniture. We thought it was nice for it's affordability and simplicity in furniture design compared to like Ashley's Homestore, or a RoomsToGo or something. I didn't know people made it a big deal over it's business practice or environmentalism. I guess it's probably something more sensationalized by articles and I don't think the average person here would think that way about it either (if they think anything about it at all); but I do think a lot of people like their style as more "modern" and some tend to apply the "it's foreign/European, so it's special" tag to things lol.
Oh my my, look how it's all a matter of perspective. For someone from USA it just another corporation. For many people from Sweden he might seem good uncle who cares for simple folks and environment. When in fact Ingvar was devoted fascist, and IKEA is constantly striving to comply with the image it is promoting - that of a leading environmentally responsible company preaching "a better everyday life for the many people" philosophy. Mainly because of IKEA’s attitude to developing countries. IKEA has long history of exploiting difference in standards of living, income, legislation, business culture, environmental regulations and general level of corruption in such countries. IKEA likes trading with non-democratic and totalitarian regimes. They sourced wood from communists, and after fall of iron curtain they started same tricks with fallen states like Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and poorest member of EU Romania.
@@tomaszprzetacznik7802 Guy. I am the Swede, who was working in Canada, hearing Canadians talk about Ingvar as a goody-two-shoes.
"in North America in an IKEA store"
That have got to be an absolutely *enormous* IKEA store, with North America fitting inside of it.
IKEA has the best ideas
I think I'm part of the minority who really enjoy putting together their furniture.
I am normally with you actually - but I did a dresser once that took forever…
I agree too, it brings out my inner child, it's got the vibes of spending Christmas building a Lego set when I was a kid
@@robertkraszewski9533 ikea is the adult lego 😅😂
@@HarjaapSingh nope Lego is the adult lego it's not just kids products it's an everyone product
I like it but when I moved out and had to assemble an entire apartment's worth of furniture I must admit I started to get really bored and frustrated. I think it's gonna be at least a year before I go back to IKEA after that.
I've went to my "local" IKEA with my family a couple of times. Either for furniture, the food, or both. I've had my first experience putting together my new desk when I was around 12 (I'm now 18). I found it quite fun, maybe because I loved building with LEGO's and transitioning to IKEA furniture was quite intuitive. I've been doing it since and half of the furniture in my room are from IKEA.
Of course, the danish had the idea of putting together their own toys, and the swedish had the idea of putting together their furniture
@@Helperbot-2000 scandinavian ingenuity baby
And now IKEA has a collaboration with Lego, the Bygglek line.
Never thought I'd happen to see my grandfather in one of your videos (Marian Grabinski), he was actually quite close to Ingvar and even designed the MTP line of cabinets which were a modular set of cabinets released in the 60s as a gift to Ingvar and his wife when they were getting married and is featured on ikeas 'History of ikea' page they have. (would have linked it but seems youtube doesn't like me doing that)
He can be seen standing furthest back at around 5:50
Whoa cool!
Having grown up with IKEAs headquarter just around the corner I gotta say you made me feel real proud as a Swede with this short history of IKEA. In Sweden IKEA is for *everybody* , it's so cheap that almost everyone gets their stuff for their first, second and perhaps even third apartment there. I don't know how you look at it on the other side of the world, but I think Ingvar Kamprad would be proud and happy to say that *anyone* can afford to have a beautiful home.
Ugh, the temptation to just buy stuff at IKEA is so strong! I studied industrial design for a short time, and everything looks so pretty and functional! ☺️😅
When I got my first apartment I was able to fit all the furniture I needed into a minivan. Not having to rent a moving truck and just making one trip was so nice!
I went with a couple of friends
to a newly opened IKEA
and we had a competition
"who would spend the least in IKEA"
I came home with six coloured plastic beakers
but the winner came home with just a jar of lingonberry jam!
The fact that you didn’t grab some lingonberry jam astonishes me
I assume you had some at home then
@@JGHFunRun
I have to avoid too much sugar
so I rarely if ever have jam in the house.
I did need the beakers though.
Go home with one blue IKEA bag.
