IKEA Vrijdag: Hemnes Bijtafel/Sofa Table

We're used to not having much counter and cabinet space, so when we were buying our furniture for the kitchen, we wanted to give us an extra bit of counter and storage space if we needed it. The Hemnes Bijtafel/Sofa Table looked to work well as a buffet table for the back of our kitchen.

Hemnes Bijtafel/Sofa Table

IKEA recommends that two people put this table together, and having put this table together by myself, I agree. You begin with the table top and build top to bottom, then flip the table over. Really, it's the flipping part that involves two people and is ill-advised to do on your own, though that didn't stop me when I was making the attempt. For the record, I was able to stand the table up without any injury to myself or the table, but it wasn't a comfortable process.

Of course, the Hemnes Bijtafel/Sofa Table came with the ubiquitous allen wrench, but it really is better to use  a power drill for this table. The battery had died on our power drill after much use (this is, after all, when we were putting everything together), and I did most of the table by hand, which was not a lot of fun with the tiny little allen wrench. Putting the table together was a little frustrating because several key pieces looked the same on the back and the front, and I put a piece on backwards very early into the process and didn't notice until after I was done. Needless to say, that side is now against the wall and will always have to be out of sight. A few other times I was putting pieces on backwards and managed to find them before permanently attaching them. This wasn't the easiest piece of furniture or the clearest set of instructions that we've experienced with our IKEA stuff.

The table is made of solid pine and paint. It's not gotten very dirty, but should be able to just wipe off like most of the acrylic lacquered IKEA products. It comes in white, natural, or grey/brown, and is part of a much larger series for coordinating if you choose.

We didn't get the baskets when we bought the table - it wasn't until after some use and figuring out how/where to put everything that we determined the baskets would be helpful. The IKEA website recommends for the larger bottom compartments some cube shaped wicker baskets, but we found a similar basket that we purchased (to be reviewed at a later date). Since this is technically a sofa table, the Hemnes Bijtafel/Sofa Table's top compartments are supposed to be for magazines and books, and there are small baskets available on the website, but we couldn't find any in the store. I'll note that none of the "recommended" baskets were anywhere near the Hemnes display in the store, further frustrating everyone involved. We ended up purchasing the nice colorful baskets from a different store and they do seem to suit the rest of the kitchen better than what the IKEA website recommends, and they've worked our well enough.

Sebastian would like to point out that this belongs to him.

We give the Hemnes Bijtafel/Sofa Table 3.5 Swedish meatballs on our 5 meatball scale. Points were deducted for the uncertainty of the directions and pieces during assembly, though the table so far is standing up well, though it's not in a high-traffic area.

Life in Dutch Rating for Hemnes Bijtafel/Sofa Table: