It's Final! TARGET Furniture is the Worst!!!

I have said it before, but I gave them another chance this weekend only to see their online furniture is even worse than what they sell at their stores. As the President of New York City's largest Professional Assembly Service it is hard to turn a customer away which will in turn leave a bad taste in their mouth thinking we only assemble high end pieces. That is not how I want my company to be viewed, but their has to be a time when you say enough is enough. When I first launched this company several years ago I thought IKEA was the bottom of the barrel compared to some of the other retailers. However, in time I found that for the most part IKEA was a good quality product, well made, and fairly priced. Target however, sells furniture that is poorly made, poorly handled, and sold at very unreasonable prices considering most of the furniture is coming out of China. I cannot say what they paid for the cherry "Finish" executive desk I agreed to have a technician assemble in which the customer paid $379.99 for, but I do know that a small company like myself can purchase an entire kitchen that was made in China from a dealer in the states for under $400.00! Now considering the company that resells these kitchen cabinets is not a big operation they have to be making at least 100% mark up on the kitchens, so I am guessing Target might mark up their furniture somewhere around 700%! In any event I was called to the customers home by my technician who came 2 hours to assemble the desk only to open the box and see that it was completely broken with chunks of the MDF ( Medium Density Fiberboard) that was the top amongst the other pieces scattered like saw dust. I immediately explained to the customer that we need to take pictures and call Target and report this matter, and assured her we would provide an affidavit to the company if need be. She contacted Target and put me on the phone with their customer service representative who I give credit to for being very nice and understanding. I explained who I was, our company, and the serious damage that had occurred to the customers article either in route from China, their warehouse, or the delivery service in which delivered it. I explained that we had pictures and by this time she must have pulled up our bio online and began to ask questions about our services that she could have only known by viewing our website. In any event when it was all said in done the customer is being shipped a new desk minus $40.00 for her troubles and we agreed to return a second time in the hopes that we can assemble the desk for her. Our minimum service fee is $60.00 which should be applied since it was not our fault the product was damaged nor inspected prior to our arrival, but I just couldn't find it in my heart to charge her. I guess that is what separates us from the big national companies who would have already had her credit card # and charged the fee. Now on our website we have a notice that clearly states we will no longer be assembling Target furniture and the reasons why. In a way I feel as if we are hurting our reputation and possibly bottom line by doing this, but Target furniture is just that bad that I had to take such a drastic measure because not one of my technicians will take a Target job.


Do you own target furniture? Was it damaged or not what you expected? Did the assembly process go easy? Either way please let us know so we can decide if we should begin contacting other Professional Companies and pull together to ensure Target starts selling better quality furniture.

Hells Kitchen Flea Market Rocks!!!!!

I know myself and many other city dwellers enjoy a good flea market and the search for that unfound treasure. I know my fair share about antiques and will find a steal every now and again. However, some of these flea markets are like dollar stores selling all new stuff, mostly junk! I want the old stuff, the letters from a war veteran writing his wife to be during the first world war, or a few original black and white photos. The BEST "REAL" flea market I found so far is the one in Hells Kitchen. Have you been there? If so, share your experience. Anyway here is a little info to help you find it. There is always tons of great decor for your palace.

nnex / Hell's Kitchen

Antiques Garage

West 25th St.

Featuring up to 170 vendors each weekend, Hell's Kitchen Flea Market is located on W. 39th St. between 9th & 10th Ave. Designers, artists, celebs, tourists and locals shop the market by the thousands as they did its Chelsea predecessor, The Annex. Antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, furniture, decorative arts, jewelry, and more are here from all eras and styles - modern/mid-century, 19th-century, contemporary, and more. Located in Hell’s Kitchen, the flea market offers great views of midtown Manhattan.

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Located at 112 West 25th Street, The Antiques Garage has been attracting thousands of shoppers each weekend since 1994. More than 100 vendors on two floors offer eclectic antiques and decorative arts, including paintings and prints from all eras, vintage jewelry, handbags, fabrics, rugs, and furniture, as well as every imaginable kind of fine silver items, and much more. The Hell's Kitchen Flea Market shuttle ($1 per ride) stops right at The Garage, which is only footsteps away from the West 25th Street Market.

The West 25th Street Market is located in Chelsea on the uptown side of West 25th Street between 6th and 5th Avenues. (If coming from 5th Ave., you'll cross Broadway on your way.) This weekend outdoor flea market features up to 125 vendors selling antiques, collectibles, and other types of vintage and retro decorative arts. It's just steps away from The Garage.

It's really a great place and I suprise so many of my clients when I tell them where I got a particular statue or picture. Where??? Hells Kitchen Baby!!!!

