A2 / Business / Europe / Lifestyle

How IKEA Changed the Way We Build Our Homes

Level: A2

What Is IKEA?

IKEA is a huge furniture store from Sweden. It started as a small company in 1943 and now has stores in many countries around the world. IKEA sells furniture, home items, lamps, carpets, and many other things for houses and apartments.

IKEA is very famous because of something called flat-pack furniture. This means you buy your furniture in a box and build it yourself at home. Many people know IKEA for its simple pieces and low prices.

What Is Flat-Pack Furniture?

Flat-pack furniture is furniture that arrives in a flat box. You must put it together yourself using tools and instructions. When IKEA started using flat packs, it was a new idea.

In the 1950s, IKEA had a problem. Furniture was expensive and difficult to ship. Boxes were large and heavy, so delivery cost a lot. One day, a designer named Gillis Lundgren tried to load a table into a small car. The legs did not fit, so he removed them and carried the table like that. This simple decision changed everything. Flat-pack was born and IKEA became famous for it.

The first IKEA flat-pack table appeared in 1956. It was called the LÖVET table. Today IKEA still makes flat-pack furniture for many homes around the world.

Building Furniture at Home

When you buy IKEA furniture, it comes in a box with an instruction booklet. The instructions are mostly pictures. You follow them step by step and put the pieces together. Most of the time, you use a small tool called an Allen key, which is usually included in the box.

Some people say the instructions are easy and fun, like playing with giant Lego. Others say they can be a bit confusing at first, but if you follow the pictures carefully, the furniture usually fits together.

Many people build IKEA furniture with friends or family. It can be a fun activity, but sometimes it can also lead to jokes like “IKEA tests your patience!”, especially when a piece has many steps.

Why Flat-Pack Furniture Matters

Flat-pack furniture is not just about saving money. It also reduces shipping space and transport costs. Because the furniture is flat, more products can fit in one truck or ship container. This helps IKEA keep prices low and moves more furniture around the world quickly.

Another idea behind IKEA’s furniture is something called democratic design. This means that good design should be available to many people, not just a few. IKEA furniture tries to be useful, beautiful, and affordable.

IKEA in Everyday Life

IKEA stores are famous for their showrooms, places where you can see furniture set up like real rooms. This helps shoppers imagine how the furniture might look in their own homes. Many people enjoy walking through these showrooms and getting ideas for how to decorate their rooms or apartments.

IKEA also has restaurants that sell Swedish food, like meatballs and salads. IKEA’s food has become so popular that stores sell over a billion Swedish meatballs every year!

Some people collect certain older IKEA designs. For example, rare pieces from the early years can be worth a lot of money today.

IKEA Around the World

IKEA now has stores in dozens of countries, and people from many cultures know how to put together flat-pack furniture. Even if English or Swedish isn’t your language, you can still use the picture instructions to build furniture.

In some cities, IKEA has started smaller stores close to people’s homes so it is easier to shop without needing a car.

Building furniture yourself taught many people a new skill, patience, following instructions, and being creative. Some people say putting together IKEA furniture is like a fun puzzle, while others might argue it’s a challenge, but most agree it’s a uniquely modern experience!

Why Flat-Pack Ideas Changed Furniture

When IKEA began using flat packs, it didn’t just change one company, it changed how people around the world buy and build furniture. Flat packs made furniture:

• Affordable for more people
• Easy to ship and store
• Fun to assemble for many buyers
• Flexible for small homes and apartments

Today many furniture companies use the flat-pack idea, but IKEA remains the most famous for it because of its long history and wide reach.

Definitions

Flat-pack – furniture delivered in flat boxes, ready to be assembled at home.

Instruction booklet – a small guide with steps to follow.

Assembly – the act of putting pieces together.

Democratic design – a belief that good design should be for everyone.

Affordable – not expensive, easy for most people to buy.

Conversation Starters

Have you ever built furniture at home? How did it feel — easy or hard?

Why do you think flat-pack furniture is so popular around the world?

Do you prefer furniture that is already built or furniture you build yourself? Why?

How do picture instructions help people who speak different languages?

What skills might you learn from building furniture?

Why is it important that good design is affordable?

How might flat-pack ideas help other industries, not just furniture?