What ingredients go into making people happy with the objects in their homes – and with home itself? That’s a question Ikea sought to answer in this year’s global consumer survey.

One of the biggest take-ways from the s is that what makes a home is being redefined. People now consider home the space where relationships take palce, with 48% say that they think of home as where they have their most important relationships . Spending time with friends and family at home is what people do most (63%) to create the feeling of home.

However, the survey also found that social relationships need to be balanced with time spent alone – more private space is what people want most of all to increase their well-being at home (29%).

“Understanding life at home is at the core of our business. We use insights about people’s real needs, dreams and aspirations in our design and product development. We’re on a journey to gain greater insights into how we can help make people’s home lives better and more meaningful,” says Marcus Engman, design manager at Ikea of Sweden.

This year’s survey was carried out in April and May 2016 in 12 cities: Berlin, London, Madrid, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto and Zurich. It prompted more than 12,000 responses.

(Source: Home Textiles Today)