New York City's "HOTTEST" Night Spots!

Weather Up (Photo: Melissa Hom)

Weather Up
589 Vanderbilt Ave., nr. Dean St., Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; no phone
As long as Sasha Petraske's Milk & Honey stays a nightlife staple, any new venture he's associated with will garner buzz. Weather Up—which features Petraske-trained bartenders, but is owned by Kathryn Weatherup—deserves it. A concise menu of eleven classic drinks (including a Brooklyn, a Presbyterian, a Honeysuckle, and a Bee's Knees) go down easy in a dark, well-manicured cocktail-lounge setting.

Beer Table
427 Seventh Ave., nr. 14th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-965-1196
Owner Justin Philips, a former beer importer, goes for quality over quantity on his drink list, meaning any of the three specialty drafts (rotated almost daily) will be a wise choice. The hushed lighting from the canning-jar lanterns will convince you to stick around and try the other two.

(Photo: Melissa Hom)

Le Cirque Bar
151 E. 58th St., nr. Lexington Ave.; 212-644-0202
As our friends at Grub Street report, the fine-dining bastion Le Cirque is, believe it or not, on the wine-bar bandwagon. Owner Sirio Maccioni says the lounge is "a more casual side of Le Cirque, where no jackets are required." Check out the wine tower, 20,000 strong, at left.

Terroir
413 E. 12th St., nr. First Ave.; 646-602-1300
Terroir, from the folks behind Hearth and Insieme, is one of the more buzzed-about new wine bars surfing the trend. Partially because Grub Street's doing the buzzing: We've shown you first-look photos, revealing video, and, yes, the wine list. Now we suggest you just go.

Cafe Notte
1626 Second Ave., nr. 84th St.; 212-288-5203
Another wine bar, yes, but this one has a cutesy side: From 10 a.m. until the sun goes down, Cafe Notte is a charming neighborhood coffee shop. When the music goes up, the brick walls and hanging chandeliers make any thought of blocked writers and stroller surfing but a distant memory.

(Photo: Courtesy of Mansion)

Mansion
530 W. 28th St., nr. Tenth Ave.; 212-629-9000
This bi-level venue opened in the former Crobar, an outpost of a Miami megaclub of the same name. With an occupancy of 2,120, the space has gotten plenty of attention already, as places with female-only pleasure rooms dubbed the Cougar tend to.

Suzie Wong
547 W. 27th St., nr. Tenth Ave.; 212-268-5105
Another well-publicized opening, appropriately just down the street from Mansion. It's the city's first bottle-service club specializing in sake, and it features not only a Madame Butterfly cocktail, but a Geisha one as well. The X-rated fortune cookies are free.

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IKEA Finally Opens Store in Cincinatti, Ohio!!!

It's about time! Not that we shouldn't have an Ikea right here in Manhattan, I'm happy to see that Ohio finally got one. And let me tell you those people fought tooth and nail to get a store there. They even had a well trafficked blog solely devoted to getting an Ikea there. And to them I say " Job well done!". Here is a brief article I found about the Grand Opening and the store. But as I stated before I am going to start concentrating more on NYC and what's going on here from now on, but I felt it was only right to give the Ohio team a two thumbs up for their hard work.

Courtesy of Ikea

Ikea's 34th U.S. store opened outside of Cincinnati March 12.

IKEA opened its 34th store in the U.S. in West Chester, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, on March 12. The 344,000 square-foot store, known for its low prices and small-space solutions, has 48 different model rooms to inspire customers.

IKEA representatives hope the store's central location to several colleges and universities will make it an ideal place for students to shop for dorm room and apartment furnishings.

"We are so excited about being around so many colleges," said Kitalean Mason, public relations specialist for IKEA. "We cannot wait to start officially welcoming students to our store."

IKEA hopes that its low prices will motivate students to shop at their store.

"We see all college students as potential customers and we pride ourselves on having quality products at low prices," said Mason. "We hope that once students buy something from our store that they will become life-long customers."

Alysse Bortolotto, a senior in communications, plans to become a loyal IKEA customer.

"I really love the store," she said. "I usually like contemporary and simple furniture, and the stuff at IKEA is always simple and youthful."

Bortolotto said that the two-hour drive to West Chester from Columbus will be worth it.

"Now that I'll be moving after graduating I'm going to be looking for new furniture," she said. "I'll be looking for stuff that looks less out of my grandma's closet and more of a grown-up style."

Mason said that IKEA's instant gratification factor will be very attractive to students.

"If you see something you want, you can take it home that day," Mason said. "The store is full of items that the customer can just grab and go."

