On 26 February 2016, we lost one of the most famous faces of IKEA, Gillis Lundgren. The graphic artist and furniture designer – who, in 1953, began as only the fourth employee of the company – quickly made a name for himself. He was the first one to have the idea of selling prefabricated furniture. In 1979, he invented one of the most iconic products ever: the BILLY shelf system. His renowned invention can be found in nearly every household today and has been sold more than 41 million times worldwide.

We didn’t want to let the man who played such a pivotal role in shaping IKEA simply ride off into the sunset, but instead give him the send-off he truly deserves – in such a charming way that only IKEA can. This is why we developed a very personal obituary with a touch of Swedish flair. The idea: with hi