IKEA's most complicated item... the Hemnes Day Bed!
Easy as 1, 2, 3... sort of?
Assembly Instructions (click here)
Summary:
Difficult: Hard, but not impossible!
Assembly Time: 90 minutes - 3 hours
Parts: About 300
Good for DIY: Yes, but with patience
Weight Limit: About 250lbs for the main bed and 200lb for the pull out portion
After building an entire catalogue's worth of IKEA products over the last several years, I've often been asked, "whats their hardest item to assemble?" Generally this question depends on several factors, such as the size of a space, mounting set up, electronics to be installed, sufficient lighting, pets and children. Yet without a doubt - by parts quantity, weight and time required for assembly, the Hemnes (or Brimnes) Day Bed is easily the most challenging.
The Hemnes Day Bed is shipped in three 50 lb boxes with a set of wrapped up slats to boot. Don't let the completed size of this item fool you - the bed folds out like a Matryoshka Doll with a smaller mattress extension and then individual drawers underneath. Fully unravelled, the day bed stretches out to about 8 ft long!
But what makes the Hemnes daybed particularly difficult? The amount of parts to assemble, the complexity of the assembly, and the weight of the item all factor in here. The fact that most customers choose these as a solution to being short on space doesn't hurt either.
All said and done, the quickest time I've built one of these from opening the box to breaking down the packaging is 90 minutes. Other units such as the Gallant Storage Unit and several of IKEA's 8 drawer dresser options can take just as long, but lack the sheer quantity of assembling parts and weight that the day bed presents.
TIPS TO ASSEMBLE THE DAY BED
(especially if your space is tiny!)
Follow the instructions carefully! IKEA sorted out the joinery in to smaller bags for this item, keep them in there until you're going to use them!
Sort out the pieces for drawers (#3 p. 30) and set them aside to build last.
Leave the slats sealed. You can sort these out once the frames are built. When you do open them, sort them by length first. Make sure to note the holes in one.
Build the outer frame last, it’s simple and you can store the inner frame and pieces elsewhere and place the frame in it's final position.
Make sure to check the orientation of your slat rails. I’ve embedded the illustrations and relevant page numbers above.
Use any available space to assemble the interior object (#1 p. 6). When built this will easily slide under the day bed frame.
Make sure the inner frame's wheels and tracks all line up for the drawers! Otherwise you'll have to pull it out and basically rebuild it.
Build the drawers after the entire bed and slats are installed. You can use the completed daybed to place the drawer sections safely away from damage and scuffing as you assemble them.
Check that your drawers are oriented correctly. Many people have had trouble with the final steps because the tracks should interlock, with the wheel towards the ground and the opening of the bed
SKIL’s cordless screwdriver is under $40 and has everytihng needed for this job as well as most simple households tasks
I also find a few extra tools to be really helpful with the screws and general assembly. A relatively cheap cordless powertool that’s great to have around the house, and especially for this job, is the SKIL Cordless Screwdriver (amazon). It’s light weight, variable speed and a great wrist saver for all sorts of little things around the house. All said and done this item has 142 screws, so get adrill ready or prepare for a strained wrist! A white rubber mallet (Edward Tools Harden Rubber Mallet, Amazon) can also help getting the frame parts snug before you tighten the cam bolts.
If you're still struggling with the bed, or instructions just aren't your thing, give us a call at 604 816 7942, email us at admin@brownbox.ca or use our form. I've built hundres of these day beds and can help you find a solution to this unique assembly challenge.
-Mathieu
Bed Dimensions:
Length: 78 3/8 " (199 cm)
Width: 41 " (104 cm)
\Height: 32 5/8 " (83 cm)
Package Sizes:
Box 1
Width: 20 ¾ " (53 cm)
Height: 2 ¼ " (6 cm)
Length: 80 ½ " (204 cm)
Weight: 60 lb 10 oz (27.50 kg)
Box 2
Width: 11 ½ " (29 cm)
Height: 2 ¼ " (6 cm)
Length: 80 ¾ " (205 cm)
Weight: 48 lb 1 oz (21.80 kg)
Box 3
Width: 32 ¾ " (83 cm)
Height: 3 ½ " (9 cm)
Length: 41 ¼ " (105 cm)
Weight: 62 lb 14 oz (28.53 kg)
Box 4
Width: 33 " (84 cm)
Height: 3 ¼ " (8 cm)
Length: 39 ¼ " (100 cm)
Weight: 58 lb 12 oz (26.65 kg)
My first IKEA Hemnes bed assembly! 2013