IKEA also offers several services to make shopping at their store as convenient as possible. As soon as customers walk in they are given a store map, yellow IKEA shopping bag and a pencil to jot down all the products they like. Customers will also have free use of measuring tapes, a personal furniture consultant and three types of shopping carts.

The Sweden-based store also boasts a 350-seat restaurant that will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant offers customers a chance to try traditional Swedish dishes, including Swedish meatballs. IKEA is situated on Interstate 75 and will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Need Help Assembling Furniture in NYC? Visit us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com. If you live outside the state visit the National association of Professional Assemblers at www.assemble4you.com which has licensed and insured professional assemblers in almost every state.

New York City's Hottest Clubs!!!!!!

If you live here in the "Rotten Apple" you already know what's HOT & what's NOT! But for these tourists that end up getting sucked into comedy shows from ticket monsters in Times Square I felt it was my Duty as a daily Partier to share the best of the best with the tourists. What the hell, they paid at least a grand to come here and another 10 for nasal spray for the smog, the least we can do is point them in the right direction. These clubs are where you will see everyone from movie stars, Rock Stars, Rock Stars without Guitars, and normally a rapper or two. BE SURE TO CHECK THE DRESS CODE BEFORE YO GO CLUBBING!!!!. Hey Alice... your not in Kansas anymore. Most of the clubs here require you to wear a suit and tie or club clothes. Don't know what club clothes are? Do a quick Google search under "nyc club clothes" so you will get an idea of what to buy, because those Levi's and GAP sweaters don't cut it here. However, the money you spend on clothing will be well spent when you've been clubbing till four in the morning and danced with your favorite singer. Oh yeah... a quick trip to canal street to pick up a nice Knockoff Gucci bag and some Tiffany jewelry never hurt either. In closing PLEASE NOTE that New York City supplies FREE condoms so make sure you have that thing covered because that's one Souvenir you don't wanna bring back home.

If you are a "City Dweller" and know of some more Hot spots you woulld like to share feel free this blog is all about the city and what we have and what they want. Cheers!

Michael Mahoney
Drunken Contributing Editor

Sugar Daddy
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL BAR
57 E. 57th St.
212-758-5700

After work is a little scary—women in tight, cleavage-baring designer clothes prance around, looking to pounce on thick, watch-wearing suits—but late night, the real-deal moguls and heiresses come out to play.

Model
MARQUEE
289 Tenth Ave.
646-473-0202

You’ll have to fight for attention with the guys flashing black AmEx cards, but the models are top shelf: Gisele, Karolina Kurkova, Natalia Vodianova & Co. hang out in the back room.

Musician
DARKROOM
165 Ludlow St.
212-353-0536

Bands like the Libertines and Interpol have been throwing after-parties at this basement-level bar since it opened late last year. The narrow layout ensures that stars rub elbows with their hangers-on—and they seem more than happy to do so.

Stockbroker
ULYSSES
58 Stone St.
212-482-0400

Hip for a financial-district bar, with close Wall Street proximity and plenty of nooks and crannies to retire to. The action is thickest right after the market lets out on Thursdays, from 5 to 8.

Doctor
BELLA BLUE
967 Lexington Ave.
212-988-4624

This relaxed restaurant is blocks from Lenox Hill Hospital, New York Presbyterian, and every doctor’s office on the Upper East Side. On any given night, you’re likely to spot a well-known physician or surgeon.

Gay Man
THE SLIDE
356 Bowery
212-420-8885

Sometimes feisty, sometimes sleazy, but always foolproof, this is the fast food of hookups: no fuss, low-priced, and billions and billions served. The midweek crowd is graying; on weekends, shirtless, college-age barflies score free drinks and gyrate on the corner stage.

Lesbian
STARLIGHT BAR & LOUNGE
167 Ave. A
212-475-2172

Girl-on-girl options are often limited to humble neighborhood joints or overblown tourist traps. With its slinky house music, stiff cocktails, and seduction-inspiring sofas, “Starlette” on Sundays is an oasis packed with a wide mix of women.

Literary Type
HAPPY ENDING
302 Broome St.
212-334-9676

A young, attractive, inebriated bunch attends the 8 p.m. Wednesday reading series at this basement red-lit bar. Quietly pretending to pay attention leaves ample time to spot prey—fittingly, series director Amanda Stern fields requests for e-mail addresses the next day.

Hipster
FUN HOUSE
160 N. 4th St., Williamsburg
718-302-4300

A scruffy crowd arrives by bicycle and pays proper lack of attention to grooming. Look for starving filmmakers on screening nights; lavish praise is a surefire entrée. The man made of Barbie parts is a conversation-starter with starving artists.

