What‘s new in the IKEA Showroom: a retro apartment for living, belongings and guests

Have a look at the apartment of a couple interested in the latest interior design trends. Both travel a lot and sometimes work from home, love reading, cooking and often have friends over for dinner. She works in publishing and engages in photography in her spare time. He is an architect with a penchant for retro style. And this is their home, envisioned and planned by our interior designer Mantvydas.

If you are curious to take a closer look at this room, visit IKEA Vilnius and head to the Showroom on the 2nd floor.

While others are resting...

This living room is a great proof that even the lounge area can be employed. While the owners rest on their armchairs, the hardworking BESTÅ cabinets behind their backs hold myriads of items inside. To accommodate a wide variety of items, Mantvydas has planned these cabinets up to the ceiling and combined frames in different depths: the narrow ones are perfect for books, while the deeper ones hold vases and crockery.
 

Always there

If the sofa and armchairs in the living room are placed to form a corner, it’s a good idea to put a small table between them. Not only will you make the most of the empty space, but you’ll also have room for a drink or a book, and the extra table will be especially useful when hosting more friends.

Centerpiece of the room and attention

All furniture in the living room doesn’t have to be placed to the wall. In this apartment, the bright FRIHETEN sofa is pulled to the centre of the living area, so there’s room for another shelf behind it, which makes the perfect place for books, boxes of knick-knacks and decorations such as a potted plant or a mood-setting lamp.
 

The nearest neighbour to the table

You’ve probably already realised that this apartment is not just about style, but also about comfort. This is why the EKEDALEN dining table is located right next to the sideboard, so that everything one could possibly need is close at hand when serving. The sideboard comes with glass doors that work beautifully with both the glassware behind them and transparent TOBIAS chairs.

“Choose closed storage solutions for dishware to protect them from dust. If you still want to admire what’s inside the cabinet, install glass doors and lighting. This will create a special mood and highlight those things that you hold dear.”

Mantvydas Breivė, IKEA interior designer
 

Interior designer's tip:

When setting the table, think about the meals you’ll serve. Choose the right tableware for each meal so that everything goes smoothly, and you don’t have to worry about changing plates during dinner. Mix and match different dishes and use multi-tiered serving stands to save space on the table.