This edited volume explores the far-reaching influence of two 20th-century design icons: the Bauhaus art school and the furniture company IKEA. 

The Bauhaus was founded in 1919 and disbanded in 1933, but in its short existence it served as a crucible for much of what came to be known as modernist design. It set out to transform daily life for the better by incorporating mass manufacturing techniques into the design of everything from single objects to buildings, putting in motion the democratisation of design. Just 10 years after the Bauhaus’ closure, this principle would become the theoretical and functional foundation for IKEA.