The Ikea reflection for this year’s Milan Design Week is titled ‘Food For Thought’ and unfolds through a playful sequence of spaces dedicated to the interaction between living and eating, at Spazio Maiocchi. The exhibition also features the world premiere of three products from the new ‘Ikea PS 2026’ collection, an exclusive preview of the long-running ‘PS’ series’ wider tenth edition. In addition, two new 'statement floor lamps' by Milan-based Raffaella Mangiarotti round out the highlights.
‘Food for Thought’ installation by Ikea at Milan Design Week 2026
The journey begins with a culinary theme in the saluhall, the traditional Swedish market into which the courtyard has been transformed. Here, among hot dogs, porchetta, and cheeses, a stand offers a curious preview of the ‘meatball lollipop’ (seeing is believing), set to launch from May 2026 as part of a collaboration between Ikea and Chupa Chups.
Visitors then enter the main space, where the vibrant ‘Ikea PS 2026’ pieces are introduced (the full collection will be unveiled in mid-May): there’s an inflatable chair, a poetic bench, and a three-directional floor lamp.
‘Ikea PS 2026’ preview
The designers were given a precise brief (the objects had to be both practical and playful), and the first piece is a clever hybrid between a wooden bench and a rocking chair, designed by Marta Krupińska.
It is followed by ‘a multifunctional lamp’ by Alexander Pott, capable of functioning as an uplighter, spotlight and reading lamp in one. Inspired by the geometry of a cylinder, Pott cut steel at 45-degree angles to create joints that allow both head and base to rotate, offering multiple lighting options with just a few simple twists: ‘I made three prototypes from wooden broomsticks, cutting them into many different pieces,’ he explains. ‘I realised that a big part of the design is in the joinery and the angles. Together with Ikea, we recognised that if you make the joint adjustable and rotatable, you can actually go from one object to three functionalities.’
For the designer, creating an intuitive piece was essential: ‘I gave a lamp to my five-year-old son; he understood immediately that it was movable and after 20 seconds, he rotated it into another function.’ The lamp comes in three colourways: a bright yellow, a cobalt blue (‘a very DNA colour for Ikea’), and a classic warm burgundy.
Mikael Axelsson with his inflatable chair for the ‘Ikea PS 2026’ collection
Finally, inspired by Ikea’s mid-1990s air furniture, Mikael Axelsson approaches the concept through upholstery: ‘The core idea that I had was to have a metal frame and then kind of blow up a balloon within the metal frame,’ Axelsson says. Separate air chambers between seat and backrest ensure comfort while allowing for compact, portable packaging, while the bold green upholstery underscores its playful character.
Food meets design
The exhibition continues with five rooms that form the experiential core of the theme, each pairing a designer with a chef to explore how food and design shape everyday life, with inventive twists. London-based Oliver Lyttelton’s design joins forces with the Asian flavours of Tina Choi in a space inspired by a treehouse. India meets Italy through the traditional objects and textiles of interior designer Mehek Malhotra and the culinary approach of chef Maurizio Tentella. Playfulness and child-friendly design define the room by Lydia Chan, paired with the cuisine of Alessandra Lauria, where stools become lamps and walls turn into writable surfaces.
Lydia Chan and Alessandra Lauria designed the room ‘Do play with your food’
‘Room Self-Service’ celebrates the pleasure of eating in bed, conceived by Charlotte Taylor together with chef Ben Lippett. Lastly, Mexican duo Maye Ruiz and Rosio Sanchez present ‘Party at Your Place’: ‘For the living room, we wanted a tension and contrast between the private and the public. We went to a convent, because a lot of Mexican cuisine was created by nuns in convents during 16th century,’ says Ruiz, pointing to what she describes as the celestial blue of the walls, niches and ceramics. ‘We wanted to honour these women and also work on a concept of a girls' dinner.’
Throughout the week, a working kitchen hosts daily tastings resulting from the designer-chef collaborations, while the experience concludes with a visit to the ‘Billy café’, framed by the classic bookcase.
For the room ‘Party at Your Place’, the inspiration stems from Mexican convents
Ikea ‘Food for Thought’, Spazio Maiocchi, Via Achille Maiocchi 7, Milan