Have you ever wondered who the designers are behind Ikea products and where they get their ideas? Maxwell was lucky enough to have a sit down with Mats Nillson, Range Strategist for IKEA Global and Marty Marston, IKEA Public Relations.
Marty pointed out that one of the main goals of IKEA is to make design accessible and enjoyable for everyone. She states, "There is often an idea of perfection when it comes to home furnishings...but it shouldn't be fearful". Mats elaborated, "We believe what is successful (in design) is yours...It should be perfect for you and that's what Ikea tries to do with all their different room settings."
So what's the next trend that we'll see coming from IKEA? "Rustic Roots", exclaimed Mats. It's a sort of "hipster chic" that is globally influential right now, even in Russia and China. Think high contrast, dark hues such as blue and grays and even linen sheets to add texture.
The FJELL collection (which is already released in Sweden) embodies this worn and weathered look with the use of brushed untreated pine that ages naturally. The hardware is influenced by barn doors and creates a high contrast in color and texture to the wood. A slightly different direction for Ikea, and we like it! What do you think?
FOR MORE INFO: Ikea
(Images as Noted: Neila Deen)
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Love it - esp the linens.
Meh. I enjoyed Ikea more when they focused on more innovative design. It's the 21st century, do we really have to go back to living houses that look like barns?
What I'd like most from IKEA is a better selection of slipcovers (specifically for the Ektorp series). I love our Ektorp chairs, which have greatly outperformed more expensive furniture. Bemz has some beautiful options but IKEA should expand its line.
The new linens are gorgeous.
Love the linen.
I've got to agree on the barn-y look not being my thing. But at least it's there for folks who dig it.
(I have a feeling it'll feel dated in about 4 years... Linen, however, is classic and will last forever.)
Mmm, the linen looks nice.
The irony is I started going to salvage yards and looking for ways to recycle the old and hiring local people to build things out of recycled materials BECAUSE I was tired of everything being made overseas, being shipped across the pacific because shipping containers are really polluting the pacific, etc etc. Specifically I was tired of Ikea. Now Ikea is making that idea theirs but they're skipping all the hard work of actually recycling anything. Bummer. Calls into question something moral...like now that Ikea can just make you look like you recycled something without the elbow grease and money, is it ok to just buy it?
The linens look nice, but somehow guessing they won't be that good looking in person and this is just a prototype. And if anyone from Ikea is reading this...what happened to your curtain rods this year? They're so awful and silly. I'm used to seeing this sort of thing in kids rooms, but you usually have some adult options for grown ups as well. We all don't want the plastic/pop culture stuff in our living rooms.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70217223/#/30219945
The belgian linen/renovation hardware/rustic french look finally gets stolen by Ikea. Meh.
Loving the rustic look, the trend is definitely picking up. Can't wait to see how they pair it with modern furniture & pops of color. (Warm wood tones w/ a bright color, yum!!!)
Not liking that rustic look at all, the reason I go to Ikea is for the modern feel of all their furniture. I am not a fan of antiques or mcm or anything that looks distressed. I do like the bed and linens though.
I'm not sure why people are dumping on Ikea for going with design trend. Restoration Hardware was selling this 3 years ago and other major retailers have followed suit.
I love this style because it essentially allows me to be lazy and still design-forward. Too cheap to buy a vase? Throw the flowers in a canning jar. Finish on the dresser is chipped and peeling? Ah, well, it's rustic chic! Don't have hours to spend DIY-ing pallet furniture or combing flea markets for vintage stuff? Go to IKEA!
I'm kind of on board with your line of thinking, @alphabear . The things I gravitate toward in Ikea are the more brightly colored, clean lined, modern items. Then again, I live in Texas, so this whole rural/rustic thing has been overplayed pretty much my whole life.
Yup. Not a fan. It seems to me that lots of ikea has been split into rustic/country or lots of time too crazy modern/cute. I miss the well though out clean lined series that they had back in the 90s/early naughts. Magiker and Journalist come to mind.
LOVE!!! But this is because my style is very Scandinavian meets farmhouse - except with a bit of Canadian in there
We have a ton of the older IKEA line of pine furniture (unpainted - I know the horror right?) so this is so up my alley. I for one am really glad to see the revival of a lot of their natural wood pieces.
PS - That FJELL bed frame needs to come to Canada already...
@Portlandrules
Rustic is not my sort of thing, and I'm hardly offended by it, but it does remind me of how I feel about the shabby chic thing, when new items are deliberately distressed rather than arriving at that state organically. It seems to rather miss the point somehow. But some ppl seem to just like the appearance without needing a veneer of authenticity to appreciate it, unlike me.
(As for this line, it is a bit too clean-looking for me to even pretend that ikea is pretending these are "really" rustic, so it doesn't actually annoy me in the same way.)
the Fjell Wardrobe looks like an unfinished pine wardrobe they stopped selling a few years ago, only the hinges are black and prominent
Actually, this line is super Scandinavian. Just the natural/rustic end rather than the modern end. The linen textiles are gorgeous in person. I'm almost tempted to get them, but the way our black cat sheds, they would not look so light and airy after a night of him lounging on the bed. :S
@Portlandrules-I'm guessing you haven't seen the whole line of rods. They are really customisable and there are plenty of finial options that include glass, steel, and iron. The particular finial you highlighted is weird, but there are some others that are pretty awesome.
My [unsolicited] advcie to IKEA: stick to what you know, what you do well & don't try to catch the market of 3 yr old trends.
I'm torn between "Wow, I really think I'd like that wardrobe if I stained it darker" and "There's no way I'd buy that from IKEA when I can probably find it on Craigslist. Or wait 2 years and buy the IKEA wardrobe on Craigslist for half price.
I agree with many others that the linen looks great!!
IKEA is creating product lines that suit most people's style...they are reaching out to others they haven't catered to yet and I think it's a great idea to take that step!!
I'm sure this furniture has a finish but I wish the pieces could be "pickled" in trendy colors
Lately I've noticed Ikea is selling some things that have dainty detail rather than being super streamlined. I'm thinking of the lacy Skurar pots, the side table with silhouetted baroque legs (like the ones from Brocade Home), the antique-finished Levanger mirror (would kill for a silver-framed version). I totally love this trend and I hope Ikea does more of it! I have this kind of luxe/glam/semi-frilly taste, but an Ikea budget, and it's great to see them combining for once.