An Experience Called IKEA

  The bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden. And from the road trip to Älmhult

 In the second week of June, I flew to Sweden, the home of IKEA, to attend IKEA's Democratic Design Days in Älmhult. Along with journalists, influencers, editors & bloggers from different countries, I got an opportunity to experience IKEA as an insider. While the days were packed with sessions, interactions, showcases and visits to various IKEA units, the evenings were spent wining and dining with fellow media folks in the picturesque town of Malmö. In these two days, I fell in love with IKEA, all over again. And this time, not just for its superbly designed products, but also for what IKEA and its people believe in and that what drives them. Getting a really good insight into the heart and brain of IKEA was my biggest takeaway from the event.

   

Quaint Swedish town of Malmö 

I K E A   ~   P E O P L E   A N D   D E S I G N

A warm welcome at the Ikea campus on Day 1! 

You know it's going to be a good show when you are welcomed in the morning with peppy and energetic live music! As we moved to the beats and mingled, the super efficient IKEA team led us to the very first session for the day. The day started with interesting presentations and engaging discussions with IKEA's CEO Peter Agnefjäll and other key team members and collaborators.

Five elements of Democratic Design: Form, Function, Quality, Sustainability & Price

It was exciting to hear about IKEA's upcoming collaborations with Hays and Tom Dixon. The friendly banter between industry icons, IKEA's Design Head Marcus Engman and UK's Tom Dixon,  set the tone for the many open conversations we had with various people at IKEA. I spent some time with Marcus and we discussed an array of topics - from the design process at IKEA to fun IKEA hacks to India's influence on IKEA, and of course, IKEA's launch in India next year! It was so good to feel the passion for the work they do and to see the belief in the power of good design, not just in my chat with Marcus but in every interaction I had at IKEA. It was also fun to get a sneak peek at the upcoming products and collections, and exchange ideas and design insights with their respective designers.  

L i f e   a t   H o m e   R e p o r t   2 0 1 6

Pretty vignettes in the Ikea campus

One of the highlights of the event was the launch of IKEA's Life at Home Report 2016. The results of this report directly feed into the design thought process for new products. For the third consecutive year, IKEA has interviewed people across cities and countries to understand the evolving needs and dreams of its customers. This year, IKEA has focused on what actually makes a home for people. The findings, are enlightening to say the least! This extensive research and analysis each year is a critical input for trend forecasting and predicting consumer requirements at IKEA.  

Experiential olfactory exhibit derived from findings of the Life at Home Report

S o c i a l   E n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p   A n d   T h e   I K E A   F o u n d a t i o n  

IKEA in India

What good is an organization if it doesn't have a heart? And IKEA is one organization that does have a large heart. IKEA passionately believes in sustainability, conservation and improving life for people and communities. From the many humanitarian projects, the one that really touched my heart was the work being done by IKEA for Refugee rehabilitation. Using intelligent design and its reach across the globe, IKEA has been helping in myriad ways to make life better for refugees in different parts of the world.

Another interesting facet of supporting people and communities is the partnership IKEA has with Social Entrepreneurs. In India, IKEA is collaborating with Rangsutra and Industree who engage about 1100 women artisans to produce special product collections. Representatives from Rangsutra and Industree, including a woman artisan, were present at the event and it was a pleasure to talk to them and hear their experiences and stories.

The latest collection KRYDDGLAD made by women artisans in India

B e h i n d   T h e   S c e n e s  -  T h e   I k e a   C om m u n i c a t i o n    S t u d i o

Catalogue 2017 in the making!

Oh, the love for IKEA catalogues! I have collected them since donkeys years and I jumped at the chance to visit the impressive studio where the catalogues are produced. Each year, there are many versions of the catalogues that are produced in around 30 languages to be made available in 48 countries! A substantial percentage of the visuals in the catalogue is now created using computer generated imagery. I got to observe some live shoots and interact with the team of photographers, art directors stylists and production managers running the shoots. I came back thoroughly impressed by the effort, creativity and team work that goes in for every single perfect shot that we see on IKEA's website and it's catalogues. 

Bohemian IKEA in 2017? Maybe!

I K E A   M u s e u m

IKEA's very first store, that opened in 1958 in Älmhult, is now a museum! We got a pre-opening tour of the museum and I loved browsing through their collections over the years. Apart from IKEA's history, it's a great place to see the change in home furnishing and decor trends over the years.  

