Ikea’s ‘penis rug’ shocks shoppers

One shopper has spotted a rather, ahem, human likeness in a $399 rug – and once you spot it, you’ll struggle to unsee the rather bold design.

It’s human nature to see shapes in patterns that don’t really exist – and this is definitely one you’re going to want to unsee if you own this rug.

Taking to a popular hack Facebook group earlier this month, one woman pointed out the rather large objects featured in a pattern which adorns the Swedish retailer’s $399 Spansbro rug.

While the rug’s description says it has a “geometric pattern” that is “inspired by modernist Bauhaus design”, the poster pointed out that it also resembled something, erm, slightly more human.

RELATED: Bookshelf detail infuriating thousands

The woman noticed there was something shall we say – interesting – about the pattern on the Ikea rug. Picture: Facebook

“Just had to share this new edition in Ikea flooring, is it just me?” the woman captioned the rug photo, along with a series of laughing crying emojis.

Her post attracted dozens of comments in the IKEA, Kmart, Target, Big W, Aldi, etc – Hacks & Product Reviews Australia Facebook group from others who said they were now trying to unsee the “penis rug”.

“Good for sex therapy office,” one person joked, while another joked: “You would have to be a right knob to pick this one.”

Others applauded the “very brave design choice” while one person simply commented: “Oh dear!”

RELATED: $12 Kmart trick goes nuts in minutes

The rug costs $399 and is based on ‘modernist Bauhaus design’.

It’s not the first time eagle-eyed shoppers have spotted something in a seemingly innocent household object.

Back in July, Kmart shoppers got a spooky surprise after claiming to see a “demonic face” in a $19 cloud print from the discount department.

Commenters advised others to “burn it” and that it was “ruined for me” after one shopper pointed out the “demonic face”.

“I have this above my bed; oh no,” one person wrote, while another added: “God I wouldn’t put it up at all.”

RELATED: Mum’s $4700 Bunnings saving

Earlier this year people joked they would be burning this Kmart cloud print after spotting a ‘demonic face’ in it.

WHAT IS PAREIDOLIA?

Pareidolia is the name given to the human tendency to see faces or obvious patterns in objects and things – and it’s perfectly normal to experience.

There have been many famous cases of pareidolia over the years, such as when a US woman whose cheese toastie looked like the Virgin Mary sold at auction for $40,000 in 2004.

Pareidolia expert Kang Lee from Canada’s University of Toronto told the BBC in 2014 it was “pretty easy to induce this phenomenon”.

If someone reports seeing Jesus in a piece of toast, you’d think they must be nuts,” he said.

“But it’s very pervasive … We are primed to see faces in every corner of the visual world.”

What you see is also impacted by your life experience, with a University of Helsinki study finding that those who are religious or believe in the paranormal are more likely to see faces in inanimate objects or photos.