Ikea's New Sinnerlig Collection by Ilse Crawford

Alright, we know I have a massive love-hate relationship with Ikea. Love the stuff. Hate the place.

What I have learned from past (mis)adventures: do not take your children with you to Ikea. Like, ever. Because they will turn into wildebeests, and you will think that your marriage is falling apart, until you finally make it out alive and realize:

Oh, I don’t hate you.

I hate the store.

That said, they’ve got some really, really good stuff (oooo the Marketplace), and I will most certainly be making a (child-free, please) trip to pick up some pieces for our new house once we’re all moved in. (And no, I haven’t found said house yet; I have a househunting trip planned for next month; fingers crossed.)

And! If you’re bored to death of your Malm dressers and Ektorp sofas (I’ve owned ’em both, and I’m betting so have you), interesting news: the store just released images of a brand-new collection, Sinnerlig, by London-based designer Ilse Crawford of STUDIOILSE, who is apparently very fashion-y and very Hot Right Now and et cetera et cetera.

Fun. It’s not available until August, but let’s take a look anyway.

Basically, the collaboration is all about simple, neutral shapes that work in virtually any decor style and incorporate natural materials (cork is a big one) to offer a counterpoint to the flat, high-gloss finish that characterizes a lot of Ikea products. The point was apparently not to create big, bold, design-y pieces, but rather to keep it all extremely understated so it would be as versatile as possible. According to the designer: “It is quite low key but we deliberately designed it like that. We see it as background, it’s not trying to compete with these fantastic icons of design—it’s a different thing.”

Okay.

But…

Hm.

I mean, I don’t hate this sideboard and stool; it’s not terrible, and I could see it lending a simple, utilitarian vibe to a space…but it also makes me kind of want to fall asleep. I don’t think it’s an especially good sign that the first thing I thought when I saw the above photo was “ooh, I should buy some ivy, but I definitely shouldn’t get it at Ikea because apparently Ikea ivy is dead.”

Now, these hand-blown glass bottles I’m totally on board with. They’re the good kind of simple: the kind that adds a kind of easy elegance to a space (and you could use them as decanters, vases, pitchers, whatever). And oh, look! Cork. (At least the collection is super-consistent.)