(Editor: Leona)

Suzhou will soon be painted blue and white, as the Swedish furniture conglomerate, IKEA, prepares to come to the city. According to Suzhou Land Coordination and Reserve Center, the world's largest furniture retailer, made a deal on Jan 20, 2015, for a 67,795-square-meter area in Suzhou High-tech Zone with 275 million yuan ($44.25 million) of investment.

IKEA now has 17 stores in China, and it is hoped that the store in Suzhou will start construction around February and open to the public the following year in August, 2016.

IKEA is a multinational group of companies that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture (such as beds, chairs and desks), appliances and home accessories. Founded in Sweden in 1943 by the then-17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad, the company's acronym - that consists of the initials of Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd (the farm where he grew up), and Agunnaryd (his hometown in Småland, south Sweden) – is a household name.

IKEA is known for its contemporary architectural designs applied to various types of appliances and furniture; its interior design work is often associated with eco-friendly simplicity.