Tag Archives: ikea

IKEA reveals gaming furniture collection that blends perfectly with modern interiors

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There’s something about gamers that reflects in their overall persona and living space. You can walk into a home and instantly tell it’s a gamer’s den. IKEA wants to condition this perception by making a gamer’s living space more accommodating and comfortable for their non-gaming family members or close pals. Taking a detour from the usual dark-themed setups, the BRÄNNBOLL collection of gaming furniture fuses the best of both worlds.

This subtle collection of 20 versatile items makes even more sense as gaming-themed interiors or furniture items are draped in dark-colored hues. Even IKEA’s previous gaming-themed ROG collection was following the norm. This time around the Swedish multinational wants to concentrate more on the simplistic color schemes that are relevant even when you are not gaming, or when other members of the family are around. According to IKEA, the colors used in this collection are inspired by athleisure and street sports. They’ve balanced these hues with neutral and bright colors, so that they easily mix with the modern home interior design.

Designer: IKEA

According to Ikea product design developer Philip Dilé, the collection is about “making it simple for people to create spaces that adapt to gaming, living, and everything in between.” Coming on to the new collection, there is a desk, chairs, storage solutions and accessories that’ll not only appeal to gamers, but also normal users. A deeper insight into the collection reveals a focus on seating. There’s a fold-out armchair that converts into a lounge for playing intense Battle Royale titles, a rocking-style chair for relaxed gaming in utmost comfort, and an inflatable donut chair having a footstool for casual arcade games.

The most luring item in this collection for me is the gaming station that folds away to resemble a contemporary cupboard. It’s like a hidden portal to your gaming island, only revealed when you are in the mood for some serious gaming on your PC or gaming console. The unit includes a foldable tabletop, cable management system, cleverly incorporated PC tower storage, side table that doubles as a storage box and shelves. IKEA has included textile accessories including a mousepad, a throw and a rug to make your PC gaming a satisfying experience every time you open the cabinet doors.

The collection comes with a rollable side table with pegboard customizations to keep your handheld device, gadgets controllers, headphones and of course popcorn basket. Other than this, BRÄNNBOLL collection has the option to pick up wall-mounted display shelves to show off your collectibles and merchandise. There’s no word about the pricing or availability of the collection, but it is expected to be slated to be released in September this year. We should have more information coming in the months leading up to the release, and we are already excited.

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IKEA JETSTRÖM smart LED wall light panel embodies the brand’s minimalist spirit

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It’s almost too easy to get into the smart lighting scene, especially if you consider bulbs you can simply screw on, string lights you just need to hang, or panels you can stick to walls or other flat surfaces. That said, the theory might be simple, but the design and features of these smart lights can sometimes be complex and confusing, requiring owners to spend time, effort, and energy on setting up the “perfect” installation. Ever the masters of minimalism, IKEA is fighting against the flow with its newest smart light design, basically just a simple, nondescript square panel that does one thing but does it to beautiful perfection.

Designer: Andreas Fredriksson (IKEA)

IKEA can probably be credited for popularizing two things: flat-packed furniture, and Scandinavian minimalism. Granted, some of its designs straddle the fine line separating design trends, and it has also become infamous for simple yet overpriced products. The new IKEA JETSTRÖM, however, seems to go back to the roots of the brand’s design language, championing elegant minimalism that can fit any interior motif over complex shapes and features.

Like the ceiling lamp of the same name, the new JETSTRÖM is a single-piece lighting panel, this time just a 30cm x 30cm (11.8in x 11.8in) square. It’s not a plain square though, as it has rounded corners and curved edges, softening some of the harshness that usually comes from straight edges and inorganic forms. There’s only one color available for the diffuser cover, and you can’t really go wrong with white in order to blend well with different wall colors and decors.

