Ikea to open first East Coast store

Ikea is set to officially open its only store in Atlantic Canada on Wednesday as thousands from across the region are expected to descend upon the popular Swedish furniture chain’s new Halifax-area location.

The store in the Dartmouth Crossing retail district — the size of four football fields, including its parking lot — features a bright, streamlined showroom with rooms that were furnished based on the needs of Maritimers.

Ikea Canada president Marsha Smith said the company visited more than 70 local residences to determine what people in the Halifax area needed in their homes, such as waste storage solutions.

“We have a lot of local architectural features such as fireplaces. The size of the windows are locally relevant. There are a lot of areas where you will see familiarity with what you see locally,” said Smith during an exclusive tour of the new store with The Canadian Press on Monday ahead of an evening media event.

“We take a lot of time to do home visits and studies in the local area so that when you walk into the store, you should really see yourself.”

Overlooking the store’s restaurant and seating area is a “living wall” — a floor-to-ceiling surface filled with green and yellow plants meant to help purify the air. Ikea Halifax also has a children’s play area and a massive warehouse stacked high with brown boxes containing the company’s trademark unassembled furniture.

Social media has been abuzz since Ikea announced about two years ago it was opening a store in the region. It previously had a smaller location in the Halifax area, but it closed nearly three decades ago.