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From Home Furnishing Business
IKEA Brings Food & Design to Milan Design Week
March 4,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
From April 21 - 26, at Spazio Maiocchi in Porta Venezia, IKEA blends design, food and aperitivo culture, alongside a taste of a new flagship collection.
From 21 to 26 April 2026, IKEA returns to Milan Design Week with “Food For Thought”, a brand-new exhibition at Spazio Maiocchi in the vibrant Porta Venezia district. After four inspiring years in Tortona, IKEA opens a new chapter in another creative neighborhood of Milan offering an interactive experience where design tells the story of evolving food rituals across cultures: cooking, eating, and sharing moments together.
“Food For Thought” brings together IKEA Democratic Design, focusing on form, function, quality, sustainability and low price, with the sensory world of food.
Set within a reimagined Swedish saluhall – a traditional, historic indoor food market hall – the exhibition has been co-created with architect Midori Hasuike, spatial designer Emerzon, and renowned international chefs and interior designers. Together, they reinterpret the IKEA range through immersive room sets and a large working kitchen that explore how food is experienced throughout life at home, from everyday meals to celebratory gatherings.
Through interactive installations and live cooking moments, visitors are invited to reflect on how thoughtful design can feed wellbeing, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. At a time when the home has never felt more important, as a place for connection, nourishment, and ritual, IKEA aims to show that there are countless ways to make life at home more playful, meaningful, and democratic for the many.
Set apart as a bold design statement, a series of playful installations offers a first taste of a brand-new flagship collection.
“Food For Thought” will be open to visitors from 21 - 26 April at Spazio Maiocchi, – at Via Achille Maiocchi 7 – in Porta Venezia during Milan Design Week.