CONSHOHOCKEN, PA. – IKEA, The Life Improvement Store, announces today the official launch of a new community photo-sharing website called “Share Space” (www.theshare-space.com). The site gives users a platform to upload photos of their living spaces to easily find and share inspiration with one another. The site will also house a new blog, “Design by IKEA” (www.theshare-space.com/en/Blog/), penned by IKEA design experts sharing unique tips, trends and design ideas geared toward home and life improvement. These new online tools, along with the recently launched IKEA Twitter handle (@DesignByIKEA) are part of the IKEA effort to help consumers improve their lives at home by further inspiring and engaging fans and design enthusiast alike.

“Design inspiration can come from anywhere, and we wanted to facilitate and encourage an ongoing dialogue on design, with the ultimate goal of helping consumers make the most of their own personal space,” says Leontyne Green, Marketing Manager, IKEA U.S.

IKEA Share Space allows people to share photos of their own living spaces, from living rooms to kitchens to workspaces, and to highlight their personal solutions to design challenges at home. In addition to sharing their photos, users have the ability to browse and comment on others’ spaces and save photos of the rooms they like best. They can also tag IKEA products, save them in a personalized ‘wish list,’ and click on links to the IKEA homepage for further product information. Similarly, sharing favorite photos with friends on social networks is just one click away.

IKEA design experts will select one room each week as the “Pick of the Week,” based on creative use of design elements such as color, furniture arrangement, innovative ideas for increasing functionality of rooms, and big looks on a small budget. The winning room will be displayed on the Share Space homepage and the user will receive a “Pick of the Week” badge as well as a feature about their photo by an IKEA design expert on the blog. In addition, fans who actively contribute and participate on Share Space can unlock a variety of “Kudos” including:

- Space Sharer: A user who upload 3 or more distinct rooms (e.g., 1 living room, 1 bedroom and 1 kitchen or 3 different bedrooms)
- IKEA Fan: A user who tags 5 IKEA products their photo collection
- IKEA Super Fan: A user who tags 25 IKEA products in their photo collection
- Admired Space: A room is saved by 5 other users
- Exceptional Space: A room is saved by 25 users

The first blog launched by IKEA U.S, Design by IKEA provides additional insights as IKEA experts share and discuss design inspiration, from home design to art, fashion, and beyond. The bloggers, led by Janice Simonsen, IKEA design spokesperson, will share their expertise with home design tips, inspiration, and trends. Other contributors will include additional IKEA design experts as well as influential personalities in the design world.

For more information on the recently launched online IKEA design tools, please visit:
• www.theshare-space.com (IKEA “Share Space” website)
• www.theshare-space.com/en/Blog (“Design by IKEA” blog)

Fans can also connect with IKEA via:
• www.facebook.com/ikeausa (IKEA Facebook page)
• www.twitter.com/DesignByIKEA (IKEA Twitter handle)

ABOUT IKEA: The Life Improvement Store
There are currently more than 300 IKEA stores in 38 countries, including 38 in the U.S. Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings company, has offered home furnishings and accessories of good design and quality at prices so low that the majority of people can afford them. TIME Magazine listed IKEA as one of the top 8 most global eco-conscious companies. IKEA incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. For more information, go to IKEA-USA.com.