IKEA faves that helped Aussies through another pandemic year | Nick Tsagaris

A trip to IKEA may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, but in 2021 an excursion to the big blue barn has been the only escape many of us could get.

Now, the furniture giant has revealed the buying habits and home decorating trends that helped Aussies through another year of lockdowns and pandemic restrictions.

First off, working and schooling from home meant our living spaces needed to be as adaptable as we were. For many, that meant sticking a desk in the corner to watch over homeschooling sessions, or creating a brand new home office/Zoom palace.

The number one selling desk this year was the MICKE, with its compact 105cm by 50cm tabletop capable of sliding unobtrusively to wherever it was needed.

Aussies needed their homes to be more adaptable than ever as work and school needs took over.

“Our homes have evolved into multipurpose spaces, becoming the new place to exercise, work, study, relax, entertain, connect with nature, work on hobbies and so on,” home furnishing direction leader at IKEA Australia Christine Gough said.

“Clever, innovative ideas that are easy and affordable to transform a space include hanging curtains for privacy, attaching a tabletop to your shelving unit or using tall plants to separate areas.”

Spending more time in the home also left us with the understandable desire to tidy up, with storage units another hot seller.

Helping us declutter was the simple DRONA box – basically a glorified cube capable of being crammed full of whatever is lying around and stashed comfortably out of sight and mind.

Tidying up our living spaces was also high on the agenda, bringing the need for better storage solutions.

Gough described the renewed attraction to cleanliness as a way of taking back our homes as “a safe space from the uncertainties of the outside world”. But maybe we were just sick of stepping on Lego ...

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And finally, unable to escape to the outdoors, many Aussies chose to bring the outside in. Potted plants were another favourite, a tried and true way to make any space feel at least 39 per cent more tolerable.

The hardy, low maintenance and greener than green MONSTERA topped the list as Australia’s favourite indoor plant purchase.

The hardy and reliable monstera emerged as Aussies’ favourite potted plant of the IKEA range.

We’re expected to continue our obsession with greenery in the year to come and hopefully not too many of us will have to return to replace those plants we’ve spent the year neglecting.

“2021 sparked a new longing for green spaces and the outdoors,” Gough cruelly pointed out.

“Having green living plants, relaxation areas and privacy will help with wellbeing and rebalancing the home.”