5 IKEA picks for small apartments, WFH desks, and solo kitchens — May 2026

IKEA's PS 2026 collection hit stores globally on May 14 — 36 pieces built around the idea that small-space living should feel playful, not compressed. 1 Japan ran a separate April wave with its own compact-living catalog. This week's five picks are filtered from that combined haul across the US, UK, Japan, and Nordic markets, with each item chosen for exactly one reason: it solves a specific problem for someone living in a small apartment, working from a corner of that same apartment, or cooking solo in a kitchen the size of a large wardrobe.

Prices are quoted per market. Assembly difficulty is based on package weight, parts count, and available customer data.

The core case for this piece: it replaces a separate guest mattress. 2 In chair mode it takes up about the same floor space as an armchair. Unfold it and you get a 203 cm sleeping surface with a pocket spring unit and polyurethane foam — firm enough for a night's sleep, not just an air mattress emergency. A protective fabric flap covers the upholstery during daily use. 3 The cover (55% recycled polyester, 34% modacrylic, 11% cotton) comes off with two screws and goes into the washing machine — a small but meaningful detail in a space too tight for a separate laundry pile.

Designer Matilda Lindstam Nilsson gives it subtle blue button accents on the side — an odd choice that makes it look more like a designed object and less like a budget sofa bed. 2

Assembly note: 1 package at ~22–24 kg. IKEA doesn't print a person-count icon on this one, but the weight alone suggests two people for unboxing and positioning. Cover removal requires unscrewing two screws — no special tools.

Available now in US stores; US online from May 28. UK stores now; UK online from June 1. Also in Skiftebo bright orange if grey-beige isn't your apartment's vibe.

This desk is a solution to a single problem: you need a work surface, but you can't dedicate 28 inches of floor depth to a desk permanently. 4 Closed, it projects only 15 3/8 inches from the wall — slim enough to fit into a hallway nook or beside a wardrobe. Pull it out on its castors and you have a 28-inch-deep surface wide enough for a monitor. Height adjusts from 29 1/2 to 34 1/4 inches, which covers most desk-height preferences without needing tools. The top panel and extension leaf use honeycomb paper filling with 100% recycled content — lightweight given the 110 lb rated load. 4

Designer Lukas Bazle. US-only this week; not yet confirmed on UK or Nordic sites.

Assembly note: One reviewer on IKEA's own site rated it 1 star for assembly difficulty, describing the process of attaching the bottom desk section to the tracks as genuinely hard. IKEA's product copy says "quick and easy to set up." The gap between those two accounts is real. Factor in 30–60 minutes and possibly two sets of hands.

The pitch is simple: a countertop that's 40 cm deep doesn't have 40 cm of usable vertical storage. This piece creates a second tier. 5 Its bamboo tray sits on black powder-coated steel legs, raising spice jars, oils, and salt and pepper mills off the surface so the space underneath stays clear and easy to wipe. Footprint is 23 × 13 cm — smaller than an A4 sheet. You can stack two units vertically for double capacity; the design is explicitly made for that. 6

It's part of the new NÅLBLECKA series, designed by Lukas Bazle, which means it pairs with other items in the range if you want a matched kitchen. 13 reviews across markets average 4.5/5; one reviewer specifically called it "easy to assemble, very sturdy." 5

Assembly note: Screws included; 0.37 kg. If you can hold a screwdriver, this is a five-minute job. Available now in UK, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

The 19 cm depth is what makes this trolley worth mentioning. 7 A standard Japanese refrigerator sits 60–65 cm deep; the gap between the fridge and the kitchen wall typically runs 10–25 cm. The NISSAFORS slides into that gap. Three open mesh shelves hold 4 kg each — enough for spices, oils, and the handful of pantry items a single person actually cycles through in a week. Under a desk it serves as a printer stand or document caddy. IKEA's own description is accurate: "storage that's there when you need it and hidden when you don't." 7 Also available in black at the same price.

Designer: Ebba Strandmark.

Assembly note: Assembly required; IKEA recommends periodic screw re-tightening. The two castors are not lockable — if you're using it in a gap, that's not an issue, but don't plan on parking it freestanding in the middle of a room and expecting it to stay put.

Japan-specific note: The IKEA PS 2026 collection has not yet launched in Japan as of this writing; IKEA Japan's website shows a late May 2026 launch date for the collection. 8 The NISSAFORS is an April 2026 new arrival, available now.

9 cm folded. That is thinner than most hardcover books. 9 The IKEA PS 2026 folding table opens to a full 156 × 75 cm solid pine surface — wide enough for two monitors side by side, or a dinner for four. Fold it and it goes behind a wardrobe or under a bed. The cross-leg underframe, also in solid birch, uses two wing screws with red metal handles as the only fasteners — the assembly is literally: screw two screws. 10

It's been tested to EN 15372 and ANSI/BIFMA X:5.5 — the same durability standards used for restaurant furniture. At 73 cm table height and natural pine grain, it also functions as a desk; pair it with the PS 2026 height-adjustable stool (SEK 699 / EUR 79) or any standard chair. 9

Designer: Ola Wihlborg.

Assembly note: 1 package at 22.2 kg. Two wing screws, no tools needed. One person can manage this with a clear floor space to work in.

Available now in UK stores and Nordic stores; UK online from June 1, Nordic online from May 21.

Non-PS-2026 items (LÄNGDHOPP, NÅLBLECKA, NISSAFORS) are available in their respective markets now. 4 5 7