Learn more about our warrantyThis year’s Ikea shopping guide reflects the findings of a recent survey which found people are living in spaces and under arrangements very different from four decades ago. )For many, braving the crowds at Ikea for off-to-college or back-to-school shopping is an end-of-summer routine. That makes August one of the Swedish home retailer’s busiest months. It also marks the launch of the annual, much-anticipated catalogue. This year’s shopping guide reflects the findings of a recent survey conducted by Ikea: people are living in spaces and under arrangements very different from four decades ago when Ikea launched in Canada. The company’s latest Life at Home Report — a survey of 12,000 people in 12 cities around the world, including Toronto — acknowledges the social changes that have altered the way homes are arranged: the growth of single-person households, small spaces, shared or temporary accommodations, lack of housing, caring for elders at home and college grads moving back in. “We’re noticing a lot of open concept rooms in a home.
It’s often a shared space, with multiple generations doing different things,” Ikea spokeswoman Lucy Frechette says.Many of the catalogue’s images reflect loft-style and condo living, with exposed bricks and pipes, bikes in the hallway and multiple roommates under one roof. Families and friends eat at the coffee table or over the sink, kids play on bunk beds in the living room. While the full Ikea kitchen is still a dream for many homeowners, this year designers have come up with a kitchen that’s portable for a more transient generation of renters with a “thin wallet and a small space.” The guy in the photo has a man-bun, in case the millennial message wasn’t clear. Frechette says designers actually visited families in their homes for days at a time to observe routines and find out where frustrations lie — is it storage, counter space, privacy? — and then built products to make improvements. The stainless steel frame, complete with a spot for a minifridge and induction cooktop, is designed for compact appliances and homes.
it speaks to small space living and the need for a practical and affordable way to design a kitchen,” Frechette says. It connects to existing plumbing, and can be used as part of a home workshop as well. $183 Vallentuna sofa bedMany of the sofas in the catalogues are shown in multi-purpose ways, such as dining, sleeping and hanging out. Rooms in many modern homes are now “bedrooms in disguise,” Frechette says. The Vallentuna series is made with springs and a mattress pad as well. “A lot of sofas are couches in the day so there’s a sitting and entertainment area where you can watch TV in a living room environment, but it turns into a bedroom at night. It gives you that dual use.” This arrangement, $1,528Kalvia printed kitchen frontsFor those who can’t afford a total kitchen revamp, fashion designer and artist Martin Bergström designed six kitchen cupboard fronts in various sizes to freshen things up, compatible with different Ikea storage arrangements. For a much smaller investment, “you can have an entirely new kitchen,” Frechette says.
$112Lixhult storageIn what looks like a nod to Lego building blocks, the metal storage system is designed to adapt to large and small spaces. The multi-size units in primary colours can be stacked, flipped to create a room divider or privacy wall for open spaces, or mounted on the wall if square footage is limited. “You can put together wall unit or you can have one stand-alone item,” Frechette says. The units also come in a more calming grey and white. This setup, $210Gronadal rocking chairTraditional Vietnamese handicrafts and modern Scandinavian style are not often thought of together, but in the case of the new woven and lacquered rocking chair, it works. “It’s a different fusion. I don’t think Ikea has really done this before,” Frechette says. The chair is made at a rattan factory in Nha Trang, where various Ikea products are made. $149Sallskap limited edition product lineThe Sallskap catalogue page looks ripped from Pinterest or Instagram, with its chlorophyll greens and clean lines.
But the products take inspiration from century-old Swedish design principles, Frechette says. “They’ve modernized it, but kept the practicality of it,” such as the storage chairs, solid pine and black lacquer. The collection’s embroidery and patterns are also reminiscent of Scandinavian arts and crafts. Kvistbro storage tableTo keep clutter at bay, the storage bin also doubles as a side table. Toss books, blankets or kids toys inside, or leave it empty as a “piece of art,” Frechette says. $49.99Pulled salmon sandwichIn case you’ve tired of soft-serve ice cream or Swedish meatballs, a new salmon sandwich will be sold at Ikea restaurants. It’s made with farmed, smoked salmon certified sustainable by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. In another on-trend food invention from earlier this year, a vegetarian version of the famous meatballs is also available. $4.99Gladom tray tableIt might look like the makings of a dinner for one, but Frechette says the tray table can be used for serving and entertaining as well.
It’s made of a flexible metal and the top is removable, which makes it just as easy to clear wine glasses or a solo dinner of hummus and crackers. $, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. In celebration of the brand’s big 4-0, a round-up of the best new home items from its 2017 catalogue. Updated Aug 18, 2016 It’s a big month for IKEA Canada: Not only is the brand rolling out its much-anticipated 2017 catalogue, but it’s also celebrating its 40th anniversary on Canadian soil. That’s four decades of huge blue bags, mystifying model names — seriously, how do you pronounce Ljusöga? — and attempting in vain to assemble bookshelves by yourself. And because the best way to celebrate is shopping, here are 40 clever, affordable items you can find in the 2017 catalogue. Ikea Canada’s new, eco-friendly line is here — and it’s gorgeous What it feels like to live with chronic cancer 12 ways to use eggplant in dinner tonight