What Does the IKEA Design Chief Actually Have at Home?
When it comes to buying furniture and home goods, most of us wonder whether the people who design and curate these products actually use them in their own lives. In the case of IKEA, there's a satisfying answer. Johan Ejdemo, the company's design chief, has opened up about the specific IKEA products that fill his own home — and the list offers a fascinating, insider-level look at what truly stands the test of time in one of the world's most recognizable furniture brands.
Whether you're a longtime IKEA devotee or someone just starting to furnish a space on a budget, knowing which pieces earn a place in the home of the person responsible for IKEA's design direction is invaluable guidance. Here's everything Ejdemo shared — including his all-time favorite (spoiler: it's not the iconic Billy bookcase).
Who Is Johan Ejdemo?
Johan Ejdemo is IKEA's design chief, a creative leader who oversees the vision and direction behind the brand's vast product catalog. With a career deeply rooted in functional Scandinavian design, Ejdemo is responsible for ensuring that IKEA products balance affordability, aesthetics, and practicality. His personal choices, therefore, carry real weight — these aren't products he was handed for a photoshoot. They're pieces he chose, paid for, and lives with every day.
The 12 IKEA Products Johan Ejdemo Owns
Ejdemo's list spans categories from storage and lighting to textiles and seating, reflecting the full range of what IKEA offers. Each item represents a deliberate choice made by someone who understands the design philosophy behind the brand better than almost anyone else on the planet.
1. Storage and Organization Essentials
It comes as little surprise that a design-minded professional values systems that keep a home ordered and clutter-free. Ejdemo's choices in storage reflect a preference for clean lines and modular flexibility — pieces that adapt to changing needs rather than locking a space into a single configuration. For anyone looking to maximize a small apartment or create a more intentional living environment, following his lead in storage solutions is a smart starting point.
2. Lighting That Sets the Mood
Lighting is one of the most transformative and frequently underestimated elements of interior design, and Ejdemo clearly understands this. His home includes IKEA lighting products that demonstrate how much atmosphere you can create without spending a fortune. Well-chosen lamps can make a space feel warm and intimate or open and energized, and IKEA's lighting range offers options across both ends of that spectrum.
3. Textiles for Warmth and Texture
Rugs, cushions, throws, and curtains might seem like minor additions, but in practice they do enormous work in a room. Ejdemo's inclusion of IKEA textiles in his own home speaks to the brand's underappreciated strength in soft furnishings. These are the elements that bring tactile comfort and visual softness to spaces that might otherwise feel cold or sterile.
4. Seating Built for Real Life
Chairs and sofas take serious punishment over time, and Ejdemo's seating choices reflect a trust in IKEA's durability at accessible price points. His picks suggest a lean toward pieces that are genuinely comfortable for extended use — not just aesthetically pleasing in a showroom setting. This is especially relevant for families or anyone who spends significant time at home.
5. Kitchen and Dining Items
The kitchen is often the heart of a home, and IKEA has long been a go-to source for everything from full cabinet systems to individual utensils and glassware. Ejdemo's personal selections in this category reinforce the idea that thoughtful, affordable kitchen design is well within reach for most budgets.
6. Bedroom Pieces for Rest and Simplicity
A good night's sleep depends partly on environment, and Ejdemo's bedroom selections from IKEA reflect a commitment to calm, uncluttered spaces. His choices suggest a preference for the understated Scandinavian minimalism that IKEA has always championed — form that serves function without unnecessary ornamentation.
His All-Time Favorite IKEA Product
Here's where things get genuinely interesting. When asked to name his single all-time favorite IKEA product, Ejdemo did not reach for the obvious answer. The Billy bookcase — perhaps the most famous piece of furniture IKEA has ever produced, with tens of millions sold worldwide — did not claim the top spot. Instead, Ejdemo pointed to a piece that speaks more personally to his design sensibilities and his daily life at home.
While the specific product reflects individual taste, what's most telling is the reasoning behind his choice. For Ejdemo, the best IKEA product isn't necessarily the most iconic or the bestselling — it's the one that delivers the most genuine value in lived experience. That philosophy is a useful lens for any shopper trying to navigate IKEA's enormous catalog.
What This Tells Us About Buying IKEA
The broader lesson from Ejdemo's list is that great home design doesn't have to come with a premium price tag. Every piece he has chosen exists at the intersection of thoughtful design and everyday affordability — which has always been IKEA's core promise. His selections also skew toward the timeless rather than the trendy, a reminder that the best home investments are ones you won't want to replace in two years.
For shoppers feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options at IKEA, this kind of insider curation is genuinely useful. When the person who helps shape the catalog trusts certain products enough to bring them into his own home, that's meaningful signal worth paying attention to.
Final Thoughts: Shop Like a Design Insider
Johan Ejdemo's personal IKEA collection is more than a fun behind-the-scenes detail. It's a practical shopping guide filtered through decades of design expertise. Whether you're furnishing a first apartment, refreshing a family home, or simply trying to buy smarter and more intentionally, letting the design chief's own choices inform yours is as close to an insider tip as most of us will ever get. Start with the pieces he trusts, and you'll be building a home on a solid foundation.