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[Desert Lily]

Long ago on a far away site, I mentioned that I couldn't find an upholstered futon that would be delivered by a furniture store rather than require me to assemble it. Well, I found 2 pretty chairs online instead of the futon.

The reviews had 5 stars and said all that had to be assembled was to put the legs on. I thought, "I can do that."

After an hour of struggling with trying to fit the bolts into narrow slots and then futilely trying to thread them through holes, I gave up. I texted my neighbor about my dilemma, and he came over.

He pulled out the couple bolts I had stuck and put the legs in the slots instead ... where they belonged. LOL.The holes lined up perfectly, and he had all 8 legs on in 5 minutes.

OMG I felt so stupid, but also felt thankful for such a kind neighbor who was also much smarter than me at assembly.

When my landscaper came to trim a tree today, I asked him if he wanted a chair. We traded the tree trimming for the last chair I assembled. That chair still has the allen wrench I dropped in it when I attached its legs.

I'm still short one chair in a different color for another room, so I ordered ordered one online! I have no idea what will happen with the next assembly I attempt.

Do you have an "Assembly Required" story you'd like to share?

[Lucky Charm]

Paging @gardenman !  I know he put together a recliner.

I've only assembled one thing in my life and it wasn't that long ago, but I can't even remember what it was.  It was something simple.  

[PickyPicky3]

When I envision a futon, I think of a metal or wood adjustable frame with a separate mattress, not an upholstered sofa. Maybe that was the problem?

My many assemblies have been easy to do or not, had all parts included or not, and were ultimately satisfactory or not. But no interesting stories. 

[Shelbelle]

MY DH is very handy, but refuses to assemble furniture or exercise equipment, too frustrating for him. 

[Snowpuppy]

I'm pretty handy but I won't buy put together furniture. Too many missing parts or mismatched holes, brackets, get out the screwdriver, drill, etc. 

Tip if you do only have 1 allen wrench that came with your piece, tape it to the underside of your assembled piece. Then if something comes loose you won't have to hunt for it.

Allen wrenches come in different sizes, American and metric.

[Kachina624]

Ive assembled several complex pieces.  I read the directions carefully and have good tools to make the job easier.  I always get it done, eventually, although I don't enjoy it. 

[Desert Lily]

@PickyPicky3  Hi, this is an example of an upholstered futon. There are many different upholstered futons, but they require assembly. They weigh about 100 pounds, which is too heavy for me to maneuver.

You may be thinking of a sofa bed that has a hidden mattress that can be pulled out, which is even heavier, larger, and not what I was looking for.

I'm happy with the 2 chairs I bought instead, since I have extra beds and the chairs are now assembled (phew).

[PickyPicky3]

@Desert Lily  OK, thanks....I had one of those back in the 70s. They were called Click Clack sofas back then because of the sound the opening and closing mechanism made. I remember mine was made in Turkey.

So many local furniture stores have closed, even before the pandemic. Did you try Pottery Barn or West Elm? All the strictly modern furniture stores are gone in my area. So are the upscale futon shops, but they never carried the Click Clacks. 

The Click Clacks were never very comfortable, but they got the job done and came in many fabrics. 

[Venezia]

I've assembled quite a few pieces of furniture over the years, including this past year - my DH's large, double pedestal, office desk and my current workstation/desk.

The first thing I do is make sure every single piece is present and in perfect condition.  Read through all the instructions and then assume it's going to take me a few hours (depending on the size of the piece).

My DH is not very good at things like this, so he more or less just "supervises" and hands me things as I go along.  I'm the one more mechanically minded in our houselhold.

[Katrinka23]

I can't remember how long ago but I bought a new TV and a rather large cabinet with a lot of storage at Best Buy.  A young guy from the Geek Squad came to assemble the stand.  I believe I paid extra for assembly.  He was here for several  hours struggling and finally he finished.  It was already dark and I was happy to see him go!

The next morning I came downstairs and the sun was shining brightly on my new TV and  cabinet.  I was quite surprised to see the top of the stand was unfinished and other areas just didn't look right.  He put the top on upside down along with other parts that were inserted wrong.  I immediately called Best Buy and they sent out a new cabinet with an installer who knew what he was doing.  That was the last time I bought any furniture that had to be assembled!