Inside IKEA’s Secret Prototyping Lab: How the Furniture Giant Designs Its Next Big Hits

IKEA’s Prototyping Lab: The Birthplace of the Next Big Product

In IKEA’s prototype lab in Älmhult, Sweden, designers are quietly shaping the future of home furnishings. Among them is Mikael Axelsson, who has spent nearly a decade chasing a single idea: a modern take on 1990s inflatable furniture.

The tiny easy chair in his hands—a dollhouse-size prototype made of bent wire, hand-carved foam, and hot glue—has been a white whale since he first modeled it in 2014. The concept was simple: build a metal frame and fill it with a balloon-like cushion. But scaling it up proved impossible. The cushions always felt like exercise balls, and convincing leadership to revisit inflatable furniture—after IKEA’s failed attempt in the late 1990s—was an uphill battle.

“It’s been standing on my shelf since then,” Axelsson admits. That changed in late 2023, when he and about 20 other designers were called to an experimental design sprint. Their mission: create boundary-pushing concepts for the next PS collection, a recurring line of Scandinavian-inspired furniture set to launch in May.

A Second Chance for an Old Idea

Axelsson saw an opportunity to revive his inflatable chair. With approval to explore the concept, he began welding. Over the next few months, he built 20 different versions, experimenting with tubular chrome frames and hand-sealed inflation chambers. Several prototypes were on display when I visited IKEA’s headquarters in early April.

Inside IKEA’s Secret Prototype Lab

IKEA invited me as the first journalist to tour its prototype lab—the creative heart of the company. This is where conceptual designs are mocked up, refined, and optimized for mass production. The lab churns out 1,500 to 2,000 new products annually, contributing to IKEA’s $52 billion in retail sales for fiscal 2025.

Products here are often two to three years away from store shelves, and some ideas may never see the light of day. “You are basically in the future here,” says Johan Ejdemo, IKEA’s global design manager. The prototype shop is where that future gets tested—from feasibility to aesthetics to the smallest assembly details.

“It’s been standing on my shelf since then.” — Mikael Axelsson, IKEA designer

From Failed Experiments to Modern Reinventions

The lab isn’t just about innovation—it’s also about learning from the past. IKEA’s failed inflatable furniture line from the 1990s serves as a cautionary tale, but Axelsson’s persistence shows how old ideas can be reimagined. Today, the prototype lab is where these transformations happen, ensuring IKEA stays ahead in the global furniture market.

With 500-plus stores and 915 million annual customers, the stakes are high. Every prototype, no matter how small, plays a role in shaping IKEA’s next big hit.