Buckles, belts and sports equipment—that's where David and the team got some unexpected ideas for VIDGA curtain rails. "By looking at solutions from different fields of products, you can get inspired to find new ways of solving problems," he explains. That's how the team came up with the concept for VIDGA to click together using as few tools as possible. And there aren't any rice-sized screws to lose. "You still put it together yourself," Martin says, lifting an arm into the air like he's holding a curtain rail against a wall. "But you don't need to spend an hour and a half with your arm like this." So now you know how customers and clicks helped improve curtain rails. That just leaves the robots.
This shorter wall fitting brings curtains closer to the wall to help block out light and allow a good night’s sleep. VIDGA curtain rail system gives you more flexibility and less complexity.
Article Number102.991.51
Product details
A shorter wall fitting that makes it possible to hang the curtain at a short distance to the wall and window.
Designer
David Wahl
Good to know
Comprises: 1 wall fitting (length 6 cm).
Wall fitting with 6 cm arm can hold 1 VIDGA single track rail or 1 VIDGA triple track rail.
Wall fitting with 6 cm arm allows you to hang the curtain close to the window recess.
Screws are not included.
Different wall materials require different types of fixing devices. Use fixing devices suitable for the walls in your home, sold separately.
IKEA of Sweden AB SE-343 81 Älmhult, IKEA.com
Materials and care
Material
- Wall bracket/ Cover:
- Aluminium, Epoxy/polyester powder coating
- Plastic stopper:
- Synthetic rubber
Weight & measurements
- Length: 6 cm
- Max. load: 10 kg
Package details
VIDGA
Article Number102.991.51- Width: 8 cm
- Height: 3 cm
- Length: 8 cm
- Weight: 0.06 kg
- Package(s): 1
Reviews
Wall fittingAnonymous reviewerDid the job
Part of the setAnonymous reviewerI have used this system or its predecessor for 27 years and the only reason I had to renew was because I couldn’t get the curtain hooks for the older system anymore
Vidga rail wall fittingAnonymous reviewerLove the vidga system. Simple, elegant and versatile.
Attachment for rail missingAnonymous reviewerThe small attachment required to connect the rail to this bracket does not come with the bracket, and not available to purchase on its own. I wanted to get extra brackets to hold up heavy curtains but it is not possible - the only way to get these extra attachments is with an actual rail. this is a waste of additional rails and money. PLEASE sell the attachment on its own or with these brackets!
Until then i will return these brackets and find a different solution
The whole Vidga system needs imrpovingAnonymous reviewerWe bought this system for our bay window as it can accommodate complex shapes. We have been buying Ikea stuff for the last 30 years and my husband is an engineer..but even he found it difficult to fit - it took hours and 3 trips to the store to get the right/full amount of accessories. Numerous curses were heard over the whole event- it is now in place, looks good, but never again. Also , the initial costs of the pole looks appealing but you need so many accessories that the cost escalates pretty rapidly - overall over £50 for one window in the end.
wall fittingAnonymous reviewerwe used this upside down as a hook to hang the shopping trolley in a busy closet, it works wonderfully!
Anonymous reviewerit is a very good product
Customer reviews
4Average rating
7Reviews
wall fitting
we used this upside down as a hook to hang the shopping trolley in a busy closet, it works wonderfully!
Anonymous reviewer, United Kingdom
Story
How customers, clicks and robots helped make better curtain rails
At IKEA, we want to create innovative solutions for a better everyday life that's easier, too. Take curtain rails, for example. Over the years, we've learned from customers that our curtain rails are good quality but assembling them can be complicated and take hours. In challenging ourselves to make a better solution, we never expected robots would be involved.
Product development engineer Martin Bo Zhang has worked with curtain rails for more than a decade. He uses lots of gestures and body movements when he talks. Martin lifts both arms over his head like a ballerina. He's showing how hard it can be to keep a curtain rail in place while assembling it at the same time."There are 30-50 small screws," Martin says. He brings his thumb and forefinger together, leaving space for a grain of rice. "This small." He keeps one arm up and reaches toward the floor with his other arm. "If a screw falls on the floor, you can't find it," he explains, "and good luck if you have a high pile rug." So how did Martin, designer David Wahl and a team of many at IKEA figure out how to improve curtain rails? First, they researched what customers and co-workers said about curtain rails that had been returned. They had workshops with lots of IKEA colleagues, too. Then they started looking at anything and everything but curtains.
A concept that clicked
Bring in the robots
Where are the robots, exactly? About an hour north of the IKEA home base in a town called Åseda with a population of roughly 2,500. A supplier there won the worldwide bid to produce VIDGA curtain rails, built a new factory and hired more than two dozen new employees. "Going from talking about the small things to being in the factory, looking at the conveyors going around the robots continuously working, is a mind-blowing experience," Martin says. The team was able to automate production with the robots because they designed every piece of VIDGA from scratch. In fact, since nothing like VIDGA exists on the market, we're applying for a global patent for the whole system—a rare step for IKEA. Will you need to call in a high-tech robot to assemble VIDGA curtain rails for you? Nope. You'll just need a simple allen key. Sometimes a better everyday life starts with a click.
Material
What is aluminium?
After iron, aluminium is the world's most used metal and has a very wide range of uses. It’s easy to shape and lightweight, but is still strong and durable. In our range we use it for things like kitchen utensils, curtain rods and tealight cups. A big advantage with aluminium is that it can be recycled again and again without losing its quality. Recycling consumes only a fraction of the energy required to produce aluminium from new raw materials.
Designer thoughts
Designer thoughts
"When mounting curtain rails myself, I’ve often thought about how it could be made simpler. So when I got the chance to create VIDGA curtain rail system, I knew what I wanted to do. The new system needed to look good, and be as easy to understand as to mount with just a few tools. And I am very pleased with the outcome! I’m sure you’ll like the end result, when all your curtains or panel curtains are in place."