New IKEA Partnership Connects Students with Interior Design Professionals

At Wilmot Union High School, Adrienne Burch is reimagining what classroom learning can look like by creating opportunities for students to engage with industry professionals. Thanks to a new partnership with IKEA in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, students in her Interior Design class had a chance to see how the strategies they are learning in class are used in the industry every day.  

Below, Burch shares more about the students’ recent trip to IKEA.  

When we arrived, students met IKEA’s lead kitchen designer and lead interior designer, who welcomed us and shared what their work really looks like behind the scenes. The kitchen designer walked students through her day-to-day responsibilities, from working with clients to solving real design challenges. As students toured the kitchen displays, they began to see how designers balance style, function, and space, especially when working with limitations. One of the most memorable moments was hearing about a particularly challenging project: designing a fully functional kitchen in a 96-by-98-inch space. It really showed students just how much creativity and problem-solving goes into the work.

Students also got a behind-the-scenes look at how IKEA’s design team plans spaces. They learned that every room starts with a vision board—perfect timing, since that’s exactly the unit we’re about to begin in class. From there, students were able to try it themselves. They were given a mix of items and challenged to sort them into modern and traditional styles, pushing them to think more critically about design elements. Then came the fun part, creating their own place settings. It was incredible to watch how many different combinations and ideas students came up with using the same materials.

The experience continued over lunch, where students not only enjoyed a meal but also paid attention to the design of the restaurant itself, thinking about how space, layout, and atmosphere shape the customer experience. Afterward, they explored the display rooms, walking through fully designed spaces and gathering inspiration. Many students took photos, already thinking ahead to how they might use those ideas in their own upcoming projects.

While none of us were quite ready to leave, we wrapped up the day on a sweet note with ice cream, compliments of IKEA. The students also left with IKEA swag bags full of goodies to remember our trip by. We are so thankful for opportunities like this and for businesses that are willing to invest time in our students. Experiences like this remind students that what they are learning has real purpose and that there are so many exciting paths they can pursue in the future.