The strongest storage we’ve made so far

Does your garage sometimes feel like a lost civilization? Pyramids of paint cans grouped around the car, sports equipment you can’t remember even using and forgotten hobbies in boxes stacked high. IKEA product developer Lina Ringefelt wanted to help out. The outcome: the heavy-duty BROR storage system.

Lina and her team researched peoples’ garage needs and found that there’s an interest in everything from full-on hobby rooms, to a place to pot plants and work on cars, as well as storage for everything from heavy power tools to seasonal equipment. Many people also want lockable, closed and open storage that could hold very heavy loads.

Creating very strong storage

“I was inspired by classic industrial furniture typically used in workshops during the 50’s, as well as Meccano, to create the design,“ Lina says. “The idea was to create these beautiful storage units that have double the weight carrying capacity of any other shelves we were making at the time.” Engineer Philip Nedergaard made sure that the design held true to the heavy-duty ambition. “We built some of what we call ‘worst-case scenarios’ by loading the shelves high with concrete bags to really test that the shelves could safely hold almost anything you would want to keep in a garage,“ he says.

Combining good looks and practicality

The result is an adjustable series of shelving units with closed and open storage, including a trolley that serves as a movable shelf and workstation. But perhaps the series biggest calling card is its combination of looks and function. BROR could definitely be used in the home too.