Are you a fan of IKEA and currently toying with the idea to personalize some of your favorite pieces? I have good news for you! IKEA launched an inspiring blog in Sweden called Livet Hemma, or in English, Life at Home. If you open the page in Google Chrome you can translate the Swedish text into English so that you can read it. At Livet Hemma, they style and create inspiring images to inspire customers who shop IKEA to look at their products in a fresh, new way.I love the first image below because it looks so welcoming and not at all staged or like a catalog. And that is really the goal of Livet Hemma, to show how their products can look in a normal home mixed with other non-IKEA things. Lovely!
They also give pieces a different look by painting them, applying stencils, etc. to promote creativity. The idea is to think outside of the big blue box, I guess. :) Their REIDAR chair and RAST drawers above look just great. I think the only thing that can be potentially difficult to get your head around is that you cannot find all of the items in the photo at your local store. Lots of them appear to be vintage or from other sources so it’s a little frustrating but I still like the approach and think it’s quite fresh and even a bit daring for a huge chain store. It is a nice tie-in to the IKEA Family Life magazine though, so I think it works brilliantly.
(images: livet hemma)
March 29th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Great ideas! It’s great to personalize the items from ikea.
Anna @ Around My Table´s last [type] ..Spring collection
March 29th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
I’m loving the hand made touches put into each room. Thanks for sharing.
Cassie´s last [type] ..The Raw Food Challenge
March 29th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
This is fantastic! We have a lot of Ikea furniture, and we just moved –so this is excellent timing. I’ll be checking out the site for inspiration on how to make everything work in our new space.
Gina´s last [type] ..i love you so much it hurts- a letter to aveline
March 29th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
I so miss IKEA, my nearest one is in france, am planning a trip soon though!
March 29th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
Very interesting! I will have to head on over there….One of my favorite things is to see how people repurpose Ikea furniture, and I also love to see it mixed in with other high/low furniture!
Kate @ Travelmoon´s last [type] ..Destination- San Diego
March 29th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
I like it. It doesn’t scream Ikea to me. I also love the locker unit in the living room.
Adrienne Audrey´s last [type] ..How to Make Dandelion Root Tea
March 29th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
Uh love it! Thanks for the tip :)
I’m seeing myself spending a lot of hours in there.
– Kira
Kira´s last [type] ..Monday I’m nuts!
March 29th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
It is a great source of inspiration! :-)
tinajo´s last [type] ..The only thing more annoying
March 29th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
So glad I came across your blog! It’s absolutely darling! I love the design and the layout. So precious. I can’t get enough of Ikea!
March 29th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
this looks interesting..even though we do not have ikea in india..one sure can take inspiration from the blog..thanks for sharing, holly..xx meenal
meenal @ maison marigold´s last [type] ..The Agra chronicles- III Amarvilas
March 29th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
The living room looks real nice~
ArticulateArt´s last [type] ..Photography- Alberto Seveso II
March 29th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
oh very cool! I am actually heading to Ikea tonight and have seen quite a few ‘hack’s lately – so I love that Ikea is getting on it and encouraging ‘hacks’! Thanks for the share!
Meagan
the row house nest
meagan´s last [type] ..Sharing an awesome post- How to turn a pallet into a garden
March 29th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
I personally am a fan of Ikea. I think that have some gret minimalistic peices that are easy to work with and as you said be creative with. And wonderfully affordable. I am not saying fill your home with Ikea but it is a great for a few peices here and there wonderfully illustrated by you.
hena tayeb´s last [type] ..Isnt Boring Just Great Sometimes
March 29th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Love it! I didn’t know about IKEA, but seeing their blog I liked so much… their pieces are beautiful *-*
Oh, it’s my first comment but I’d like to say that I’m from Brazil and I love your blog (:
Kisses!
March 29th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Thanks for letting us know about Ikea’s blog, it’s fab. I’ve just been playing about with it for the last hour lol !!!
March 29th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
I really like this because I believe many of us do this already. We mix and match IKEA pieces because either we really like them, or we need a lower budget option. I think a lot of us out there tweak big box pieces to make them more personal. Great find.
I still really want that black and white carpet even though I’m seeing it everywhere, but my IKEA does not stock it :(
Giulia´s last [type] ..One photo a week – 13-52
March 29th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Oooh, I blogged about Livet Hemma the other week, isn’t it just lovely? I was so surprised and impressed when I first found it – some of the spaces have so much character.
Does it ever seem to you that IKEA has a different brand image, or at least reception, here in Europe? Back home it’s often the butt of design jokes or seen as quite uncool, but Euros really seem to embrace it, and make the products their own. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a Swedish company or what, but there seems to be less of a stigma surrounding the brand here.
March 29th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Today I received THE BOOK! Yay I like it so much. Looking forward to have a very close look tonight in bed with a cup ot tea :)))
It’s a decorat(reasur)e x Cheers, Ingrid
Ingrid Jansen´s last [type] ..ampersand & eek
March 29th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
I like the first one too. Just simple living.
Catherine LES VIGNETTES´s last [type] ..Spring Collection
March 29th, 2011 at 8:37 pm
What a terrific idea! IKEA is the best!
Camila F.´s last [type] ..Yummy Weekend
March 29th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Love the kitchen with the red chairs and that bed with the window and view in the background is amazing. I like the look, its fun and fresh.
