Ikea design chief reveals 12 pieces he personally owns

At a glance:

• Design chief Johan Ejdemo shares the 12 Ikea items he keeps in his own home, ranging from vintage PS pieces to everyday kitchenware.
• The list includes a recycled‑ceramic Silversida tableware set, Koncis roasting pans, a custom‑built Faktum kitchen, and a 1999 white PS cabinet.
• Prices span from $5 budget items to $500 premium pieces, showing the breadth of Ikea’s design ecosystem.

The interview and its context

I sat down with Johan Ejdemo, the design manager who steers the creation of roughly 1,500‑2,000 new Ikea products each year. Ejdemo began his career at 15 as a cabinetmaker and has spent almost three decades at the Swedish giant. His role blends leading a core team of 20 in‑house designers with coordinating a network of freelancers, all tasked with delivering the playful functionality that defines Ikea’s global appeal. During the conversation, Ejdemo opened up about the very pieces he lives with, offering a rare glimpse into how a senior designer interprets the brand’s philosophy in his own home. The items he mentions are not just showroom samples; many have been in use for decades, showing the durability and timelessness Ikea strives for.

A curated list of twelve personal favourites

• Silversida recycled ceramic bowls and plates – blue‑dotted, made from reclaimed ceramics, designed by in‑house designer Henrik Preutz.
• Koncis roasting pans – metal trays the chief uses for everyday cooking, despite owning professional‑grade pans.
• Customized Faktum (now Metod) kitchen system – an Ikea kitchen he installed 20 years ago, enhanced with a handmade island, sanded doors and hand‑painted finishes.
• Norbo folding table – a compact, now‑discontinued table that fits neatly at the end of his kitchen island for extra serving space.
• Bekväm step stool – the original oversized version, still in use and marked with paint spots from years of service.
• White 1999 PS cabinet – a metal cabinet from the PS series that he has placed in multiple rooms; many are over 20 years old.
• Original 1995 PS clock – a vintage piece found at a street sale, featuring the distinctive PS red colour used at Ikea headquarters.
• PS Svarva floor lamp – a twistable wooden‑beaded lamp from the 2009 PS collection, created in collaboration with the Front design group.
• PS Sinka cabinet – a drawer unit with a hidden compartment, also from the 2009 PS line, prized for its dovetail construction.
• PS Jonsberg vases (set of four) – ceramic vases by Hella Jongerius, repurposed to hold a TV cable and even a toilet‑paper roll.
• Pax wardrobes – several wardrobe units that Ejdemo has sanded and hand‑painted to match his interior aesthetic.
• Spraka pepper mills – black and white pepper mills from a PS collection designed with Marcus Arvonen, still in daily use after 20 years.

Why these items matter to Ikea’s brand narrative

Each piece illustrates a different facet of Ikea’s design ethos. The Silversida tableware highlights sustainability through recycled materials, while the Koncis pans show how affordable metal cookware can sit alongside professional gear. Ejdemo’s custom Faktum kitchen demonstrates the brand’s modular flexibility, allowing owners to personalize even mass‑produced cabinets. Vintage items like the 1999 PS cabinet and 1995 PS clock underscore Ikea’s long‑term product durability, a claim often debated by consumers. The fact that these items remain functional and beloved after two decades reinforces the company’s promise of “democratic design” that lasts.

The personal touch behind the product choices

Ejdemo repeatedly emphasizes imperfection as a virtue. He chose the Silversida bowl with a mis‑painted spot because “the imperfection makes it unique.” The Bekväm stool bears paint spots and a slightly shrunken frame, yet he values its history. This mindset mirrors Ikea’s recent marketing that celebrates the lived‑in look of furniture, encouraging customers to see wear as a story rather than a flaw. His hand‑painted Faktum doors and custom‑built island also reflect a DIY spirit that Ikea has long nurtured through its flat‑pack model. By modifying factory‑finished pieces, Ejdemo blurs the line between designer and end‑user, embodying the brand’s invitation for people to “create their own style.”

What this tells us about future collections

The interview came on the heels of the launch of the PS 2026 collection, Ikea’s tenth budget design series after a nine‑year hiatus. The collection’s 44 pieces, ranging from $5 to $500, echo many of the themes Ejdemo highlighted: playful functionality, modularity, and a willingness to experiment (e.g., a shape‑shifting floor lamp, an inflatable easy chair). Seeing the design chief rely on both historic PS items and newer, experimental pieces suggests that upcoming releases will continue to blend nostalgia with innovation. Consumers can expect more “retro‑inspired” reissues alongside bold, adaptable designs that invite personal customization.

Conclusion

Johan Ejdemo’s personal inventory serves as a living museum of Ikea’s design journey—from the early PS experiments of the 1990s to the contemporary, sustainability‑focused pieces of today. By keeping these items in his own home, he validates the brand’s claim that good design should be affordable, durable, and adaptable to real life. For shoppers, the list offers a roadmap of timeless pieces worth considering, while for Ikea, it reinforces a narrative that the company’s products are meant to grow with their owners, imperfections and all.