Now that it’s impossible to escape the back-to-school hubbub that reminds us another too-short summer is coming to a close, we may as well accept it. So join me as I present Swedish for Canadians, just in time for the arrival of the annual Ikea catalogue.
The definition of Ikea is, not surprisingly, Swedish furniture store. Child in Swedish is barn, which takes me back to the days when my exasperated Mother, surveying the tornado aftermath that was my bedroom, would ask, “Were you born in a barn?” I wish I had known back then that my clever retort could have been, “No Mom, I am a barn!”
Some of Ikea’s product names are indefinable according to my source, Google Translate. They simply sound Swedish and they’re fun to say. Others are actual words and in those cases, I’ll provide the English translation in parentheses.
Ikea says its focus for 2014 is Living With Barns, or rather, Children. The iconic Swedish brand has always devoted a portion of its products to kids’ furniture and playthings and they’re adding more this season. Their approach to kid stuff is as much about fun as function and some of these new offerings dovetail with their grown-up products. For example, TVINGEN (vise), a cheery line of kid-size bath textiles featuring cartoonish water drops and a shower head, matches a shower curtain already available.
Ikea’s betting little ones ages 3 and up will enjoy playing with their new dollhouse, H– USET (house). It comes filled with miniature versions of the company’s furniture, including a KLIPPEN (cliffs) sofa, LACK (lacquer) table and EXPEDIT (clerk) storage unit. The corrugated packaging features cut-out accessories such as a lamp and clock, ready for their owners’ creative touch with markers or paint.
Cheerful bed linens including SANGFAGEL (songbird) and GETTER (goats) employ bright colours and imagination-inspiring doodles along with the invented animal, the crocodragon. They don’t guarantee cooperation at bedtime but they’ll add a vibrant whimsy to the room.
Gone are the days of having to mark up a wall with pencil smudges each time a child hits a growth spurt. Little birds, animals, flowers and stars wend their way up the ROKNAS decorative sticker chart, to a maximum height of 55”. It’s a jauntier way to record the passage of time.
There are three ways to enjoy your new Ikea catalogue. You can download the new smartphone app, view it on their website or receive the old fashioned page-turner. The app makes it easier to pre-plan your trip so you can save time once you’re in the store. That’s invaluable for those with a super-tight schedule but I’d still allow enough room on your visit to at least wander through the Marketplace, especially if you don’t go very often. That’s where you’ll find new kitchen doodads, textiles, lighting and more.
New this year, the opportunity to see how a piece will look in your home before you go. The smartphone app allows you to upload a photo of your room and place the furniture item in it to make sure it works. If the KARLSTAD (phoenix) sofa doesn’t look right in the space, with a click of the mouse swaps it out for a different model. Once you’ve chosen your perfect piece, use the company’s shopping app to check if it’s in stock at your nearest store.
The app and online version of the catalogue also offer extra features on room settings including 360 and 180-degree views, videos and social media sharing. And for those of us who are entranced by the layouts, the app contains videos hosted by the designers who explain their processes.
Well class, that’s today’s LEKTION (lesson). For further study, please consult your new 2013-14 Ikea catalogue.