You’ll buy the affordable, yet oddly-named, furniture. You’ll eat the delicious Swedish meatballs. But would you live in an eco-friendly Ikea house? The owner of the Swedish furniture giant certainly hopes so; that’s why the company is planning to build its first British housing development in an area of east London that’s adjacent to the Olympic Park. The 1,200-home “mini-Venice,” which will be built around a series of canals, will feature “a 130 foot-tall illuminated wooden tower” and act as “the gateway to the Olympic stadium.” Shops, restaurants, a 350-bedrooom hotel, and 480,000 square feet of offices will also be built on the 26-acre site. No word yet on how much the homes will cost, but given the prime location (at least temporarily), we can’t imagine that they’ll be as wallet-friendly as a set of Billy bookshelves. [via London Evening Standard]