apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

$419? are you kiddin gme? for that?

Those are pretty cool - Only thing that would make 'em better is if there were handles cut into the side panels so that you could use them as book boxes (without unloading the books) when you move.

Oooh those are yummy! (but then I am always fond of a nice keyed mortise and tenon joint) but sadly, that price isn't so yummy, for me. I really wish I knew woodworking, or a helpful wwodworker...

Yikes! A little too rich for my blood!

I wouldn't want to be the one to clean the little gap between the units...

I went to Target the other day and saw some really nice mix-and-match storage/shelf/organizer system.
I really like them and am planning to buy them next month.

http://www.target.com/Modular-Cube-Storage-System-Black/dp/B000O7KPUY/ref=cm_reviews_dp_seemore/602-9482466-1172651?ie=UTF8&coliid=&frombrowse=1&alt%5Fview=custReviews&asin=B000O7KPUY#R1ZZJXRKSHZRBK

At the store, I saw more color options: Expresso, Brich, white. Also white plastic (like for play rooms).

Oh yeah, I had a feeling there was a catch. I scrolled down first to look for the price before I got too excited about them. They look great, but $419?, ouch! If I could afford to spend that on each module, I wouldn't be living in an apartment.

jesus, that's when you go to home depot, buy a few boards, nails, and a hammer, and then paint, and do it yourself for... $40 tops?

Thanks for the post AT. I'd like to take a minute to address the price comments, if you don't mind. It's not fair to compare this product with something sold at Target or IKEA, for a number of reasons. For one thing, they are made in Denver, not southern China. The wood used is FSC certified, sustainably harvested, with ultra low formaldehyde content (well under both tiers of the upcoming California regulations). The finish on every single piece contains zero VOCs. Not low VOCs, zero. The machining and fit is incredibly precise. These would be literally impossible to make yourself, unless you have a CNC milling machine, or are an incredibly skilled woodworker (like Thomas Moser kind of skilled). There are no nails or screws, the parts all slide together and are locked in place by the (CNC machined) aluminum keys. Unlike the camlocks-screwed-into-particleboard junk in the link above, you can take these apart and put them back together hundreds of times.

So where does that money go? Let me give you a few examples- a single sheet of the wood we use costs $125 (that's wholesale). CNC machining time is $120 an hour. I could certainly have these made in China (I've got plenty of experience over there), but I'd have to use lower quality materials, and I'd have to abandon most of the environmental benefits I've worked so hard to build into it. And in the end, it wouldn't save that much. The retail price for the base module would probably be around $300 instead of $420. Worth it? I'd rather sell fewer and not have to make any excuses. The stuff at Target may be cheaper now, but after you throw it away and replace it every 3-7 years, it's not cheaper any more. (Did I mention we have a lifetime guarantee? Because we do.)

And honestly, if anyone thinks they can make these for $40 and a trip to Home Depot, I'll buy them from you as fast as you can make them.

Sorry if this comes off as defensive. I actually don't mind the criticism, and I do wish I could sell them for less. But we worked incredibly hard to get the cost down this low. When you compare it to something similar from say, Blu Dot (which can't make most of our environmental claims), I don't think we are out of line at all. Compare it to most low volume designer stuff, and I think it's really a good value.

P.S. @bepsf- The part that sticks out through the sides (where the keys slot in) is a perfect handle. That's how we move them here. If your arms are wide enough, you can even pick them up from the top like that.

Thanks,
Scott

Scott:

I loved reading your response to the ridiculous comments on this post comparing your furniture to ikea. Drives me crazy when people complain about the true cost of quality products, and hearing from the producer is the best way to shut it down. And frankly, 419 seems kind of reasonable to me, considering that a piece of crap sideboard from CB2 is 500 bucks.