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Having just come across a post advocating putting wheels or casters on furniture, I am thinking out loud. Enhancing versatility with casters is a terrific concept. Unless the piece in question is intended to be a certain height, like a desk, and it would be ergonomically awkward to raise it. Clearly, it’s always better to build in wheels right from the start, not as an afterthought.

I’ve been smitten with casters of all shapes and sizes for as long as I’ve been designing and fabricating furniture.

Layering various features into a single piece of furniture is very satisfying. It becomes function-charged. Designing a transformer, which accommodates changing needs over time is a fun challenge. Wheels boost flexibility, giving that extra push, that extra bit of confidence! So appreciated by a utilitarian object striving to achieve its full potential.

That’s why wheels are a common detail in my portfolio. A free/downloadable idea ebook titled Converting and Reorienting showcases some of the applications. It focuses exclusively on employing casters, featuring prototypes conceived for personal use. I was experimenting while furnishing our first house. The award-winning A-Desk is a good example. Since then we have downsized and have been able to roll them into a much more compact habitat.

Having wheels on furniture truly makes it more versatile. And you, in turn, feel more organized!

When incorporating casters, it’s critical to keep in mind a few basics.

  • Attach to a load bearing part of the furniture.
  • It’s helpful if they lock.
  • Since they add height, don’t forget to allow for that.

Even if a desk is going to spend the majority of its life sitting in one place with the casters locked, you’re going to appreciate the versatility of having wheels on it. They will allow access for thorough cleaning of all the nooks and crannies. Wouldn’t you agree? Oh! I almost forgot, here are the casters at Target.

Comments

  • Mia Kazovsky
    August 4, 2018

    You make a good point about including casters in the initial design versus adding them as an afterthought. As a matter of fact, you do an excellent job of thinking through all elements of design. Take your aforementioned A-Desk for example, you designed it to be space-saving and portable, thus it was able to transfer seamlessly from one space to the next, despite more compact quarters!

    • Alla DIY Ally
      August 7, 2018

      You are right. Thanks for your thoughtful and affirming comment, Mia.

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