That’s pretty much it in terms of visual design and aesthetics. There are no connecting mechanisms to worry about, as each JETSTRÖM is intended to be a self-sufficient and sometimes isolated unit. You can place several of these squares side by side if you want to, but there’s no requirement or expectation to do so, unlike wall-mounted smart lights like those from Nanoleaf. In a way, it’s a “what you see is what you get” kind of experience, and it’s a simple yet powerful one.

It might look simple, but the JETSTRÖM isn’t lacking in smart lighting features, at least when it comes to the essentials. The default cold white light can be made warmer to set the mood, or set to different colors to match a theme. All of these can be set from the IKEA Home mobile app, whether on its own or in concert with other IKEA smart lights via the DIRIGERA hub. To keep things even simpler, you can use a dedicated remote, though that’s a separate purchase. And contrary to expectations, the IKEA JETSTRÖM actually only costs around $44, which is pretty affordable for a large smart LED panel, especially one that comes from IKEA.

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IKEA pet accessories collection is the minimalist vibe for fur babies

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The past years we’ve seen the growth of “fur parents” so this means there’s also a significant spike in products that will appeal to this market. There are a lot of options out there when it comes to accessories for dogs, cats, and all other pets that may need different kinds of habitats, toys, etc. But when a big name brand puts a lot of effort into research and product development for our fur babies, then they immediately catch our attention.

Designer: IKEA

Swedish brand IKEA is getting into the pet world craze with their UTSÅDD collection that is meant to bring joy not just to the cats and dogs but to their “parents” as well. The brand came up with this 29-piece collection by consulting with veterinarians and pet product specialists and also testing it out on those who will actually be using the products, the cats and dogs themselves.

This means that the products are not just well-designed but also are dishwasher-safe, water-repellant, machine-washable, durable, and of course safe and gentle for the pets. The collection has some items for playtime like the soft toys for dogs and the play tunnel for cats but also has functional ones like pet bowls, beds, and houses. The habitats in particular, like the dog bed and the cat house can both be fun and useful.

The collection will be available globally starting this April. And like with a lot of IKEA products, there is a wide range when it comes to affordability with items ranging between USD $2-70. Also as with most items with the Swedish brand, expect a clean and minimalist vibe.

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Ikea repurposes old uniforms into new lifestyle collection

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Over the past years, we’ve “stanned” brands that not only uses sustainable materials but are also able to upcycle and recycle materials to create new products. We’ve become conscious about how we consume things (well, hopefully, we’ve actually become conscious of it) and how this consumption culture affects this planet we’re living in. Ikea is trying to capture our hearts by creating a new lifestyle line created from materials that they themselves had to discard.

Designer: Ikea

The Swedish brand will be launching their newest collection called VÄXELBRUK which is uniquely made from their recycled coworker uniforms that were discarded when they introduced new attire back in 2020. So instead of just throwing these old uniforms into the trash heaps, they came up with new products that were made from 300 tonnes of these “useless” IKEA uniforms. If you’re not a fan of yellow and blue though, you might want to look elsewhere, even though they managed to tone down the colors considerably without dyeing the textile, which can be more expensive and resource-intensive.

The collection features 16 textile-based items that use the aforementioned old uniforms. This includes things like throw pillows, bags, cushion covers, and even curtains. They are not entirely made from the uniform textile though as they are blended with other recycled materials like polyester from used PET bottles. They also even included some of the “faulty” new uniforms so they will also not go to waste. The inclusion of other materials also helped to alter the colors that are normally so bright.

If you didn’t know that they were made from discarded co-worker uniforms, you’ll just think they’re normal Ikea products that use the iconic colors of the brand. But knowing there they come from makes it even more interesting. The VÄXELBRUK (which means interchangeable use in the Swedish language) collection will be released in February 2024 across Europe stores.

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IKEA DAJLIEN exercise and fitness gear will fill your home gym with pastel hues in 2024

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Arguably, the COVID-19 pandemic has made some dramatic changes to our lifestyle. A prominent one, personally experienced, is the curtailed visits to the gym. In the post-pandemic era, therefore, there has been a tremendous rise in home gyms and the probable equipment to fill them up. To that accord, IKEA wants to pitch in. But the Swedish furniture giant has its own way of doing it. It doesn’t want you to have a separate room for your gym, in fact, every bit of the furniture and equipment humbly adjusts wherever you keep it.

