ᐅ How can Ikea BRIMNES furniture be retrofitted with soft-close mechanisms?

To carry out the retrofit professionally, here is a structured approach:

1. Identify the existing fittings: Take a photo or sketch the arrangement of the screw holes. This is important to select compatible soft-close options.

2. Choose the soft-close mechanism:
- For doors, surface-mounted soft-close hinges are especially suitable, as they slow down closing and provide a smooth cushioning effect.
- For drawers, there are soft-close runners with integrated dampers.

3. Check the mounting surfaces:
- In the case of Brimnes, the joint areas are made of MDF with a foil coating, so watch out for cracks or fragile spots.
- Additional drilling should be done carefully to avoid damaging the material.

4. Installation tips:
- Usually, old hinges/runners need to be removed.
- New drill holes may need to be filled or re-drilled.
- Adjustments can be made via the adjustment screws of the new fittings after installation.

5. Final functional tests and load checks.

If in doubt, use a spirit level and a tape measure to check alignment and avoid misfits.

If anyone has a reliable list of manufacturers, sharing it would be appreciated.

I would like to add: In my personal experience with BRIMNES, the nearly new BLUMOTION fittings work very well and can also be purchased individually from hardware suppliers.

The installation effort is moderate if you work carefully and measure precisely. The biggest challenge is accurately marking the drilling holes, as the existing ones are usually not compatible.

Especially for drawer slides, I recommend completely removing the old slides and replacing them with soft-close versions instead of just attaching dampers.

If you want to keep changes to the doors minimal, there are also so-called “door buffers” made of rubber or silicone for the upper frame, which reduce slamming but do not fully replace soft-close functionality.

My advice: It’s better to do things carefully. It takes time, but the results are very satisfying.

Soft-close fittings from Blum usually fit well. Measure the screw holes and drill new ones if necessary. Door dampers without modification are available but are less comfortable. For drawers, install new soft-close slides; this works well.

anno58 schrieb:
The biggest effort lies in accurately marking the drill holes, as the existing ones are usually not compatible.

Exactly, in my opinion, this is the crucial point. Anyone who works imprecisely here risks not only poor soft-close functionality but also damage to the furniture surfaces.

Fitigu schrieb:
In BRIMNES, the connection points are made of MDF with a foil coating, so watch out for cracks or sensitive areas.

Precisely because of the foil coating, handling drilling and screws is very delicate. I strongly recommend using countersunk Spax screws and pre-drilling with a 2 mm (0.08 inch) drill bit to avoid splitting the MDF.

One more note on alignment: especially with drawers using soft-close slides, the drawer depth must be measured precisely; otherwise, the slides will be either too long or too short, preventing proper closing.

Additionally, you should check if there is enough space inside the cabinet for the slides, as BRIMNES chests of drawers are sometimes designed to be quite shallow.

If you have exact model names or dimensions of your furniture, this greatly simplifies choosing the appropriate fittings.

liluro schrieb:
What problems can arise regarding the mounting points or the available space inside the furniture?

You’ve really picked a good point there, because the mounting can be tricky. Some time ago, I installed soft-close mechanisms on a BRIMNES chest of drawers. I had to drill additional holes, and sometimes the space is so tight that the drawer slides almost jam.

But hey, once everything fits, you get the luxury of smoothly closing furniture, and it’s definitely worth the effort!

One more tip: take your time and enjoy the upgrade! It almost feels like everyday magic.

I installed Blum soft-close hinges on my BRIMNES wardrobe. Installation is simple, but be sure to carefully mark the new holes before drilling. Otherwise, the quality is good, and the doors close quietly and smoothly. Make sure to follow the exact measurements.