Nope, it’s not the shortcuts. Or the carts for cafeteria trays in the restaurant. Or the directional arrows on the floor cast from a light above. We bet hardly anyone has noticed the wall placards in the Ikea kitchen setups. The signs identify the room’s paint, flooring, and tile, even though Ikea doesn’t sell those materials. That’s how committed the Swedish retailer is to your happiness. That au courant Arabesque porcelain backslash by Daltile? That sublime shade of gray from Benjamin Moore? Ikea doesn’t play coy—it tells you the style name or number. It even identifies the grout shade. Tack you very much, Ikea. Now please tell us this: How can we leave via 116th Street so we can go to Portillo’s?
