So you’re browsing IKEA online catalogue in your free time. And then you came across the IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench and thought it looked nice. You wondered if it’s really good. Oh well, Mr Salty happened to have bought it too!
Mr Salty clicked the Buy button based on the compact footprint of the TV console, and its classy wood and black metal design. He also chose to install the TV bench by himself. Here’s what he has to say after using IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench for a year.
Specifications
Well, in case you missed the details when you were at IKEA’s online shop, the IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench costs $199, comes in black body with light shaded wooden top, and its dimensions are 150x36x54 cm. How is this information useful
Well, at 150cm in length, it’s on the small side, especially if you are living in a 5 room HDB flat. Mr Salty’s 4 room flat’s living room is rectangular, and this TV bench could fit into the shorter end of the living room, though there would be some space at the side. Depending on your preference, it would be both good and bad. For Mr Salty, that space meant that when he exits his bedroom, there’s a lower chance of him hitting his little pinkie on the leg of the TV bench.
And here comes the twist:
Mr Salty installed the TV bench in his bedroom!
Yup, Mr Salty converted one of his bedrooms into an entertainment room and so that was where the TV bench went. Over here, the small size of IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench fit very nicely into the room.
In fact, there was still some space where Mr Salty bought a matching 4-tier FJÄLLBO shelving unit to break the monotonous line of the TV console.
Aesthetics
The IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench is what Mr Salty would call an “industrial” look. It has a body made of metal grilles, topped with a wooden top that was of a light, teak colour.
Despite being metal, the black body lessened the “heaviness” of the TV console. The body was also grilled – with grilled doors and grilled sides, which also made it look airy too. Of course, on IKEA’s online catalogue, they said the grille also made it remote control friendly. So any DVD players or TV set top box placed inside the TV bench would still work when the doors are closed.
The bench also has an open back, like an Hollywood actress in a black evening gown on the red carpet. That open back also allows all the wires from between the TV and the gadgets like PS5 to connect freely.
The wooden top was sturdy, unlike IKEA’s reputation of filmsy furniture. Mr Salty thinks it was also because the metal frame provided support along the length of the TV console.
IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench also had adjustable feet, though if Mr Salty had to make use of that feature, he would have to go chase after his interior designer first.
Putting The IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench Together
One of the joys of buying an IKEA furniture is installing it! (No, Mr Salty did not buy the TV bench from IKEA because he wanted to save money…) Unfortunately, the metal body was heavier than it looked. It took Mr Salty and his room mate 2 hours to get everything together.
There were also times when the installation really required 2 people – one to hold the heavy pieces together, while the other tries to get the bolts to go into the holes of the 2 pieces.
If possible, get IKEA to install the IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench for you. This is one IKEA furniture that brings more sweat than excitement during the installation proces.
Ergonomics
Visually, the design of IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench was rather classic. The two-tones of wood and black will match a variety of interior designs.
The internal shelves have more than enough space to put a DVD player, a TV set top box (if it’s still a thing, but Mr Salty is not using one anymore) and a game console like Xbox. Even then, there is still more space where Mr Salty put all the instruction manuals and warranties of the electrical appliances he bought. And even then, he still had space to spare.
However, the grilled and open back design meant that whatever stored inside the TV bench will not be dust proof. Those doors are meant to hide the clutter and make the room look clean. So he tried to keep his stuff in boxes first, before placing them into the TV bench, which makes cleaning a less frustrating task.
There’s some space between the last shelf and the floor. Depending on how you see it, it allows for some light cleaning, though Mr Salty doubts the head of a vacuum cleaner could get into that space (Mr Salty does not use a vacuum cleaner, by the way, so he really does not know).
Parting Words
IKEA FJÄLLBO TV Bench is one of the furniture that Mr Salty was happy he got, out of all the long list of IKEA knick knacks he bought in 35 years of his life. It blended well into his entertainment room and kept stuff out of sight.
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