About us
Home of the Home Lab is a meeting place for early-stage ideas and people dreaming up new ways of living at home. Everything we do is here in Älmhult – the heart of IKEA – and rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit of Småland.
Co-created by IKEA and Älmhult municipality
Home of the Home Lab is co-created by Älmhult municipality and IKEA Älmhult AB, with support from an international local community. Our mission is to help big thinkers and new companies to put their ideas into action.
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The next big idea for everyday life
Ingvar Kamprad’s vision to create a better everyday life for the many people came into the spotlight when the first IKEA store opened in Älmhult 1958. Since then, much has happened. But most things still remain to be done and working together, we can nurture the next generation of home entrepreneurs and creators.
Our four directions
At Home of the Home Lab, we care about solutions – products, services, and fresh ideas – for life in and around our homes.
Sustainable and smart living
We support ideas that help people use less energy, water and resources, and solutions that use smart devices to make daily life easier. We also encourage new health-related solutions for the home.
Home as a sanctuary
We support ideas that make the home a place for recovery from external stress factors. Emphasis is on the creation of a peaceful, flexible home where people can relax and balance work and free time.
Affordable and timeless design
We support ideas about affordable, lasting and timeless designs for homes, furniture and interiors. We also encourage transformable design, enabling personal and cultural styles.
Life beyond the walls
We support ideas that help homes become a part of a friendly and sustainable neighborhood. The solutions focus on the physical environment and make the whole area better for everyone.
A global community, close to nature
Living in Älmhult means enjoying both a global buzz and a small-town feel. Every fifth resident between the ages of 25 and 44 was born abroad and Malmö and Copenhagen are just a short train ride away. Life here is simple, with everything within reach, from schools to shopping to beautiful nature.
Our lab lives in a yellow wooden house by the station – one of Älmhult’s oldest, with stories to tell and room for new ones. Whether you’re local or a commuter, you’ll find a place to belong.
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A house full of history and dreams
Our home, "Stinsahuset," is a cherished piece of Älmhult’s history, built in 1862 for railway staff and saved from demolition in the 1940s. Today, it’s a protected building – full of character and new ideas. Not a museum, but a living, creative space where the past meets the future.