IKEA has announced it is exploring the future of sound in the home by working with Sonos to look for ways to help more people create the right atmosphere at home through great design – both interior and sound.

Research has shown that people who live and listen to music together spend more time together at home. The research also revealed that when listening to music together, people feel more inspired and more loved.

In addition, research has also found that 54% of Aussies play music they love to create a feeling of home, with this number increasing to almost 60% of people between 18 and 29 years of age, further building the importance of music in the home.

“We know that home is more than four walls and that sensory elements – like sound – are critical to creating a feeling of home, with one in five Aussies saying that they associate home with a particular sound. In fact, when we asked Australians what sound they associate with their homes many people mentioned that it is music that makes a home,” says IKEA spokesperson Mark Mitchinson.

This collaboration will allow both IKEA and Sonos to bring its expertise to the table, working with a goal to make it even easier for people to play any song, anywhere in the home, without interrupting the flow of daily life.

“Together with Sonos, we want to democratise music and sound in the home, and we want to create products designed for how people listen together at home. By teaming up with Sonos we want to combine IKEA home furnishing knowledge with Sonos’ expertise within great home sound,” says IKEA Home Smart business leader Björn Block.

“At Sonos, we understand the transformational power of music in the home,” says Sonos chief executive Patrick Spence.

“We believe that sound should be a considered element of home design, and together we will work with IKEA to create products and experiences that make people’s home look and sound more amazing.”

“The IKEA and Sonos collaboration is a part of IKEA Home Smart. The journey of the smart home at IKEA began with the launch of wireless charging products for mobile phones 2015, followed by smart lighting which is set to land in Australian stores late in 2018. The exploration of sound is the third step for IKEA Home Smart and we look forward to seeing where this latest collaboration takes us,” Mark says.

“At IKEA we strive to make solutions for life at home by integrating technology into our home furnishing offer that is easy to use and affordable, thereby making smart home technology accessible to the many people.”