IKEA’s Next Great Collection Is All About Self-Care

As a Sweden-based company, IKEA has always applied Nordic elements of coziness, comfort, and simplicity to its products, but IKEA’s just-announced collaboration with Finnish lifestyle design company Marimekko takes these principles to a new level. IKEA and Marimekko have partnered to launch a new collection, called BASTUA, to unite Nordic design and self-care rituals, and fans of both brands (plus fans of self-care) are sure to be delighted by the results.

The collaborative BASTUA line was announced February 9, and products will be available in all IKEA markets in March 2023. The limited-edition collection features 26 products that range from furniture to glassware to textiles with vibrant prints, as you’d expect from Marimekko, which is known for its patterns and printmaking.

“Collaborating with Marimekko was a natural choice for IKEA, as we are both committed to enabling a better everyday life at home, and with the BASTUA collection, it begins with focusing on wellness first,” said Henrik Most, creative leader at IKEA, in a statement accompanying the launch announcement. “The collaboration encapsulates the sensations of endless summers and the simple and aesthetic beauty of Nordic nature in furniture and accessories for the home.” 

BASTUA, as a collaboration between IKEA and Marimekko, reflects both brands’ approaches to design, with an emphasis on Nordic nature, wellness, and self-care rituals. The name BASTUA comes from a term used to describe saunas in the Southern Sweden region where IKEA was founded, and the items in the collection were created to fit into and channel the sauna experience (because is there anything quite like the self-care ritual of enjoying a sauna?), plus pre- and post-sauna activities, such as enjoying a light meal.

This collaboration with IKEA marks Marimekko’s first set of prints designed exclusively for a brand collaboration. The focal print of the collection is inspired by the large, decorative rhubarb leaves that sometimes grow next to sauna buildings, and the botanical print meshes perfectly with the line’s celebration of nature.

“Capturing the essence of Marimekko’s Finnish roots and its connection to the historic origins of sauna culture was a fundamental part of the design journey and the creation of the BASTUA prints,” said Rebekka Bay, creative director at Marimekko, in a statement. “Marimekko is committed to bringing joy to the everyday lives of people with its bold prints and designs, and we are excited to see this to come true in collaboration with IKEA.”

While the BASTUA products won’t be available for a few more weeks, IKEA and Marimekko did release photos of the collection, and fans of simple, beautiful design have plenty to be excited about. Prominent in the collection is a new design for the iconic IKEA FRAKTA bag, but the line also includes gorgeous sculptural glassware, furnishings like a side table and a bench, robes and towels, and even a sauna bucket. All the items support and emphasize the pleasure and joy of self-care rituals and contribute to creating a calm atmosphere, something any space can benefit from, regardless of whether there’s a sauna close by.

The BASTUA collection will launch in all IKEA markets in March 2023 and be sold while supplies last.