Ikea is building homes for wildlife animals using recycled furniture in Greenwich, the London borough that gives its name to the meridian where time starts.
Appropriately called the Wildhomes for Wildlife project, the project transforms Ikea tables, lamps, and chairs into a variety of beautiful lairs and nests for all kinds of animals, from birds and bats to bees and squirrels.
The original furniture is unrecognizable in the final pieces,designed by artistslikeHattie Newman, who makes sets and images for advertising and publications; London graphic artistSupermundane, aka Rob Lowe, nothing to do withthe Rob Lowe;Argentinian artistAdam Nathaniel Furman; and the architecture firmStudio Weave, among others.Some of the Ikea stuff has been deconstructed into new form factors painted in bright colors, like the Dom bird house by Supermundane, while others play with abstract geometry shapes and monochrome hues, like Studio Weave’s Fladdermosshus, a warm home for furry bats.
The project was dreamed up and executed by the London office of advertising agency Mother. It’s a clever idea, even if it’s a publicity stunt. But one thing the designers surely did not consider: How are Mr. and Mrs. Batpotts going to manage the stress of deciding where the new Skaräførl coffee table will go?
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