Things Ikea has been doing forever: unleashing relationship turmoil on all who buy its MALM beds and all who navigate its stores. Things it should have been doing forever, arguably: creating video instructions for its products and designing houses. Now these are both a reality: the Swedish furnishings chain has just unveiled its first-ever line of houses. Designed in partnership with Oregon firm Ideabox, the "Activ" (Swedish for—guess!) model is a one-bedroom prefab home aimed at a Pacific Northwest consumer. Translation: it's eco-friendly (fual-flush toilets, Energy Star-rated appliances) and features fiber-cement siding, a metal roof, Ikea flooring, Ikea closet systems, cabinets, beds, and so on. Colors are customizable and the $79,500 house is shipped with everything from cabinets to countertops ready to go; per the architects' description: "Think of it as your own personal euro designer flat... only where you want it!" Or just think of it as a house that was built using only one tool: an S-wrench.
· IKEA DEBUTS COMPLETELY-FURNISHED, PRE-FAB, MODERN HOMES [PSFK]
· aktiv [Idea Box]