Jock
BROTHER JIMMY'S BBQ
1485 Second Ave.
212-288-0999

Home to baseball-capped legions and tank-topped girls who’ve never met a table that didn’t need to be danced on. Challenge your targets to a drinking contest—try “Swamp Water,” a fishbowl full of vodka that comes with a grenadine-filled alligator figurine, and six straws.

Celeb
BUNGALOW 8
515 W. 27th St.
212-629-3333

The Energizer Bunny of celeb watering holes is still pulling boldfaced names from Colin to Mary-Kate in to the VIP banquettes nearest the bar. Slip past the bouncer before 11 p.m., and pass the time before the stars come out.

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NYC 10 MUST SEE BUILDINGS!!

Hello!

I want to start by wishing everyone a very happy St. Patrick's Day! Keep those Irish eyes a smilin'. I know in our wonderful city we get thousands of new residents daily among the millions of tourists that visit, so I have decided to add a short slide show showing the New York City's must see buildings and structures. I am sure there are many more that we can add and we welcome any and all additions as long as they are in good taste. I hope you enjoy this slide show and if you need help getting to anywhere in the city I suggest you use a great program/website called "nyc hopstop" where all you have to do is enter you current address and where you wanna go and in just a few seconds it will give you step by step directions on what train to take to where, transfer here or there if need be, and which way to way once you leave the subway. This site is great and will actually take you to the doorstep of where you want to go in easy, understandable directions. Anyway, enjoy the slide show,

TARGET Furniture is Just Junk!

I am sorry to say this about Target because overall I like the store and it's prices. But when it comes to their furniture it basically boils down to you getting what you pay for. In the furniture assembly business you will always find a kink in every manufacturer's pieces. However, the furniture that Target is purchasing is just to the point of not being able to be assembed.

We are New York City's #1 provider of professional assembly and we have assembled over 10,000 pieces of furniture in 2007. Many stores have seen the demand for RTA (Ready To Assemble) furniture and have made it a point to add this product line to their stores. However, I believe that furniture should be left to furniture retailers, such as computers to electronic dealers. Why? Because they are able to look beyond the price and know what they are getting, and what is a fair price. Most of the RTA furniture you find in Target and other large retail chains is from China and is very poorly made using the cheapest materials. Till today we never made a concious decision to stop assembly of a certain product because we were always able to suck up the issues it may have and move on.

However, at our weekly meeting it brought up by all our technicians that the furniture coming from Target is of the poorest quality and it is actually making us not only lose money but leave a bad taste in the customers mouth when after several hours we tell them that there is no way we can assemble this particular piece because the pre-drilled holes are off by 1", or they sent you two left side panels instead of one left and one right. What do we do, charge the customer for our time? I guess some companies would and do, but we have decided that such an act would only add insult to injury. For a year we have been working on this furniture only in the hope that they would correct their errors in time. To date there have been no changes made and we have decided that we will no longer be assembling Target furniture until they find new suppliers and provide their customers with better quality furniture. I have spoken with several other companies throughout the United States and they have already made the decision to stop the assembly of Target furniture until they upgrade their products. The worst part is that the furniture there is not being sold at super low prices, and most people could buy the same piece at Ikea or Crate & Barrel for the same price or a few dollars more and receive much better quality.

If you have purchased furniture from Target and found it to be junk or great, either way please let us know how you feel.

Eric Davis
General Manager
EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations

Kitchen Makeovers for Apperance or Function

n older homes, a room makeover is often necessary not just to improve appearances but to increase functionality as well. A room makeover can spruce up the look of a dingy den, but it could also make a living room or study more technology friendly. In no place in the home, however, does a room makeover make more sense than in a kitchen. Older kitchens often lack the space and storage that the modern kitchen requires, not to mention the amenities that many new homeowners take for granted.

Kitchen Makeovers for Appearance
When you already have all the things you want and need in your kitchen, a skin-deep change is often all that's necessary.

Countertops are one place where a kitchen makeover can have a very noticeable effect, without the need to pull anything up or tear anything down. After years of use, countertops can look pretty sad; getting stained, stabbed, and sliced for decades can really take its toll. Many different countertop materials can be installed directly over the existing countertop in an hour or two. The measurements are taken, the material is decided upon, then the new counter is fashioned to slide right on with no mess or hassle.

Cabinets are what a kitchen makeover is all about. There are so many different cabinet options that you're sure to find one that suits your needs and tastes. Even if you don't replace the entire cabinet structure, some spiffy new doors and hardware can change the feel of the room for the better, without the high price or long labor.

