It’s always a little thrilling when a new Ikea catalog lands in your mailbox (with a thud, those things are dense). The Swedish purveyor of cheap, stylish furniture and design decor just keeps on coming up with new takes on clean, organized, easy living. So while you may not be able to live in an all-white Stockholm apartment flooded with that gorgeous Scandinavian light, you can go a little wild with new 2016 collection, which is seriously brimming with amazing finds. While you wait for the paper version to arrive, check out our favorite pieces below. (There isn’t a Poang armchair in sight.)
1. The Sektionn/Hittarp kitchen cabinetry set looks like a Shaker constructed it over 150 years ago. The clean lines would work equally well in a country house or an urban loft. It’s just so … pretty.
2. There’s nothing I don’t love about this entire setup (which I imagine has a lot to do with those lush green ferns and the amazing indoor-outdoor fluidity), but the Sinnerlig pendant lamp is what drew my eye. Made of lacquered bamboo and steel, I can imagine it floating above a modern entry table, or maybe my own entryway. … Oh, and it’s only $59.99.
3. The Sinnerlig cork bench is really intended for usage tableside. But I love how they’ve styled it here, and can easily imagine some books and art pieces propped up as well. Plus that cork must make for some comfy sitting!
4. Toss aside your plans for a fusty, space-hogging vanity or a storageless pedestal sink. This Godmorgon cabinet (with the Aldern countertop) floats serenely over the floor, so it doesn’t seem like a square footage behemoth, and those drawers could hold all the styling tools, band-aids, and makeup brushes you need. For less than $500, it’s also a steal.
5. The Enigt dish series is sweet and practical. A little modern and a little old-fashioned. And when your most expensive dish is only $3.99, you can afford to let your dinner parties get a tiny bit out of control.
6. I have a sneaking suspicion the Almsta chair isn’t actually new, but who cares when there’s a chair this pretty that will make every meal feel like you’re in a Parisian bistro?
7. For our office, your kitchen, your bathroom, the playroom, pretty much anywhere you want to look organized and chic at the same time. The Risatorp cart is actually about hip height, so there’s a ton of storage room there.
8. Those soft linen shams and sheets on the Hemnes daybed look heavenly, and we highly recommend some cozy seating like this in the kitchen.
9. We’re sensing a cork trend here, and we like it. This glass pitcher with lid is the perfect hostess necessity, and it’s only $6.99.
10. The Strandmom armchair is Ikea’s answer to the 1970s trends that invaded the runways, and now the streets. In a vibrant green, it’s both mod and so, so retro. And it’s only $299, which sounds like a price from the 1970s.
Hillary writes about interiors, real estate, arts, and culture. She is the former digital media editor of The New Republic, and her work has also been published in Glamour, The New York Times Book Review, and The Washington Post, among others. You can follow her on Instagram @hillarylouisekelly or on Pinterest @hlkelly.
