In a striking case that has sparked debate about ethics in furniture design, Swedish designer Jessica Signell has accused furniture giant IKEA of plagiarizing her award-winning design, Eve. Signell claims IKEA’s recently launched side table on castors, part of its Stockholm 2025 collection, bears a resemblance to her 2006 design, raising questions about the company’s commitment to originality and its treatment of independent designers.
“Ikea has just launched a product that is strikingly similar to my piece of furniture, Eve. It has the same unique typology and proportions, the same function,” Signell tells Homecrux. “I have devoted many years to education and my entire professional life to product design. Years of flops, praise, and recognition. Years of very low income, regardless. When a company like IKEA launches products that so strongly resemble the ideas of individual designers, without recognition or compensation, it sends the message- it’s okay to steal.”
Jessica Signell designed the Eve drinks trolley in 2005. A unique piece celebrated for its innovative form, the trolley boasts a round shape, with high edges, a smaller tray on top, a larger tray underneath, and a single centered leg. The design garnered significant recognition, including the prestigious Elle Decoration Design Award Sweden, and was exhibited at Salone Satellite 2005. Following this, the design was officially relaunched at the Stockholm Furniture Fair 2006 under the banner of Norwegian producer LK Hjelle.
“Anyone who has worked with IKEA knows that the company works with extremely long lead times. So I wonder how it could be possible to develop a product that has already been designed and exists and is well known to them,” Signell claims. What makes the situation particularly troubling, she says, is that IKEA’s head of design, a longtime friend and colleague, was fully aware of her work. “In a phone call, the IKEA’s design manager admitted to Signell that she had attempted to halt the IKEA trolley’s production upon noticing its similarity to Eve, but was unable to do so as the process was too far along,” Signell told us.
When asked about the actions she could take, Signell said, “I can’t file a lawsuit against IKEA. They have a turnover of 45 billion euros, and I don’t have the same resources.” She further accused the company, stating, “IKEA has the resources to handle legal disputes in a way that designers and smaller producers do not, which is why they effectively escape consequences.”
Homecrux reached out to IKEA for comments on the matter. The IKEA media relations denies any intentional copying. “The IKEA view is that it is never acceptable to copy another designer’s work. IKEA would never deliberately copy products from other companies or designers. We proactively work to prevent any resemblance, and our standard procedure is to launch a thorough investigation whenever questions arise. In this case, we have opened that investigation,” IKEA confirmed.
IKEA emphasized that its design process, which spans several years and involves multiple teams, prioritizes originality and integrity. “Our standard procedure is to launch a thorough investigation whenever questions arise. In this case, we have opened that investigation.” IKEA representatives we approached have, however, refrained from making any comments on whether the company has approached Signell to confront the accusations.
Signell argues that “if IKEA truly values Scandinavian design, it must acknowledge and fairly compensate the designers whose ideas it profits from. Sweden needs people who dare to invest in ideas, that’s how a society progresses.” The designer hopes her story will spark a broader conversation. “I want a debate about IKEA taking pride in ‘celebrating Scandinavian design’ while they rely heavily on Scandinavian designers’ ideas—ideas they neither recognize nor compensate for,” she said. “Like most people, I’d appreciate recognition and compensation for my work,” she concludes.
It is to be noted that LK Hjelle had halted the production of the Eve drinks trolley years ago. However, Signell claims that she and LK Hjelle were in talks to relaunch the product, long before this controversy started.
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