IKEA and Shelter
Project: Unwelcome Home
In England, 159,000 babies, children and teenagers are forced to live in temporary accommodation that is often cramped, damp and dangerous. We worked with IKEA and its charity partner, Shelter, to re-imagine one of IKEA’s most loved products, showing the dismal reality of ‘home’ for thousands of children and calling on the Government to act.
01The Context
In England, 1 in 78 children are homeless, living in temporary accommodation. 1 in 3 of those families live in just one or two rooms and 47% have done so for over two years. Yet, citizens and politicians struggle to relate to this problem.
02The Move
Drawing on expert interviews, data and case studies, we transformed IKEA’s FLISAT doll’s house – a joyful, nostalgic toy designed to spark imagination – into ‘The Unwelcome Doll’s House’, exposing harsh living conditions in miniature: faulty wiring, leaks, infestations, damp, overcrowding, and limited space for school, play, or socialising.
03The Action
We placed ‘The Unwelcome Doll’s House’ at the heart of the IKEA stores in the cities with the worst problems and took it to major political events, including the Labour Party conference. We urged people to take a closer look and sign a petition calling on the government to build 90,000 social rent homes each year for the next 10 years.
04The Impact
The campaign gained widespread UK media attention with 500+ pieces of broadcast and online coverage, including BBC News, ITV News, and The Big Issue. An open letter with 12,000+ signatories was delivered to Westminster on a 3.5m x 2.5m board – the size of a temporary housing room for a family of seven. The Housing Select Committee has since launched an inquiry into Children in Temporary Accommodation.
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