IKEA and world-renowned artist @TokyoBuild put Melbourne centre stage with the creation of the city's tiniest-ever home

Melbourne's love of coffee, culture, live music and sport and the treasured belongings that tell the city’s stories has been captured in extraordinary detail as IKEA unveils its smallest-ever Australian pop-up: a handcrafted miniature Melbourne home created by globally renowned miniature maker and model builder, Christopher Robin Nordström, better known as @TokyoBuild.

The intricate miniature model was created by Christopher on the back of IKEA’s insights and life at home expertise into what makes our Melbourne homes, and lives we live within them, so unique. The home, standing at just 1105mm tall, is officially unveiled today and will remain on display at 3/353 Little Collins Street in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD from 2nd-20th September. 

Showcasing IKEA's high quality, low cost storage and organisation solutions, the terrace has been designed to demonstrate how even tiny changes can create more space, making everyday life at home easier, regardless of a home’s size.  

The installation coincides with the launch the Global Store & Organise Report from IKEA - an in-depth study into the importance of organisation in our homes. The report reveals unique insights into how Australians are attempting to restore order and structure within their increasingly chaotic life at home. The global research is part of IKEA's ongoing obsession into understanding our Life at Home throughout the world, in order to respond with the best low price, affordable solutions to meet needs and frustrations of all Australians.    

The report reveals that Aussies think they have more organised homes than the rest of the world with 59% claiming their house is somewhat or very organised, versus 54% the global average.  However, as the Tiny Melbourne Home also brings to life, while 62% of Aussies prefer their home to be organised, they reject minimalism with the preference of putting items on surfaces to reflect their personality. This may also reflect our sentimental nature, with 87% of Australians keeping items for purely sentimental value, versus the global average of just 81%. 

A Tiny Tribute to Melbourne Living 
IKEA's tiniest pop-up forms part of a global series spanning Melbourne, Chengdu and Beijing. Built entirely by hand at a 1:12 scale, each miniature home reimagines everyday life through carefully crafted interiors furnished with iconic IKEA products. The collaboration marks Nordström's first-ever partnership with a brand and brings his internationally recognised hyper-realistic craftsmanship to Australia for the first time.  

Inside the classic inner-city terrace, visitors will discover unmistakably Melbourne touches throughout the home. A miniature BILLY bookcase is filled with tiny novels and artworks, while subtle nods to the city's renowned coffee culture, sporting rivalries, thriving live music scene and enduring creative spirit are woven throughout the home, inviting visitors to uncover something new with every look. 

The Tiny Home is displayed in front of a hand-painted mural that serves as a love letter to Melbourne, threading together rituals, landmarks, and familiar moments that define life in the city. The artwork also features one of IKEA’s most iconic companions, the blue FRAKTA bag, reimagined as a symbol of the moves, market hauls, share-house transitions and everyday adventures that shape Melbourne life.  Together, the mural and Tiny Home celebrate the small details and treasured possessions that make a house feel like a home. 

Victorian organisation  

Diving further into how Victorians store, organise and live at home, IKEA’s research also found: 

• Victoria has earned the title of Australia’s clutter capital, with almost one in 10 Victorians (8.5%) describing their home as ‘disorganised’, the highest rate in the country. 
• When it comes to misplaced items, Victorians are among Australia’s most forgetful, spending an average of 2.5 minutes each day searching for lost items, more than residents in New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT. 
• The kitchen is the hardest room to keep clutter-free, with 47% of Victorians saying it’s the most difficult space to keep organised, as benchtops, cupboards and drawers bear the brunt of the chaos, Followed by the garage (20%) 
• Victorians’ storage confessions reveal a few familiar habits, from moving clutter to another room before guests arrive (32%), holding onto cables and chargers for devices they no longer own (30%), while 13% admit to buying a replacement item because they couldn’t find the original. 
• But when it comes to letting go, Victorians can struggle to part with possessions, with 53% finding it difficult to get rid of sentimental items even when they no longer use them. In fact, 22% hold onto gifts they don’t use because they feel guilty about getting rid of them. 

Ainslie Woodham, Head of Home Furnishing & Retail Design, IKEA Australia & New Zealand, said the findings highlight the growing need for affordable organisation solutions that make everyday life at home easier.  

"Homes today are being asked to do more than ever before. They're places to work, relax, pursue hobbies, store memories and spend time with the people we care about. Our research shows many Victorians are balancing limited space and budget with a desire to hold onto the things that matter, which is why organisation solutions that are also affordable have become increasingly important. The Melbourne Tiny Home is a creative reminder that even small changes can unlock more space and make everyday life at home a little easier." 

A tiny home with a big(ger) invitation  

While the Tiny Home celebrates Melbourne life in miniature, IKEA is inviting Victorians to discover how small changes at home can make a big difference. Visitors who snap a photo with the Tiny Home during its Melbourne CBD residence can continue their experience at IKEA Richmond or Springvale, where IKEA Family members can enjoy a complimentary cinnamon bun*. 

From Friday 18 September to Monday 21 September 2026, customers are invited to visit IKEA Open House at IKEA Richmond and Springvale for a long weekend of inspiration, expert advice, exclusive offers and affordable storage and organisation solutions designed to help Australians create more room for the things they love.  

Visitors to IKEA Richmond will also have the opportunity to step inside a full-scale recreation inspired by the miniature home and experience IKEA’s high-quality, low-cost storage and organisation solutions firsthand. 

For one weekend only, IKEA will transform one of its most recognised storage solutions into a  limited-edition collector’s item, available exclusively during IKEA’s Open House weekend. Further details will be revealed soon. 

*Complimentary Cinnamon Bun Giveaway for IKEA Family Members
Snap a photo with the Tiny Home and show it in‑store to an IKEA co-worker at IKEA Richmond or Springvale to claim your free cinnamon bun until 20 September! Must be IKEA Family member. T&C’s apply*. Customers who are not IKEA Family members can sign up for free online via the IKEA website or the IKEA app.
*T&Cs: To be eligible for redemption, individuals must be clearly identifiable in the selfie taken with the Tiny Home. Limit of one complimentary cinnamon bun per person.