The IKEA that we know of today is more than just affordable furniture and addictive meatballs. And no, we are not just referring to their hotdogs and ice cream and DAIM tarts (btw, are we the only ones who associate IKEA with food rather than homeware?). Recently, the Swedish furniture brand unveiled at their annual Democratic Design Days conference a slew of exciting collaborations that’ll make their brand as relevant as ever—big names that include Adidas, Byredo, Lego, Solange, and Virgil Abloh.
“They’re things that are not so familiar at IKEA, and I love that,” head designer Marcus Engman. From the It-names in fashion to pop culture, here’s what we know about the upcoming collaborations that have been teased.
Adidas
Together, the brands are looking into exploring the integration of sports and living spaces. Look forward to pieces that will allow people to create healthy habits through their everyday interaction within their homes. As mentioned by Josephine Aberg, vice-president of design and training at Adidas: “we want to make it easier for people to engage in sports in their home environment.”
Byredo
Feeling a sense of belonging for a place transcends beyond just decorating it with furniture and knick-knacks. This partnership with luxury fragrance brand Byredo hopes to remind people of the connection between space, memories, and smell. “We’re trying to develop a ton of smells enforcing the idea that everyone has a different relationship to it, and nothing is right or wrong,” said Byredo founder Ben Gotham in a press release. Here, IKEA venture into designing something invisible, and we can’t wait to see smell the results.
Lego
Children have it better these days—from the enviable playroom in IKEA showrooms to the playful furniture range, IKEA has a pretty enviable children’s section that we wished we had when growing up. And their tie-up with Lego takes things up a notch. “We both believe in the importance of play—and you never get too old to play,” said Lego senior creative director Lena Dixen. Yes, that means that us adults can look forward to this fun collaboration as well.
Little Sun
In our search for more sustainable solutions, IKEA will be working together with Little Sun to create a range of solar-powered products. IKEA’s democratic design will meet Little Sun’s eco-friendly mission to remind people’s global responsibility towards electricity and Earth. Founder Olafur Eliasson said: “It’s about getting people to understand these problems and to ask, ‘What can I do to take a more active step?'”
Saint Heron
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Backed by founder (and the incredibly cool) Solange Knowles, multidisciplinary cultural company Saint Heron teams up with IKEA to explore the creative union between “architecture, design, art, and music and how that could come alive in the home of many people”. Well, if this is the closest we can get to the Knowles family, we’ll gladly take it.