@@johncrwarner swedish jam tends to not have too much sugar in it, just enough to preserve things and maybe a bit more especially with jams that are tart like lingonberries where there is basically next to no unnecessary sugar.
sure the sweeter jams tends to have more sugar in it than neccesery but in no way close to the american jams.
How did it taste?
Do a video about why we don’t have world’s fairs anymore and the legacy of them. I feel like there’s a story there that I’m missing and your production is always succinct yet gives the full breadth of the subject. It’s digestible and palatable yet I feel informed and still sort of like I’ve learned some deep secret at the same time. It’s really great content and I’m sure you would tell this story in an amazing way.
That’s a good idea!
@@PhilEdwardsInc Any follow up to this. I'm excited to watch it.
What do you mean exactly by "we don’t have world’s fairs anymore"? There was one in 2021 (Expo 2020), and there is going to be another one in 2025.
As a Norwegian living in Denmark: IKEA is the furniture for students and people who want something cheap. Many of us enjoy assembling the furniture, but most of us think going to IKEA is exhausting (too big, and too many people).
Spot on!😂👌🏻
Yeah I think that's pretty universal
@Tanja . . . it's like that in the US, too. I've been to an IKEA retailer once, and the aspect that struck me was the difficulty to "backtrack" my steps in the store. In other words, once I found what I was looking for, to reverse course, pay for the item, and leave.
It seems that IKEA compels customers to travel the full length of the store to exit the premises.
Same here in Indonesia. One day I went to IKEA and I can barely move, too crowded.
My swedish friends joke that you're better off just buying IKEA stuff secondhand because of how much IKEA furniture there is in Sweden.
You bought. One. Thing. At IKEA... You, sir, must have a will of iron. Also growing up in the UK, I never thought of IKEA as design-y or "prestige" - it was just one the cheapest places to get furniture. Enjoying your videos x
(I secretly bought some drawers for a Kallax and some cookies.)
Yeah, from the uk too, it's very much seen as a studenty, first time home or as a place to buy furniture if you don't want to pay a lot, also everyone here has at least a few pieces of Ikea furniture or products here.
Ugh, the temptation to just buy stuff at IKEA is so strong! I studied industrial design for a short time, and everything looks so pretty and functional! ☺️😅
Hi Lianna 👋 I hope my comment didn't sound as a form of privacy invasion your comment tells of a wonderful woman with a beautiful heart which led me to comment I don't normally write in the comment section but I think you deserve this complement. If you don’t mind can we be friends? Thanks God bless you….🌹🌹🌹🌹
@@kawaiilotus similar in germany, the association is with students and i feel it *used* to be kind of looked down at.
let him who doesn't own anything from IKEA cast the first stone.
actually i only have glasses and coathangers from there.
I’m glad this channel’s finally blown up and getting the views it deserves. Well done sir 🥳
On-topic reply: I like the IKEA building process, went through it a lot with my most recent house move a few years ago. They don’t get enough credit for how clear their instructions are vs half the stuff you get on Amazon.
How crazy is it that Gary Oldman is down to earth enough to assemble his own IKEA furniture? What an awesome guy!
Best comment here! Hahah
If Gary Oldman was a type of furniture, Phil would be the version of that which you get from IKEA.
I had my first experience with IKEA this year, the first one in my country. Honestly I just went for the food. Furniture seems nice. Maybe I'll get to assemble one in the future.
lemme guess, philippines?
I was about to say PH aswell lol
Philippines
Yes, it's home to the world's largest Ikea store. It's at the SM Mall of Asia, one of the biggest malls in the world.
Speaking of, you've got to look into Philippine malls, Phil.
Ikea in my country also servers nice meat balls hahahaha..
I just found this channel, and it’s my new favorite channel. It feels like I’m watching an individual be able to explore their interest without being stuck exploring one theme or topic or influenced by other peoples vision of what something should be. But with the production value of a major studio.
