Stick-men
Firstly, the Instructions rely on stick-men to tell some strange story; what does it all mean? A story where the stick figures always seem to climb on the furniture, but somebody steals their fun and draws a giant X over them, implying it isn't safe, until you've mounted it onto the wall. I was very much so looking forward to climbing on the feeble Furniture and it falling on top of me.
I guess I just want some attention, when my sister was younger she had a TV fall on top of her. This was many years ago, so it was a TV with a massive back!
She always had a routine of hugging the TV and one day she hugged it too tight it fell on her. If that isn't a life lesson I don't know what is. I wanted to outdo her and have a chest of drawers on top of me.
The instructions can very easily be misleading, if you aren't focusing, you can very easily have the nails in the wrong holes and soon enough have back to front furniture. I don't quite understand why they chose pictures over words, surely words would confuse less people?
IKEA RAGE
Secondly, there's an IKEA rage that simmers up when you have to go back and redo steps. I happened to misread the stick figures quite frequently with the first piece of furniture that I assembled by myself. The rage grew and grew, like a giant angry monster, when I put together my chest of drawers.
For my desk, I had grown wise to the flat pack furniture's ways and was able to assemble it relatively easily.
Practice makes perfect. As they say! Although I am extremely thankful that I don't have any more furniture to assemble. Do not underestimate the IKEA rage! If you let it, it will consume you.
Ignore unnecessary steps
Lastly, if it stands and doesn't fall on top of you then you have completed the necessary steps. Anything else is unnecessary. I didn't mount the chest of drawers to the wall, I find it highly unlikely that there'll ever be a need for me to climb on them. I also didn't put on these metal bars underneath the draws.
I didn't really understand their purpose. The chest of drawers is standing; proud and tall, next to my bed.
The desk I put together wasn't perfect either, one side of the bookcase isn't properly in the holes. At first, I thought I was going to have to redo it all (check paragraph 4, for IKEA rage.) When I stood it up and it didn't collapse I took a long exhaling breath!
The stick figures say you should have friends to help you, admittedly this would have made it easier. My advice to you, dear reader, is have someone there for assistance, read and re-read the instructions and do not climb on the furniture! Follow these simple steps and you'll be an IKEA warrior in no time!