The fusion of IKEA’s Global Design and Emirati artistry

In IKEA’s ‘Globally Local’ initiative, everyday furniture becomes a canvas for culture. At the UAE’s Yas Island store, Emirati artist Muhra Al Muhairi has infused five iconic pieces with the colours, symbols, and stories of her heritage, proving that design can be global while speaking the language of home.

Al Muhairi reinterpreted five iconic IKEA pieces — the STILREN vase, GRÖNSTA chair, LAUTERS floor lamp, LACK side table, and TOLKNING room divider — through the lens of Emirati creativity. The pieces retain IKEA’s hallmark functionality and practicality, but now carry subtle patterns and textures inspired by local architecture and daily life. In each object, heritage is present in the choice of materials and the rhythm of lines, while modernity is expressed in function and usability.

With these Emirati-inspired furniture on display, the Yas Island IKEA store transforms into more than a showroom. Story plaques beside each piece guide visitors through Al Muhairi’s process, explaining how each pattern and colour relates to Emirati design principles. Visitors do not simply see the furniture; they understand the decisions behind how a chair’s curve can respond to ergonomics while echoing traditional craftsmanship, or how a vase can hold both water and narrative.

Beyond aesthetics, Globally Local emphasises engagement. Visitors are invited to experience the creative process during workshops led by Al Muhairi, exploring techniques such as pattern-making and simple construction methods. It is an opportunity to see design as an accessible, participatory practice, and to appreciate the thought and care embedded in everyday objects

What sets the initiative apart is its quiet philosophy: IKEA does not impose its design language over local culture. Instead, it creates a framework where culture can express itself. Neat and practical aesthetics remain intact, but they are guided by local insight.

In practical terms, these pieces encourage residents to consider how everyday objects interact with routine. A room divider becomes more than a functional boundary; it is a carefully considered object that reflects spatial sensibilities rooted in Emirati interiors. A side table, simple at first glance, carries textures and forms that subtly reference the patterns found across the country. Each object, in its own way, brings awareness to design’s role in daily living.

The impact is subtle but tangible. Walking through the store, one will notice how furniture can feel familiar yet new, how objects can respond to both utility and cultural resonance. Globally Local demonstrates that international brands can adapt to regional contexts in meaningful ways, providing products that are both functional and reflective of place.

For IKEA, this is an ongoing conversation. The Globally Local initiative shows that modern design can coexist with tradition, offering homes that are efficient and rooted in identity. Visitors leave not with grand statements but with a quiet appreciation: design matters when it reflects the people who live with it, their histories, and daily rituals.

In a region where homes are both private refuges and spaces of gathering, IKEA’s approach resonates because it honours that duality. Function and form meet heritage and individuality, creating furniture that belongs in Emirati homes not just practically, but culturally. Globally Local is a framework for listening and designing in ways that feel relevant and alive.

And in the end, the story is clear: design is about people, the spaces they inhabit, and the ways life shapes us every day. In the UAE, IKEA has offered a space for culture and creativity to meet, quietly, thoughtfully, and with enduring relevance.