I personally enjoy that if you want to look at one item before you buy you have to walk past every item sold in the store. I call it the slaughter house sales technic... just have faith in the arrow on the floor and eventually you will reach the inevitable checkout. (I assume this is all locations) Great as always Phil!
not location 3008 unfortunally
Everytime I discover a vox's employee personal channel I feel like I stroke gold. I've been binge watching since yesterday, pretty good stuff! Keep it up
Ikea and the play place has such a permanent impact on my child hood. My parents were broke most of the time so Ikea was like a fun gettaway trip. They look for furniture and have time away from kids. And we watch old Disney movies and jump in the ball pit. And can't forget meatballs after. I love Ikea great informative video as well.
You have really good content here! Vox-style but without all the requests and what you wanna say! It sounds authentic and so entertaining but educational.
I was just on an ikea binge on TH-cam and you just released this video, almost perfect timing
Did you see that video by future proof on that $9.99 table?
I was watching it yesterday and just today got a notification from this video by coincidence😂😂
@@HarjaapSingh yeah I had just watched it, it was so good
@@robertkraszewski9533 I'd love to see a future proof x phil edwards collab if it ever happens
I'm surprised to hear that you used to think IKEA as a fancy designer company. I always thought it as a Walmart of furniture. They compete with price, volume, and cost cutting.
Honestly the quality of ikea furniture that ive gotten recently seems to be a lot better than what i got 15 years ago
@@Piedude345 it used to be a lot better 20-30 years ago, but it might have flipped back around again. I bloody love their sitting/standing raisable electronic desks, at least.
The apartment I have now was furnished by a professional interior designer specializing in custom works for the filthy rich. (No, I can't afford that kind of luxury, she's my sister.) I was shocked when she took me to IKEA to do the bulk of the shopping but she was adamant that some of the stuff they sold there was just as good as the expensive prestigious brand items she used for her paying clients. And it turned out she was absolutely right.
IKEA from my experience is hit and miss. I have bought some really good quality stuff and some terrible quality stuff too.
Same I always thought of them as lower quality stuff. I have friends who put ikea cabinets in their kitchen. I never had the heart to tell them how bad they looked, but they also didn't do so great at any of the other remodeling either so I might just be bias from watching people fail at assembly
Just found this channel 3 hours ago and lo and behold - a new upload. Criminally underrated guy
Huge fan of Ikea. A lot of the stuff I've gotten from them has lasted years, and is cheaper than similar designed (but lower quality) stuff from Target/Walmart.
Youre gonna be big very soon. keep these videos pumping!
These videos are just the perfect length. Right around 10 minutes is enough to get in depth on the key points, but it's not dragging it out to where it feels like watching a full TV episode .
Hey Phil! Loved all your Vox videos and Im so glad to stumble upon your personal channel! Thoroughly enjoying binge watching them 🙌
A while ago I lived near an IKEA. I had a very stressful but high-paid job. I used to buy stuff to assemble as a form of therapy and then donate it to charity shops aka thrift stores to make way for the next project. It was cheaper than counseling!
I love Ikea because the designs are simple sleek and consistent, I get to build it myself, and it's accessible to almost any budget.
I love these quirky videos. I appreciate that you take a serious documentary approach on something that influences our daily life, but isn't this big existential thing all the time. 👏👏👏
And the exact right amount of self-deprecation and observational humor 👌
Absolutely loving the content! Love having wonderful creators do the hard work for me so I can look at friends and family and say “well did you know” 😂 thank you!
Your presentation is amazing. I love the little bits of humor is refreshing. Great work!! This is my second video, I will be watching more!
Ikea's flatpack strategy is genius; Not only does it save space and is more eco-friendly due to less cardboard being used, quote on quote building it yourself also leads you to like that furniture piece more than if you just bought it complete, since you had to put your precious energy and time into it, you don't want those to go to waste. This applies even to people who don't like the assembling part, and even more to people who do like it (such as myself).
I just came back from the largest IKEA in the world here in the Philippines and your video popped out. Love it.
Love your channel. Videos are sooooo well made. A lot to learn from your information and your editing. Keep us your amazing work!
Yep, the IKEA effect is a bonus and flat packed furniture is a great unlock for logistics and manufacturing.
