IKEA
Poud To Build
IKEA partners with Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community, where first dates come fully furnished.
insight:
My Role:
Art Director/Copywriter
Toronto is one of the most queer-friendly cities in Canada, yet spaces specifically for queer women are rare and often temporary. Lesbian bars continue to disappear, leaving many queer women meeting in mixed spaces, pop-up events, or each other’s apartments instead. There’s a running joke in lesbian culture about moving in together almost immediately, but before the shared furniture and merged lives, there has to be a place to meet in the first place.
Solution:
To create those moments, IKEA launches FEMLA, a series of furnished pop-up lesbian bars across Toronto during Pride Month. Designed like real living spaces rather than traditional nightlife venues, FEMLA gives queer women a place to connect in an environment that already feels like home. Proceeds from each pop-up support the growth of permanent lesbian spaces, helping turn temporary gatherings into lasting community hubs. Guests don’t just leave with a phone number; they can leave with the furniture inside.