Ever wonder about the origin story of your favourite IKEA furnishings? Style at Home contributor Julie Lapointe went straight to the source in Sweden, getting an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the design process of the furniture giant!

Curious to discover the secrets behind the creation of each item, Julie delved into the process that precedes the production of IKEA’s famous furniture and accessories. As she shares here, the story of each piece begins several years before it reaches our homes. And home is, in fact, at the heart of the creative process that shapes the products into the design icons we love.

Home Sweet Home

As Julie learned, every year IKEA staff travel the globe, visiting hundreds of homes to understand the daily lives of people – their dreams, needs and frustrations. From these observations and interviews, as well as the company’s annual Life at Home Report, come new products, thanks to a talented team of designers and specialists, who are all inspired and united by a single goal: to transform everyday life and reach as many people as possible.

To achieve this goal, IKEA follows clear and rigorous principles. Every product must combine beauty, functionality, multifunctionality, quality and durability, all while remaining affordable. To that end, a price for a new product is set at the very beginning of the creative process, which helps guide the designers in their choice of materials, details and design. Throughout the development phase, these products undergo demanding tests, far beyond the standards set by various countries, to ensure their quality and longevity. This is how every product, from the largest to the smallest, is developed at IKEA. Read on for the scoop on how two of our fave IKEA items epitomize this unmatched attention to detail for how we truly live at home.

Testing, Testing

IKEA conducts over one million product tests each year. Their laboratories in Älmhult, Sweden, and Shanghai are at the forefront of innovation and feature a test area of about 215,000 square feet, where more than 250 people work full time to ensure that the products are durable, resilient and safe.

IKEA Sofa Magic

Juan Cardenal Baste, a product design developer at IKEA, is the perfect embodiment of this design process. Eyes shining with excitement, he introduced Julie to his latest piece: the Lindåkra sofa bed. The result of over three years of design and development, this modular masterpiece was created to meet the ever-changing needs of urban life and small spaces.

It’s impossible not to be charmed by this clever, innovative sofa. Not only does it offer hidden storage in both the seat section and the footrest, but it also transforms into a bed, a table, a separate seat and bench, and much more. Every detail has been carefully thought out to combine ergonomics and multifunctionality. Take, for example, the two small clips that attach the footrest to the sofa: no screws or tools are required for installation or separation, so you can easily and instantly transform the sofa’s configuration or use the footstool as an extra seat or table in, literally, a snap. Tested, handled, approved—this simple innovation makes the adaptable Lindåkra an ideal solution for active living in a small space, where furniture needs to do double, even triple, duty.

The Latest Collection

Another tweak to an everyday item—simpler yet just as telling—perfectly illustrates IKEA’s attention to detail. Consider your coffee mug. You’ve probably noticed that little accumulation of water on top of the mug when you remove it from the dishwasher. IKEA mugs are cleverly designed to prevent this: a small slit at the base of the mug allows water to fully drain during the wash cycle. It’s a subtle, tiny detail, but one that makes all the difference in daily life.

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