Scandinavian aesthetic is back

Scandinavian aesthetic is back | Daily Tribune

Filipino design lovers, get ready to romanticize your indoor spaces like never before as Ikea just dropped something major.

Finally arriving in the Philippines, their adored and incredibly considered Stockholm collection serves everything we adore about home: coziness, purpose and soulful style.

The goal of Ikea’s Stockholm collection has been to infuse homes all over the world with coziness, simplicity, and that effortlessly cool Scandinavian energy for the past 40 years. It’s a way of life, not simply furniture.

With 93 pieces that honor natural materials, classic design and the subtle elegance of living well, Stockholm is back to celebrate this milestone in its largest and most expressive iteration to yet.

Every element of Stockholm feels deliberate, from long-lasting statement sofas to exquisite chandeliers, handcrafted wool rugs, and mouth-blown glass vases. Beautiful design that doesn’t feel out of reach is a reflection of Ikea’s enduring mission to improve everyday living.

The fact that the collection is named after Sweden’s capital is no surprise. With eight editions over the course of more than 40 years, Stockholm has developed alongside us, adding something fresh while maintaining the sleek, practical, and fashionable Scandinavian aesthetic — always at costs that won’t break the bank. Premium feelings are a major theme in this most recent and expansive edition from Ikea.

The collection offers a broad range of furnishings, fabrics, lighting, and accessories that are all expertly crafted from premium materials that are selected not just for their immediate appearance but also for their ability to age and become a part of your life over time.

“The purpose of the Stockholm collection has always been to prove that high quality doesn’t need to come at an intimidating cost,” says Karin Gustavsson, creative leader for Stockholm. “We have worked to create a no-compromise kind of collection where every piece tells a story. Craftsmanship is at the heart of this project, where traditional techniques and hands-on methods have resulted in durable and beautiful design pieces that stand the test of time.”

Three Swedish designers came together for this drop, each with their own creative language, but all working toward one cohesive vision. The result is a collection that feels harmonious, yet lets individual pieces stand out.

The vibe is more on deep earth tones mixed with natural woods, and textiles inspired by nature and the city of Stockholm itself. Two very different sofas were created as the starting point. One, by designer Ola Wihlborg, is a wide modular dream in four colors — including a deep turquoise velvet — that came from his own frustration with sofas that always need cushion-fluffing. The second, by Nike Karlsson, features a solid pine wood frame and white cushions. It’s an exploration in design without foam, using all-natural materials like woven fabric, natural latex, and coconut fiber. The result is a sofa that’s seriously comfy and built to last.

You’ll be glad to hear that the rattan moment from Stockholm 2017 is back and better than before. Still handcrafted with the same attention to detail, Nike’s classic rattan cabinet receives a modern makeover with a new sliding-door design. Rattan also appears in the backrest of a dining chair and is the focal point of a rattan-framed lounge chair with a plush boucle cushion on top.

The collection’s seats, bookshelves, and dining tables all exhibit a degree of craftsmanship that feels both timeless and up to date, giving it a raw beauty. For instance, beech wood is hand-bent into graceful curves and rounded arches by artisans using a traditional soaking procedure to create beech chairs. It is bringing artisan vitality into the modern era.

With lampshades printed with patterns inspired by leaves and mushrooms and color schemes straight out of the Scandinavian seasons, textile designer Paulin Machado brings the forest into your living space. Handwoven by skilled weavers, the 100 percent wool carpets feature birch tree designs and are available in grayscale black-and-white and tranquil green hues. Finally, the patterned pillowcases and merino wool blankets provide the ideal touch of cozy drama.

Living properly is what Stockholm is all about. It is an ode to the big indoors, where life’s true magic happens. Form meets function in this collection, which is the pinnacle of Ikea: it’s soft, fashionable, and authentic. It demonstrates that exquisite design only needs to feel like home; it doesn’t have to stand out.