Ingvar Kamprad established IKEA in Sweden in 1943.
Kamprad founded the business when he was 17 and initially sold assorted goods, including pens, wallets, and picture frames. The name IKEA comes from his initials, the family farm Elmtaryd, and the nearby village Agunnaryd. Furniture became the company's defining business during the 1950s.
IKEA became known for flat-pack furniture, customer self-assembly, and standardized designs intended to reduce transport and storage costs. Its first permanent showroom opened in Älmhult in 1958. A common mix-up is assuming IKEA began as a furniture-only company; its earliest business sold a wider range of everyday products before furniture took over.