Mass transportation sure is convenient, but it’s often far from comfortable. Hard plastic seating. Harsh fluorescent lighting. Pungent smells. It’s not the type of environment where you linger longer than necessary. Global furniture uber-retailer IKEA feels your pain and is trying to do something about it – at least temporarily.
From now until March 24th, the company is giving four Paris Metro Stops an interior design makeover, complete with comfy couches and warm mood lighting. Considering the state of your average urban subway stop, covered in old chewing gum and smelling of urine, the idea seems like a good one. IKEA gets some attention-grabbing advertising and riders get a comfy place to chill out while they wait.
The question remains – how long will those couches stay clean? It’s one thing to enjoy an IKEA couch in your home, but with over 10 million residents in greater Paris, you’ve gotta wonder how long those seats are going to stay clean…