Monday, September 14, 2015

When Furniture Assembly Becomes a Family Affair (with #giveaway directions too)

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

It all started out innocently enough. I wanted to assemble a new Coat Cubby from my favorite online children's store, One Step Ahead. Let me just say, if you need anything for your kids, this is the place to go. On top of that, they have items you'd never even think of in a million years, like this multi-function table and chairs that turns into many different items including a couch and end tables, a desk, and an entertainment center.


But getting back to the coat cubby. Like I said, it all started out innocently enough. I had some free time, everyone was occupied doing their own thing in their part of the house, and so I thought it the perfect time to assemble our latest most awesome piece of One Step Ahead furniture.


I carefully placed the directions and the hardware on the floor,


and I lined up the big pieces per the instructions.


The first person to venture in while I was building was my granddaughter. "Can I help, Grandma?" That's what she says in her sweet babygrand voice whenever she wants to do something with me. Where she goes, and vice versa, it doesn't take long for the other to follow, and in ventured my youngest son (he really is helpful with these things too, I love when he volunteers to help). My daughter-in-law came in to check on her baby girl who'd been gone awhile, and she couldn't fight the urge to help either. Soon she was trucking away at the coat cubby assembly too.


Making the picture complete, my oldest son finished up his college class and came directly to where the action was happening. I have a history of misconfigured assembly...meaning, I have to unassemble and reassemble that which I've put together upside down or backwards. My oldest has been around long enough to know this...so he immediately broke out the drill and told me to scooch over. He and his wife finished the product in no time flat (love that they work together so well on these things like they do!).

And it was a victory!


This Coat Cubby measures 15 1/2 L" x 24 W x 45 1/2 H" when assembled, and it consists of two lockers, four hooks, and four shelves. It is a practical, fun, and attractive way to give children their own personal space, it helps with organization, and it makes finding things you need to locate quickly (backpacks anyone?) a cinch. It also helps you to make the most of small spaces, like the foyer or the mudroom. It is made of birch plywood with a clear, protective lacquer finish. Recommended for ages 3+.

You can learn more about this and other fabulous children's items, including furniture, by visiting the One Step Ahead website. You can also follow along on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Giveaway: Just a note, I happened to see this exact item being given away by the School Zone Publishing Company through 9/20. The link for the giveaway is here.

Do you like this item? Will you be entering the giveaway?

69 comments:

  1. haha got you out of the way and they got it done. I've had things all done and saw I put it on backwards or something lol

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  2. Whenever we have to put something together, the whole family jumps in! Glad to see your family is the same way!

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  3. I always love it when a job turns into family time. It's such a great way to bond.

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  4. Your daughter is adorable. Look at her helping. That's what I love about projects like this. It really promotes that sense of helpfulness.

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  5. It's always fun to work together on a project!! I love that you're letting your daughter learn tools so young. That is so important! :) Finished project looks great, too!

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  6. We really need one of those! My least favorite thing is when everyone gets home and throws their stuff all over the floor!
    I love that you worked as a family.

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  7. The family that builds together stays together.

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  8. Well that's a nice coat cubby indeed. Way cool and I didn't even know they had such things.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  9. Great teamwork! The finished piece looks awesome. I have to do that disassembling/reassembling dance when I put things together sometimes too.

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  10. That's right, put 'em to work. I would do the same thing :)

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  11. Now that is what I call a family project. Very well done and lovely cabinet.

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  12. That is really neat looking. Love that you had all that help putting it together.

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  13. That coat cubby is adorable! I bet it makes the hall much more organized, too.

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  14. Its sweet the family pitched to help. Now they all can enjoy it since they helped put it together. LOL

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  15. When it comes to assembling the Hubs leaves it all to me. He's no good with photo directions - his brain somehow doesn't function that way. I'm totally visual and can figure it out!

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    1. I get distracted too easily and end up messing up the directions. I have to have someone else working with me just in case!

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  16. Great item, def going to check it out to learn more about it and I will be entering the giveaway

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  17. Well done. That actually looked really complicated. I remember when my husband and I first moved in together and we purchased all of our furniture from Ikea. It all looked great on display, but putting it together we pulled an all nighter. It was brutal!

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  18. Oh, Rosey! You must read my post...so perfect match for your own.

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  19. When it comes to furniture, I let the hubby do it. He usually has enough help from our toddler :)

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  20. This cracked me UP! My husband has no problem but if I get started on something to assemble first I end up creating very unusual things! Thanks for the tip on the giveaway too!

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  21. I do like this and thanks for the heads up on the giveaway! Can you and your family come over and help me assemble it if I win? That kind of teamwork makes a big job like this go like clockwork!

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  22. I love that your assembly became a family affair! lol I have trouble assembling anything by myself and usually require a few extra hands too! I love the look of the coat cubby all put together!

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  23. Don't you just love when everyone helps out. I just happened to put together our dining room furniture today and all the kids helped since they had the day off from school.

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  24. Oh how cute! My husband thinks he's the best at this kind of thing, but I totally assembled some ikea shelves all by myself a couple of weeks ago. I let him hand them though....

