IKEA, a ready-to-assemble home furnishing company, is creating a new range of hackable open platform furniture that will go on sale early next year, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Swedish retailer's new furniture piece is designed to be easily adapted to customers' needs. It can be customized to various sizes. It can also accommodate different needs by attaching side tables or other accessories.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the sofa's name will be Delaktig, which means "being part of something" in Swedish.
Under the open source concept, third-party designers and manufacturers can create more elaborate add-ons for the furniture. IKEA has conducted a workshop at London's Royal College of Art, where designers worked on various add-on ideas.
The company had announced the plans for the platform last year, while it is reported that the first product in the range is scheduled to go on sale early 2018. It will be priced similar to Ikea's midrange sofas - between $399 and $899.
The sofa reportedly will come as a seat on a simple aluminum base, and will have snap-on additions, supplied either by Ikea or third parties. These could include armrests, reading lamps, tall privacy screens, or even a crib for a baby.
James Futcher, Ikea's creative lead, told the WSJ, "People hack anyway; we want to encourage that."
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com