Studio Product: IKEA Råskog Kitchen Trolley

IKEA is proving to be a very useful place for providing equipment suitable for artists' needs.  My latest find is a Trolley called the Råskog Kitchen Trolley

One of the challenges of drawing with coloured pencils is getting my kit organised.  First I got my pencils into white painting tubs.  Then I got an IKEA Lazy Susan so that I can access them easily - however it would be nice to have all my other drawing equipment as easily accessible and in one place.  I've been thinking of getting a trolley - and spotted this one in the new IKEA catalogue.

IKEA Råskog Trolley

Specification

Materials: It's made of steel with an epoxy power coating.  These are the assembly instructions

Dimensions: The dimensions when assembled are

• Width: 35 cm (13.8 inches)
• Depth: 45 cm (17.7 inches)
• Height: 78 cm (30.7 inches) - that's the equivalent of desk height

Price: It's priced in the UK at £50 - in the USA it's $49.99.  I'm guessing VAT accounts for the rather wonky currency conversion.

Looking at it online, here are the pros and cons from my perspective

Pros

• I love the turquoise colour! (who needs grey?)
• the shelves have edges meaning that "stuff" does not fall off and everything is held securely within the space
• ease of access to shelving - no need to pull out a shelf
• tubs of pencils can be swopped around between the shelves depending on what is in use
• the castors mean it can be moved easily
• the website indicates that the middle shelf is adjustable - however I think they mean it's optional
• Steel means it's robust and can be cleaned easily (helpful for those wanting to use it for paint)
• its dimensions means it doesn't swamp the area when you have it out and it can fit in small spaces when you want to put it away

Cons

• the castors also mean it can move inadvertently - there's no obvious locking device to keep it one place
• the base of the shelves is meshed steel which I'm feeling a little ambivalent about.  Good for veggies and ideal for losing small items? (Probably need to use cartons within the shelves for small items/ things which roll)

I'd be interested to hear from anybody who has bought one and/or anything similar which they'd like to recommend.

More about IKEA for the studio

Previous IKEA items - reviewed on this blog - relate to:

• How to create a Lazy Susan Coloured Pencil Holder
• Hemnes Bookcase x 4 for "The Art Library" #1
• Hemnes Bookcase x 4 for "The Art Library" #2 - RESULT!
• Hemnes Bookcases - after the carpentry!
• Review: IKEA Alex Drawer Unit for paper storage
• Studio Product: IKEA ALEX Drawer unit with 9 drawers

Studio Product: IKEA ALEX Drawer unit with 9 drawers

This is what the IKEA ALEX Drawer unit with 9 drawers looks like for those reading the comments on my Review: IKEA Alex Drawer Unit for paper storage.  This item has already found a useful place in artists' studios.

ALEX Drawer unit with 9 drawers, white 
UK - Article Number 501.928.22 £81.99
USA - Article Number 501.928.22 $119.00

Specification

It's made in the same way as the Alex Drawer Unit on castors (which I've reviewed) - except it's not mobile.  The dimensions when assembled are

• Width: 36 cm (14.1 inches)
• Depth: 48 cm (18.9 inches)
• Height: 115 cm (45.2 inches)

Looking at it online, here are the pros and cons from my perspective

Pros

• a very useful item for any studio given the size of the drawers.  
• looks ideal for storing pencils, pastels, paints, other media and smaller sizes of paper
• Also has space for all those odds and sods of equipment we have to keep on hand for matting, framing etc.
• small footprint - ideal for studio areas where there are space constraints
• scope to match the Alex Drawer Unit - same depth and same design.

Cons

• deep - deeper than most bookcases (35-40cm) but not as deep as many standard kitchen items (60cm)
• very vertical - which means it will need fixing to the wall to be safe, especially if young children are around 
• no castors and not mobile - which means you need to find a spot and keep it there.

We recommend you secure this furniture to the wall with the enclosed safety strap to prevent it from tipping over. Different wall materials require different types of fasteners. Use fasteners suitable for the walls in your home (not included).IKEA

Review: IKEA Alex Drawer Unit for paper storage

IKEA - Alex Drawer Unit on castors (white) 
Article Number : 401.962.41

This is a review of the IKEA Alex Drawer Unit on Castors - which is my second IKEA purchase as part of the "let's try and store everything better than hitherto" campaign.

I've been storing paper for artwork and works on paper in portfolios for ages and frankly, the number of portfolios was getting very difficult to manage both comfortably and aesthetically!

I have long wanted a plan chest in theory however:

• they mostly tend to be size A0 or A1 and that's much bigger than I want to house and much bigger than I actually need
• if big they become incredibly heavy to move when full - plus you need to start thinking about floor strength!
• they're not that easy to find
• most would look good in an office but less good in a home
• if you do find them, they're very often fairly expensive

Which is why, when I spotted the IKEA Alex Drawer Unit on castors in IKEA, I was so very pleased that at long last it looked like I might have solved the problem of what to do with all that paper.

The bottom line - I was right.  With one caveat - I actually need two!  Here's the review.