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  25. I love this. The fact that the whole family put it together really makes it special.

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  26. This would be great for any hallway. Looks like quite the family affair getting everyone involved in the assembly.

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  27. I love the end results! Definitely got this coat cubby up and running in time for winter!

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  28. I love the cubby cabinet. That would be so nice!!

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  29. Your family looks had fun lol, I like it and it looks like well-organized.

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  30. I have been looking for something like this for my entryway! Off to check out the giveaway!

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  31. Love your new piece of furniture, I love when building furniture becomes a family affair as well! We always assemble things together in our household, it's easier and makes for an entertaining assembly each and every time!

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  32. Love that it's a family project. Great team work!

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  33. My hubby always lose something during assembling. He needs at least 72 hours to put everything together

    == RIKA ==

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  34. It's always more fun when the whole family is involved.

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  35. Furniture assembly is fun, if all are complete. The tools, the materials everything. If something get lost, let's say a screw, it's a total chaos.

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  36. Kids are always excited about putting furniture together. Or helping out at least. It makes everything more fun!

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  37. I have always wanted something this! I love that you helped assemble it.

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  38. A job well done and it looks nice too :-)

    Have a coatcubbytastic week :-)

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  39. It's always so nice when the whole family works together to assemble a furniture. It's the excitement that makes it more fun.

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  40. I love that everyone steps in and help! Especially since half the time those darn directions don't give you enough information and you are left playing the licking game.

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  41. I love when things like this become something for the whole family. My kids LOVE helping out! This turned out very lovely, what a nice piece! - Jeanine

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  42. I enjoy doing this. Save time, space and money for a little extra effort. Just make sure there are no parts or pieces left otherwise you are in for a surprise!

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  43. It's great that you were able to get it put together so beautifully and have time with your family. My kids would love to feel involved,especially if the furniture is for them.

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  44. It turned out great! It's good to know if you can work together. You're totally ready for a family edition of Survivor.

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  45. That turned out great! I hope things are going well for you in Florida. I bet it's nice to be by your granddaughter, other son, and daughter-in-law. You have another son that lives there to I think. Anyway it's good they could help put this together. Things like that can take some time. The end result is fun.

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  46. What a great idea to get the whole family involved. My husband has my youngest son help him when he's building something and his whole face lights up!

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  47. I love the cabinet. It's so fun when the whole family works together to assemble a furniture. My family does this, too.

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  48. Thats a great piece from One Step Ahead Furniture. I feel like the instructions never work ...lol why are there always extra screws left over? It came out great and its even better you made it a family experience

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  49. I hate to put furniture together. I always get the kids to help. It looks like you did a great job.

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  50. It's great to get the whole family involved in a project like this. It empowers them and means you don't have to do it by yourself!

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  51. What a fab piece of furniture. Definitely could do with something like this in our house. I'm not good at putting furniture together so the hubby does it. These days the kids help out to.

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  52. It's so cute that your granddaughter tried to help! I always leave the furniture assembly to my husband... he's the best at it!

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  53. You are going to love that piece of furniture!
    We have one at our front door and it was the best investment. The kids love being neat and tidy. So much fun building it as a family.

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  54. I like that you get the whole family in a project. I swear since having babies, everything is assembly required from the toys to the furniture, it is a family effort.

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  55. The last time that I attempted to put together my own furniture, I stripped the screws so bad that I had to go to the hardware store to purchase replacements. I learned my limits.

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  56. We also find any type of furniture building ends up being a group thing! This little cubby closet it so cute. How fun for your Granddaughter to help; I"m sure she felt like a big girl.

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  57. I usually leave it all to Jason. He's a whiz with the power tools. I am a whiz with the cursing if I have to do it ;)

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  58. I love that coat cubby but goodness I hate assembling furniture! I like buying antique and vintage furniture as it is usually already put together! :)

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  59. How fun! That coat cubby is so cute, too. My 9 year old son and I usually build things together. It's wonderful way to bond.

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  60. Thanks for posting about their sweepstakes. I just entered to win. *Fingers crossed*

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  61. To be honest, whenever I buy something that requires assembly my husband just have to complain. :) He hates assembling stuff. Anyway, this piece of furniture is nice have lots of storage space.

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  62. Oh I love that Coat Cubby! I need one of these by my front door!

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  63. Wow! I didn't know Step One had furniture like this (I thought just the baby/toddler stuff).

    You guys did a great job putting it together as a family!! I will have to keep their site in mind when I'm looking for new furniture!!

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  64. This is an awesome post! Assembly furniture and things can be such a pain in the rear!

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  65. The Coat Cubby looks so nice, and it's really fun to have a family project like this to work on. Seeing the finished result is such a good feeling.

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  66. Now that looks awesome.
    I want to look at getting one to for us!

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  67. Thank you for linking up with #anythinggoes linky My hubby always ends up starting on his own, then everyone gets involved, then he gets stressed as he's not great at flatpack and I finish it ha ha. I love your new unit it looks lovely.

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