ᐅ How can Ikea Hemnes furniture be modified to be child-friendly?

Created on: 16 Jul 2018 08:13
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Fabutu
Hello everyone,

I am currently looking into how to make Ikea Hemnes furniture more child-friendly. Specifically, I mean how to modify furniture intended for children's rooms, such as beds, dressers, or wardrobes, to make them safer, more durable, and more practical for everyday use with kids. I am particularly interested in strategies to minimize hazards, for example rounding off sharp edges, reinforcing stability, or making adjustments that extend the furniture’s lifespan, as children often tend to treat things a bit more roughly. Are there any experiences with certain materials, additions, or techniques that have proven especially effective? I would appreciate tips, instructions, or even warnings about potential issues others have encountered during such modifications. Thanks in advance!
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nanidra
16 Jul 2018 14:02
To be honest, I find the Hemnes series far from child-friendly—especially the metal handles and sharp corners, which can be dangerous for active children.

Don’t expect to make them completely child-safe without putting in a lot of effort. You often have to significantly modify the furniture or resort to padding.

I consider this type of furniture more suitable for adults. Children’s furniture should ideally be designed to be functional and specifically child-friendly from the start. While Hemnes is popular, it is not a good base for “child-friendliness” without major alterations.
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SARBLA1
16 Jul 2018 15:17
Basically, almost any piece of furniture can be made safer for children if enough time and money are invested.

For Hemnes, I can recommend:
- Securing edges with soft edge protectors to prevent injuries
- Fixing furniture firmly to the wall, especially cabinets and dressers
- Replacing handles with softer, rounded ones or even switching to lever handles
- Adjusting the slatted bed base and mattress height to soften falls
- Installing door dampers to prevent fingers from getting pinched

This provides a solid foundation, even though Hemnes is not specifically designed for child use.
C
Colby42
17 Jul 2018 08:45
I used Hemnes dressers in our children’s rooms at home and can say that with a few simple tricks, you can make the furniture very child-friendly! 🙂

We have:
- Added edge protectors
- Covered handles with thick fabric to prevent children from hurting themselves
- Secured the cabinets to the wall with additional safety brackets
- Installed small stoppers to prevent doors from slamming shut

This works really well, and the furniture still looks nice! You don’t have to completely remodel everything; sometimes small modifications are enough to greatly improve safety.

I find the idea of intentionally modifying furniture for durability both sustainable and practical!
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eldubi
17 Jul 2018 09:02
A small tip: Self-adhesive foam pads can also be used for the corners. They are inexpensive and easy to apply.

Additionally, non-slip felt pads under the furniture are useful to prevent them from sliding easily when children play around.
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GU-LAU60
17 Jul 2018 10:38
The simplest solution is to properly anchor Hemnes furniture to the wall and cover sharp edges with edge protectors. This provides sufficient safety in 90% of cases without the need for major modifications.