• If you want to check paper sizes - take a look at the chart at the end
• If you've created paper storage or reviewed another purchased product providing storage for art paper please leave a comment and a link to your review

Product: IKEA: Alex Drawer Unit on castors (white)

SUMMARY REVIEW: Ease of Assembly: Not overly complicated however you do need 2-3 hours and to be very focused on what you’re doing while assembling it.  Quality / Robustness: It’s particle board not wood. That said it’s good quality and the unit feels robust when finished Functionality: The drawers take large quantities of paper and all move really easily even when full. The castors work well on carpet and the whole unit can be moved easily. This enables the unit to be placed it in front of items you use only occasionally  Value for Money: Very reasonable compared to alternatives - UK Cost £85 plus delivery charge. (USA $119)

Technical Details: size:  Width: 67 cm / 26 3/8 "  Depth: 48 cm/ 18 7/8 "  Height: 66 cm / 26 "  drawers are designed to take paper up to size A2 with space to spare  material:  Basematerial / Drawer front: Particleboard, Acrylic paint, Melamine foil, ABS plastic  Bottom panel: Particleboard, Melamine foil, ABS plastic  Back panel: Particleboard, Melamine foil, Melamine foil  Drawer back / Drawer side: Particleboard, Foil  Drawer bottom: Fibreboard, Acrylic paint colours: available in white and blackweight: 32.4 kg weight: 32.4kg

Who should buy this? artists who work on paper  artists wanting to increase their flat storage capacity for paper, mountboard and completed artwork  pencil artists needing a neat storage solution for the home

Who should not buy this? people wanting flat storage for whole sheets of watercolour paper and mountboard

Highlights: large capacity  draw width enables storage of smaller paper/works in two stacks side by side  drawer mechanism makes drawers run very smoothy  castors make it easy to move around  visual instructions are very helpful - and you can download the Alex Unit instructions before you buy  easy to make up - one person can do it - but you do need to concentrate during assembly. It took me about 3 hours working slowly and carefully (I only made one mistake and that was easy to undo!)

Think Again? if you want to store full size sheets of watercolour paper or mountboard you’ll need something bigger  if you’re not good at using a screwdriver or DIY find a relative or friend who is - and be nice to them!  The USA version indicates the drawers are designed for letter size papers. They are in fact much bigger than this - see paper sizes chart at end

Manufacturer / Distributor: IKEA - their website http://www.ikea.com/ helps you find a store near you.  Plus you can order online (but will need to pay a delivery charge)

Suppliers: only available new from IKEA

A series paper sizes compared to Letter and Legal Sizes

Product Review: Daylight Professional Artists Lamp

Daylight Company: Professional Artist Lamp

Jana Bouc (Jana's Journal) has done an independent product review on her blog of the new Daylight Professional Artists Lamp made by The Daylight Company in the UK.

I've used The Daylight Company's daylight bulbs for years (even to the point of favouring art stores which stock them!).  This particular lamp is one I had already highlighted on my Art Equipment - Resources for Artists website - purely on the basis of my experience of their product quality over the years.

I was really interested to see what an American artist made of the lamp.  The important point is that Jana is a person who is most concerned about having good light

I’d bought and returned many other “full spectrum” or “daylight bulb” lamps in the past that were total failures because the light was too weak, too blue, or both.

It's very evident that Jana is very impressed!

Hence I've created a summary review below based on:

• the technical product specification and 
• the review done by Jana Bouc
• this is being updated as additional comments are received

Do check out:

• Jana's blog post for the full text of her full review Reviews:  Daylight Easel Lamp and...  
• plus Jana's article about lighting and color temperature.  
• Plus see also Jana featured on The Daylight Company website.

Product:  Daylight Artists Professional Lamp

Summary:  "The difference is amazing" - recommended by Jana Bouc

Technical Details (as per website's technical specifications) 360° head joint to direct the light exactly where you need it Bright 18w Daylight™ tube (100w equiv.) reduces eye strain and glare  Flexible arm and multi-position joint allow easy positioning Supplied with two clamps Easel clamp: Attaches to all floorstanding metal & wooden easels up to 5cm/2" thick Table clamp: Attaches to all tables and work benches up to 5.5cm/2.25" thick Height: 50cm (19½ inches) Weight: 2.4kg (5½ lbs) Arm length: 70cm (27½ inches)

Who should buy this?  artists producing studio paintings/drawings artists working at a studio easel artists working with a table easel

Who should not buy this?   plein air artists who do not work in the studio

Highlights: light quality is amazing according to Jana and helped her create better colours in her paintings fully adjustable - works well can be used for painting and for photographing paintings

Think Again? availability of replacement light bulbs via some suppliers (see comment received)

Manufacturer / Distributor:  The Daylight Company Ltd, 89-91 Scrubs Lane, London, NW10 6QU. Phone:  020 8964 1200  |  Fax  020 8964 1300  | email  info.uk@daylightcompany.com The Daylight Company was created in the early 90s and is now the market-leading brand of speciality lighting technology for the hobby industry across Europe.  It aims to become the No.1 brand for Craft Lighting.

Suppliers:  Full price it retails at £109.99 / $159.99 (May 2011 prices) however it's possible to buy it for less. available from various good art supply stores in the UK also available on  Amazon (USA) Daylight Company Professional Artists Lamp with 2 clamps and Amazon (UK) Professional Artists Lamp

For those who love the technical aspects you can also refer to their FAQS section (click the links to go to the FAQ):

All you always wanted to know about lux, lumens, spectrum, CRI, SAD...

• Why is Daylight so good for you!

• How Compact Fluorescent Bulbs & Tubes work?

• What is the difference between energy saving and tungsten bulbs?

• What is the Colour Rendering Index? (CRI)

• What is the Light Colour Temperature(°K)?

• What is the difference between Lumens & Lux?

• What is the difference between Diopter and magnification?

• Do fluorescent bulbs & tubes contain mercury?