KMART 3 Drawer Chest (Grey)

This chest of drawers is not only cheap, but also sturdy, spacious and good looking. It's also very easy to assemble. 

I have two of these in my home office and they perfectly fit with my office's Skandi style. The frame is made of metal, the top is bamboo and the collapsible drawers are fabric-like. 

 

I had hesitations to buy this item due to the fact that the drawers are soft and I thought they would not be spacious or strong enough. However, they are! I have tons of stuff in them. The maker advises a maximum of 3 Kilos per drawer but I have two of them holding more than that. However, I put the heavier on the bottom shelf as this acts as grounding for the the whole unit and prevents the chest toppling over. 

 

The top shelf can hold up to 20 Kilos, so I have a heavy-ish letter tray organiser on one of my units. Kmart doesn't recommend putting a TV on this chest, firstly because this unit was not made to place a TV, and secondly because the unit can be easily moved if not fully loaded.  

The maker recommends having this chest wall secured, but I cannot do that in the rental I live in. Yet, the chest is very stable and, despite using it all the time, having it full of stuff, opening and closing the drawers all the time, has never toppled. Yet, I can move it easily. If you have children, secure it to the wall  with the including fittings as, when empty, the whole unit weighs less than 5 kilos and can be easily moved or fall. 

Although I use this chest for office purposes, due to its good looks and large capacity, can be used in different rooms as I could easily fill it with linen, towels, shoes, toys, table linen, travelling light gear, and so on. 

My main disappointment with this unit is that the drawer handle inner side tends to deform and bend outward, making it look cheap (well, it shows it's cheap when this happens). There are no replacements for these collapsible drawers, so, if one breaks, you will have to buy a new unit, which is a bit ridiculous. 

 

I've had this chest for several years and it's still a star seller at Kmart. Despite the heavy use I give it, it is in great condition and still looking good.    

MEASUREMENTS: 72cm (H) x 45cm (W) x 30cm (D)

Storage drawer: 21cm (H) x 40cm (W) x 28cm (D

Assamblage Leaflet

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SMARRA Box with Lid (Natural, 30x30x23 cm)

I was delaying the purchase of this basket due to the price but, after having this in my wish list for over two years, I thought it was time to take the plunge.  

 

The basket is made of woven bamboo (a product I  love) coated in translucent lacquer. It looks organic, beautiful and elegant. I was able to put all my sewing materials inside, with plenty of space still left. It's also perfect to store phone charges, cables and small electric items inside, and any sort of crafty materials.

After having this at home, there are several things that I'd like to mention before you purchase this basket:

1. The colour in the photos and the one you get is different, as the former is a bit more caramel-ish. It's lighter than other bamboo products I've purchased from Ikea. 
   
2. This box is really large, so its volume might overwhelm the decor of a small room. It looks great inside cube furniture or on large shelves, though. 
3. Despite its size and good looks, this isn't a solid basket. It woven loosely and has no internal reinforcements. I reinforced the bottom and the lid with some drawer mat leftovers,which are rigid by light. I wouldn't be storing anything heavy inside for this very reason. Volume doesn't always equal strength. 
4. The lid doesn't lock securely, so it easily goes off if you stumble upon the basket. 

Overall, this is a lovely good-looking large decorative basket that you can use to store light stuff and hide clutter from view. However, it isn't sturdy. I find this product overpriced due to everything I've said.

DESIGNER IKEA of Sweden

 

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TROTTEN Storage Unit on Castors (White, 35x47 cm)

I have two of these and I was going to buy another two when the product was discontinued in Australia (still available in other countries' Ikea). 

The versatility of the product, how easy is to tuck it away and the many rooms I can use it in, make it a perfect storage solution for my home. I can use it as office storage, which is what was designed for. I can also use this unit as a sofa coffee table in my living room to keep a water bottle, mugs, glasses, napkins and other coffee/tea tools easily tucket away. I can use it as bedside table to store my pyjamas, sleepers/ugg boots, and a light throw). I currently use it as an office storage box with materials that I don't use often, and I've put an Eket cube with door on it, and they look fabulous together.  

 

The Skandi style is minimalist but eye-catching. The bamboo lid is excellent quality, very thick, sturdy and good looking. The shell is metallic, coated in an elegant matte antique-white epoxy. It's easy to carry around by hand if I don't put much stuff inside; otherwise, the castors do the job. Despite it's apparently wobbliness, this unit can securely hold tons of stuff inside and on top of it. The castors are also excellent, and roll smoothly.

 

The main downside of this unit was the tricky assembly. The instructions leaflet is good. You have to click in the different panels together, align them properly, and then insert the castors' screws perfectly as these are the only thing that hold the structure together. Getting all perfectly aligned without the structure falling apart was difficult. The unit looks less sturdy than it is. 

 

DESIGNER Francis Cayouette

ASSEMBLY LEAFLET

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