Enter the pastel-colored DAJLIEN collection: A consortium of 19 compact and versatile gear you can use as part of your living and exercising routine. The equipment here is not extraordinary; each one of them is easily identifiable and usable, like the options we have had over the years. The only difference is, that the fantabulous collection includes stress relief and recovery gear.

Designer: IKEA

Made with the idea to help people live a more active lifestyle without the use of metal bars or drives to the gyms. The collection is making heads turn at the Art Basel Miami, where it is on showcase, before being available for purchase in January 2024. Before you head that way, be familiar with the expansive assortment of products on the list.

IKEA is offering equipment in a colorful blend of subtle green, yellow, and white, which allows it to gel naturally with the home and everyday environment. These include ring-shaped dumbbells, exercise mats, and step-up boards, which can all be stacked away when not in use. Interestingly, the collection has an air purifier, slippers, two distinct ponchos, a portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker for post-workout sessions, and kneepads, yoga straps, and more for recovery.

The highlight of the DAJLIEN is a wooden bench that doubles as storage. Designed to help with a range of bench exercises, it can allow the user to store the gear in the bench by lifting the lid. Beneath, the bench has a non-slip mat and it comes with a clean top so it can be used as a coffee table at home. All-in-all the collection, with all the gear, included, helps bridge the gap between home and active life and gives users another reason to invite IKEA into their homes.

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IKEA’s 2023 Advent Calendar is a Christmas-themed Diorama of Tiny Treats

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While traditional advent calendars from the 1850s were designed as cards with biblical verses in them, counting down the days to Christmas, modern-day advent calendars make the process a little more fun by including tiny gifts that build up the anticipation to the 25th of December. Major brands participate in the Advent Calendar trend, and IKEA isn’t one to be left out. The Vinterfint Advent Calendar comes flat-packed like every IKEA product, and needs to be assembled together. Put the pieces together and you end up creating an adorable Christmas-themed diorama with characters, houses, trees, and a few snowmen too! Under each of these objects lies a small trinket or chocolate that sparks joy every day for the 24 days before the grand celebration!

Designer: IKEA

The Vinterfint advent calendar opens up to reveal an adorable Christmas scene featuring Santa, snowmen, and a few goats from the nativity display. You’ve also got decked-up Christmas trees and classic countryside-roofed houses amidst a snowy landscape.

Each paper object can be lifted up to reveal goodies underneath, featuring a selection of chocolates including pralines, nougats, and truffles, ensuring a sweet treat for each day leading up to Christmas. IKEA designer Paulin Machado envisioned it as a way to engage in holiday arts and crafts, providing everything needed to create a winter landscape complete with Christmas trees and snowmen.

The broader VINTERFINT collection, which the Advent Calendar is a part of, is IKEA’s way of creating a cozy atmosphere that falls in line with its brand ethos as well as the warm holiday spirit. The collection, inspired by Scandinavian folklore and traditional handicrafts, includes items like table linen, tree ornaments, gift bags, and wrapping paper. The wrapping paper, for instance, features horses, fire trees, and red apples, a nod to IKEA’s Swedish roots, infusing traditional Swedish folk art with a modern twist.

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Top 10 IKEA-worthy furniture designs for your home

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A beautiful piece of furniture can complete a room. It can be the final piece that makes a space come full circle, building a comfortable and cohesive haven, rather than a random area. Furniture pieces make or break a home, they add on to the essence or soul of a home, hence one needs to be extremely picky while choosing a furniture design. The design should be a reflection of you, and what you want your home to be. When you place a piece of furniture in a room, it should instantly integrate with the space, creating a wholesome and organic environment. We’ve curated a collection of IKEA-worthy furniture designs that we believe will do this! From a bookshelf with a plot twist to a chair with an innovative joint solution – each of these pieces is unique, well-crafted, and made with a whole lot of love, and the love really shines through in the fine detailing and workmanship. We hope you feel the love too!

