Thuma Has Made Building Stylish Furniture Easier Than Ever

One of my favorite ways to catch up with one of my long-distance friends is to FaceTime while we’re doing some of the most mundane activities together, like putting together furniture. Over the years, we’ve spent hours putting together everything from bed frames and TV consoles to desks, working tirelessly to fasten every nut and bolt tightly (we’re independent women, after all). Fast-forward to when I got a shipment of furniture from Thuma: a bookshelf and a dresser. When she asked how the new pieces are turning out for me, I put it simply: “You know how we like to catch up while we build furniture? Our phone calls would be 30 minutes max if I were building these.”

Thuma—a furniture brand that focuses on thoughtful design—highlights Japanese joinery techniques as one of the reasons its pieces are so easy to put together. After launching its Classic Bed, the brand has expanded into other areas of household items, like its sectionals and sofas and beautifully designed wood furniture staples. I’ve kept my eye on the brand for a while now, primarily for its clean silhouettes (which suit my Japandi-leaning interior design aesthetic) and focus on modular designs (a major plus when you’re thinking about long-term versatility). And after hearing friends and colleagues wax poetic about the brand as they suggested where I look to upgrade my home, it came time to take the plunge and see what all the hype is about.

Thuma Nest Dresser

Thuma Pillar Bookshelf

Honestly, I can’t stop telling people how great these pieces are—and when I tell them that the toughest part of the entire process was getting the cardboard out of my apartment? I’m not lying. I equate putting together my Thuma Nest Dresser and Pillar Bookshelf to building something with Legos. Once all the pieces were out of their boxes, all I had to do was slip them into place and secure them with minimal (and easy-to-use) screws. Yes, the boxes do suggest that you build everything with a friend (I’d wager simply because these solid wood pieces are heavy). That said, I managed to do this all on my own—which means you can, too.

While the bookshelf is quite self-explanatory, I found that the drawers exceeded my expectations in terms of function. They might be a little shallower than the more utilitarian drawers I had before, but they still fit a good amount of clothes in them. My favorite part is that they have soft-close drawers (which feel like a luxury, if you ask me), and I didn’t have to do a single thing to set them up. They came as-is.

Bottom line: I don’t know if I’ll find a furniture brand that is as high-quality and seamless—and for that, I’ll be a returning customer and evangelist (I’ve already convinced my colleague!).