Sheffield man gets Ikea tattoo to celebrate store opening in city

A Sheffield man has taken his love of Ikea to a whole new level by getting a tattoo of the flat plan giant's iconic pencil on his wrist - to celebrate the opening of a new store in the city.
Matt Lee with his Ikea tattooMatt Lee with his Ikea tattoo
Matt Lee with his Ikea tattoo

Matt Lee has been obsessed with the Swedish retailer ever since he was a youngster and has spent nearly £5,000 on products over the years.

In a display of affection, he now sports a four-inch long tattoo of the franchise's engraved little brown pencil on his left wrist.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 30-year-old, who works for internet provider, Plus Net, was persuaded to get the tattoo, which only took five minutes to draw, on August 15, while on a lads holiday in Ibiza.

Matt Lee's Ikea tattooMatt Lee's Ikea tattoo
Matt Lee's Ikea tattoo

The tattoo has so far divided opinion amongst family and friends - with his dad being the biggest critic of his latest ink.

But the gesture of love has not gone unnoticed and he has now received a giant three-and-a-half foot long toy pencil from Ikea as a thank you for his commitment.

Matt, from Sheffield, said: "I've always been a fan of Ikea.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I was on holiday with the lads and we all started talking about getting tattoos.

Matt Lee's Ikea tattooMatt Lee's Ikea tattoo
Matt Lee's Ikea tattoo

"I'm always banging on about Ikea and one of my mates said I should a tattoo of one of the pencils.

"It was around 7pm at night, I'd had a few drinks but was definitely not drunk. It only took five minutes to finish.

"It's my third tattoo and it's definitely my best one yet. It's just a bit smaller than the life-size version.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Everyone has laughed their head off apart from my dad who said I was an idiot."

Matt has been visiting Ikea ever since he was eight-years-old when he was first taken by his parents Tony, 56, and Sue, 57.

He said his house is a carbon-copy of an Ikea showroom, with an Ikea wardrobe, bedside cabinet, kitchen utensils, tooth brush holder, lampshade, lamps, pillows and bedding.

Matt normally braves the 40-minute drive down to his nearest store in Nottingham, East Midlands., four to fives times a year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But he claims the number of trips will 'double if not treble' when a new store opens just seven miles away from his house on September 28.

Matt is holding out for an invite to the opening ceremony and has cheekily asked if he can cut the ribbon.

IKEA Sheffield Store Manager Garry Deakin said: "The IKEA fever in Sheffield is clearly rubbing off on this super-fan. There's no chance of erasing his excitement."

The free Ikea pencils are usually found in small boxes attached to poles, together with maps, measuring tapes and shopping forms.