An inflatable chair tested for durability by cats, a Memphis-inspired portable lamp, and an on-trend, basketweave cabinet are all part of Ikea’s 10th PS Collection, which launches today. Prices range from €3 to €450. Bag these affordable design classics while you can.
Ikea’s 10th PS Collection is one of the drops that design fans wait for. Since its inception, the ranges have been launched at the Milan Furniture Fair and have garnered plenty of attention.
One of the most eye-catching items in the newly launched range is an inflatable easy chair, whose lines echo the Le Corbusier LC2 lounge chair.
Designed by Mikael Axelsson, it comes in emerald green and has a backrest that curves to the shape of your body. Far more interesting is the fact that its durability was tested by cats, not known to be easy on furniture.
It features a sturdy metal frame and a textile cover that eliminates squeaking, ensuring it’s as comfortable and supportive as a traditional armchair – and can be simply assembled using a foot or even a bicycle pump.
Best of all, it costs €150.
Basket weave pattern is trending in homewares. You can see parquet flooring moving from the herringbone and chevron patterns to it.
It has been used to great effect here in a tall cabinet by maker and boatbuilder, Friso Wiersma, whose woven wood front with veneer weaves puts the craft centre stage.
It costs €450.
Redolent of the 1980s Memphis design movement, led by Ettore Sottsass, the LED portable lamp by Alexander Pott costs €25.
He also did the trio of wall masks, made from 90 per cent recycled paper.
They're a low-effort, high-impact way to add joy to your walls and cost just €3.
David Wahl’s lightweight side table with a smart folding design opens up in a snap when you need it, then effortlessly folds away when not in use – ideal for small spaces.
Wahl designed the light pendant affectionately christened the Death Star for the 2014 PS range.
Master glassblower Maria Vinka brought the vases to life in a glass studio in Småland.
“I love figures, so I guess that’s why these vases ended up with ears and a playful monkey vibe”, she explains. Price €35.
Developed by a team of 12 designers, each tasked with injecting playful functionality into their pieces, the collection is designed with movement in mind.
First launched in 1995 at the Milan furniture fair, the Ikea PS collection was to make modern Scandinavian design accessible to everyone and to challenge the perception of exclusivity within the design world.
It was about making design democratic.
Three of the products were previewed at Milan Design Week in April, including the aforementioned inflatable chair, a rocking bench by Marta Krupińska, €150, and a debut design by Lex Pott, a flexible floor uplighter.
"Central to IKEA PS is the idea that simplicity doesn't have to be boring, but that it can reveal design in its purest and most engaging form," explains Maria O’Brien, creative leader of Ikea’s PS 2026 PS collection.
“I hope that through interaction and surprise, this simplicity gives way to discovery, with objects that have multiple functions and unexpected details that make people happy.
"This collection is all about challenging and being playful while staying simple and creating interesting design. I hope you’re as excited about these products as we are.”
Over the years, Ikea’s PS collections have included products that have since become design classics, from the PS 1995 clock and PS 1999 red powder-coated steel cabinet, which received the international design prize, the Red Dot Award, in 2001, to the PS Maskros pendant lamp, which resembles a dandelion clock, from 2009.
You can view the full collection here
