There were many turning points in the last 50 years that have improved women’s independence and financial freedom: In the mid 70’s unmarried women were finally allowed to open their own bank account and purchase their own property. But one change that I feel is often overlooked is the international expansion of IKEA: The Flatpack Furniture Revolution so to speak… Now… Hear me out.
As solo women, with 2 flights of steep metal stairs to her bedroom, flatpack furniture was the only way I was going to be able to make it look as though I wasn’t squatting in my own home on a mattress on the floor. Not only was I able to purchase a wardrobe and drawers in 52 separate parts that fit into my micro Fiat 500, I was able to easily carry said parts into my house and puzzle it together without more than an Allen key. That being said it did make it much quicker with my electric drill, but, the point is if you don’t have one, you can still make do without. Absolute genius.
In case you’re wondering, there is not an IKEA just down the road from me. Its not open countryside, rolling vineyards and just an IKEA slapped into the middle of it all. Not that picturesque landscapes haven’t been scarified for corporate motives before so I will forgive you for not having the full accurate picture. Thankfully the area that I am living in is protected so I hope that it would take a lot for this to happen here. However, that means that travelling to civilisation where there is an IKEA is a 2 hour drive.
So like many a divorcee, my mother included, I spent the day there measuring and marvelling at the extensive collection that they now have. I’ll admit that even though I had spent multiple weekends at IKEA, picking out shelves and generic wall art as a 12 year old after my parents divorce, it wasn’t somewhere that I had spent much time as an adult. I never had the typical IKEA shop before university, or the first home matching kettle and toaster set. I had grown up on a yacht; and the brief times that I had dared to venture into the daunting labyrinth, was to buy basic plates and glasses for the crew mess and then scurry back to the safety of the sea.
For someone who considers themselves pretty well travelled, I now felt like a complete tourist in this unfamiliar world. I quickly got lost in the kitchen section, somehow missed the giant arrows on the floor and found myself blinded by a million chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. If IKEA is looking for advice, it should have those ‘You Are Here’ maps like you get at shopping malls, and perhaps a lost and found for people like myself to take refuge in. I’m surprised that there are’t more announcements over the tannoy; ‘ Could Sheila please come to collect her husband, we found him disorientated and sobbing in Bathroom Accessories.’
But once I had got my bearings I managed to navigate my way through the winding streets of storage boxes and shower caddies. It took me 2 hours mind.
But, I left with a sense of accomplishment and a flat packed wardrobe and drawers.
While I was expertly fitting it into the car I wondered about how when Invgar Kamprad founded IKEA in 1943 at the age of 17 (your welcome pub quizzers), I can’t imagine he was considering the liberating effects that this decision would have on women like me 70 years later. But without this journey that led to the concept of flat pack furniture, solo women like myself would still be at the mercy of having to call ex partners or pay removal companies just so that they can organise their (fabulous) shoe collection. Of course there are always friends, family and neighbours, but as you are aware I chose to move to rural Italy where I know no one. I suppose that is the bottom line here: choice. Having the freedom to choose where you go and to not be restricted because of that. As really the only difficult choice you should have is the decision of where to put your Billy Bookcase and what colour to paint your Malm Wardrobe.
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