At Netherlands pop-up restaurant, diners select the furniture

The IkHa temporary restaurant allowed customers to select their choice of Ikea furniture to populate the space while they dined.

We’ve seen personalization in the dining world through the Hoppit site, which allows a user to select a restaurant based on ambience. Similarly, the IkHa temporary restaurant in the Netherlands recently allowed customers to select their choice of Ikea furniture to populate the space while they dined. Created by Oatmeal Studio, the café was erected as part of last year’s Nordic Film Festival and aimed to make the experience of eating out more customizable for diners. Upon arriving, customers filled out their preferred furnishings – and meal choice – in pencil onto a paper slip, much like the process found in the Ikea store. As well as selecting from a range of tables, chairs and decorations, diners could cut their own tablecloth from wallpaper hanging from the walls. The space invited those using it to personalize it according to their tastes, providing a more engaging experience for diners, as well as doubling as a showroom for Ikea – despite the company not being officially involved in the project. While the festival is now over, the IkHa restaurant is still available to hire. How else can others in the hospitality industry offer customers a greater role in designing the spaces they use? Spotted by: Alexia M