IKEA Reveals the First Pattern From Its Sauna-Inspired Collection with Marimekko

Loved for its bold prints and bright colors, Finnish design house Marimekko is bringing its vibrancy to IKEA. In a new collaboration called BASTUA, IKEA and Marimekko will release an entire collection of home furnishings and accessories inspired by Nordic sauna culture.

IKEA and Marimekko revealed the first BASTUA patterned product in the collection at H22 in Helsingborg, Sweden and Fuorisalone 2022 in Milan. It’s a recycled polyester shower curtain that features colorful Finnish rhubarb leaves on a blue background.

Rhubarb is often found growing next to sauna buildings in the Finnish countryside (though they’re probably not quite as colorful as they appear on this print!).

“BASTUA” is actually an expression for sauna in Småland, where IKEA was founded, and it’s also a combination of the Finnish word “sauna” and “bastu,” the Swedish word for sauna. 

The collection is still very much in the works, and no information has been shared revealing what other furnishings and accessories IKEA shoppers can expect when the line drops. But with the theme of sauna in mind, one could probably guess things like Marimekko-patterned towels, bathmats, skincare or shower caddies, and robes may be in our future.

Marimekko was founded in 1951 and became an instant hit in the design world thanks to its original prints and designs. The brand has a focus on clothing but has branched out into home decor, offering fans bedding and pillows, kitchenware, bathroom decor, and even sells printed fabrics by the yard for upholstery projects.The BASTUA line will launch in March 2023, with limited quantities of the shower curtain being sold to participants of H22 and Fuorisalone. Though details are scant, you already know this collection is going to be a color bomb.