Natalia’s rolling table and other smart ideas
Grow an extra room with plants
A room divider can give the feeling of more space by creating different activity zones. Alina, of IKEA Russia, shows how green plants, white plant pots and thin, airy curtains can give a sense of privacy without stealing light or square footage.
“I’m a plant-lover, but my apartment is small, so I decided to create a vertical plant wall. This way I can have lots of plants, and instead of taking up floor space, they become a room divider, which is a functional bonus because it kind of gives me an extra room.”
Alina Kuzmina
IKEA Russia
A perfect table for indoor picnics
Putting wheels on things, even something as simple as a tabletop, means adding flexibility and functionality – you may even have created a new piece of furniture.
“My living space is limited, so I need furniture that can work in different ways. I like to sit on the floor, so I created this movable low sofa table from just a tabletop and four wheels. It’s great for having a picnic with friends and for large puzzles. When I’m not using it, I put it behind the sofa, and it becomes a surface for storage and for displaying favourite things.”
Natalia Subiros
IKEA France
Zero cost, tons of family fun
Do your children dream of having a playhouse? Get inspired by this story from Tarun, IKEA India, and create one from flat-pack cardboard while saving yourself a trip to the dumpster.
“My wife and I got this idea after buying a couple of chairs. Due to lockdown, it was a challenge to dispose of the cardboard, and since our kids have asked us to get them a playhouse like a million times, we decided to use the cardboard to build one for them with glue, a pair of scissors, paint and tape (to connect the pieces and protect little fingers by covering any sharp edges). I can’t tell you how happy they were to finally get the playhouse of their dreams! At IKEA, we always talk about doing more with less as part of a sustainable lifestyle, and I think this little family project is a great example of that.”
Tarun Sofat
IKEA India
Instant wall decor ideas
Wall decorations can be made from lots of things that you may already have at home – a fabric with an interesting pattern, postcards, old stamps, plates, posters or magazine covers, just to name a few.
“I couldn’t find the wallpaper I wanted, so I made my own version using display shelves, some reused pictures and artificial plants. Personal and very affordable, and I really like the way it turned out!”
Lorenzo Silicani
IKEA Italy
What are you looking at?
Click below to see the story behind these (and more) home-furnishing tips, and how they came to be in the actual homes of IKEA co-workers.