This is not a high end product but assembly was quick, has good storage and is fairly strong. This product is just what I needed in my kitchen. I recommend this island.
This has to be the most straightforward assembly I've ever done. The instructions are crystal clear and easy to follow because every single piece is marked with a letter and every screw is clearly labeled with what it is and what its for.
As for the quality, with the exception of the folding leaf supports feeling a little bit strained if rest you elbows on it; its surprisingly sturdy for its price.
All in all if the rest of homestyles manufacturing is like this, I'd be happy to get more when the need arises.
Read all the reviews, did almost everything everyone said to do from having two trash bags and a vacuum ready, to leaving off the towel bar and spice rack to save space. Everything went perfectly. Im really glad I read the reviews. They helped. We didnt have any problems, but it does take two people and an electric drill. All the rest was supplied. We followed the directions exactly too.
I was pleasantly surprised on the sturdiness. It was easy to put together. Recommended for small kitchens. I bought the white, perfect accent with my blue countertops.
I just bought and assembled this, on the basis of numerous 4- and 5-star reviews. They are all truthful, and I was very pleasantly surprised that a low-priced item like this was so well designed and uncomplicated to assemble. Mind you, except for the top, this isn't real wood, so you get what you pay for, but the finished product looks very nice and serves its purpose well. The delivery time quoted to me was five days; I got the box in two, which ruined my weekend plans. The model I received is an updated version of what other here have purchased previously. Homestyles has apparently stopped using cam locks for their assembled furniture; what's used on this model are flip locks, which serve the same purpose as cam locks but are pre-embedded in the parts and simpler to use (see below for more on this). Also noteworthy is that previous complaints about how the drawers go together have been resolved; I found this bit foolproof and simple. It's pretty evident that Homestyles has paid attention to consumer comments here and elsewhere about design issues and have made modifications to the assembly of this product.
I'm handy and own lots of tools, so I didn't anticipate any problems; really, this is a simple build for anyone. Directions are very clear and easy to follow. Homestyles says you only need a Philips screwdriver, which is not quite true. If that's all you've got, OK. But a power drill, Philips head bits, a small hammer, a rubber mallet, and a drift punch set are very useful if you have access to them. Some buyers here have complained about the styrofoam packaging, and they're right. But, if you use the top half of the box for waste and use care in removing pieces, you shouldn't encounter styro-snow. If you do, a roll of packing tape will collect the nasty errant pieces quickly.
Several people have complained about off-gassing odor during and after completion, and they're completely right. If you're fragrance-sensitive or get migraines, the smell will bother you. The odor is sharp and pungent, so get ready for several days of discomfort. Before assembly I wiped all the parts off with Clorox wipes. That helped in the near-term, but after assembly an unpleasant odor returned and didn't dissipate for some time. Off-gassing is a fact of life these days, and we had to open a window and keep a fan running in the room where we assembled the piece for 36 hours before the odor dissipated. Even then, however, a week later there's still a discernable odor. Keep a window open as long as you can.
NOTES ON ASSEMBLY:
You'll want a power drill or electric screwdriver for driving screws, especially when you get to the drawers. The directions say you can't use 18V or over, which makes no sense to me. I've got a DeWalt 20V set and had no problems using it. Just set the torque fairly low and you'll be okay. However, don't try to tighten screws with the drill; do that by hand. A hammer and drift punch are needed to tighten the flip locks. Believe me, you'll want to use these to get the locks set properly and tightly. There are some narrow spaces to work in, and here the punch will come in very handy. You might need to use a rubber mallet when positioning the back panels to the side panels (step 4); they don't fit well and need a good smack to get them to fit. Just be careful; you're working with MDF.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that a straight hex key (not L-shaped) was included in the bag of hardware, which I could attach directly to my drill and use to quickly screw in several hex screws. This was really great.
There are no major issues in assembly, but I noted a few hiccups. The back uprights (step 4) don't attach to the length of the base; a couple of screws are needed to stabilize for future use. Pieces W and I in step 8 don't attach laterally; they'll need to be strengthened to resist twisting, even after the top is put in place. I'm not satisfied with the operation of the casters, and they don't lock very well. It would be nice if Homestyles offered an option to attach a 3 or 4-inch skirted base that could be attached in place of the casters. I could probably make this myself, but I'm just not in the mood.
Generally speaking, this was an uncomplicated, 4-hour build. All parts are identified, there's some extra hardware, and aside from the off-gassing odor there's nothing unpleasant about this. I'm looking forward to using it.
Our Kitchen is very small and had maybe 4 ft of usable counter top, and we had no place to sit and eat. This kitchen cart provided us with adequate space for prep when other counter space was full. (we also have no dish washer so two of the four ft is almost always used for a dish rack). My only complaint is the leaf that pulls out for a place to eat and sit at is not as sturdy as I would like. But, it should be fine as long as you do not put a lot of weight on it. We are able to eat on it and rest our elbows on the leaf with no problem.
Very good piece for the price that gave us so much more storage in our kitchen. Looks good too, and not cheap as some of the other reviews have mentioned. However, it takes a long time to assemble with a million small parts. Some of the twist locks were very hard. And totally messy packaging that dirties your entire place with styrofoam by the time you are done. Could have been sturdier too- tends to move about even with wheels locked.
Reviews
Good product for the money.
This is not a high end product but assembly was quick, has good storage and is fairly strong. This product is just what I needed in my kitchen. I recommend this island.