Flooring is subjected to a lot of wear and tear, and it can get downright ugly after years of traffic. If you're lucky enough to already have some good hardwood in your kitchen, you may want to have it stripped and refinished to enhance the look. Those dealing with a floor that's beyond saving can, of course, install new linoleum, but a lot of modern homeowners are opting for laminate. It looks like wood, the performance, in many cases, is even better, and the price is significantly cheaper.

Kitchen Makeovers for Function
Rather than just scratching the surface, a functional kitchen makeover is often about pulling out and replacing appliances and fixtures. Many people find that one of the things they most want to replace in an old kitchen is the sink. With built in water filters, spray hoses, and wider (or multiple) basins, new sinks have far more options than their predecessors. They'll also look nice, to boot!

Older kitchens are often missing dishwashers, which can be a big job to install if the room wasn't designed to accommodate one. Old stoves are often unreliable and can't properly perform the job they're supposed to do. A new fridge (maybe one with an ice maker) is another common replacement. One of the greatest things about getting all new appliances is lower energy consumption. Those who use their kitchens a lot may very well notice a marked difference when the electric bill comes around.


No matter if you decide to just refinish your current cabinets or purchase new ones you can contact our Kitchen Designer at EZ Furniture Assembly & Inter innovations to assist you in making the decisions as well as helping you find the best materials at the lowest prices.

Christopher Purnell
www.ezfurnitureassembly.com

Professional Furniture Assembly in Every State!

Lets start this post off with a show of hands, who loves assembling furniture? No, I said RAISE your hands if you love putting together furniture. What......nobody enjoys it? I thought some would consider it a mix between adult Lego's and a 1000 piece puzzle. But I guess not everybody is up for a challenge these days. I guess if you're a lawyer, doctor, or any kind of white collar executive that makes a minimum of a $100.00 per hour and wants the cool, modern furniture, it wouldn't be good math for you to spend 12 hours trying to assemble that entertainment center when you could get a professional company for $150.00 to do it and guarantee the work. Now that I think about even the people not making a hundred dollars an hour are working so many hours each week the little time they have off they need to handle all the necessities such as shopping, paying bills, and most importantly spending time with their family. Well, no matter where you live there is a professional assembly service that can help you find a professional to assemble whatever it is you need assembled. The network I am referring to is the National Association of Professional Assemblers & Installers and can be found at www.assemble4you.com. Once there you can click on find a professional and it will pull up every state and all you have to do is click on yours and in most cases you will have several to choose from. Now remember, if you live in New York City or surrounding areas make sure you contact us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com. Mention The blog and we'll take an additional 10% off!

Christopher Purnell
EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations,llc

Creative Mind + Ikea + Kool Furniture

It NEVER amazes me as to what a creative mind can do, especially with furniture. This is a great story I believe you will find very intresting.

Sure, every assembly procedure from Ikea is a bit of DIY, but apparently you can go a step further. This weekend I have occupied myself with Lack, Expedit and Lillberg (but that was for Mira's room and doesn't really count in this regard), assembling this with the following result:

Let me gloat a little bit more and add another picture to show my mighty Ikea-skills:

But that's not the entire reason why I'm posting this...
Why didn't anyone tell me there was a huge Ikea Hack community out there?

I've been coming up with unorthodox uses for Ikea furniture since I found my first student room in Ghent: just picking up the catalogue and browse and combine (based on the size of different objects) was enough (they had some handy cupboards that were great speaker stands if you combined them with a ...

My curiosity was picked by the Pimp My Billy concept, and after a really short Google tour I stumbled upon a semi-organised Ikea hack community:

Tons of ideas, some very simple and clean, others (admittedly) more of a far-fetched story.

I went looking for reactions from Ikea on the hacks, and could not come up with anything significant. Likewise, there is nothing to be found on their local site either. If I were them I'd be pretty supportive for this kind of thing. Sure, newly constructed objects might not adhere to the same safety standards, but acknowledging the fact that they exist does not necessarily mean that you take all the risk as a company (although you can never be sure in he US for example...).

On the other hand: this must be a fantastic source of inspiration for them. Take the dj console for example: it's a pretty simple object, required only a few extra holes and two lack pieces that need to be trimmed (sawed). The colour is the same, the size (width) is the same,... It would be a cinch for them to put it in production.

And what's more, the active nature of these communities allows them to monitor the popularity of different hacks. They should be organising contests like this one to see what they can get out of it.

In the end, it's a great accent for the strength of the concept: design which can be fit in everywhere and is affordable enough to let you experiment and customise. After all, you won't be so quick to saw your new Eames chair in two, would you?

EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations is New York city's #1 Assembly Service

EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC has become New York City's #1 professional furniture, gym, & recreational equipment assembly & installation service. They also provide professional kitchen cabinet design, assembly, and installation among a plethora of other handyman services. The company is fully licensed & insured & has a team of 11 field technicians with a minimum of five years experience that will come to your home or office to complete the assembly or installations. All the technicians are required to participate in at least two forms of continued education that is directly related to the services they provide. They pride themselves on quality workmanship and the ability to schedule most projects within 72 hours compared to the bigger companies that take weeks from the time of purchase and hire their assemblers over the phone or email.

We take great pride in the work we do, and the technicians we have on our team. Every technician prior to employment must attend a two part interview process where they meet the president and the project manager and are asked questions about themselves, where they see themselves in five years, and what skills do they have to offer. If the candidate passes this initial interview he or she will be called back for a second interview where they will be given several hands on tasks to preform from assembling computer desks to cutting counters. Christopher Purnell, the President of EZ Furniture Assembly and Interior Innovations, LLC believes that this is what separates the weeds from the flowers. " We want our technicians to be able to preform as good as they speak". Purnell said " it really amazes me how these big companies are still in business with the way they hire people over the phone not knowing what they can and cannot do, never mind a background check. had one prospective canidate who worked for Impact Resources for 3 years and seemed to have learned a great deal working there but when we conducted his background check we found that he had 14 convictions for burglary & theft. This is not the kind of people we want working in our customers homes because they trust us and I will take whatever measure possible to ensure that trust is not compromised" If they pass both interviews and a background check they will work with either the Project manager or Lead technician for a minimum of two weeks to see what their actual skill level is.

Purnell went on to tell us how he started the company and what made it the sucess it is today. " When I started this company I had no more than a handful of tools, a shoebox of past due bills, and a passion to succeed. It was like going to school, every piece I assembled I learned something new and ways to assemble the products faster without cutting corners like many companies do. I actually enjoyed taking a box full of wood pieces and a bag of screws and transform it into a beautiful piece of furniture. I would never accept payment from a customer until the project was complete, and that is still how we operate today. I would like to one day have the big accounts that I see others have, but until then I will continue to assemble our list of satisfied customers one project at a time" Well, it is obvious that his company has came a long way from when he started. Our research found that his company is ranked #1 on Google & Yahoo, has an "A" rating on Ikea Fans, and was awarded the "2007 Superior Service Award" by Angie's List in which only a mere 5% off all the companies listed nationally are even considered for this award.

If you have ever assembled, or better yet, attempted to assemble Ikea furniture or something similar i am sure you can appreciate that there is a company available that will do the assemble for you to a showroom finish. Our research indicates that most professional companies like EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC that are licensed and insured charge anywhere from 30-33% of the retail cost of the piece for assembly. Which in reality isn't bad considering studies have shown that it takes a mechanically inclined person 6-8 longer to assemble a piece of furniture compared to a professional assembly technician. If you are in the New York city area you can visit EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com, or call them directly at (718) 541-9863.


Written by:
Michael Mancinni
NYC Media INC

Who should I hire to assemble my IKEA furniture?

Who should I hire to assemble my IKEA furniture?

There are a lot of fly by nights who claim to be professional furniture assembly services which upset me to the utmost degree because they are ruining this business for the honest, hard working, tax paying, companies who are licensed and insured! When I built this company I had little more than the basic tools, a dream, but I also had a license and insurance. And I can tell you that for many months I worked for the insurance company just to make my payments. If you see a piece or pieces of furniture from a retailer that sells furniture that requires assembly and you don't intend to do the assembly yourself, be sure to add 1/3 of the retail cost to the price for professional assembly. That is the national average rate for professional assembly services. If somebody is willing it to do it for less you can bet your behind their not insured, and if they get hurt or even claim to have been injured in your home they CAN SUE YOU!

