IKEA’s new line of furniture takes cues from nature, 2002.
This year, IKEA’s launch party for the new furniture catalog moved locations from its North York warehouse to a much smaller boutique store on King St. East.
And, in the weeks leading up to the party, the move seem to pay off. (Well, people were talking anyway.)
But with the smaller venue came less space to wander around to look at furniture, and therefore less furniture to look at. This wouldn’t have anything to do with the actual furniture design if IKEA didn’t also migrate its big box mindset to the faux boutique-style.
The traditional airy, factory, shopping-for-my-first-apartment IKEA atmosphere was turned on its head. In its place was a crowd of amped-up fashionistas and dainty loft furniture.
Themes this year include black and white, like that bar Lobby on Bloor St. West, and nature (because, according to an IKEA rep there, we’re all thinking of the environment this year). The end result was more chincy chintzy than chic, with a dead animal rug being the worst offender.
Of course it wasn’t all bad. There was a few giant chairs, like the one picture at the top of this piece, that I could see myself and maybe two others sitting comfortably in. I also liked the centerpiece of the bedroom set – a white-on-white sled bed with a total of six pillows. Throw in one of the bright orange tablettes and you’ve got yourself one swanky dorm room.
But the overall look – the attempt at sleek with the black and white (so 2002) and floral wall art (nature!) – makes IKEA look even more out-of-place downtown.
