IKEA – The storm has now nearly settled

Who would have thought it? Who would have expected the whole world to descend on us when it was announced that we would be collaborating with one of the biggest companies in the area of interior decoration. OK, “the whole world” is a bit of an exaggeration – it was mainly the Dutch press that found it rather special that a Dutch designer was going to work with such a huge company. And they were sort of proud of it. With hindsight it does all make sense, really.

 

Some people wanted to know whether the furniture we make will be worth less. I don’t think so, because the vintage (horrible word) furniture of designers who proved themselves capable of making large series of pieces now turns out to be the most valuable. This is probably because it’s much harder to make a good mass-produced product than a single piece, which can cost a fortune because it’s unique. Our furniture is made in small series or as single pieces in our own company in the Netherlands and because of the very nature of the furniture, there’s no way it can be produced in large quantities. But we face exactly the same challenge as the one that IKEA represents – to think up and then offer customers a product that is as good, attractive and affordable as possible while working with the possibilities available. What we do on a small scale, IKEA does in a big way and now I’m going to be able to get my teeth into it. I always make do with what I have and now I’m being offered a lot more to work with! That’s really great, especially if, like me, you love designing and meeting new challenges. The only thing that can go wrong is if you make a rubbish design, but if you’re afraid of that, it means you’re afraid of doing your job. 

 

Another frequently asked question is: “How did this come about?” The question suggests a cunning plan, but in fact the whole thing just grew. Karin Gustavsson and I clicked, and every time we bumped into each other, we talked about how it would be fun to do something together. That was until last year, when we said: “Now we really are going to do something!” When I went to Älmhult in Sweden to discuss the commission and the contracts, we came to the conclusion that it made much more sense to add a general, overarching commission to the one that had already been awarded. That would be more likely to ensure long-term collaboration which would allow us to make better use of each other’s qualities. This was something new for IKEA, so it had to be put before the management board. Shortly before the summer holidays, the e-mail arrived to say that we had been given the green light.

 

During the contract discussion I didn’t think it a good idea to sign a confidentiality agreement, for the simple reason that I can never keep my mouth shut. That section was immediately scrapped, because Marcus Engman, creative director at IKEA, was already thinking along the same lines and found it nonsensical for a large group, which really has nothing to fear, not to be completely open about the design and development processes. This prompted the premature storm of publicity: we have only made a few prototypes for the first commission and these are not yet part of the general commission, but in our great enthusiasm we couldn’t wait. So now everything is out in the open. We hope that everyone will be able to witness how successes, but also possible disappointments, are created. Because however well-organised you are, something always goes wrong, which then often leads to something good. One thing is certain – it will continue to be stormy in Eindhoven and Älmhult over the coming years.