Falling Back In Love With Home
Lemya Osman
Home Furnishing Direction Leader, IKEA Retail North America
“Before, our homes were places we used to get away from the world. Not anymore. Now our homes are the world for us. We don’t know when this reality will end.”
At the Table Talk discussion launching the IKEA Life at Home Report 2021, Lemya Osman revealed what she observed as people getting to know their ‘homeworlds’ better. People making significant effort to reorganise their homes are like those who accept that their worldly relationships require work. And the new anthem for modern relationships is ‘set clear boundaries’.
“We have seen people looking for ways to zone their space. For example, I had to set a barrier between ‘work’ and ‘home’, assigning different areas. For me, it has been very challenging to switch off from work. I even hide my laptop case after working hours! And when my friends ask me for advice about how to make the most of the space they have, I always advise them to create zones for different activities first. And sometimes it’s about having dual-use areas, on the condition that a lot of stuff gets tucked away once it’s not needed.”
Tucked away where? “Storage has become big, in the US and globally. The pandemic made a lot of people realise that their homes can easily become cluttered and unorganised. At IKEA we know how to organise things and we’ve shown them how accessible and affordable it can be.”
Another heart-warming way that our homes have been nurturing our feelings: “We missed feeling different at different times. Sales data shows that during the pandemic people in the US didn’t go for big furniture. Instead, we have seen a hike in sales of home accessories. People went for simple things like a new set of candles that changed their feeling of the same space.”
And how has Lemya’s feelings changed towards her home? “I’ve fallen in love with my home! Before it was a place of simply going in and out. By staying inside, sitting and observing, I got the opportunity to get reintroduced to and connect with my space. I’ve recognised the potential of my home, which has been underused.”