Cover IKEA Through the Ages at IKEA Museum (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
IKEA Through the Ages at IKEA Museum (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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In a three-day event held in Älmhult—the birthplace of Swedish furniture brand IKEA—Tatler learnt about the five principles of democratic design and how the furniture giant implements them in every stage of the design process
A 16-hour flight from Manila to Copenhagen and a scenic two-hour train ride to the suburbs of southern Sweden passing through postcard-perfect countryside brought Tatler and the rest of the delegation to this year’s Democratic Design Days, an annual event hosted by Scandinavian furniture company, IKEA. Tatler was fortunate to be the only print publication from the Philippines to be given the opportunity not only to learn about the company's design philosophies, but also to see and experience the one and only IKEA Museum and IKEA Hotell in the world, the IKEA Test Lab, IKEA Food Lab, and the IKEA of Sweden office.
This year marks the much-anticipated return of IKEA’s flagship event since it paused in 2019. Over three days, guests were treated to an exciting programme of pop-ups, exhibitions, talks and live performances, all curated by the beloved Scandinavian furniture company.
Arriving in Älmhult mid-day, the team was welcomed at the cosy IKEA Hotell where every room is beautifully decked with furniture and furnishings from the revered Swedish brand, including the iconic IKEA PS wall clock. Originally created in 1995 by Thomas Eriksson, the clock is part of the permanent collections of Sweden’s Nationalmuseum, as an example of tone-setting Swedish design.
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Above Inside IKEA Hotell (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
Above IKEA Hotell in Älmhult, Sweden (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
Inside IKEA Hotell (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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Above IKEA Hotell rooms are decked with IKEA furniture (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
IKEA Hotell rooms are decked with IKEA furniture (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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The sun was bright but the 13-degree weather was just perfect for a mid-summer-themed dinner to welcome everyone and warm up on the first night. The delegation, which consists of media, key opinion leaders and IKEA co-workers from all over the world, was chauffeured to Goaroije, a countryside dining place 15 minutes away from Älmhult centre. Tucked in lush greenery, Goaroije is known for its delightful pizzas paired with refreshing cocktails like the special rhubarb-infused concoction served pre-dinner. To give a glimpse of Swedish culture, guests had the chance to make their own midsommarkrans (flower wreaths) and enjoy traditional games, music and dance.
The highlight of the Democratic Design Days event is the visit to major IKEA facilities on the second day and to IKEA designers’ homes on the third day. From deep dives into IKEA’s design process—from early ideas and prototypes to test lab and final products—to new collections and collaborations unveiled, Democratic Design Days unveiled the IKEA way of doing things.
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Above Traditional Swedish dance and games at the welcome dinner (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
Traditional Swedish dance and games at the welcome dinner (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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IKEA of Sweden
Above IKEA of Sweden headquarters (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
IKEA of Sweden headquarters (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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The first stop was at the IKEA of Sweden headquarters where experts and creatives, led by Fredrika Inger, chief product and commercial officer of IKEA, gave a walkthrough of the design process, considering the five democratic design principles: form, function, quality, sustainability and low price. Inger reiterated that IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was always determined to offer the best possible prices but not at the expense of quality, hence the company continues to apply this philosophy to this day. “We shall offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them,” says Inger. “The many people’s life at home is our design brief…their everyday problems and struggles are our inspiration, and their dreams our fuel to develop new innovations and solutions that are typically IKEA.”
Above Fredrika Inger welcomes the delegation at Democratic Design Days (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
Fredrika Inger welcomes the delegation at Democratic Design Days (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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At the ground floor of IKEA of Sweden were four stations where the designers and experts showcased the different facets of design at IKEA. A spot was dedicated to PAX, a customisable storage solution where there are endless combinations customers can do to their wardrobe system. There was also a corner where materials and colours were put on spotlight and another, where inclusive design was discussed by designer Sarah Fager, in relation to IKEA’s Bäsingen collection, which was primarily designed to address mobility challenges, combining Scandinavian style with accessibility. “I'm so interested in how people live globally, and to be a designer for IKEA gives me a little glimpse of how people live [around the world], what their challenges, needs and wishes are. So that inspires me and gets me really passionate when I work with a project,” says Fager. “Since we do product development here in the middle of the woods in Sweden, we need to go out and visit our markets. We travel and we do a lot of home visits to kind of understand how people live. Because if we only work from our own perspective, then we will absolutely not be as diverse and inclusive as we want. We need to be mindful of that.”
Lastly, senior designer Henrik Preutz also talked about the design journey he had with the Färgsättare, a colourful and versatile wall shelf that will be available in stores in October 2025.
