Scotland' Housing Expo

Leading Home Furnishing Store Joins Host of Independent Retailers and Craftsmen.

One of the UK’s biggest home furnishing stores will be arriving in Inverness next month to provide home and interior design inspiration for visitors to Scotland’s Housing Expo at Milton of Leys.

The IKEA Edinburgh store has been announced as a major sponsor of the event that, from 1-31 August, will showcase 52 homes to the public designed to be eco-friendly and promote sustainable living. IKEA will join a host of local and Scottish independent furniture makers and retailers that will be on show Scotland’s Housing Expo.

The IKEA store will be furnishing interiors of five homes which will include the complete interiors of three terrace homes, each with alternative designs to create looks for different budgets. While there is currently no IKEA in the Highlands the company’s presence at the Expo allows residents to exclusively view their products closer to home and find out more about its online and telephone ordering service, IKEA Direct.

Stuart Knowles, Communication, Interior Design & Marketing manager for IKEA Edinburgh said: “We were very keen to be involved in the Expo to let Highland residents see the products we offer. We’ll also have planning and design teams on-site most days to provide advice on consumer issues like kitchen installation.

“We’re working closely with the architects and co-ordinators who manage the homes IKEA features in to make sure our products complement the overall vision for their design.”

IKEA’s presence at the event also supports the overall ethos of Scotland’s Housing Expo as sustainability is at the core of the international organisation’s business. This includes a commitment to less fuel consumption and fewer emissions through its transport network, minimising waste, the efficient use of materials and taking responsibility for the environmental impact of its products.

Stuart Knowles said: “As an organisation IKEA is about sustainability and so there are many similarities between what the Expo is trying to achieve and what we are trying to deliver as a bigger business. Scotland’s Housing Expo is a fantastic concept that combines creating a village community with environmentally-friendly homes that are designed to support the housing industry. There’s also a strong affordable aspect which also shares our own values.”

Scotland’s Housing Expo will also be creating a platform for a number of retailers and furniture makers from the Highlands and Scotland. Local business, Ma Maison Ecossaise, will be featuring interior and garden furniture by two different French suppliers. New Edinburgh furniture maker, Realise - Evolutionary Furniture, will feature hand crafted innovative pieces made from locally grown hardwood or reclaimed timber and another business from the capital, Living with Craft, will showcase contemporary handcrafted furniture from a range of independent designers. Scottish Furniture Makers Association will also showcase contemporary furniture and craftmanship from a number of their members throughout Scotland.

Newly opened Inverness furniture retailer, The Byre will be furnishing one of the homes with a range of contemporary classic pieces, including Halo and Cath Kidston to complement the house design. Owner Matthew Tett said: “I’ve recently returned to Scotland after living in various countries over the years and when I heard about Scotland’s Housing Expo I thought it was a fantastic project and something really different and good for the Highlands. As an independent businessman trying to grow in a tough economic climate it is also giving me the chance to promote my products to a wider audience.”

Chair of the Board for Scotland’s Housing Expo, Jean Urquhart said: “We’re delighted that the IKEA Edinburgh store has come on board as their involvement helps us to emphasise the variety of aspects that promote environmentally friendly and sustainable living and highlight how people can easily adopt it. It will be great to see IKEA using five very different houses to show just how versatile they can be.”

“We’re also very pleased that Scotland’s Housing Expo will support a large number of independent local and Scottish businesses and designers to promote another important aspect of sustainability. The mix of furniture and design on show aims to provide visitors with something more than a row of showhomes.”

Scotland’s Housing Expo will take place from 1-31 August at Milton of Leys off the A9 at Inverness. For further information log on to www.scotlandshousingexpo.com.