IKEA X HAY
“At IKEA, we are curious about the world. We believe in working with others because together we can accomplish so much more, offering better products and solutions to the many people.”
This October, IKEA launches their latest collaboration and it’s one I’m very excited about as it’s with Danish design company, HAY. The collection includes a wide variety of products, from larger pieces such as sofas and coffee tables all the way to smaller accessories like an updated version of the iconic blue IKEA bag which is something I use every day to take my parcels to the post office!
By combining materials, colours and production techniques, YPPERLIG is a collection of basics adapted to modern needs and wants.
Founded by Mette and Rolf Hay, HAY is a Danish design company that stretches from architecture to fashion and that’s synonymous with contemporary design.
While the two companies have a shared perspective on design, part of the collaboration’s success also comes from having a shared perspective on values.
“We felt immediately that IKEA was a very open culture, so they were not afraid of sharing. From my point of view, that’s one of the reasons why I was attracted to working with them, that we could actually learn something from one another,” says Rolf.
Mette agrees, “I think the times we are living in is so much about sharing experiences, the future is so much about collaborations. I feel that it is about doing the right collaborations, where both parties are bringing something to the table, and with IKEA and HAY I really felt that we both brought a lot to the table, and we did this together.”
Another thing that HAY and IKEA have in common is their interest in production, which sure helps considering that many decisions impacting the final design are made on the factory floor.
Being mostly focused on the larger furniture pieces of the collection, Rolf’s favourite is the monoblock chair, a dining chair made with an injection mould using a single shot of liquid plastic. The shot takes about 30 seconds, and out comes a comfortable, strong yet light chair that’s even suitable for public use. The team liked it so much that they also made a dining chair model, as well as a lower lounge chair.
When working with her own brand, Mette’s passion lies with the accessories. So when it came to YPPERLIG, it was only natural that this would be her focus too. Mette’s vision was all about giving new life to some of the most iconic IKEA pieces, and one of the products that were chosen was the IKEA blue bag – the new collection now contains three new versions of the bag, all of which are still true to the original version, but now with a twist of HAY.
Just for good measure, here are the products that really caught my eye – all design led classics but with that touch of Ikea accessibility. I hope you love them as much as I do.