1. The Peach Easy Chair

The Peach Easy Chair was designed by Annabella Hevesi to introduce and experiment with a new and innovative mechanical joint. The intriguing chair features a unique mechanical joint solution that enables the foam to be shaped in a new and refreshing manner.

Why is it noteworthy?

The joint enables the foam to be shaped without cutting or casting – the first method creates a lot of waste, and the second method is quite expensive. Instead, a new ‘tufting’ technique was employed to distort the foam and create the shell out of the chair.

What we like

  • Not only reduces waste but also offers a mechanical connection between the components, eliminating the need for glue

What we dislike

  • The chairs offers a slouched posture, which may not be ergonomic for the user.

2. The Drum Stool

Designed By Teixeira Design Studio, The Drum stool is a minimal, clean, and stackable stool design that is also super sustainable. Although it looks like an adorable little wine cork, you will realize it offers so much more, once you take a closer look.

Why is it noteworthy?

Materials such as cork and wood were selected by Teixeira to build the stool, instantly making it a sustainable design. Cork was utilized to build the seat, while wood was used to create the legs.

What we like

  • The cork seat is comfortable and inviting and provides a grip while handling, so the stool is quite easy to move around and place in different positions

What we dislike

  • The wave pattern of the trimmed cork seat seems uncomfortable to sit on for long durations

3. The Centenniale Coffee Table

Joanna Laajisto designed the Centenniale coffee table for the Finnish brand Nikari. The sturdy and minimal coffee table was built using 100-year-old wood, and it was designed with the intention to embrace the cracks and imperfections of the old timber.

Why is it noteworthy?

The entire coffee table was constructed from a single piece of wood, and it features a sharp-edged and elongated tabletop that is supported by blocky and chonky legs with rounded edges.

What we like

  • The different elements of the table beautifully showcase the unique and versatile variations and textures in the timber
  • The table features a rather low-profile which adds magnitudes to its overall character and personality

What we dislike

  • Aesthetics are a bit simple and unassuming

4. The Cheviot Side Table

Designed by Ylisse, the Cheviot side table is built from sturdy steel featuring a long-lasting, heat-cured powder-coating finish. The finish offers resistance to everyday wear and tear. The table can be procured in two combinations – elegant walnut to match the black base, or iconic cherry to complement the white base.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Cheviot side table is a sophisticated and comfortable piece of furniture, with a simple and contrasting shape that perfectly complements modern homes. It features a mix of textures and contrasts which provide depth to our contemporary living spaces and supports a streamlined aesthetic.

What we like

  • Compact + space-saving design
  • Minimal and clean aesthetics

What we dislike

  • Colors may change over time, providing the wood with a more amber color – which may not be preferred by some

5. The Blu Dot Port Dining Chair

The Blu Dot Port Dining chair is a comfortable and stylish chair with a sculpted wood seat featuring elegant contours. The well-designed piece of furniture maintains a graceful aesthetic, while also managing to be functional and practical.

Why is it noteworthy?

The dining chair features a shapely and cozy bent plywood and back, which provides enhanced comfort during meal times. It has been equipped with a solid wood frame and legs, which is excellent for interacting with guests and spending time with family

What we like

  • The plastic glides on the feet prevent the floor surfaces from getting scratched or scraped

What we dislike

  • Aesthetics are a bit boring and unassuming

6. The Bower Studios Melt Daybed

The Bower Studios Melt Daybed is the ultimate daybed to relish and enjoy the lazy summer afternoons. The cozy bed has been equipped with soft cushioning wrapped around a solid wood frame, which serves as the perfect space for relaxation.

Why is it noteworthy?

