The Story of IKEA

This exhibition begins in the 1950s, when the first fully furniture-focused catalogue is published and the first store opens in Älmhult. Here you can experience the whole journey, with both victories and setbacks – which lead to smart new solutions that meet the needs of the many people. Come inside and enjoy!

Ingvar Kamprad referred to himself as both a “farm boy” and “a bit of a failure”, yet he become one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. How did that happen? In this new exhibition, we ask some of the people who worked closely with Ingvar Kamprad to talk about him and the qualities that made him one of the greatest businessmen of all time. Stories, myths and anecdotes about the Småland drive, curiosity and creativity, and the ability to see opportunities where others saw problems.

Here we talk about Democratic Design – the unique approach that fundamentally enables IKEA to keep the promises it makes in its business concept. It is about offering a wide assortment of home furnishing products with good form and function, that as many people as possible can afford. Join this colourful voyage of discovery into how IKEA works to meet people’s needs and help their dreams come true.

Experience old Sweden through stories, historical objects and interactive experiences. We show the inventiveness of the poor, stony farming community of Småland, and how increasing prosperity in the first half of the 20th century led to new ideas about a better life at home. It becomes clear how thrifty Småland creativity, Swedish modernism and entrepreneurialism formed the very embryo of IKEA.