Article no 004.551.61
Saving water at every step
Every time you rinse salad, fill a kettle or wash dishes, you're helping with something essential—saving water. How? Thanks to the small aerator in every IKEA kitchen mixer tap that reduces water flow while maintaining pressure. We didn't invent aerators, but think they are an important example of how we can work together to save water for everyone's benefit.
Four years ago, we started a project to improve our taps and knew we needed more expertise. That's when we hired Antony Smith, an engineer from England who has worked with taps for more than a decade. Now he lives in Sweden and is part of a small team that develops taps and showers for IKEA. Like every new employee, Antony read founder Ingvar Kamprad's Testament of a Furniture Dealer. In it, Ingvar writes 'wasting resources is a mortal sin at IKEA.' This helped Antony understand how much we care about water and how his job is just one step in our larger approach to sustainability.
A company-wide dedication
"When I got to IKEA, I realised we practise what we preach about sustainability," Antony says. "It's a refreshing experience, but it makes our job really difficult because we genuinely have to deliver on sustainability with each product." So why is conserving water so important? Because water is one of our planet's most precious resources. Earth may be covered in a lot of water, but very little of it is drinkable and even less is accessible. No organism can survive without it, and no new water is created. It's constantly recycled, but our freshwater supply is overused; not evenly distributed; and impacted by pollution, contamination and climate change.
A water-conscious commitment
IKEA values the quality and quantity of water so much that we are committed to being water positive by 2020. One aspect is finding simple ways for people to conserve water. Aerators are a step we took long before our water commitment, but Antony and his team are working hard on new water saving taps using sensors or spray technology. Behind the scenes, there's more to our commitment than what we develop for kitchens. Our initiative also includes exploring ways to improve water efficiency across the whole product process, whether it’s at our suppliers, distribution centres or stores. It can mean providing factory workers and their families with fresh drinking water, ensuring all factory water is cleaned before release, reducing water usage in textile production or using rainwater to flush toilets in stores. "We make things hard on ourselves for good reasons, Antony says."
An every-bit-counts belief
See why the aerator in your kitchen mixer tap is a small part of our bigger effort to conserve water? "Some people who live where you can just turn on your tap and get water may not really think about saving water; it's taken for granted," Antony says. But he and his team think about water at every step. It's part of creating a positive impact on people and the planet. We think every water-saving action adds up and thank you for helping with your kitchen mixer tap!
Goes well with
Ideas and inspiration
A kitchen to fall for
Meet Jūlija and Edgars – a couple leading a harmonious life in the quiet village of Upeslejas, in an apartment they bought about 10 years ago and have owned ever since. As both are great travellers, at some point there was a hard decision to be taken – to return to Latvia or to stay and live somewhere else. At the end, they decided to come back. As they returned, they saw that the daily wear and tear had taken its toll on the interior and decided to give it a fresh start. However, it proved to be not easy and the kitchen was an especially sore point.
A kitchen makeover in Riga
This time, "Home Idea with IKEA" visits an apartment in Riga, home of the happy and optimistic Alda. For her, a kitchen makeover is a dream come true. And what a coincidence! The first meeting with designer Līva takes place on no other day than her birthday. Could one with for a better sign?
The lady of the house is a passionate cook and tells that she spends most of the time in her kitchen. When her family visits, this room becomes the heart of events, everybody attracted to it as if by magic. The grandchildren are particularly interested in the cookies and other tasty things their grandmother bakes.
On a narrow path
Think you have seen everything? Think again. After the challenge in this kitchen, even the smallest kitchens will seem like a definition of "spacious". Even though the overall area of 8 square meters may seem like a good enough start, this kitchen is super narrow, making it nearly impossible to move freely even for one person. Cooking together with somebody is an unattainable dream.
One METOD for all your kitchen needs
When it comes to kitchens, we’re all different. We have different dreams, different needs and different preconditions. So, to meet this diversity, what could be better than a flexible METOD kitchen system? Whatever the size of your home or family, with cabinets in different sizes, drawers and interior organizers made to match, you can turn the kitchen of your dreams into the kitchen in your home.
Easy ways to reduce
Our survey shows that the main driver for a green life at home is saving. People want to save precious planet resources, but why not double the motivation and start saving money as well? We are here to help you reduce your energy consumption and expenses without making any sacrifices on comfort.
How to reduce food waste and save money in the kitchen
A lot of things go into a kitchen – food, energy, water – and a lot of waste comes out. However, a few smart choices will minimise traffic at both ends – and help you be kinder to both your wallet and the planet.
Welcome to the multigenerational home
Step into our vision of a household spanning three generations. Designed for a big family with an even bigger love of food and sharing experiences, this home also allows for privacy thanks to smart organisation, functional choices and shared spaces that make life run smoothly.
Do not disturb: creating privacy in a shared bedroom
While social time is a big part of what makes a family a unit, all members of a multigenerational household need privacy, too. It isn’t straightforward with shared bedrooms, but clever use of storage, home furnishing solutions and room dividers help balance out together time with much-needed solo endeavours.
Fresh as can be: a home designed for cleaning from the ground up
Busy homes get dusty, and the mopping and scrubbing can feel like a never-ending task. To make life easier, find solutions to keep home spic-and-span in a systematic and organised way.
"Home idea with IKEA": a tiny kitchen for a kindergarden
"Home idea with IKEA" works on makeovers in homes and businesses alike. The miniature kindergarden in Smārde, run by Anete and Elīna, is also a small business that has become a second home for both of them: they call the children of the kindergarden their second family. They have applied for a makeover in their, which is not comfortable and functional enough for the daily needs of the kindergarden. It would be easy to plan a kitchen in a large space, but this time everything has to be thought out centimetre by centimetre, because there are many needs but very little space.
3 ways to refresh the style of your kitchen
Personalising the style of your kitchen can be done with great results in lots of smart and easy ways. You can actually achieve quite a makeover without having to do any major changes or much effort at all. Here are three styling suggestions to get your own ideas going.
VOXTORP high-gloss white kitchen
The VOXTORP series in high-gloss white has smooth, glossy doors with integrated handles. Ideal for an open kitchen, the clean lines and subtle handleless doors will bring a contemporary feel to your home.
RINGHULT high-gloss light grey kitchen
The RINGHULT series in light grey has clean, straight lines and a glossy surface, which is durable and easy to keep clean. This kitchen is ideal if you are looking for a grey gloss kitchen with a contemporary look and feel.
UPPLÖV matt dark beige kitchen
These UPPLÖV dark beige kitchens deliver function with elegance, balancing clean, modern lines with muted tones for a sense of warmth and harmony. They have a matte finish that is soft to the touch, adding to the unique character. The perfect look and feel for the stylish family on the go.
