IKEA’s New Music-Inspired Collection Is Designed to Help You Throw a Great Party

In a world where so many factors differentiate us, music is a universal force that brings people together. It stretches beyond language barriers and has the power to shift the mood of a room, house, or entire community. In honor of this, IKEA decided to create a collection that revolves around the importance of sound—and a new way to listen to music through its furnishings. 

From now until February 1, 2020, the limited-edition collection called FREKVENS is rolling out in stores across the U.S. FREKVENS “celebrates sound, encourages togetherness and enables people to throw the ultimate home party,” according to a press release, and is meant to “encourage spontaneity, creativity and mobility.” 

IKEA teamed up with Stockholm-based Teenage Engineering, an electronics company made up of engineers and programmers that focus on music and electronics. “The collaboration started more or less open. Basically no limits,” said Jesper Kouthoofd, founder of Teenage Engineering. “The only thing that was said was ‘how can we introduce sound in to the home in a new way.’”

And so, the team got to work designing items that elevate a house party with functionality and design. The outcome is this 27-item collection, which includes blocks with built-in speakers that you can stock and configure to your heart’s desire. “The items got narrowed down towards sound. What we said was ‘why do you have to hide speakers. They are furniture in their own right.’ Sounds should not to be hidden,” said Kouthoofd.

Another DIY-centric product is this tripod with added-on accessories that creates a production set vibe within your own home. “I’m hoping people will start to create things with these objects and surprise us with how they use them, that’s what I want to see. Maybe using them in a context we haven’t thought about” said Kouthoofd. 

There are also more common essentials—like a black ottoman, stackable tableware, and waterproof metallic cushion covers—to complement the speaker products and overall party vibe. As Michael Nikolic, Creative Design Leader IKEA of Sweden, said in the press release, “It’s a playful collection that you easily scale up or down to suit your needs. Apart from looking super nice, it sounds great—so it’s definitely the perfect reason to throw a party.“