Tangerang, 14 August 2026 – Ever-changing household needs and daily habits of family members shape the way we utilize the functions of our homes. This became the focal point of the conversation between IKEA Indonesia and Wonderwhy SEA through Clean Sleeper, a theme exploring the relationship between Southeast Asian habits, life at home, and resting time. On this occasion, IKEA shared insights gathered from IKEA Home Visits and the Life at Home report, while Wonderwhy discussed habit perspectives and the Southeast Asian cultural context.

For IKEA, a home that supports everyday life does not necessarily mean a home with fewer belongings. IKEA observes that stored items often carry functions, stories, or personal value for their owners.

“We always start designing from how people live their daily lives at home. When an item is kept even if it is rarely used, we want to understand what makes it meaningful to its owner. From there, we can identify storage solutions that are more relevant for the community,” said Ardan Hanafi, Country Home Furnishing & Retail Design Manager IKEA Indonesia.

These observations are reflected in the various ways families utilize their bedrooms. For instance, in several homes visited by IKEA, children begin having their own bedrooms around the age of five, yet the space is not always used for sleeping. Instead, the room often serves as a place for playing, studying, and storing various belongings, while the child continues to sleep in the parents' bedroom, either in the parents' bed or on their own mattress.

In adult bedrooms, clothes, bags, books, accessories, and personal items can also accumulate around wardrobes or beds when proper storage is lacking. As family needs evolve, the functions of rooms and the items stored within them change accordingly.

“We don’t want people to constantly adapt their lives to their furniture. Rather, furniture should adapt to their changing lives. When family needs evolve, we want our designs to help them navigate daily routines with greater ease. Ultimately, this is how we realize IKEA’s vision to create a better everyday life for the many people,” added Ardan.

In Clean Sleeper, Wonderwhy views sleep not merely as an activity that takes place at the end of the day, but as a part of life shaped by the environment, habits, and daily demands. In Southeast Asia, work rhythms, social lives, living environments, and screen-time habits can all influence how individuals get their rest. The way people rest ultimately reflects how they live their everyday lives, including the values, habits, and cultural contexts that shape them.

Understanding the connection between life and living spaces is an integral part of how IKEA designs home solutions and inspiration. For IKEA, storage is not just about expanding capacity, but about making items easier to find, use, and return to their place in accordance with the habits of the household.

Examples of inspiring solutions include the PAX storage system, which allows users to customize combinations of hanging space, shelves, drawers, and interior organizers tailored to their specific belongings and needs. There is also LASTARE, offering versatile storage options suited for diverse household needs. Meanwhile, utilizing vertical spaces such as walls and the area under the bed helps maximize parts of the room that often go underutilized.

This approach also enables spaces to evolve alongside the changing needs of their occupants. A room does not have to be defined solely by its initial function; storage systems and furniture can help the space adapt as activities, belongings, and household routines transform.

“We do not wish to define a good home by how few items are inside it. We want to help people make better use of their space, so that the belongings, activities, and needs that matter to them will always have a place,” concluded Ardan.

IKEA and Wonderwhy Explore How Southeast Asian Families Make Space for Rest

IKEA and Wonderwhy SEA explore the connection between household habits, living spaces, and rest in Southeast Asia.

Products