Owner Review: Floyd Shelving System
Overview
I had been looking for a media console and bookshelf combination for some time, for probably over a year and nothing really stood out. Some stuff I liked was hyper expensive while other cheaper items weren't exactly what I wanted. I was familiar with Floyd as I have their table so I decided to shop them. Floyd's shelving system is very modular and fits many decors. I had decided I'd give them a go again. I planned what items I would want and what would fit my space via their website and then waited until they had one of their many annual sales and received %15 off my order. In the end, I went with the following:
- Tall Shelf (White + Walnut)
- Media Console - Expansion Add On (White + Walnut)
- Short Shelf (White + Walnut)
The total was somewhere around $3200 in May 2022.
Note: No entity paid me to write this. I bought this stuff with my own money. I do these because reviews by uncompensated humans are really hard to find and helping even just one person out is worth it.
Shipping
The system I purchased ended up consisting of eight (8) total boxes and over 150 pounds of cargo! It's a lot. As such, I had to work with XPO Logistics here in SoCal to get things delivered. XPO Logistics did a good job and working with them was easy to setup a time window for delivery. Their online tracking is also modern feeling and kept me in the loop.
Delivery took about 17 days from order to arrival. I think Floyd promised 2-5 weeks, so I was on the low end of their estimate.
Packaging and Unboxing
Previous Floyd items I had received were always packaged extremely well and this time was no different. This shipment might be the most elaborate and well thought out packaging of any product I've ever received. Everything is boxed amazingly well and appeared to take no damage via shipping. It's almost a feat of engineering in which the items are packaged and supported by the custom cardboard pieces. Moreover, there's almost no plastic in the packaging. This is huge as plastic is horrible for everyone. Also, some bits of the packaging are also cleverly designed to prop up the media console during assembly so be careful before tossing the boxes aside.
After unboxing, I did a quick examination on all the components. Everything was in good order except one of the media console cabinet frames. It had some small scratches on the backside which would face a wall. Given how this item was packaged, I think this scratch came from the factory unfortunately. It was fairly small but sort of a bummer to find. See below:
Assembly
Assembling the entire system took some time. I would estimate at least two hours. Prepare to work! There's no included paper instructions which is fine by me, but be warned you will have to go online to find documentation. The hardest part of assembly comes when you need to really get low - on the ground low - and run the various hardware through the mounting holes to get each support corner and shelve attached to one another. I also made the mistake of fastening the media console's outside supports completely BEFORE I had attached the side shelves. I had to back track a bit because of this issue. You will have to be deliberate and aware when assembling this thing. The system also comes with a few magnetic cable management devices, but I found that I wished it had come with more. The cable management outside of those items is non-existant and a real issue overall. As far as I can tell, they are supplied by this company and aren't exactly cheap. Lastly, I assembled the thing by myself, but a helper would be highly recommended.
Impressions
The whole system is well built. The metal shelves are heavy and should last forever. The plywood support system is a little less robust. Moreover, the way the shelves attached to each support/corcer allows for a small amount of play. This movement gives the completed system a bit of wobbly feel, especially loaded with books. It's not super stable, monolithic, unyielding structure - be warned! If you have kids or want the peace of mind, you will need to use the wall attachment/bracing kit which is included for the tall shelf.
The appearance of the finished product is what I was really liked and had envisioned. It fit the space I had set aside for it perfectly and it should fit with many decors for many years (or until walnut isn't cool). The media console will fit a 65" TV (55" shown below).
Overall
I would buy this system again, definitely. It was expensive but I do think it was worth it. Another plus is that I should be able to expand or reinvent the layout of this system as its so modular (assuming Floyd stays in business). This will be good for me as I tend to move around. From the furniture I had previously, this system is a huge improvement.