[Scone Exploration] Visiting the IKEA Popup Store with a ‘Saesal Style’ Experience

What Does Home Mean to You?

Editor's NoteWords like ‘special·hot place·limited-time pop-up store’ instantly make your heart race. It’s because you’re curious about what exactly makes these places so special and different that so many people seek them out. You might not want to revisit places you’ve already been, but you don’t want to miss out on the HOT spots others are going to. If you want to visit somewhere truly special, you’ve come to the right place. DrinKit editors explore each store and deliver their experiences as they are. Introducing Scon Exploration (Sepecial Concept Store Exploration)! Were the editors able to truly catch the ‘special scent’ at the places they visited?

With COVID-19 restricting outings and increasing the time spent at home, how has the meaning of ‘home’ changed for you? At first, the editor often felt frustrated, as if being confined. But over time, they started finding things to do at home, doing what they love, and changing their home accordingly.

Everyone probably has different feelings about the space called home. Reflecting these feelings, there was a place titled ‘Saesalpsureopge’ (meaning ‘like a new life’) that offered an opportunity to rethink home. It’s an IKEA pop-up store located near Suyu Station in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, proposing solutions to help realize what you love in your changed life. The title ‘Saesalpsureopge’ means that home is where countless ‘firsts’ begin, and it holds the meaning of embracing new discoveries.

It is widely known among nearby residents that Shake Shack will be opening!

Exit Suyu Station at Exit 5 and walk for 3 minutes to see a large building called Episode Suyu 838. Episode (EPISODE), a shared housing platform, has officetels starting from Seocho, then Seongsu, Gangnam, Sinchon, and this year newly opened in Suyu. Suyu 838 represents the number of stories and spaces creating various episodes. Let’s check out the IKEA pop-up store located on the 2nd floor!

Upon entering, on the right wall, you’ll see IKEA’s new advertisement along with the question, ‘What does home mean to you?’ For those who can’t easily answer this question, IKEA’s exhibition helps find the answer. Follow along slowly!

On the left wall near the entrance, there are panels explaining four keywords selected through a survey. These keywords are ‘Community,’ ‘Space,’ ‘Ritual (Daily Life),’ and ‘Home of the Future.’ True to the title, on the opposite side, there are active participatory booths shaped like houses lined up. Through these activities, you can discover various meanings of home. Shall we take a closer look at the four keywords?

Community is a place to think about the sense of belonging to where you belong. Even in the changed life due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to overcome it through encounters with various people. Starting from housing types, you just need to connect the threads so they don’t unravel when answering questions about people, spaces, and more that give a sense of belonging. It felt like a single piece of artwork created by the residents.

Space Although most self-employed people faced difficulties due to the impact of COVID-19, the interior design business was said to be booming. This shows how the meaning of home as a space has changed significantly for us. Among the bathroom, bedroom, balcony, living room, kitchen, and restroom, which space makes you feel most comfortable? Using LEGO blocks, you find the answer and leave your own footprint by inserting LEGO into empty spaces. It was a fun activity.

Ritual (Daily Life) In the repetitive daily life, the balance of life could easily be broken. Maintaining your own ritual is very important. It’s a simple activity where you write your own ritual on a card and put it in a box. Seeing many people’s rituals brought the joy of imagining, thinking ‘Oh, there’s this too!’ or ‘This is new? Sounds fun!’

Home of the Future More people are creating spaces in their homes to do what they love. IKEA helps you imagine and dream about that. As the slides change, various phrases help you find answers to the questions.

A calming and refreshing 'Pulmyeong' that clears your mind and breath

Morning Yoga: A Time Just for Me

Having time alone and forming a sense of empathy with others through 'reading'

A space where I can always see my favorite clothes even while working from home, 'Fashion'

Beyond the four keyword activity booths, you can find another exhibition with four different concepts. It is decorated as the home of the future reflecting the rituals of four people with various occupations. How happy would it be to have the things you love in your home, that dream!

Five people can apply every hour to tour the home prepared at Episode Suyu 838. The four floors are themed as See, Listen, Play, and Read, representing our lives well. Through a simple QR code survey, you can also experience living for a year or a day. I even participated in the room decorated with IKEA products that are wonderful just to imagine. It runs until May 8, so don’t be late to visit, reflect on yourself, and create an opportunity to redefine your space.

Photo by Yoon Eun-ae