Huge success as Ikea brings art to the masses in Sweden.

Swedish furniture giant Ikea’s decision to sell paintings by well-known artists was a wise move, with the warehouse’s entire stock running out in just 12 minutes.

Some 6,000 paintings will be sold, 1,560 of those were bought this morning in the store’s warehouse at Kungens Kurva.

“Three of them were sold out at the same time,” said Tina Björeman, Ikea spokesman, according to Dina Pengar.

“It was Ernst Billgren, Denise Gråstein and Jan Håfström which went in five and a half minutes.

The paintings were being sold at all Ikea warehouses in the country and long lines were reported in Malmö and at Barkarby near Stockholm. Some waited all night at Kungens Kurva to buy a painting.

“One person was here already at 10:30 p.m. and has waited all night,” said Björeman.”

The paintings are being sold for 1,695 kronor each (Approximately £120). Shoppers have to mount the paintings themselves.

Image by Toshikiro Oimatsu, Flickr