I came across this interesting article in the Guardian this morning... I never knew that there was a system to naming Ikea items. I thought that it consisted of throwing a bunch of letter tiles on the table and creating a name. But here's the system:
- Sofas, coffee tables, bookshelves, media storage and doorknobs are named after places in Sweden (Klippan, Malmö)
- Beds, wardrobes and hall furniture after places in Norway; carpets after places in Denmark and dining tables and chairs after places in Finland.
- Bookcases are mainly occupations (Bonde, peasant farmer; Styrman, helmsman).
- Bathroom stuff is named after lakes and rivers.
Kitchens are generally grammatical terms - Kitchen utensils are spices, herbs, fish, fruits, berries, or functional words such as Skarpt (it means sharp, and it's a knife).
- Chairs and desks are Swedish men's names (Roger, Joel)
- Materials and curtains are women's names.
- Children's items are mammals, birds and adjectives (Ekorre is a set of children's toy balls; it means squirrel)
The photo is the Ikea in Cardiff, Wales, about a mile from where I lived. Click on the link to see how the giant venetian blinds work.
I swore that once I "grew-up" I would no longer buy anything that had to be put together with an allen wrench!!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how you say "ripped off from" in Swedish ?
ReplyDeletevery interesting - I would have never guessed they had a system behind those names
ReplyDeleteAnd I guess Ikea is Swedish for "made like shit."
ReplyDeleteSorry. But it is.
And here I thought most IKEA lines were named after random things the Swedish Chef said on "The Muppets."
ReplyDeleteI am not commenting on the quality or origin of Ikea's goods, just how the hell they come up with their strange names!
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ReplyDeletethat's so cool, I've always wondered what the names were all about. Also.... never knew Ikea inspired so many harsh feelings ...
ReplyDeletethat is interesting. I have always wanted to check out an IKEA. That would require about a 6 hour drive though.
ReplyDeleteI've put so much Ikea stuff in my pad it's like a big Scandinavian showpiece. Okay it's not, but I am familiar with the ones in College Park and White Marsh. I have a dining table from them with matching chairs. I've seen a coffee table from them that was basically the same. But I figured they'd call them the same brand.
ReplyDeleteok- you've just educated me! i thought they were just nonsense words myself...
ReplyDeletebut even if it is a boy's name in sweden, the "jerker" desk has to be the stupidest name of all time- who wants a desk that sounds like a jerk?
I guess I never gave this much thought, even though I've always been amused by the sound of many of the names. I think I was under the impression that they were random and made-up words. Huh! Who knew?
ReplyDeleteIkea is like the Wal-Mart of Sweden, yet to my mind a far more likeable company than Wal-Mart.
Interesting. I thought the names were just random.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, now it all makes sense!!! :-D
ReplyDeleteVery cool about the names! I always wondered why they chose 'Billy.' I know first hand about the harsh feelings, I have never had an easy experience with them. And on top of that you have to put it together! Bitter, party of one ;)
ReplyDeleteHow cool! We name our chandeliers after the person we custom make them for, and members of their family if they order a whole house-ful.
ReplyDeleteContessa... what a lovely thing for you all to do! It makes having one of your pieces so much more personal.
ReplyDeleteWho knew? I will be sure to impress my husband with these fun facts the next time we take a trip to Ikea.
ReplyDeleteNeat stuff ... Now I know the story behind all of our furniture.
ReplyDeleteMy girlfriend and I, both 23, have lived together for some time now. In college, I always had Ikea. When we moved into our own place post college, we bought more ikea stuff. You can't purchase better furniture for the money ...
Personally, I feel as though Ikea gets a bad rap from anyone who has never shopped at, let alone owns anything from Ikea.
I run my own business and my girlfriend is going to grad school (which by the way, has led us to move to Pigtown on May 1), so we aren't sitting on lots of extra cash. Sure Pottery Barn, Ethan Allen, etc. are better quality than Ikea, but you are going to pay 4-5X as much. Meanwhile, I'm happy with what we've got =)
Hi IKEA Lovers and Haters! I have to say that I’m IKEA lover…. Not because I’m employed by the company but the philosophy and culture that is IKEA… Creating a better everyday life for the many…. Offering article/products for many budgets….Environmentally aware and proactive, not only in materials, buildings, charitable, humble..just to name a few …. No not brain washed…. If you watch the TV make over shows or channels there is always a IKEA Not only are the designs innovative, many design awards have been won…. Building one of the articles/products can be sometimes frustrating to those green to IKEA (IKEA Virgin’s) but also can be rewarding …. Appealing to a sense of achievement, but also is a partnership with the consumer as obviously transportation of flat pack keeps the prices low to the consumer… not least is saving CO² emissions… but also so that you and I can fit our purchase in our vehicles. IKEA is not freighted of being different! The stores regenerate depressed city areas, offering employment to a diverse people Globally …. Celebrating differences…. From Sweden to China, Iceland to Australia and everywhere in between…. I’m not trying to change anyone’s option …. Your option is your right… there more to IKEA than you may realize. Peace!
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