I actually went to IKEA today. I love building the furniture, I love spending most of a day walking about the huge store checking out every seat and trying to pronounce all the item names [emphasis on trying], I love stopping at the restaurant. People in my country sometimes look down on IKEA furniture because it's relatively cheap, but their stuff actually holds up amazingly well. I have pieces of furniture from there that I bought when they first opened a store in my country - 2001
This channel is amazing! Big fan of the work you do :)
Is rather fun to see the set change and grow with each video. Like putting up tourist postcards on the fridge from places you have been to.
man I love this channel, de design the music the vibe you give, you are awesome, keep growing and don't stop
Thanks for the IKEA video. I also enjoy assembling IKEA furniture. I find the prices to encompass a wide range. It is possible to pay a lot for a piece. But's also possible to get a similar item very inexpensively. I like that they have the concept of collections with names. There's something about a "collection" that might make somebody want to buy at least one of every item in the collection, they way their collection is complete. I got a nice standing desk and a couple metal drawer sets which I think should last a long time. Also, I got a shelf with sliding cabinet doors. My wife observed that their designs are very good for helping you make good use of small or oddly shaped spaces. There is also a certain esthetic their designs exhibit, which I think is why people think of them as "designy."
Amazing as always Phil. It’s incredible to watch your numbers going up so quickly. You deserve every bit of the success you’re having right now. How exciting!?!?!
thanks jon!
I love putting furniture together as it makes me feel like I’m putting my house or my room together by myself, it also makes moving or if you’re simply throwing thy piece of furniture away really easy. The only thing I don’t like is when you put something together and it’s cheaply made and the materials are bad.
I'm wondering how else you get your furniture in the US if you are not into self-assembly? In Germany basically, all affordable furniture is to self assemble, no matter if it's from IKEA or not. However, Ikea usually has the best and easiest to understand assembly guide. Also, the things they sell are of higher quality compared to other shops of the approximately same price. And from my place, it's just a 20 minute walk to a (or more) free cup(s) of coffee. 😉
Some stores deliver whole furniture to you and most stores deliver self assembly but it’s less parts to assemble. For example, a bed frame from another store I ordered from I did have to put parts together but it was much less parts and way easier to assemble than ikea. But ikea ends up having smaller packaging for this reason
Hey, just wanted to say thank you for putting out these videos. They're well-made, thoughtful, and feature a unique style that avoids a lot of video essay genre pitfalls. Have you ever read any Uncle John's Bathroom Reader? They had longer articles/stories in their pages, with topics ranging from the production of Spanish-language version Dracula to the story behind Murphy's Law. I read them religiously growing up. Your videos fill the same sweet spot as those books, helping a person understand more, connecting very strange dots, big and small, to a fuller picture of our world.
It's also been really inspiring to see you go (I'm assuming) independent, and it's frigging awesome how your channel's subscriber number's exploded in growth these last few months. Congratulations. Anyway man, wish you well, and keep up the amazing work. Cheers!
Definitely know Uncle Johns! Thanks for the nice words - this is still a side project for me but it’s gotten really cool lately to get the algorithm’s love.
Just came across this channel. Truly fantastic job. This is what I think majority of all docu series tries to be. You're genuine and deliver information in a energetic but relaxed way. Thank you!
Appreciate it!
Top notch video quality, you are so underrated, I look forward to see you reach 1 million subscribers!
Great video Phil! I'm from Småland so it was quite unusual to see this kind of video about something so close to me. Your pronunciation was excellent! Thanks.
I love that i found this channel yesterday and you are still pumping videos!!!
Keep the motivation up and take some time for yourself💯
I love IKEA! Its products are modularly designed, of great quality, decently priced, and yes, I do love assembling them!
IKEA is truly the place to go when you just moved into a new place, especially when you're on a budget and a small space, it's because they often advertise it to be so.
At first before I actually shopped at IKEA I always assume they are some fancy furniture store, but when I finally went there years later I realise they are relatively cheaper also because the furniture have simple designs. You dont have too many choices that makes it difficult for you to make a decision. The quality of material is obviously subpar, but you dont really care because it does its job, it looks nice and would last years, and on top of that at a relatively low price. Not to mention you can shop a little at a time bring furniture home on the same day. I remember I had the 60cm wide bookshelf and I carried it all the way home on a bus. It wouldn't have been possible if kot for the flat design and also not possible if it was made of solid wood planks because it would've been too heavy.