The comfortable daybed features a little bump rest for your head or arm, so you can always lie down and relax in a cozy position. The Melt Daybed measures 86″ by 32″ by 23″, providing you with an ample amount of space to unwind and chill, or read your favorite book.

What we like

  • Availability in a variety of colors and finishes, so you can pick a style that complements your home decor

What we dislike

  • Bulky + space-consuming design

7. The Flow Single Sofa

This minimal, elegant, and chic-looking armchair is called the Flow Single Sofa and is part of SUNRUI’s FLOW Collection. It literally looks like the Queen’s Chair if you look closely enough!

Why is it noteworthy?

The armchair has a bulky, space-consuming, and yet deeply elegant form that manages to represent, as well as downplay, the stoicness of the sofa. It has been equipped with spiral armrests that provide the sofa with a sophisticated and classy air.  The spiral armrests add an interesting and artistic element to the sofa and also quite amusingly resemble the Ionic Order. The Ionic Order is one of the orders of classic architecture and is defined by twin volutes or spiral scrolls.

What we like

  • Meets the needs of humans and pets alike
  • Creates a shared space where the owner and cat can spend some quality time together

What we dislike

  • If your pet pees or poops inside the armrests, it could be challenging to clean up

8. The Scissor Side Table

The Scissor Side Table features a round metallic tabletop that is supported by a bright red infinite metal tube. The metallic tube and its bold color instantly command attention, and the tube also functions as a useful handle to hold on to, if you want to move the table from one room to another.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Scissor side table’s innovative handle makes it a portable + easy to carry-around design, that you can conveniently transport from one place to another. Much like its name suggests, the Scissor side table does look like a scissor indeed, providing it with a stark metallic appearance, and a bold personality.

What we like

  • Portable and flexible design

What we dislike

  • Since it is a concept, we wonder if the lightweight tabletop may tilt if heavy objects are placed on one side

9. The Pessoa Table

Minimalist desks are great at sneaking organizational features into hidden nooks and crannies, but this striking work table has those compartments and spaces hiding in plain sight.

Why is it noteworthy?

Given the desk’s simple yet beautiful appearance, it might come as a surprise to learn that its form is actually inspired by three very different people with very different personalities. Or, to be more precise, the desk is named after the famed Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa, whose different “heteronyms” (he doesn’t want to call them pseudonyms) have different and sometimes extremely conflicting ideologies. But almost like a metaphor for that situation, the Pessoa table still retains a unified appearance and beauty, just as all of Pessoa’s seventy-five heteronyms spring from the same man.

What we like

  • Minimal + vintage looks
  • Features two containers that float in the back panel

What we dislike

  • Space-consuming design

10. Plot Twist Bookshelf

PLOT TWIST Bookshelves

PLOT TWIST Bookshelf Concept

Prolific German furniture designer Deniz Aktay has recently introduced the Plot Twist Bookshelf. It’s a piece of furniture that features four separate twisted wooden elements. They are connected to each other, shaping and creating a stable form.

Why is it noteworthy?

The bookshelf’s design allows it to be accessed from every side. As with most of Deniz Aktay’s product designs, this bookshelf is oddly satisfying. The curves are present as with the designer’s other projects. In addition, most of Aktay’s works have undergone some bending or twisting, as with the Wavelet, the Tie Stool, and The Pet Table.

What we like

  • The shelves can accommodate similarly sized books for a clutter-free look
  • The bookshelf is stable and stands on its own

What we dislike

  • Does not cater to books of all sizes

The post Top 10 IKEA-worthy furniture designs for your home first appeared on Yanko Design.

AI helps IKEA design a modular couch that can be transported in a big envelope

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Ordinary people don’t really think about thinking of new ways to innovate pieces of furniture like tables, chairs, beds, and couches. Most people probably just think of buying something that is practical, comfortable, and does what it’s supposed to do. But product designers are always out there thinking of new ways to make things like these more portable, more interesting, or basically, just better. The addition of generative artificial intelligence into the equation has helped them come up with out-of-the-box concepts that later on get turned to prototypes.

