The term flat pack is probably the most widely used and actually came from Europe. This type of furniture grew in popularity in Sweden due to the Ikea Company. One of its employees, Gillis Lundgren, a Swedish draughts person came upon the idea while trying to fit a table in the back of his car. He struggled to achieve his objective, and decided to break the legs off the table, thus re-assembling them at his destination. He later discussed with his company the practicalities of what he’d done, and without hesitation, the company embraced his idea, and this became the concept for Ikea.

The benefits of this idea appealed to not only the retailer, but also the consumer.  The merchant could not only buy ready-to-assemble furniture that was in flat packages, but found his costs incurred for storing was also reduced, as he no longer had to fill his warehouse with bulky items.

Not only was the benefit of a cheaper product passed onto the retailer, but also the ease at which he could take the product home. Because of the size, most items would easily fit in a family sized vehicle, thus avoiding the restraints imposed from a delivery company, who very rarely decide on a delivery date or time, which a customer can agree on.

Although the term ready to assemble means precisely that, meaning, you get the product home and assemble it, and enjoy.  Many companies however including Ikea often leave the items untreated, so that one does have the choice to stain and finish to match existing furniture. This is especially the case in the garden department where you will find outdoor furniture left untreated. Depending on what part of the world you live in, you can apply a preservative that is adequate to your particular climate.

When buying flat pack furniture, generally it’s a straight forward process of taking out the contents, and assembling them together according to the manufacturers instructions. However one should be prepared for the often inevitable which is upon assembly you may find an item missing. This isn’t so much as a problem, but more of an inconvenience. These pieces are generally designed with specialized fixings that are only available from the place it was purchased from, and more often than not, needs a return trip to the store. So before undertaking any assembly of this type of furniture, be sure to do a complete inspection of the items boxed, against the items listed with the assembly instructions.