Playful functionality | IKEA PS 2026 collection
In an exclusive conversation with the design team behind IKEA PS 2026, we explore how the brand is blending quirk with sophisticated functionality to redefine modern interiors
Is your living room suffering from a mid-life crisis between soulless Pinterest-copied design and online-shopping clutter? It’s time to stop choosing between a museum and a mess. Enter the IKEA PS 2026 collection, the design world’s equivalent of a cheeky wink in a room full of serious stares. While the rest of the industry is busy arguing over beige vs greige, IKEA is bringing back the ‘twinkle in the eye’.
Is your living room suffering from a mid-life crisis between soulless Pinterest-copied design and online-shopping clutter? It’s time to stop choosing between a museum and a mess. Enter the IKEA PS 2026 collection, the design world’s equivalent of a cheeky wink in a room full of serious stares. While the rest of the industry is busy arguing over beige vs greige, IKEA is bringing back the ‘twinkle in the eye’.
THE DOPAMINE BALANCE
Maria O’Brien, a 13-year IKEA veteran and the creative lead behind the range, describes the collection as a delicate balancing act. “The challenge was to make something that felt simple and elegant, but had that releaser of dopamine, a smile or a moment of joy,” explains O’Brien. This is evident in pieces like the periscope clock and vases with ears, sophisticated enough for a dinner party, but quirky enough to make you grin every time you check the time or freshen the flowers.
HIGH-TECH LABORATORY
For IKEA, the PS line isn’t just a limited collection; it’s a high-tech laboratory. “The innovations tested here, such as advanced wood-bending techniques for benches and solid wood back panelling for wardrobes,” shares designer Mikael Axelsson. These breakthroughs are slated to migrate into the core IKEA catalogue over the next five years.
DESIGN WITH A HUMAN TOUCH
Despite the heavy R&D, the collection celebrates craftsmanship. Highlights include a handwoven pine cabinet inspired by traditional boat building and a plywood chair that serves as a love letter to tactile materials in an era of mass-produced plastic. Designer Lex Pott emphasises that this physical interaction is crucial, especially for small-space living. His versatile lamp, for instance, requires intuitive rotation to switch between an uplight, spotlight or reading light. “The physical interaction results in a change of atmosphere,” shares Pott. “It makes the object more readable and easy to understand.”
LIVING WITH THE PROTOTYPES
Before these products reach Indian shores, they undergo a unique ritual, home testing. Members of the design team take prototypes into their own homes to live with them. O’Brien shares a heart warming anecdote about the woven pine cabinet. “I’ve been home-testing it as a wardrobe for my one-year-old. The handles go all the way down, so he can open it himself. It’s chaotic because he pulls everything out, but I love that he has that control and interaction with a piece that wasn’t originally intended for him.”
GLOBAL VISION, LOCAL NEEDS
IKEA’s Democratic Design doesn’t ignore regional nuances. To make a collection work for both Sweden and India, the team holds annual wish list meetings where representatives from every market share local insights. “In India, you might need metal plates; in China, it’s specific bowls,” says O’Brien.
DESIGNER FAVOURITES
When asked to pick their favourite pieces from the collection, Pott chose the rocking bench and inflatable armchair for their hidden layers of joy and functionality. Axelsson opted for the versatile lamp for its ability to speak to and transform a space. While O’Brien picked the flat-pack chair for its sheer practicality and ease of movement.
As the PS 2026 collection prepares for its global launch, the team is already looking toward the horizon, proving that the most successful designs are those that serve the home while making the heart a little lighter.
