ᐅ Are others having difficulties with the IKEA Brimnes assembly instructions?

Hello everyone,

I noticed during the assembly of the IKEA Brimnes chest of drawers that the instructions are sometimes very unclear and hard to follow. In particular, I find the steps for attaching the back panel and assembling the individual drawers not clearly explained.

Is anyone else having the issue that the illustrations are often too minimalistic and even after looking several times it’s still not immediately clear which parts are meant? Or have you found contradictory information in different assembly sections?

I would like to know if this is a common problem or if I am missing something. Maybe someone has tips on how to read or understand the instructions more efficiently, especially if you have little experience with furniture screws and assembly.

Looking forward to your experiences and opinions!

Lumeo schrieb:
I would like to know if this is a general issue or if I am missing something.

Oh yes, I know that all too well! IKEA instructions can sometimes feel like cryptic treasure maps 🗺️ – and if you don’t have the right compass, it’s easy to get lost.

Especially with the Brimnes, I found it a bit disappointing that the drawings, while simple, often lack enough detail to immediately understand where each part goes.

Tip: Take a step back and lay out the parts according to the illustrations before assembly. That helped me crack the "code." And don’t worry, we all come equipped here with a screwdriver and plenty of patience! 😄

Lumeo schrieb:
the instructions are partly very confusing and hard to follow.

I had the same problem. The back panel is especially confusing at first because the pins and holes aren’t clearly marked.

My advice: Before screwing anything together, carefully compare all the parts and check if there are alternative assembly options. Most of the steps are simple, but the diagrams often leave out details. This way, you can adjust if something doesn’t fit right away.

Otherwise, just work slowly and double-check frequently before tightening screws.

Lumeo schrieb:
I find the steps where the back panel and the individual drawers are assembled particularly unclear.

That’s exactly the main issue – I keep wondering if IKEA instructions are deliberately minimalistic so that people spend more time guessing, making the furniture feel more personal 🤔.

Seriously though, the instructions are often so sparse that you have to guess what exactly is meant. A bit more straightforward explanation or detailed drawings would be much more helpful.

Maybe it’s a cost-saving measure, but we should ask ourselves if that really serves the customers. Has anyone had experience with an official assembly guide or videos from IKEA? It would be interesting to know if those resources provide better support.