Manette´s last [type] ..Vintage Ivory Sea Pottery Charm Necklace
March 29th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Hello Holly,
that’s a fantastic tipp – I like the pictures & ideas. It shows, that even with a small budget you can create wonderful space. That’s good to introduce to my clients too.
All the best from your BYW-Studend Martina
Martina Fuchs´s last [type] ..Die neue Lust auf Land in den eigenen vier Wänden
March 29th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Oh wow…that’s going straight onto my google reader. Just another reason to love IKEA! :)
March 29th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Thank-you so much for sharing this – totally inspired now to re work my ikea pieces – agree it is a great idea for a department store to do this.
March 30th, 2011 at 12:03 am
Thanks for sharing this Holly, I love IKEA and have always thought they were a little ahead of the game as far as big box stores are concerned. Some of their furniture is hard to incorporate into a home, but, I like that they want consumers to think differently and creatively about how to use a piece.
Sarah´s last [type] ..Fabulous FabricMondayBlue & White
March 30th, 2011 at 12:11 am
I Like it ! great idea, I always like to alter the things i buy
that make it more “mine”
Going to check it out
March 30th, 2011 at 12:13 am
I like IKEA. I really do. But I think this is a bit desperate of them. Although some of the images look OK, as a blog on interior design it doesn’t work for me. It feels like just another marketing tool for IKEA, and that’s not very inspiring. I think blogs are best left to independent bloggers, not corporations.
Janne´s last [type] ..Dashing driver
March 30th, 2011 at 3:16 am
I really like the navy and white style. Actually I had already this idea on my mind for my new apartment (the 3rd and last picture). I just took a fast look at the website (im going to check more later).
Here is a tip: If you are using Firefox just like me you can translate the entire webpage by using the “Google toolbar”.
regards
March 30th, 2011 at 4:11 am
Love this post! I feel like i’m always trying to convince people of the Ikea goodness. I just made a trip this weekend and I started doing a post today when I saw yours, too. So I gave it a mention:
http://www.birdandbranchredesign.com/2011/03/ikea.html
Hope you check it out!
March 30th, 2011 at 4:39 am
Thanks for the link, Holly! We are moving in few months to a small condo. near Seattle and I told my husband I’d like to shop at Ikea, Dania, and antique shops for our furniture. xo
Vicki (simply hue)´s last [type] ..As Promised A Vintage Shop Tour
March 30th, 2011 at 6:00 am
I really love that red desk. I’ve been saving a version of Sarah Richardson’s episode where she does a home office in red because I loved it so much!
March 30th, 2011 at 7:03 am
Thanks for the great link – I’ve been scanning through their site and finding lots of inspiration. It’s great to see that such a big brand as Ikea is open to seeing their products in new ways, and supports its customers to do the same. As usual, the children’s products look wonderful.
March 30th, 2011 at 7:12 am
ooo i’d like to know more about that newspaper dresser.
also, i would like windows that big and wide in my bedroom.
but….then i’d have to live in the country and i don’t want to do that.
scratch that.
March 30th, 2011 at 7:22 am
i always love a new blog!
bianca of terri planty´s last [type] ..garden stalking
March 30th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
@Keenan – THANK YOU that is a great tip!!!
March 30th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@Ingrid – THANK YOU! And did you see your stool in there? :)
March 30th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
@Ele – I agree. In the states it is largely seen as a place to buy furniture if you’re a college kid but if you want “grown up furniture” you wouldn’t shop there. That opinion is one that shows that the person saying so lacks imagination and just wants to buy something to impress their friends by buying what is hip and cool. Sure, quality is an issue for some pieces but I’ve purchased very expensive handmade furniture that started to warp in less than 6 months after I brought it home. You have to be discerning when you shop and really see the potential in pieces I think — that’s the key to shopping anywhere but especially at IKEA. You also have to consider value vs. worth. And of course think about what you need and will be using the item for. If you need a huge storage closet that is in a guest bedroom and rarely seen, it may be fine to buy an IKEA one and put the money into an investment piece that will be in a room that you use regularly so you can enjoy it – for instance, an antique or something custom upholstered. I think mixing high and low is how to make IKEA work personally. If your home is only IKEA or at least lots of the pieces in a room are identifiable as being from their store, you are going to have a catalog “out of the box” store and that doesn’t really make it YOUR own home, does it? So the key, for me at least, is to mix and match, high and low, old and new.
March 31st, 2011 at 12:55 pm
I totally agree with this last post, I am glad to see ikea joining the mix and match style, eras and price wise furniture and decoration, I don’t like a style based on a solo brand or date, they are following teh current trend and what customers are looking for, they have been very clever marketing their products this way!!
Margarita Lorenzo´s last [type] ..Of cabbages & Kings market
April 6th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
Finally. I love ikea and love to shop the catalog. There isn’t one in my city, but one in a drivable distance. With images like these, I am more inclined to take the drive to go shopping and come home with some goodies:) Thanks for sharing this!
Melissa Lewis – Midwest Magnolia´s last [type] ..Infertility Journey- God’s Way
April 10th, 2011 at 8:41 am
Wow, thanks a lot for this info! That looks gorgeous… I had never really thought about ‘distressing’ Ikea furniture, but now I see things differently, and I love the ‘old’ metal case!
Mey´s last [type] ..Bannière davril
February 18th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Do you still have the original address of the fourth picture (the one with the red desk)? I LOVE the wallpaper and I’d like to ask where they got it from. Or does anybody else know what wallpaper that is?