Assembling an IKEA House Warming Party

Situation

To celebrate its signature spirit of warmth and functionality, IKEA partnered with Activate Inc. to design a one-of-a-kind “House Warming Party” experience in the heart of Manhattan—transforming an ordinary city building into a vibrant, life-sized IKEA home. The vision, developed by Activate Inc. in collaboration with the IKEA team, was bold: to completely reimagine the building’s façade to reflect the brand’s inviting aesthetic while working within the constraints of New York’s dense urban environment. Bringing this concept to life required a full-surface transformation with flawless color consistency across diverse materials—foam, metal, wood, glass, and vinyl—all executed with minimal disruption to city life. Adding to the challenge, the entire installation had to be completed overnight to avoid impacting daytime pedestrian and traffic flow

Solution

To meet these challenges, Britten united the talents of multiple in-house divisions—combining fabrication, print, and installation expertise into one seamless operation. Custom architectural elements including the cornice, columns, roof gable, and 3D “IKEA House Warming” signage were expertly fabricated from foam, metal, and wood, reflecting Britten’s precision craftsmanship and multidisciplinary coordination.

For the exterior transformation, teams applied a blend of adhesive vinyl and perforated window film, meticulously mapped and installed to ensure perfect alignment. Each panel overlapped by just one inch—creating 100% surface coverage down to the smallest details like door handles, mullions, and trim. The result was a flawless building wrap that visually merged the building with IKEA’s familiar blue-and-yellow palette. 

Impact

The final installation was nothing short of transformational—a standard Manhattan structure reborn as an immersive IKEA experience. The bold look and meticulous execution stopped passersby in their tracks, igniting social media engagement and drawing crowds throughout the event.

Beyond the visual impact, the project exemplified Britten’s ability to turn ambitious creative visions into tangible realities through collaboration, craftsmanship, and technical mastery. The “House Warming Party” not only celebrated IKEA’s brand values of creativity and community but also reaffirmed Britten’s reputation for delivering high-impact, high-fidelity brand environments—on time, on brand, and built to inspire.