Decipher the mystery behind the name of all IKEA products

IKEA's unique "child-naming" system.

Furniture of the IKEA household appliance is still popular with difficult-to-read names. If you've ever set foot in a store, you'll see weird names hanging everywhere: on the wall, on the sales area notice board, and obviously on the product name.

But, not everyone knows that there is a secret hidden under those names: they all follow a common logic. Yes, all 12,000 products follow a strict rule, a rule that gives us a deeper insight into Scandinavian culture.

On January 25, at a product show in New York City, designer Jon Karlsson at IKEA revealed that they have a separate product naming team, specializing in product name transfer from one The database includes many different Swedish names.

Bookshelves are named after the fields of careers that they will stick to (such as "expedit" means a shopkeeper) or by someone's name (Billy's bookshelf is named after an IKEA employee, Billy Likjedhal).

Outdoor products are named after Scandinavian islands (Äpplarö is an island in the Stockholm archipelago and Västerön is an island in Aaland).

An IKEA warehouse.

Carpets are named after cities and towns in Denmark as well as Sweden (Ådum, Stockholm, Silkeborg). Bed sheets, pillowcases, and blankets are named after flowers and plants (Häxört is a species of primrose tree).

The naming law was coined by the founder of IKEA, Mr. Ingvar Kamprad. Mr. Ingvar himself is a difficult reader (ironically, he was the founder of the company with the most difficult to read product in the world) and he also had many difficulties in remembering the product code.

To simplify all naming procedures that apply to the entire chain of 389 stores around the world, IKEA uses a name for all products around their market, even though those names may be means "not very good" in other languages. Employees also occasionally raise new ideas for a new product they create, but often, the company still uses the old naming script for those products.

Some products are named after their use.

However, there are some other exceptions. Some products are named after their use. For example, the newly launched "Sladda" sledge translates to "slide" in Swedish. Another example is the Krossa spice mill, which means "smashed, crushed".

Here is a pretty good dictionary, which will give you a clearer look at the names that are difficult and difficult to read:

• Toilet furniture : names of ponds, lakes, rivers - any large waters in Sweden.
• Bed accessories : flowers and plants.
• Beds, wardrobes, furniture in large rooms : locations of Norway.
• Book prices : career, men's names in Scandinavian.
• Bowls, flower vases, candlesticks : Swedish place or adjectives, spices, aromas, fruits.
• Boxes, decorations on walls, photos and frames, watches : slang describing the status of Swedes or some Swedish locations.
• Children toys : mammals, birds, adjectives.
• Tables, chairs, swivel chairs : names for men in Scandinavian.
• Textiles, curtains : names for girls in Scandianvi.
• Objects used in the garden : Scandinavian islands.
• Kitchen utensils : names of fish, mushrooms and some adjectives.
• Lighting lamps : units of measurement, seasons, months, days, maritime terminology, some Swedish locations.
• Carpet coverings : some regions in Denmark.
• Sofas, armchairs, casual chairs or dining table chairs : Swedish locations.

If you are even more curious about the unique naming tradition of IKEA, you can refer to this online dictionary of Lars Petrus, a Swedish Rubic champion.

Great products do not make you not only remember it by quality, but also by special names!