“There’s a lot of smart home gadgets you don’t want to see, and we make them more integrated and fun” — IKEA design expert shares the key to the company's success

“I think there are a few reasons," Stark says. "We lead with price and affordability; that’s where we want to bring accessible design. Primarily, we focus on being design-forward, having it based on function — so we don’t actually create a product that doesn’t have a function to it.

Secondly, the sustainability aspect is such a huge thing and has always been in our values with design. Finally, we’re really trying to bring quality at an affordable price; those things make us relevant.”

“We do home visits to see how people live in their spaces and situations. In addition, we do surveys to understand what people's challenges are in their homes, so we can make products to actually solve them. Good design for me means promoting well-being."

“From a design standpoint, design is everywhere, really. It can be influenced by a museum, a restaurant, culture, and traveling. As a global company, we all give feedback from our own countries to the product developers. This also helps with the design process.”

“We wanted to be innovative and really have these pieces integrate into the home. The design of pieces is so important in how they function in the space. For instance, products like the ‘donut’ lamp designed by Sabine Marcelis is more like a sculptural art piece that brings joy and can also be functional. Additionally, it can hang on the wall or sit on a credenza. So I think it's a piece that is really pushing the boundaries of not just being one thing.”

"There are a lot of smart home gadgets that you just don't want to see, and now these are becoming more integrated. Such as IKEA’s really cool, modern lamps, and the patterns that we have on our Bluetooth speakers make them fun.”

“I think these are both functional, integrate into a home easily, and can evolve based on your needs. So you might be record-obsessed and have the Kallax stacked out with records. But then you get a new solution for that, so it goes into your kid's room, and you can add bins for all their toys.

“And with the Billy bookcase you can also add on to it, going from one singular to even have a few in a row, and it becomes this beautiful library. So I think it's catering to your needs in your home and the different spaces you can move them to.”

“I really like the new GREJSIMOJS play collection, and think it’s so cool. One of my favorites is the giraffe LED light that I think is just fun to have in your home.

"Again, I'm always looking for pieces that look like art or sculptural pieces. These can really make an impact.”

“We wanted to add a bit more boldness and rebellion from a color perspective, and various ways to include Rebel Pink in the home, so it isn’t so neutral.

“In terms of trends, we have some really fun, new products coming out this year, which you see in our Style Guide. There are a lot of new trends that we love, such as the layering of textiles, going bold with floral and patterns, and mixing and matching. Design is really important to educate consumers, and that's why we brought the style guide to bring them closer to our design process.”