I K E A   i n   I n d i a !

And finally, for my readers in India, the big question on everyone's minds - when and where will IKEA's first store open in India? Well, the first store will open in the second half of 2017 and will be in Hyderabad where IKEA has already acquired a large tract of land required to operate it's store. IKEA has also picked up land near Bombay and is scouting for locations in/near Delhi and Bangalore. I CAN NOT wait for IKEA to come to India! Can you? :)

Watch this space for more updates and events as IKEA unfolds in India!

[Images and Story: An Indian Summer. Except: Image for Social Entrepreneurship - video grab from IKEA]

The Water Bearers

From Coppre

I am so happy to announce the launch of yet another fabulous new collection from Coppre, called the Water Bearers! Beautifully hand crafted, by the metal craftsmen in Tambat Ali, a small settlement in Pune, this collection is as much a decor statement as it is utilitarian. And that's not all! Traditional wellness wisdom talks of "Tamrajal" or "water ionized by copper" as having myriad health benefits. In ayurveda, water kept and had from copper vessels is known to be 'rich in antioxidants, kill bacteria, regulate thyroid, cure arthiritis, heal wounds faster, stimulate brain activity, improve digestion and beat anemia'. Phew! Something so pretty to look at and packed with such a punch! Drinking water just became way more cooler :)

The Water Bearer collection has Terracopper Jug, Terracopper Tumblr, Linear / Concave / Convex Tumblr, Bedside Carafe & Glass, Desktop Carafe and the Stepped Tray and you can shop for these and more from Coppre's repertoire right here.

~ The GiveAway ~

Coppre loves An Indian Summer readers and has gifted lovely products earlier as well to a few lucky ones. We are back with a giveaway and this time Coppre would like to gift one reader, anywhere in the world, a Desktop Carafe. This desktop carafe is beautifully finished off with handbeaten indentations of the Tambat craftsman and can be used both as antimicrobial packed drinking water vessel or as a flower vase.

~  How To Participate ~

1. Hop on to Coppre's website

2. Scroll down and sign up for their newsletter to get the the first dibs on all their exciting new launches & offers

That's it! 

Coppre will pick a winner from all the new subscribers who join their mailing list. The lucky (and henceforth very healthy) winner will be announced on facebook on Tuesday - May 5th!

Have a great weekend, folks! 

[All Images: Coppre. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

An Indian Summer & LimeRoad.Com

LimeRoad.com and I go back a long way. I have featured this affordable boutique online store on An Indian Summer, been part of their campaign and hosted giveaways from them in the past. And this time, the lovely team at LimeRoad has invited me to be a part of their Style Council to curate looks and my favorites from their ever growing home decor section. 

According to LimeRoad:

Style Council is a group of select few women who have created a niche for themselves. They belong to different walks of life and at LimeRoad they represent the true essence of 'Real Women Real Style'

 You just have to take a look at my selection below to know that I am thrilled be part of the Style Council. I get to spend my time window shopping through their vast collection, picking products that appeal to me and using their oh-my-god-so-much-fun online scrap book tool to create looks!

 The oh-my-god-so-much-fun online scrap book tool is actually that! It's not just for the Style Council members, but for everyone who signs up. You have picture postcard pretty templates and more templates at your disposal along with various other drag-and-drop features that you can use to create your scrapbooks/looks. You can share your looks, browse through what others have created, get featured by LimeRoad and also, earn shopping credits when people buy products through the scrapbooks you have created! Shopping is such a creative, fun, social exercise at LimeRoad!

And, keep a look out for more looks that I create in the coming weeks! You can view the looks and buy the products featured easily by clicking the links that are automatically shared along with look. Infact, tell me what kind of looks you would like to see, and I will be happy to curate those for you! Make sure to follow me on LimeRoad so that the new looks appear on your LimeRoad profile's newsfeed.

 

This should be fun, my peeps!

Let's scrapbook together!

I will see you in a day's time!

[All images: LimeRoad. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

Gulmohar Lane

This has to be a dream. Or so I believed when I saw Shweta Mewara and Saurabh Ailawadi's latest project called Gulmohar Lane. The name is evocative of the brilliance of gulmohar  trees in their full bloom on a summer afternoon, and the store, a brilliant collection of finest handcrafted sofas, coffee tables and home products. I am currently in the process of designing & styling a home in Gurgaon, a home in Goa and a wildlife lodge, and for me, it's a dream come true to find an exceptional online store like Gulmohar Lane for all my couch & sitting needs! 