I was recently contacted by a wonderful person who had purchased several pieces from IKEA and had just moved here from the U.K.. She contacted me on a Monday and asked me for a quote to assemble the furniture she had purchased which totaled about $2000.00. I explained that it would be about 1/3 of the total retail price, somewhere in the neighborhood of $600.00 plus tax. She was comfortable with that and felt it was fir after I explained that we were fully licensed & insured and all our work was guaranteed. Well, we went ahead and scheduled the assembly for the upcoming Saturday. However, in meantime one of her coworkers told her that 1/3 was too high and that he would find someone on Craigslist to do it for much less. On Tuesday she called our office and said she was sorry and explained that she found and there company to do it for half of what we wanted. My manager tried to explain to her that it was impossible for a professional company to do it for that price. I even called her back myself trying to save the job but save her as well. I told her to ask if they were licensed, insured and get references. Well that following Monday she called me and told me that they ruined her furniture and if I would come over and look at it. To make a long story short they scratched,broke, and incorrectly assembled every piece of furniture she had. The best part was they stuck a piece of lead in the light and blew the bulb so she couldn't see all the damages until she got another bulb or took one out of something else. By this time it was late and she said she was tired and just paid them and went to bed. When she awoke she couldn't believe what they had done to her furniture. She immediately called their number all morning only to have nobody answer. I explained that we could save a few pieces and maybe IKEA would return a few pieces but I have a feeling she might lose out because they will say it was ruined during assembly, which was true! To my surprise IKEA took everything back and later that week she re-bought everything and we had it delivered and assembled it for her. Everything was perfect and she loved it. Yesterday I received a call from her and she was going on about the furniture, but in her native tongue. I told her to slow down that if she has any problems I will send a technician back to repair any issues. No she explained, the guys that did the first job are suing her saying the one idiot hurt his back assembling her furniture. He found a shark lawyer who took the case and the worse part about this scam is he will win! He won't get a ton, but he will get something because by law she is responsible!


There are several great professional assembly services here in New York and around the United States. If you are in New York city you can visit us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com, and if you are outside New York you can find a professional assembler at www.assemble4you.com. They have professional assembly services in every state. When hiring a assembly service we recommend you do the following:

1. Get a business card. No business card is a red flag!
2. Ask them what their website address is. No website is another red flag!
3. Ask if they are licensed and insured. If they say they are ask to see a copy of their information.
4. Ask for at least 6 references. Any professional company can call their office and provide you with this information on the spot.
5. Ask if they are certified by any manufacturer. If so, ask to see their certification.
6. Check Angie's List to see what other pat customers had to say about them. You can find a link to Angie's List on our website where you can check on every business from handyman to gutter cleaners.
7. Check and see if they are listed on the National Association of Professional Assemblers at www.assemble4you.com

Christopher Purnell
EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC
www.ezfurnitureassembly.com

Furnish your home for less!

I found this post and had to repost it here because I believe it is a great story on how to build your dream home on a budget using affordable but modern furniture.

The children have grown up and flown the nest. Retirement looms. Life is about to begin at 60. But suddenly the two-story villa is too large, you really don't want the headache of a garden, yet you still want space. What do you do?

Money matters. 'Even the super-rich have a budget,' says interior designer Romy Black.
Photo: Eyal Izhar

In the case of this Petah Tikva couple, you buy a penthouse in a new building in the up-and-coming wide open spaces of Kfar Ganim Gimmel, one of the first planned neighborhoods in the area. Then you employ young designer Romy Black, recently returned from working in New York, to decorate it for you, help you choose furniture and sort out which old possessions to keep. She will also, if necessary, wrest them away from you if they are falling to pieces and you still resist.

"People can be very hung up about their stuff," says Black, "so in some cases I really had to put my foot down."

Being someone's interior designer is "90 percent psychology and 10% project management," she says. "You are leading the whole project with the couple - not just finding fabrics, lighting and furniture, but scheduling the production work so that everything falls into place at the right time."

She works with her own carpenter, welder and upholsterer and is quite handy at turning a piece of furniture herself if need be.

"The first thing is to establish priorities," Black says. "Which is the most important room, do they entertain a lot and do they want to keep the TV out of the living room, how much storage for books and utensils they will need." She also insists on working within a budget - "even the super-rich have a budget" - and tends to put durability high on the list of desirable qualities in what she buys.

The nearly new apartment was transformed into an open plan with the taking down of walls blocking the kitchen and what is now the dining room.

"I felt that opening up was more appropriate as it would bring them light and space and there are no small children, so it could look neat all the time," she says.

The dining room was created from an old storeroom and a bathroom. Colors throughout are gray, dark brown and honey, which sounds dull but the end results are tasteful and soothing.

The long honey-shaded table has a slightly distressed look, while the metal-framed chairs made by Black are light but sturdy. In the alcove a 100-year-old vitrine, one of the items the owners were allowed to keep, blends seamlessly with all the modern furniture. Touches of turquoise from picture frames brighten up the scene, while on the end wall is a striking round, wrought-iron candleholder. Above the table, an ornate rounded chandelier, brought from New York, casts interesting shadows on the ceiling.

The wide-open spaces of the kitchen are made cozier by having some of the walls lowered to form a cornice with concealed lighting, while the back wall is covered in a small mocha-shaded tile and cabinets are mainly kept at the lower level. The kitchen table is stained walnut with an aluminum frame to match the tiles.

Between the kitchen and lounge, Black has left glass shelves - "I didn't want it to be too open," she says - while the supporting column has been papered in a bronze textured paper and a vase of bare branches placed in front of it.