There's that joy and sense of accomplishment assembling it, but also because you assemble it for people who dont often get to built stuff, you get to learn how these furniture's are built and you'd more likely know what went wrong and how to fix when the furniture isnt functioning like it's supposed to.
So hyped that you have an independent channel now. You deserve all the rewards of your hard work and success!
To flat pack it. Also you can break down the furniture to move it more easily. When creating self assembly furniture you have to consider it's strength. Your competition is actual carpentry joints that are very strong. I've seen shelves made in Mexico that were cheaper and extremely poor construction, broken from the get go, and everything is held together by drywall screws. A small upgrade of using dowel machine screws, better wood, and more precise drilling where the pieces screw together mean that the furniture will be able to be assembled quickly and not as likely to break. Ikea-esqe furniture (most furniture sold on Wayfair is now designed like this) can also break down just as fast as it was assembled to move or sell to someone else. You can assemble IKEA furniture faster with a hex drill bit with a slip clutch that you can adjust the max torque. I think at this point everyone should own a battery drill.
👆👆 This is it.
Couldn't have said it better.
5:17 now that, that is an EPIC metaphor
You're videos are amazing man
So underrated
Having spent my Sunday assembling two Billies and a Malm, I find the timing of this video serendipitous! :D
Hey Phil, this is the 2nd video I've watched of yours (just watched this and the running track videos back to back), and I'm already wanting to subscribe. Your videos have a Vox vibe in terms of information quality and presentation, but even more personal and fueled by your own curiosity. Thanks for the great content. Look forward to future videos and digging into what you've already got on your channel!
As a Dutchman - one of the most surprising things I learned in my business undergrad studies was that IKEA may look very Swedish; but with their current corporate structure they are very, very Dutch
What do you mean by this? In that, what are Swedish and Dutch corporate structures (first) and how is IKEA’s more Dutch than Swedish?
@@triciac.5078 In a nutshell: IKEA nowadays is not one company legally speaking, but rather a whole collection of different companies (some owning the stores, some managing the supply chain etc.). All of these companies are owned by a number of IKEA holding companies that are located in the Netherlands nowadays. That is where their headquarters are and where the board meets.
Why this complicated structure? Unfortunately it was largely to evade tax payments...
@@max-de-boer that sounds like American more than anything :) I’ve been trying to explain to a coworker that even though our company is worldwide, we can’t actually work worldwide if our job is based in America. Your job needs to be transferred to our international version of our company if you want to work outside of the USA. And your chances of that are less than zero. Cuz corporate sucks. We’ve lost good people because their spouse was transferred internationally and the company wouldn’t move their job to the international version.
Wow your pentagon video really helped your channel. a boost of 30K subs in a matter of a few days is great to see!. I'm glad i stumbled across your channel you'll fit right into the rest of my video queue
I have no idea who this is, and they didnt just pip up in my recommendations. This is the only channel I can see now. I refresh and it just shuffles the videos. This man is the only channel I can load now. Other videos are just buffering for ever. TH-cam has a gun to my head telling me to watch you.
Maybe if you go outside and take a nice walk it’ll get the idea.
@@PhilEdwardsInc I was outside climbing to sunfish pond in the Appalachians with snow spikes to strain for when I go hiking in the Greenland portion of the greater Appalachian range in a few years. I'm exhausted and hurting like hell. And it gives me more Appalachian trail history.
Train not strain
You can tell this man is a genuine dude
best personal channel that personally talks about personal stuff personally
this is a personal comment i'm personally leaving (accept no impersonal impersonations)
Very interesting. Thanks! PS: Love the approach you take to your videos. Cleverly put together, good audio (always a must), nice cuts, excellent script! But, again, I learned a lot about IKEA. There is a much more fascinating history there than I originally thought.
You keep this up... And you might very well be the first journalist left out of my "last will and testament."
Because at the moment.... my family has been instructed to throw my cremated ashes in the eyes of every journalist they can find.
