In an inspiring story of shooting for the stars and landing in the stars, this IKEA tabletop grew up to fulfill its dream: to become an NPR tiny desk.
Furniture really can do anything!!
The unassuming Melltorp has origins as humble as they come, mass-produced by Swedish furniture giant IKEA in 2018, but her career trajectory has gone above and beyond, and she now serves as an integral fixture of NPR’s popular Tiny Desk Concerts.
“It’s overwhelming,” says Melltorp. “I mean, most tabletops of my size end up in a college dorm or the home office of an aspiring screenwriter; it’s depressing. But I think knowing that was the alternative for me actually really pushed me to work even harder than those born with privilege, such as a computer desk or dining room table.”
The Melltorp was brought in by a production assistant to replace a broken portion of the sectional desk set-up, and the rest is history.
“Did I ever think when I started out that I would one day be collaborating with Lizzo, Phoebe Bridgers, Brittany Howard?” Melltorp says. “Of course not. I was just doing the work, and in time, this is where it brought me.”
But despite the blood, sweat, and tears that went into Melltorp’s unlikely journey, certain bitter peers question her road to success.
“It’s cool that Melltorp’s an NPR tiny desk but I don’t think she should be so self-serious about it,” says Raskog, a small utility cart. “Like, someone from NPR just bought her for this job by chance. It’s no more a testament to work or skill than winning the lottery.”
“But honestly, if that’s what she needs to do, whatever,” Raskog adds. “I’m in the freshman NYU dorm of a celebrity’s kid, can’t say who because I signed an NDA, but A-list, and I hold liquor now, so…yeah, like, my point is, we all have stuff going on and watch what you say about dorms.”
Okay, haters to the absolute left! There’s a difference between a social climber and a hardworking breakout star, and we all know where Melltorp falls.
“Negative talk just doesn’t get to me anymore,” Melltorp says. “I’ve worked too hard to let anyone undersell my success. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go practice being sturdy. Harry Styles put a keyboard on me once, and it might happen again.”
Get it, girlie!
