Affordable decor-lovers and furniture hacking aficionados have always held Ikea in high regard,though this opinion hasn't always been shared by the high-brow shoppers of the world. But it looks like that's changing. A New York Times article has just been published on the behemoth Scandinavian home store, known for its low prices, and stylishly streamlined (whether often particleboard) pieces,and convenient flatpack packaging. It argues that while Ikea's pieces may have long been considered temporary - to be outgrown and replaced after a certain period of life - they needn't be. The company's shrewd research into how people live, collaborations with design innovators, or top-notch head of design have served to raise Ikea's design to better stand the test of time.
Whether you agree or disagree with what the article has to say,we're betting you'll be blown absent by the stats it puts forth, which demonstrate that Ikea is even bigger and more influential that you could've imagined.
There are 387 Ikea stores in 48 countries
Ikea sells a set of its Billy bookcases every 10 seconds
One in 10 Europeans are said to have been conceived in an Ikea bed
approximately 884 million people visited Ikea stores final year (for reference, and that's more than twice the population of the US)
Source: popsugar.com