An unusual feature of the lounge is the two low tables set next to the fabric-covered sofa. They are actually covered in a durable synthetic material in chocolate brown which Black assures me will never show any stains. Against the window stands a rustic bench which makes a perfect window seat. Cushions on the sofa match the dining-room chairs.

The master bedroom has frosted glass wardrobes from Ikea. "When you are working on a budget, Ikea comes in handy," says Black with a smile. Next to it, the bathroom is tiled completely in bronze tiles which change color according to the light and furnished with some old vanity units, one adapted to a sink unit. Brass fittings and brown shower curtains complete the picture.

The second bathroom has a sink carved out of a slab of rock, butcher-block countertops and an unusual rounded gray and white tile.

A flight of stairs leads up to the second floor where the library, study and television are situated and the view across the red roofs and skyscrapers of the surrounding area is stunning. On a clear day, you can see Tel Aviv.

IKEA Vs. Target Furniture

Lots of lower end furniture, like from Target & Ikea are made from particle board covered with a thin sheet of veneer wood or cheap soft woods like pine. The particle board can, over time, buckle, warp or sag.

The joints with soft woods are weak & that's when you tend to get wobbly furniture after lots of usage. Also the joints themselves are constructed cheaply, just two pieces butted together at a 90 degree angle & screwed together. Sometimes, without even metal anchors. No dovetail joints or tongue & groove joints as in higher end, heirloom furniture made of hardwoods.

However, we have been in the professional assembly bussiness for numerous years and even though there are much better RTA (Ready To Assemble) furniture available on the market, IKEA is a shining star compared to the products Target sells. There is only word that can describe it.....Junk!

Our New York City office has a total of between 10 and 12 certified technicians on call to serve the 5 bouroughs and Long Island. When they complete a job they make notes as to how the product was constructed,Assembly Time missing parts, damaged, holes line up, structurally sound upon completion etc. This helps us determine what the actual time it takes for an experienced technician to assemble a particular piece. It's more or less like a labor manual that all body shops use to determine the costs to do a particular job.

However, in the Furniture Assembly industry, I'm speaking for professional companies that are licensed,insured,certified, and have technicians who have years of construction,remodeling, or furniture assembly experience. Not some ad on Craigslist where siome guy name John says " Will aseemble anyting from ikea or wherever. Cheap! Call my cell phone" No, I am talking about companies that pay rent,taxes,insurance, etc. Anyway, being the founder & president of EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC I am forced to wear many hats. One being the marketing and research of the products we assemble.

I Have never been a big fan of all of IKEA's furniture but have found some diamonds in the rough and found their kitchen cabinetry to be equal in standards compared to other stock kitchen manufactuers but available for purchase at a fair price. Target on the other hand is junk! This morning I have been going over the reports from our technicians in the last two months and found that out of the 18 Target assembly jobs we took on we lost money on every one and 7 seperate technicians rated the quality a zero on a scale from one to ten! We lose money because professional companies normally charge 1/3 of the retail price of the piece. If the entertainment center that sells at Ikea for $500.00 is only $200.00 at Target we can only charge the 1/3 which equals out to about $66.00 plus tax. Now for that $66.00 it takes our technician 4 hours to assemble it because he had to make alterations, add support braces etc. That is what $16.25 per hour plus the company pays the technician damn near that much per hour and some even more, we lose! We post our rate chart on our website so it's hard to say to someone that bought a $100.00 dresser from Target that we would normally have to charge you our lowest service charge of $60.00, but since it is NO NAME from Target we're going to have to charge you a hundred and can';t guarantee that the piece will be assembled as it appeared online because their products are very poorly made. The first thing a potential customer is going to think is we are trying to take them for more money, we're a scam, or whatever else you can bet it wouldn't be good.Notes ranged from missing parts, prefab holes off by as much as on inch which required a technician to either get the customers written approval to corect theior errors or have the customer return the items back to Target. Ikea uses Tremand to inspect and grade each of their products prior to placing them on the floor for sale and work out any issues found in their inspection. I am thouroughly convinced that Target had no such 3rd party to assemble, inspect, and evaluate their furniture which has lead to their sales of JUNK fuirniture. Many people who call usthought they could do the assembly themselves and quicly foundout they couldn't. However, if you have purchased furniture from Target their is not a company in operation that can assemble their furniture products without making severe alterations. My advice to EVERYONE is stay away from Target furniture!!!!

I am very seriously contemplating posting a note on our website stating that we no longer assemble Target furniture. Am I alone on this one or do other people find Target furniture to be junk? Please call us or post your comments we would love to hear from you.