Good quality and easy assembly
This has to be the most straightforward assembly I've ever done. The instructions are crystal clear and easy to follow because every single piece is marked with a letter and every screw is clearly labeled with what it is and what its for. As for the quality, with the exception of the folding leaf supports feeling a little bit strained if rest you elbows on it; its surprisingly sturdy for its price. All in all if the rest of homestyles manufacturing is like this, I'd be happy to get more when the need arises.
Lots of space and sturdy!
Read all the reviews, did almost everything everyone said to do from having two trash bags and a vacuum ready, to leaving off the towel bar and spice rack to save space. Everything went perfectly. Im really glad I read the reviews. They helped. We didnt have any problems, but it does take two people and an electric drill. All the rest was supplied. We followed the directions exactly too.
Perfect Kitchen Centerpiece
I was pleasantly surprised on the sturdiness. It was easy to put together. Recommended for small kitchens. I bought the white, perfect accent with my blue countertops.
Excellent Product
I just bought and assembled this, on the basis of numerous 4- and 5-star reviews. They are all truthful, and I was very pleasantly surprised that a low-priced item like this was so well designed and uncomplicated to assemble. Mind you, except for the top, this isn't real wood, so you get what you pay for, but the finished product looks very nice and serves its purpose well. The delivery time quoted to me was five days; I got the box in two, which ruined my weekend plans. The model I received is an updated version of what other here have purchased previously. Homestyles has apparently stopped using cam locks for their assembled furniture; what's used on this model are flip locks, which serve the same purpose as cam locks but are pre-embedded in the parts and simpler to use (see below for more on this). Also noteworthy is that previous complaints about how the drawers go together have been resolved; I found this bit foolproof and simple. It's pretty evident that Homestyles has paid attention to consumer comments here and elsewhere about design issues and have made modifications to the assembly of this product. I'm handy and own lots of tools, so I didn't anticipate any problems; really, this is a simple build for anyone. Directions are very clear and easy to follow. Homestyles says you only need a Philips screwdriver, which is not quite true. If that's all you've got, OK. But a power drill, Philips head bits, a small hammer, a rubber mallet, and a drift punch set are very useful if you have access to them. Some buyers here have complained about the styrofoam packaging, and they're right. But, if you use the top half of the box for waste and use care in removing pieces, you shouldn't encounter styro-snow. If you do, a roll of packing tape will collect the nasty errant pieces quickly. Several people have complained about off-gassing odor during and after completion, and they're completely right. If you're fragrance-sensitive or get migraines, the smell will bother you. The odor is sharp and pungent, so get ready for several days of discomfort. Before assembly I wiped all the parts off with Clorox wipes. That helped in the near-term, but after assembly an unpleasant odor returned and didn't dissipate for some time. Off-gassing is a fact of life these days, and we had to open a window and keep a fan running in the room where we assembled the piece for 36 hours before the odor dissipated. Even then, however, a week later there's still a discernable odor. Keep a window open as long as you can. NOTES ON ASSEMBLY: You'll want a power drill or electric screwdriver for driving screws, especially when you get to the drawers. The directions say you can't use 18V or over, which makes no sense to me. I've got a DeWalt 20V set and had no problems using it. Just set the torque fairly low and you'll be okay. However, don't try to tighten screws with the drill; do that by hand. A hammer and drift punch are needed to tighten the flip locks. Believe me, you'll want to use these to get the locks set properly and tightly. There are some narrow spaces to work in, and here the punch will come in very handy. You might need to use a rubber mallet when positioning the back panels to the side panels (step 4); they don't fit well and need a good smack to get them to fit. Just be careful; you're working with MDF. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a straight hex key (not L-shaped) was included in the bag of hardware, which I could attach directly to my drill and use to quickly screw in several hex screws. This was really great. There are no major issues in assembly, but I noted a few hiccups. The back uprights (step 4) don't attach to the length of the base; a couple of screws are needed to stabilize for future use. Pieces W and I in step 8 don't attach laterally; they'll need to be strengthened to resist twisting, even after the top is put in place. I'm not satisfied with the operation of the casters, and they don't lock very well. It would be nice if Homestyles offered an option to attach a 3 or 4-inch skirted base that could be attached in place of the casters. I could probably make this myself, but I'm just not in the mood. Generally speaking, this was an uncomplicated, 4-hour build. All parts are identified, there's some extra hardware, and aside from the off-gassing odor there's nothing unpleasant about this. I'm looking forward to using it.
Easy to assemble and very sturdy for out of a box!
Very sturdy. Perfect for my little apartment kitchen!
Great for small kitchens
Our Kitchen is very small and had maybe 4 ft of usable counter top, and we had no place to sit and eat. This kitchen cart provided us with adequate space for prep when other counter space was full. (we also have no dish washer so two of the four ft is almost always used for a dish rack). My only complaint is the leaf that pulls out for a place to eat and sit at is not as sturdy as I would like. But, it should be fine as long as you do not put a lot of weight on it. We are able to eat on it and rest our elbows on the leaf with no problem.
Great extra storage, great finish!
Very good piece for the price that gave us so much more storage in our kitchen. Looks good too, and not cheap as some of the other reviews have mentioned. However, it takes a long time to assemble with a million small parts. Some of the twist locks were very hard. And totally messy packaging that dirties your entire place with styrofoam by the time you are done. Could have been sturdier too- tends to move about even with wheels locked.
Quality and look
Beautiful! Exactly what I wanted! Easy to put together.
Great purchase!!!!
Sturdy, spacious, and easy to assemble.
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