Why IKEA Platsa might revolutionize the way you conceive furniture
Like most early millennials, I furnished most of my home with Ikea. The retailer offers cheap and easy-to-assemble furniture, which is perfect for our nomadic generation. Indeed, I have lived in three different cities in the past 10 years and have experienced seven different apartments. Dressers were sold, closets didn’t fit in the new flat, and old beds were bought second hand, only to be thrown away three years later. Considering the unpredictability of my life, I became reluctant to buy any furniture that exceeded the €200 barrier. However, my relationship with buying furniture changed when I discovered Platsa.
What is Platsa?
Platsa is the “Lego” of furniture, taking inspiration from Besta and PAX to create a versatile system where you can customize and stack corpus units with doors or drawers to build various furniture pieces like wardrobes, TV stands, sideboards, and even beds. The units can be easily connected using the holes on top and bottom, just like assembling Legos.
Almost no screwing nor nailing
Platsa introduces new Ikea's revolutionary system that utilizes a “slide and click” mechanism to securely hold the pieces together, eliminating the need for screws. This innovative design allows for assembly in under 5 minutes. The drawers can be easily assembled following the same straightforward principle, and only attaching the rails and doors requires a quick screwing process.
No more struggling during unmounting.
I realized the greatest advantage of Platsa when we had to install the back panels for each corpus. During my last move, I spent hours disassembling and removing nails from my girlfriend’s PAX wardrobe’s large back panels. The nails would often cause damage and fly everywhere during the process. Once we moved, I had to reattach the panel with nails to ensure the entire structure stayed together. However, with Platsa, I know I won’t encounter this issue because the back panels don’t require nails. Platsa utilizes predefined holes and hybrid inserts that securely hold the panel in place using a “pop and lock” mechanism. I can’t help but imagine how much easier it would have been to move if we had Platsa wardrobes instead of PAX. Not only would we have avoided the hassle of nailing and removing those cumbersome panels, but we could have simply broken down the closet into smaller building blocks and transported them without worrying about narrow corners.
Furniture that can follow your life changes
When you purchase a Platsa corpus, you’re not just buying a single piece of furniture like a wardrobe or TV stand; you’re investing in a flexible storage solution that adapts to your changing needs. For example, the large TV stand you initially buy can easily transform into a wardrobe or a guest bed in your next home. If you find yourself running out of storage space, you can simply purchase additional corpuses and stack them on top. In your living room, you have the option to remove the taller side drawers and stack them to create more space, while also adding an extra drawer in a baby’s room. If you desire more drawers, you can simply replace one of the large doors with additional drawers. In the event of a breakup or separation, you can easily divide the corpuses, keeping some for a TV stand while your partner retains the drawers. Should you move into an apartment where wood finishes no longer match, you can keep your existing corpuses and purchase new doors. Your furniture is no longer a static object; it becomes an adaptable part of your life that can be rearranged to suit its changes.
There is still space for growing
The Platsa collection is relatively new, and there are still areas where Ikea can make improvements. While the planner tool provides options for different corpus sizes, the color choices in the catalog are somewhat limited. While Ikea offers various colors for door handles, drawers, and storage doors, all the corpuses are only available in white. As you can see in the picture, I actually replaced the white plates on top with custom-made wooden ones. Personally, I wouldn’t have minded having the option to choose the corpus color from the beginning. However, I have no doubt that Ikea will expand their offerings in order to keep up with new trends and provide a wider range of color options in the future.
It’s expensive… and it’s not.
In Germany, my partner and I are what they call “saving foxes,” meaning we try to spend as little money as possible. However, when we discovered Platsa, we realized it was a worthwhile investment due to its high reusability. At first glance, a complete Platsa setup may seem expensive, but it’s important to consider its long-term value. Platsa will stay with you for years and maintain its core functionality. Additionally, you don’t need to purchase everything at once. For example, the TV stand we created cost us around €350 with the family card. We could have also bought it gradually by ordering a corpus each month and adding it to the final result. The beauty of Platsa is that it can adapt to your changing circumstances, eliminating the typical cycle of selling furniture and buying new ones that better suit your new lifestyle. If we were to move to a different apartment and decide to change our TV setup, we could easily transform the existing Platsa into a bedroom dresser. In other words, there’s no reason to get rid of your Platsa unless it’s significantly damaged. It offers longevity and adaptability, making it a valuable investment.
