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EXPLORING THE BIRTHPLACE OF IKEA One of the best things about living in a new country can be escaping it. So, when Keri Bloomfield discovered that the IKEA Museum was only 2.5 hours from Copenhagen, she quickly began her campaign to visit. PHOTOGRAPHS KERI BLOOMFIELD / GOSIA KURZYK
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IT’S FAIR TO say when I first suggested to The Dane (my significant other) that we escape for a long weekend to the IKEA Museum and Hotel in Sweden he wasn’t jumping for joy. More accurately, he jumped away from me. But I wasn’t going to let that throw me off my game. So as soon as I heard the faintest whisper, which was possibly a whimper, of agreement I started making the arrangements to visit the birthplace of one of Sweden’s most wellknown brands.
ÄLMHULT Situated in the small Swedish town of Älmhult, the IKEA
JUNE 2018 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM
TEXT KERI BLOOMFIELD
Museum and Hotel is an easy 2.5 hour drive from Copenhagen (or you can take the train). And just like everything else that is IKEA, it’s a smart set-up designed with a strong attention to detail and minimal fluff. The Museum opened in 2016 and is located in what was IKEA’s very first store that was opened in 1958 by IKEA founder, Ingvar Kamprad. Situated right next to the Älmhult train station, his foresight in choosing this location so many years ago is impressive. But then, this was a man who registered IKEA as a firm when he was just 17 years of age and 15 years before he was to actually open the very first IKEA shop. So perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised
with his foresight and the global legacy he has left. Älmhult municipality has a population of around 18,000 and with nearly 4000 people employed by IKEA within this town (from logistics to design), you realise quickly that IKEA is Älmhult. It’s in the DNA of this town and they’re rightly proud of it. It’s where the designers create next year’s selection of products, it’s where graphic designers and copywriters spend hours poring over the production of the annual catalogue with its staggering print run of 210 million copies. And it’s a town proud to have its own ‘meatball rush hour’ as the locals head on mass to the Museum canteen at lunchtime. But this historic site is also the home to a wonderful museum which welcomes you like an old friend before taking you through the story of IKEA and sharing with you how one man who worked so passionately his whole life turned a small mail order business into the success it continues to be today. Or as Ingvar said himself ‘creating a better everyday life for the many people’. Even if like The Dane, you’re a RSIS (Reluctant Spousal IKEA Shopper), you’ll find the IKEA story of leadership, innovation and business a fascinating and impressive one.
IKEA HOTEL & MUSEUM You could do this as a day trip from Copenhagen but to do that would be to miss out on half the experience. The IKEA Hotel. Located directly across the carpark from the Museum, it’s an easy hop from Train Station to Museum and Hotel.