IKEA Temporary, Milan

IKEA is all about combining small things to form a bigger whole – an ethos the Swedish home furniture company extends even as far as its pop-up stores.

On display as part of the Milan Expo 2015, the IKEAtemporary project invited designers to create installations using the company’s new modular Metod kitchen range.

The result? A series of engaging, diverse ways of approaching eating, cooking, dining and socialising in the kitchen space.

One features a central, herb-filled greenhouse for children to play in while food is prepared on the surrounding countertops, the aim being to include kids in family kitchen rituals.

Another explores open, stylish design suitable for wheelchair users. All blond wood and chrome appliances, it features one slightly lower benchtop with space beneath and around, providing room for a wheelchair to manoeuvre.

IKEA Temporary brings together designs from IDEO and local creatives to explore new ways of cooking and dining.

A third recreates the vibe of a traditional Italian kitchen. Its homely, social approach incorporates common ingredients hanging over a central table and a wall-mounted assortment of pots and pans. Red-tipped wooden poles lend a rustic tone.

Meanwhile, London’s IDEO studio, in partnership with local university students, shares a vision of a 2025 kitchen featuring self-refrigerating containers, an integrated recycling system and an interactive table with cooking, dining and preparation functionality.

Visitors follow green and white-striped signage to explore the spaces – which contain more than 200 products that can be purchased via self-checkout terminals, plus a cafe serving the store’s famous meatballs.

The whole thing is like IKEA’s popular Billy bookcase: functional, stylish, and well put together.