Argument Ideas:
Corporate aesthetic, cold, efficient, minimalism
Unnatural color palate, gloomy colors
Cheapness, flimsiness of materials/disposability
Transitional quality of the images; all the rooms look like waiting rooms to go somewhere else, or places to get ready to go or to briefly decompress after being somewhere else
A lot of it looks like kids furniture
Total lack of warmth, either in the designs or the images of people
Rhetoric about being content with limited means can really go either way
Open layouts=lack of privacy, optimized surveillance
People look like weird robots
Examples:
Nedja cushion p.3 (pink and orange)
Inspiration titles: “limited space, unlimited you” “Resourceful and loving it” “Open up to change” “Room for big ideas” (table of contents p. 4)
Mortician grey palate p. 5, pp.28-35, 39, 44-47, 50-54, in the kids’ room! P. 62-63, 74-77, 80-83, morticuan kitchen “Everyone is entitled to a slice of country living” (p.85), 92-93, 136-137
Weird 1970s mustard yellow full-page presentations p.13
Weird robot girl and mustard
Pepto bismol pink full-page p.45
“Store it. Don’t hide it.” p. 13
Image of tired looking lady making her bed with her work clothes behind her in her pax/hasvik wardrobe p.23
“We don’t sell hugs, but we do sell these” meaning $4.99 Varkrage throw
Quote from Francis Cayouette, Designer, about feeling at ease and at home next to a full spread of death grey and black p. 29
Corporate waiting room p. 35, 39
Robotic, artificial person, empty serving bowl p. 40
Weird, painted TVs and remotes p. 45
Books all the same color p.52
Unnatural colors pp.56-57
“Wake up rested even if your bedroom is the living room.” p. 65
Bohemian looking lady with cup of tea p. 65
Hugging blankets 69
Older white lady with plant 74
Asian lady dancing while getting ready 78
Industrial mesh fjallbo tv unit 86
Robot lady 94
Home #3: Fake cluttered curio cabinet scene, still in mortician grey 97-105, “For that handpicked, precious look” p. 107
Old lady crafting 114
Dark plant scene 123, 131
Weird lady being whimsical with vegetables 125
Childs room 134 “Come play!” No, thanks.
Weird orange ice cream scoops 135
Mangled flowers 145
Fake plants171
Everything looks like living on a spaceship
Home #5 “Full House”: Parents really should be catching up on work p. 172, iron grey again
“A big dining table makes for everyone’s activity central—all before dinner is served in the play kitchen” 174
“Holds the things that you hold dear” 183
Entryway like school 180
Home #6: mortician grey again p. 205
Transitional dining space photos 210-211
“Free space = efficient workflow. A clear worktop is ready for whatever.” p. 212
Girl hugging pillows 221
Lady hugging blanket p. 227
Girl getting hugged by blanket p. 231
“Is sleep the new status symbol?” 233
Sleeping on top of blankets fully clothed 235
Girl hugging towels 256
Home #7 Room for big ideas. P. 264. Floor to ceiling Ikea stuff. Sounds as expensive as a bigger place.
Transparent boxes 266
Counterargument ideas:
Multiethnic
Anti-materialistic?
Realistic about what life is really like for people
Issues:
Taste vs. Argument when it comes to aesthetics. I think grey is depressing, but maybe that’s just my taste. But maybe I can say that anyway. After all, grey’s fashionability happened because somebody said “grey is so modern” or whatever.
Research ideas/things I want to know more about:
What is Ikea’s rationale/methodology?
Why are these colors and styles so popular? How long have they been popular for?
What do other people think about Ikea’s aesthetic?
Isn’t Ikea Swedish? Didn’t I read that Sweden is the happiest country in the world, and that all that happiness has something to do with hygge, the Swedish idea of coziness (like hot mugs of cocoa and snuggling by the fire in snowflake sweaters)? How does all this black, cold minimalizism fit in with that?