IKEA Romania, the local subsidiary of Swedish furniture retailer IKEA, has launched a unique exhibition in partnership with the Village Museum in Bucharest, in which it combines the Scandinavian style with the Romanian folk art.

The temporary exhibition is called Traditions from the future (Traditii din viitor), and consists of arranging a Romanian-style canton furnished in the Scandinavian style of IKEA, which preserves authentic elements of Romanian folk art.

Thus, for the first time in the Village Museum, IKEA’s METOD kitchen meets the Romanian ceramic pitcher, the GAMLEBY table meets the Horezu pots and wooden spoons made by Romanian craftsmen, while the SILKEBORG carpets highlight the unique traditional mix.

“It was a challenge and an honor for us to work on this project. We have a deep respect for the traditional Romanian aesthetics, and this has motivated us to illustrate the joining of two cultures that are different only in appearance, such as Romanian and Swedish. After all, this has been happening in the homes of many Romanians, and in our homes, for 10 years, since IKEA entered Romania,” said Irina Amza, interior design manager IKEA Romania.

The exhibition will stay open at the Village Museum in Bucharest until August 30. The visitors can see the exhibition on Mondays from 09:00 to 17:00, and from Tuesday to Sunday between 09:00 and 19:00.

The Swedish group opened its first store in Romania, in Northern Bucharest, in 2007. The company plans to open its second store in Romania, in Eastern Bucharest, at the end of next year, and targets other big cities for expansion.

IKEA reached EUR 123.5 million sales at its only store in Romania in 2016.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com