Designer: Space10 and Panter&Tourron

If you’ve ever thought the day would never come when you can pack a couch into an envelope (a big one though), then you are apparently almost wrong. With the help of AI, a Copenhagen-based design company was able to come up with a speculative design for a modular couch that can be packed into a bag and transported easily. The flat-packed furniture was soon turned into a prototype that is on display at the Copenhagen Architecture Festival. Although it will probably be some time before we actually see this available, it still brings up interesting possibilities.

When they found out the right keywords and iterations to help the image generative AI tools like MidJourney and DALL-E, they were able to start on a design for the ideal flat-pack couch. The final design output showed a bench type of couch that can fit in two people comfortably and includes adjustable wings and cushions. When you need to move or transport it, it can be flat packed and put into a tote bag that’s shaped like an envelope so no need to hire movers and be stressed with moving that couch.

They went beyond just having a design and created a prototype since AI cannot determine whether something will actually be usable, let alone comfortable. While we probably won’t be seeing this in the market anytime soon, it can start a discussion on how they can come up with products that are able to solve the pain points of the current ones in the market. Of course there is still a lot of discussion going on about AI but using it as a tool is something that designers can really explore.

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The Ultimate Nike x IKEA Mashup: These Sporty Home Decor Items Were Created by an AI

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Although a Nike x IKEA mashup would probably be unlikely to us humans, it’s well within the realm of possibility for artificial intelligence! These unusual, quirky products were created by an AI, thanks to some pretty great prompting from AI-artist ‘Str4ngeThing’. The collaboration features your everyday IKEA home decor, but with a sporty, Nike-inspired twist. You’ve got kitchen equipment, lamps, and planters galore. If there’s one thing worth noticing, the products don’t have a flat-pack-friendly design that’s common to a lot of IKEA’s products, but then again, an AI can only do so much, right?!

Designer: Str4ngeThing (via Midjourney)

Nike X IKEA Casserole Pot

The Nike X IKEA Casserole Pot looks like it’s taken right out of a sports company’s playbook. You’ve got rounded forms reminiscent of a kettlebell, although that beige-ish color makes the casserole pot look much more worthy of being in a kitchen. The AI does a pretty good job of making the casserole pot look like it’s made from enamel-coated iron, although the form feels MUCH more Nike than it does a Le Creuset. You’ll also notice that the AI messed up the handle on the left – a pretty common problem with diffusion-based text-to-image models.

Nike X IKEA Night Light

If there’s one thing I really respect Str4ngeThing for, it’s their ability to get text right within the image. AI tools like Midjourney often do a horrendous job with generating text within images, so seeing an accurate ‘Nike’ and the swoosh icon on the product really impresses me. You’ve got yourself a Gantri-style tabletop lamp here, with a similar warm, beige-ish colorway. A switch on the wire lets you toggle the lamp’s inner LED lighting, which fills your room with a warm, ambient glow. That debossed logo on the lampshade hits pretty hard too, making it a great collectible for any Nike lover!

Nike X IKEA Eco Plant Pot

The Eco Plant Pot is a pretty adorable cross between a Nike poster and a wall-hanging planter. Whether it’s made from concrete or plastic isn’t immediately clear, but it does look pretty cool, although it isn’t really for everyone. A Nike x IKEA collab is far more likely to have a niche audience than a broad one. What’s great about this planter, however, is the fact that it gives the plant a sporty personality, positioning it right above the Nike swoosh!

Nike X IKEA Clock Coffee Mug

You’re running late for work. You quickly grab a cup of hot coffee, and as you sip it, you tilt your hand over to look at the time. As a result, the coffee pours right onto you, and you’re now a burning mess. Nope. Not efficient at all. This quirky coffee mug comes with its own built-in clock that lets you time your breakfast or your coffee break. It isn’t the most ingenious product ever made, but in the interest of exploring something fun, the Nike x IKEA Clock Coffee Mug definitely ticks all the boxes! Although I imagine having a battery anywhere close to your coffee isn’t a particularly good idea.

