IKEA Design Studio to briefly set up in London, Ont.

IKEA will be coming to London, Ont., after all, but in a different format and only for 12 to 18 months.

In June 2020, IKEA Canada confirmed it would no longer be pursuing plans to open a store in London. Over a year later, IKEA Canada announced plans to expand its design studio network to Brampton, St. Catharines and London.

IKEA Canada announced the details Wednesday, explaining that the design studio format “is a new concept for the Canadian market that allows customers to design and order complex home furnishing systems for the kitchen, bath, bedroom and living room” through one-on-one sessions with a trained design expert or through a self-service planning station.

“Our ambition is to become more accessible to Ontario residents by bringing IKEA closer to them and offering new, convenient services that meet the evolving demands of our lives at home,” Toronto area manager Niclas Karlsson-Järnkrok said in a statement.

The first design studio opened Sept. 1 in Oshawa. IKEA Canada says the Brampton studio will open Wednesday and the St. Catharines and London locations will open in either late October or early November.

The London location will be in CF Masonville Place. IKEA Canada says the design studios will be “open for a period of 12-18 months” and showcase all of IKEA’s offerings “through digital solutions” in addition to some product samples on display.

Purchases will be sent to customers’ homes or a local IKEA pickup location. London’s pickup location closed at the end of January 2020, however, items can be sent to and picked up from Custom Delivery at 1040 Wharncliffe Road South.