IKEA Life at Home Report 2020

We believe that home is the most important place in the world. This is why every year IKEA conducts a global research called “Life at home”. The research aims to find out how people live at home and understand what makes their life at home better. 

For our relationship with home, 2020 has been like no other. Life at home was unexpectedly and fundamentally disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. We always understood the importance of a safe place to call home. So this year, we decided to focus on exploring the impact of the global pandemic on life at home – now and in the years to come.

Many people began to reconnect with the role and value of their home in their lives. The vast majority of us feel closer to our homes than we did before the pandemic. Now, many of us are making plans to protect this newfound closeness – and the wellbeing it offers us – in our future lives at home. We call it the Big Home Reboot. 

What kind of reboot does your relationship with home need? Take the quiz to find out.

This year’s Valentine’s Day will be different from usual for many. Those who used to go to a restaurant on this occasion will have to stay at home. This way or another, the lovers’ day is an opportunity to show attention to your other half, creating festive atmosphere with small details. So do not hesitate to invite your other half on a date!

IKEA “Life at Home” research shows that based on our experience of life at home during 2020, 35% of Latvians are now dreaming to have a garden or outdoor space at home. Not everyone owns a terrace or balcony, but that doesn't mean that one cannot have a piece of nature at home. Get inspired with five ideas our interior designer is happy to share.

Spending most of our time at home, we all probably long to enjoy an uplifting dinner in our favourite restaurant. So why not create the environment worthy the restaurant at home? It doesn't matter if it's a romantic dinner for two, a family celebration or a special occasion just for yourself. Our interior designer reveals what could help brighten up your daily life at home. 

With restaurants closed and all household members at home, kitchen has become one of the most exploited areas at home. Every third of people in Latvia would like to increase their kitchen space. But how to make the kitchen bigger without breaking the walls and family budget? Use smart tips and tricks of our interior designer.

More than 34% people in Latvia work from home during the lockdown. Unfortunately, many of those working or learning remotely have no dedicated place. This often leads them to awkward situations, when kids or other housemates enter the room and suddenly interrupt their serious work conversation or a video conference. Our interior designer shares tips and tricks on how to avoid such situations by getting more privacy at home.

Zane Grēviņa gladly shares advice for those working or studying from home. She knows how to make a wholesome meal from seemingly nothing, how to prepare a nourishing, tasty meal that would last for days and what qualifies as a healthy snack. Zane even shares a couple of her new recipes.

Among all new activities we started using our homes for lately, our personal hobbies had to be fitted inside as well. The research shows that 37% of people in Latvia now would like to create or improve a space at home, where they could pursue their personal interests. This is why our interior designer is here to share some ideas on how to set up one without significant cost and effort.

IKEA Life at Home research shows that every third of Latvia’s citizens would like to create or improve their workspace at home, based on experience during the lockdown measures. The good news is that you can create a comfortable place for work or studies in forgotten and unused spaces at home.

Distance learning raises the challenge of productive work for parents and efficient schoolwork for children, if it takes place in the same room. IKEA interior design experts are loaded with advice on making the space convenient for everyone.

Getting rid of stress
Current restrictions have turned our lives upside down in a multitude of ways. At times like these our home can become our source of peace and harmony. In IKEA's "Life at Home" research 73 % of participants in Latvia have admitted  that their home is their safe haven. To feel really good, one must find the inner peace and this can be done by controlling the stress levels. Yoga coach Kristīne Brice shares how to achieve this simply and at home.

Pandemic changed our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Millions of people stayed in their homes all over the world. The spaces in which we lived transformed into offices, schools, gyms, playgrounds and social spaces. All at once, home became the centre of our worlds. After spending more time at home, many of us realized there is room for improvement. So here are some inspiring ideas on how to reboot your living space, home office or kitchen.

73% of people in Latvia said that home was their sanctuary during the 2020 lockdown measures. Our homes offered us a place to escape to and find solace from the turbulence of global events. Here, we found comfort in familiarity, security and ownership in the little that was within our control.

A closer relationship with home is here to stay. We started using home in new ways and we enjoyed it. 36% of Latvians enjoyed spending more time with family, 24% loved cooking, while 21% were happy to work from home. And we hope to continue doing so beyond the pandemic restrictions.

More than one third of people in Latvia have made changes to their home as a result of the lockdown measures.

Based on experience of life at home during 2020 so far, people in Latvia would like to create or improve their private garden or outdoor space (35%), home office (25%) and space for hobbies (37%).