Ikea just launched its latest PS collection, and it's full of playful surprises. An initiative started in the 1990s, PS is Ikea's way to engage with experimental design within the domestic realm. 'We decided to take a long hard look at ourselves. Sure, we made furniture, but was it design?' Reads a note introducing the concept. 'The world around us had started making interpretations of Scandinavian design, but with ridiculously high prices. Wasn’t it time to make Scandinavian design accessible to a lot more people than just those with really fat wallets? This was our opportunity.'
What followed were three decades of experimenting with the possibilities of affordable furniture within the home, with concepts including 'The Democratic Home', 'Inspired by History, Designed for Today' and the latest iteration, 'Playful Functionality'.
Ikea furniture is here to play
'Central to Ikea PS is the idea that simplicity doesn't have to be boring, but that it can reveal design in its purest and most engaging form,' says Maria O'Brian, creative leader at Ikea. 'My hope is that through interaction and surprise, this simplicity gives way to discovery, with objects that have multiple functions and unexpected details that make people happy.'
Happiness seems a thread running through the collection, with pieces designed for interaction and smiles. From a rocking bench to an inflatable armchair, masks for your wall and adjustable furniture, there is a lot to like in this colourful and carefully conceived series.
'Too much design is treated as precious and untouchable,' says Ikea designer Mikael Axelsson, the mind behind the cleverly conceived inflatable chair. 'I wanted to create the opposite response, with something that engages your interest and curiosity. When furniture invites play like that, it becomes something you use and live with fully, that brings joy into the everyday.'
Here are some of our favourite pieces from Ikea's new collection.
Ikea Play: Wallpaper* favourites to buy now
