Ikea has completed its first housing scheme in Gateshead incorporating the ideas of cheap, affordable design found in its furniture warehouses.
St James’s Village comprises 93 homes, including 36 one and two-bedroom flats and 57 two and three-bedroom houses. Negotiations are already underway to buy sites for similar villages in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The Swedish-style properties are assembled from kits using the BoKlok concept. The British property company Live Smart@Home is its joint venture partner. The cheapest flats are just under £100,000 while the most expensive three-bed houses are £5 short of £150,000.
31/01/08 Times 27
Guardian 11
