It’s an obvious place to start and that’s exactly why I will start there.
You love it or hate it, or find some way of keeping a passive aggressive detente with it. But the fact remains that there are no other places where you will find style at this low a price. The trick is to select and combine items in a way that doesn’t feel like an IKEA showroom. The easiest way to do that is to mix it with more expensive items. But you can stick to IKEA and mix within its ranges to get a similar effect. And of course, at a fraction of the price.
My favourite ‘luxe’ IKEA items are the footstools. There is something wonderfully louche about footstools. OK, maybe they’re not actually disreputable, but they invite lounging and shamelessly demand precious space despite being more of an accessory than essential piece of furniture. Yet they are really easy to get to look great, and on top of that they’re practical because you can store things inside them. The IKEA versions anyway. They immediately make a sofa look better. Or an armchair. And on their own they can create a glamorous statement. Three of my favourites are these:
With a couple of caveats:
1. Add something on top. With a blanket, couple of cushions, one of IKEA’s sheepskins, or even a tray with some magazines or books on it, it is transformed from just a regular piece of furniture into something a bit more.
2. Dont push it up against your sofa. Leave it at a bit of an angle and with a gap. In general straight lines are your enemy and particularly with IKEA furniture.
Result?
What else does IKEA excell at? Sofas and armchairs for sure, but select carefully – this is where you can end up in a designer dream or a shabby student flat and the deciding factor isn’t even really the price. The Stocksund series is the latest stroke of genius and in addition to the footstool above there are sofas and armchairs that all look fabulous. Strandmon and Stockholm also give a sleek mid-century design edge to a room and you can get them in some great fabrics.
Finally, unless you live in Sweden and can go to Åhléns for blankets, cushions and sheepskins, IKEA should definitely be your first stop. The trick with soft furnishings is to go a little over the top – a fine line, but worth treading. More is definitely better here as it creates that texture that makes an interior feel both more indulgent and warm. So, rather a sheeepskin and blanket too many than a single lonely one. Similarly, never let a cushion sit alone, unless you’re really going for stripped back minimalism, but then you might consider just dropping it altogether.
Now the real trick with IKEA is to mix it up – either mixing up IKEA’s own ranges or mixing it with other excellent sources of eclectic and beautiful furniture that won’t break the bank. More on those next time…
it can be beautiful 