Barratt London has announced a major collaboration with home furnishings retailer IKEA.
IKEA has long been the first port of call for young people choosing to furnish their new homes and Barratt London’s homes have equally been that all important first step onto the property ladder for many. This new collaboration is a natural next step – a meeting of those who understand what the current first time buyer generation want from their homes and how they want their homes to look.
Homebuyers across the capital will have the opportunity to put their own stamp on their new properties with three specially commissioned furniture sets from IKEA. Designed to appeal to homebuyers on a budget, the custom-curated sets will provide an achievable way for many to furnish their new homes without sacrificing on the latest in modern and stylish furniture design. There will also be the option for buyers to personalise packs, and advice will be provided on how to incorporate any loved furniture items buyers might already have. Packs will range in price from £6K – £12K which includes furniture, linens, window dressings, home accessories and kitchenware.
Craig Carson, managing director of Barratt West London, comments: “Becoming a homeowner is a big step, as is moving up the ladder for many, so as the biggest housebuilder in the UK, we’re always thinking about how we can make these moves as easy as possible. This collaboration will give buyers an opportunity to not just buy a home, but to find their own personal style and create a home they are proud of. We have worked closely with IKEA to select products and options that can evolve with the homeowner.”
Michael Hawkins, London area manager, IKEA UK, says: “At IKEA, we always strive to create better homes for the many, and are dedicated to making sure that our product ranges are created in a way that meets the ever-changing needs of our customers. This exciting collaboration with Barratt London will enable us to do just that and we look forward to reaching new homeowners with this range of beautiful and affordable furniture.”
Design choices
All room sets will follow a Scandinavian look, with two following a modern style and the third focussing on a more traditional design.
Flexibility and sustainability are at the heart of design choices for each IKEA furniture pack – products have been specially chosen that can adapt as trends and life changes. An example of this is the modular VIMLE sofa and its removable, washable cover, which means homeowners can quickly update the size, colour and pattern. For the same reasons, customisable wardrobes from the PAX range, an adaptable TV unit and a stainproof dining room table can all be found in the packs. These are each products with longevity that buyers can ultimately, if they wish, take from their next home to the home they retire in as well as adding to along each step of their property journey. This is a collaboration that will work for first time buyers, second steppers and landlords looking to invest into a rental property.
Thought has been put into providing multiuse options that will help homeowners to make the most of space-efficient homes. An example of this is the VITTSJÖ dressing table which can begin the day as a vanity station and double up as a work from home station for those doing their 9 – 5 from home.
IKEA’s best sellers can also be found in each of the packs – including the classic white MALM bed and its clever underbed storage. Charlotte Markham, IKEA for Business Leader, IKEA London, explains, “We sought to use furniture from our core ranges, which will have their own perennial lives. We built these packs around the products that are already in high demand, for example, we know that 80 per cent of people buy grey sofas so we made sure these were included as an option.”
Charlotte continues, “I’m a real believer in letting a space evolve and having products that can do so with you. The beauty of these packs is that they can be changed to suit every lifestyle.”
How it works in practice
Launching in store at IKEA’s Wembley and Greenwich stores from 15th March 2023 – there will be the option to view furniture in various room set ups and to get creative using an interactive design element on Barratt London’s floorplans. For confirmed Barratt London buyers there will be the opportunity for an hour long remote planning session with an IKEA interior design specialist to help design and customise their new home. Convenience is at the heart of this collaboration; buyers won’t need to assemble the furniture themselves as this will be included in the cost of the pack.
The show apartments at both Hayes Village, Hayes UB3 and New Mill Quarter, Wallington SM6 have been specially recreated to showcase the IKEA furniture sets in situ. Charlotte comments: “For each show apartment we created a unique space that would match the feel of the home and played with colours and textiles” – for Hayes Village, an apartment with its own balcony, green cushions were chosen to “bring the outside in”. She continues, “We have incorporated popular, modern and traditional styles across the show apartments and furniture packs which can all be mixed and matched to suit all tastes.”
Purchasers at any of Barratt London’s 13 sites across the capital, in locations including Bermondsey, Wandsworth, Hendon, Mill Hill, Wembley, Acton and Harrow, will be able to tell their own stories and design a home that works perfectly for their individual lifestyle and personal tastes from this month too.
Please visit www.barrattlondon.com for further information. Homes at Hayes Village, where one of the IKEA show apartments is available to view, start from £327,000 for a one-bedroom apartment. Set next to the Grand Union Canal and surrounded by nine acres of green space but a stone’s throw from new Crossrail station Hayes & Harlington, Hayes Village is an exciting new community forming in west London that was once home to the former Nestle Factory.
Whilst in south west London at New Mill Quarter, two-bedroom apartments are priced from £392,995. The development has an on-site supermarket and is located adjacent to Hackbridge station, which offers fast train links to London Victoria in under 30 minutes, as well as 143 acres of green space at Beddington Park. The vibrant areas of Croydon, Wimbledon and Kingston are also within easy reach of the development.