Nike X IKEA Stoneware Plate

Here’s a perfect example of a product for a niche audience. This stoneware plate isn’t particularly designed for relishing a plate of pasta, but it makes for a great aesthetic addition to your table spread. The paleo-inspired plate comes with what looks like caveman carvings and a Nike swoosh on it. The textures on the plate are pretty strong, which makes it rather difficult to clean… but then again, I wouldn’t want to put any gravy or oil-based item on this plate. It’s more suited for nachos or some lavash bread that you can dip into queso, guac, or hummus.

Nike X IKEA Eco Plant Lamp

The Eco Plant Lamp is arguably my favorite product just for how quirky and attractive it is. Designed to look like an Air Jordan, this ceiling-hung piece of decor holds a plant inside its hollow form… but wait! That’s not all! The outsole of the planter also comes with a lamp built in, which shines light onto a wall or the floor, making for an INCREDIBLY eclectic piece of lighting that I really hope someone builds and sells on Etsy! I’d pay good money for this!

Nike X IKEA Hoover

Call this one Air Max because it sucks air with maximum power! This Nike x IKEA hoover sports a rather sneaker-inspired design, especially with the use of fabric-like materials on the clad, and what feels like a body and outsole-ish structure. I’m not really sure whether IKEA even sells hoovers (or vacuum cleaners if you live outside the US), but this particular concept has a certain appeal that makes me want to believe that IKEA absolutely could if it wanted!

Nike X IKEA Bluetooth Plant Speaker

This concept has my heart too, for its ability to combine two of my favorite things in the world – plants and music! This inventive Bluetooth speaker also houses a planter within it, in the interest of enriching you as well as your green buddy with some wonderful tunes. IKEA usually tends to collaborate with other companies over audio products (Sonos and Teenage Engineering), and this would probably be their third. The product has a pretty Bose-ish appeal to it, barring the fact that there’s a massive Nike swoosh running along the front. The AI didn’t imagine any controls, although Str4ngeThing did add a Bluetooth icon to the top of the speaker. Above it lies the planter, which allows your speaker to function less as an appliance and more as haute home decor!

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Ikea experiments with generative AI for possible new furniture design

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Regardless of how you feel about Artificial Intelligence, it’s an interesting time to explore what creativity means in this age. We don’t believe that all these new technologies will replace writers, artists, and designers but these are tools that individuals and brands can look into when it comes to creating new products. There’s a lot of ongoing debate on how technology like this is a detriment to how we’ve been coming up with new things but there’s also space for using it to harness creative ideas.

Designer: Joss Fong and Áron Filkey/courtesy Space10

Space10 is a Swedish design agency that Ikea has been funding and uses as a research and design partner that cab explore technology like AI, augmented reality, and Web3. They used generative AI to experiment with futuristic-looking designs based on old Ikea catalogs which they used as data sets. The results are pretty interesting and some may actually be the basis for designing new pieces for the brand in the future. If you didn’t know it was just an experiment, you can even think that they’re actual products from the brand’s latest catalog.

The various designs that the generative AI was able to produce was a mixed bag and also depended on the decade of the catalog used for the data set. Those that were from the 70s were more colorful and playful while those from the 80s had a cleaner and more minimalistic look. Not all of them are actually something that can be produced though since they looked pretty impractical and some even violate the laws of nature. Some even had missing parts that would make the furniture functional which will defeat the purpose.

So despite the amazing things that AI can generate, there still needs to have a human touch in terms of finalizing and fine-tuning the designs. If you’re willing to work with generative AI like what Ikea is doing with Space10, you can use it as inspiration or a starting point for coming up with new products. There’s still a lot of things like ethics and intellectual property that we still need to figure out but don’t start thinking of it as the enemy of creativity.

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