Shared knowledge creates innovations

ENHET is the first storage series that our kitchen and bathroom specialists developed together. But if you think about it, it's a pretty logical collaboration. Both kitchens and bathrooms need work spaces, storage solutions and organisation – and need to withstand daily wear and tear in a humid environment. We also know that they are areas that many people find difficult and time-consuming to both plan and assemble. That’s what we set out to change.

One goal with ENHET was that all parts should be easy to assemble – intuitively and without any special tools. For cabinets and drawers it was a given to use the wooden wedge dowel which started to replace classic fittings in the IKEA range a few years ago.

Easy assembly with “Grisen”

But a new innovation was needed for the open storage in metal frames. That’s how "Grisen" ("Pig" in Swedish) came to be – a metal wedge dowel that allows you to easily assemble the frames with just a click. "It actually looks like the snout of a little piglet, so the nickname felt like a natural choice", says product developer Daniel Loader, who took part in the project.

Reliable steel

One challenge with the metal frames was that the steel must withstand the humid environments of kitchens and bathrooms – without rusting. “We found a method in the automotive industry called AD coating”, says Daniel and describes how all the frame parts are dipped in the coating. “After we saw the lab test photos, it was clear that we had the right solution. They showed rust on parts with other coatings, while those with the AD coating were rust-free.” Looking back at the project, Daniel thinks it provided important insights. “Something happens when you bring together a lot of people with different experiences, and strong and innovative momentum can arise."