Sarah Fager, senior designer at IKEA (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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The second stop was at IKEA’s Food Lab where food designer Daniel Yngvesson had everyone try, for the first time ever, the new addition to IKEA’s line of balls–the Falafel–a creation that the company is set to launch in celebration of the 40th anniversary of IKEA’s legendary meatballs.
The IKEA Food Lab is responsible for product development for two distinct culinary environments: items for customers to purchase at the Swedish food market and use in their own kitchens, and food served in IKEA's own food service locations like restaurants and bistros.
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Above At IKEA’s Food Lab, food designer Daniel Yngvesson innovates the
menu, while celebrating the Swedish heritage (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
At IKEA’s Food Lab, food designer Daniel Yngvesson innovates the menu, while celebrating the Swedish heritage (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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The Democratic Design Pop-up
IKEA Test Lab (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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Two new collections were unveiled: MÄVINN and OMMJÄNGE. The former is part of the company’s social entrepreneurship initiatives, highlighting 18 handcrafted items made by artisans from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Jordan and Thailand. The latter, on the other hand, is a playful and poetic collection, with a name that carries the meaning of spending time together, in Småland dialect. Inspired by 19th-century Swedish folklore, OMMJÄNGE features vibrant colours, durable materials and smart functions ideal for modern small-space living. At the booth, designers Maria Vinka and Matilda Hunyadi shared their inspirations behind the collection.
Above MÄVINN collection (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
MÄVINN collection (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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Guests were also taken to The Factory exhibit at The Village, where they learnt about materials and the innovative ways IKEA uses them, with the democratic design principles in mind including sustainability. In another booth, IKEA Food spokesperson and no-food-waste chef Douglas McMaster also demonstrated how he could give food waste a second chance through fermentation. Gustaf Westman, whose design collaboration is set to be released later this year, also had a chat with the delegates over rounds of beer. Delegates also indulged in bites and booze at The Village’s local food stalls and bar.
Read also: 7 influential Scandinavian design trends
Above Maria Vinka, one of the designers behind MÄVINN and OMMJÄNGE collections (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
Above OMMJÄNGE collection (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
Maria Vinka, one of the designers behind MÄVINN and OMMJÄNGE collections (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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IKEA Museum and IKEA Test Lab
The piece de resistance of the trip was the visit to the only IKEA Museum in the world, which opened in 2016. Located in the original building of the first-ever IKEA store that opened in 1958 in Älmhult, the museum is like a time machine that brings one back to IKEA’s beginnings and the milestones it had over the decades. The museum also showcases temporary exhibitions every year, and this year, one of these is Trailblazers – Design Her Way, which shines a light on women’s design, both historical and contemporary, through 25 female designer portraits.
Above IKEA Museum opened in 2016 (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
Above Hej Ingvar! (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
IKEA Museum opened in 2016 (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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Above “Trailblazers - Design her way” brings together the work of more than 20 female designers from around the world, in an inspiring, thought-provoking
exhibition at IKEA Museum (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
Above IKEA Through the Years (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
“Trailblazers - Design her way” brings together the work of more than 20 female designers from around the world, in an inspiring, thought-provoking exhibition at IKEA Museum (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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Beside the company’s rich history, guests also had an exclusive look into the IKEA Test Lab, where the company conducts over a million tests on products yearly, to ensure durability, safety and compliance to global standards across 63 markets. Currently, IKEA owns two test labs, the IKEA Test Lab in Älmhult and ITCS in Shanghai, and collaborates with over 100 external accredited test labs worldwide.
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Above The Museum of Furniture Studies is set to open in 2026 (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
The Museum of Furniture Studies is set to open in 2026 (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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A Visit to Designers’ Homes
The third and last day of the Democratic Design Days event brought the delegates to three residences of designers in Loshult, a quiet village five kilometres from Älmhult. Each home is each a reflection of its owner’s hands-on, thoughtful approach to living and creating. Among the ones visited were the homes of designers James Dart, Lukas Bazle and Friso Wiersma. Capping the experience is some fika (snacks) at Wiersma’s renovated red wooden home, with heavenly cardamom buns and cider provided by Salli Partanen en Raphael Bartke of Loshult Handelsbod, the village’s artisan bakery just down the lane.
Inside James Dart’s home (Photo: courtesy of IKEA)
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The journey from Manila to Älmhult culminated in a powerful realisation: IKEA’s success isn’t just built on flat-pack boxes, but on the five pillars of its democratic design philosophy. By opening its doors—to its labs, its museum, and even its designers’ homes—IKEA demonstrated that its core mission of creating a better everyday life is not just a concept, but a lived, breathing reality.
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Whether on assignment or not, Maritess is always on the lookout for off-the-beaten-path destinations as well as the yummiest finds in the Philippines and abroad. In 2020, she plunged into the black hole of Korean la la land. Follow her escapades at @matetreyes.
