IKEA and Marimekko Pay Homage to Nordic Sauna Culture with New Collab

Furniture giant IKEA — famous for innovative design collaborations — have announced their newest partnership with Finnish lifestyle design company Marimekko.

Internationally known for original prints and colors, Marimekko’s product portfolio includes premium clothing, bags, accessories, and home décor. The limited-edition collaboration is inspired by the Nordic sauna culture and marks the first time Marimekko has designed a set of prints exclusively for a brand collaboration collection.

“IKEA and Marimekko share a strong Nordic heritage and a democratic approach to design, and both brands are committed to bringing joy to the everyday lives of people. We together chose sauna culture as a starting point for this collection not only because of Marimekko’s Finnish roots, but also because it reflects several of the positive aspects of the Nordic lifestyle such as inclusivity and closeness to nature – a sauna is typically a space to relax, enjoy, and be completely yourself.  With this playful collection, we hope to ignite a spark of sauna love and ultimately, bring the joy of sauna to people around the world”, says Rebekka Bay, Creative Director of Marimekko.

Marimekko lends their art of printmaking with IKEA’s mastery of home furnishings to pay homage to Nordic sauna bathing. The tradition, implanted in the culture of well-being and the everyday life of the people, was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. 

“We are looking into our Nordic design heritage and a fundamental part of our well-being culture. By combining Marimekko’s long history of making iconic prints and IKEA’s home furnishing knowledge, we want to spread the elements of this culture to help improve and bring joy to the everyday life of the many people”, says Henrik Most, Creative Leader at IKEA of Sweden.

While the IKEA x Marimekko collab remains unseen, the collection will be sold at most IKEA stores in March 2023.