Really been enjoying your stories
Wow. I would have never have guessed that I would be hyped about the history of Ikea. Good editing and timing can really work magic, can't it.
I hope someday I can make videos with this kind of quality. But for now I'll just have to enjoy your videos :)
Where there's a will, there's a way.
I subscribe, not really because of the content(don't get me wrong, I like it), but because of who you are, keep this up, thank you for being you!
HE'S BACK AT IT AGAINNNNNN
ur channel is SUPER underrated!! thrilled to be here before 100k 🥰
Some of my favourite vox videos are the ones featuring you so as soon as I saw you had your own channel I had to subscribe love the work man
I'm actually ordering IKEA kitchen cabinets and furniture right now and this video popped up in my notifications 😮
You're really good at this Phil. Love the vids.
I really enjoy your editing and filmmaking, it's really quite satisfying
Just found your content. I love your stuff!
Love the vid Phil ! I see a bright future with these contents
I love assembling furniture, but some people simply can't stand it, and I get that. Also, if y'all are sick of hex keys, you can always uses a star bit in a drill (if you don't have a hex bit.)
Even with the times, i did mess up i actually love the feeling when i assemble the furniture myself, i don't know why, just seing something useful pop up out of my own 2 hands it's insanely gratifying. I think its similar with building your own PC.
I love IIKEA. It's amazing all the ways they came up to save money. No words in the instructions means no cost to translate into different languages. No coloring on the flat packs and all the packaging can be recycled.
Yo Phil just for the record I was here since you had like 700-800 subs haha. I'm so happy for you. Good video like always.
I appreciate it!
As a swede in the diaspora (Australia) i don't care much about the furniture. It's all about getting some food from home at a decent price, so that you can forget the fact that you haven't been back to the home country for years.
I wouldn't mind if they put the embassy in an Ikea so that I could renew my passport and get lingonberries at the same time.
This channel is criminally underrated.
At least for China, my mom use to help IKEA import their stuff in the 90s. It use to be fully assembled furniture. The custom at the Chinese Shanghai port decides that they will tax 200% import tax on these stuff as they see them as luxury items. IKEA found my mom's logistic company and start working on how to deal with these by giving them the idea that it is best to take them apart and import them into China. Since they are categorized as parts, their tax is only around 20%.
Interesting!
You appreciate something a lot more that you put together yourself
Man, this channel is like Rare Earth but for anything and everything under the sun.
very glad to see you blowing up x
Excellent Video.
I also saw somewhere that people feel attached to things they build and Ikea knows that.
I love these mini-documentries/deep dives
Just discovered your videos. Such high quality with so many more subs deserved. Love it!
Ikea Furniture has the best instructions, and the Ikea Allen Wrenches are iconic and double as Philips screwdrivers. I had an Ikea desk as a teenager. Got rid of it despite having a lot of life in it left. The quality is superior to most other flatpack furniture brands, and Ikea instructions are language agnostic, so even children can assemble Ikea furniture given they are strong enough to handle it. A 3-year-old can put together a lack end table.
These mini documentaries are great it’s surprising how little subscribers you have
Wow I have an original Billy bookcase still - at least from the 90s. It's basement furniture that stores my vintage computer spares, but those things survived like 5-6 college and 20s moves lol. They're still fairly solid!
About to buy some IKEA stuff in the near future with my father, counting down the days when you release a new video and - boom! The next video is about IKEA. Perfect! :D
This a a really good edited video! I normally don’t watch these kinds of things, but for channels like this… it makes it interesting 😁👏
Another great video, Phil!
It's also cool watching your channel grow so quickly!
You're channel is growing fast Phil, last week was 46k and now it's 99.3k
Almost forgot to watch this one. Once again great storytelling.
This actually reminds me of a video done by "future proof" on TH-cam
They do videos on economics and behavioural psychology
And they're around the same sub count as you phil
So you guys could potentially collab ???
Would be so cool to see that happen!!
I love the “furniture dorks” label above the people standing behind the IKEA dragon.
I knew a neighbor who would always go to ikea once a week for the free kid meal
Congratulations on 100K subscribers!
You make really good vids, please keep it up