IKEA has launched a tiny apartment for less than $1 per month in Tokyo

IKEA is known for its hackable furnishings and stylish storage solutions – however, they are now making waves in the real estate market too. 

The Scandinavian powerhouse has designed a tiny apartment in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo – with an equally small price tag of 99 yen (65 pence/87 cents). Included in the price is 10 square meters of prime city space that is loaded with IKEA icons, including the IVAR unit and the convertible VALLENTUNA seat. 

Could this be an unlikely design studio for a future IKEA hack? It’s possible. Here, we take a look around the seriously small home.  

IKEA launched its ‘Tiny Home’ campaign to teach consumers how best to make use of vertical space, and so, their decor epitomizes this idea. Sharing their small living room ideas, they suggest looking at the room as a ‘three-dimensional space’ as this opens up new possibilities in tiny rooms.

Key elements include the IVAR shelving unit (as seen below) that was chosen for the adjustable features that can be adjusted to suit the size of the space and the items it stores. These shelves pair alongside the MUDDUS, a multi-functional drop-leaf table that, IKEA suggests, is equally as perfect for WFH as it is for a (very small) house party. 

And, it’s not all about hard furnishings. Instead, IKEA has decked out the apartment with a host of accessories, including the SYMFONISK (which is already a Livingetc favorite) and TRÅDFRI – a lamp-speaker that will set that tiny house party alive. 

This apartment was designed to emphasize vertical spaces, so it is unsurprising that it uses a narrow ladder up to the mezzanine bedroom. 

Here, IKEA has filled the space with soft furnishings, including a minimalist bed set, lush potted plants, and a statement artwork in the corner of the space. Yes, this is the small bedroom idea of the moment.

While this space exists in Shinjuku, IKEA has also mimicked the apartment’s floor plan in their IKEA Shibuya, IKEA Harajuku, and IKEA Shinjuku stores. They aim to raise awareness of how the right furnishings can add a layer of personalization to rooms of all sizes. 

Or, if you want to call the apartment your home, you can apply for tenancy here. Thanks to IKEA, one lucky city dweller will spend more on their daily cappuccino than their monthly rent.