Gulmohar Lane takes great pride in design and hand-craftsmanship of their products. Keeping a strong sense of aesthetics as the foundation, Gulmohar Lane's products strive to use materials that are sustainably sourced, are natural  and comfortable. One-of-a-kind shapes and silhouettes, used with fabrics made of natural yarns like linen and cotton and high quality material like foams, fibers and down feathers, all go in to make each furniture piece unique and beautifully functional. Gulmohar Lane strongly believes in supporting artisans, craftsmen and their crafts, and to that end, they work with a local NGO that is engaged in helping and providing education and training to the local artisans.

Taking their philosophy of high quality, aesthetics and utility online, Gulmohar Lane's online store is such a pleasure to browse through and shop at. Along with the many very well designed furniture pieces, Gulmohar Lane also offers easy customization options where you can choose the size, fabric and the fill. While it takes 4-6 months for Gulmohar Lane to go through conceptualization, research, prototyping before a product is finally passed to be made available on their website, they are committed to deliver your specific requirement within 7 to 45 days, depending on the product category. Gulmohar Lane takes care of delivery and the delivery cost, and also offers to ship samples of the fabrics to the customers so that they can get a feel of the fabrics.

The lovely couple working hard behind the scenes to bring this superb furniture to us, combine their creativity and past experiences of working with some renowned brands to Gulmohar Lane. Shweta, originally from Jodhpur - Rajasthan, is a fashion designer by education and her special interest and expertise lies in home textiles and print design. Saurabh, a NIFT graduate, has worked with many international brands. Inspired by the works of design stalwarts like Timothy Oulton, Laura Ashley and Charles & Ray Eames, Shweta and Saurabh leverage the skills of fourth generation sofa karigars (craftsmen) to design & create contemporary functional masterpieces. 

Gulmohar Lane is indeed the best that has happened to the online design & furniture space in the recent times. More power to Shweta and Saurabh for following their passion and for us to reap the benefit of their vision!

Find Gulmohar Lane here:

Webshop  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Instagram

[Images: Gulmohar Lane. Creative Storyboading: An Indian Summer]

P.S: Yes, I was in Shweta's city - Jodhpur, last week! I went scouting for various things for the wildlife lodge project (more on that soon!) and spent my days walking through miles and miles and more miles of warehouses stocked with an assortment of furniture, antiques, decor items, rugs - you name it and we waded through it. A successful work trip it was, that unexpectedly metamorphosed into me zipping through the streets of Jodhpur on a fancy Harley Davidson, and finding myself at the beautiful Bal Samand Lake Palace at a Harley Davidson Bikers Party one evening! In Jodhpur, of all the places! The last thing I would have expected! All my travel and trips these days seem to have a surprise built in and I am now bracing for the next one coming up next week! Oh, and also, I am just about done with the clean up of my instagram account and will be opening it up very soon for followers. Join me right here! 

The House Of Things

The House of Things. What an evocative name! Conjures up visuals of a lovely rambling home, filled with treasures, finds and surprises. And that is exactly what this gorgeous new boutique store, creates for us, online. With an ever growing curated collection, The House Of Things is the new destination for eclectic & luxurious objet d'art. Housing one-off rare finds to limited edition collections from global designers and artisans, The House Of Things values the increasingly rare notion of individuality and uniqueness when it comes to the objects we bring in to add beauty and character to our homes.

The House Of Things is the creative brainchild of Astha Khetan. Astha started her work life at a London based digital media agency, and then returned to India to manage Unilever's special projects. Her spirited love for handicrafts and penchant for travel inspired her to launch The House Of Things. The key team also includes Sabina Chopra, who brings in decades of experience as a mentor and brand consultant to India's fashion & design industry, and, Manisha Prakash, who, after studying at Instituto Europeo di Design at Milan, has worked with numerous premier apparel & product designers in India. The team is passionate about quality, design and showcasing under-the-radar products and talents. Their combined efforts are very well reflected not just in the gallery of products they have put together but also the seamless experience of browsing & shopping online at The House Of Things.

What I also love about The House Of Things is the diverse & global nature of their collection. From fine furniture and resplendent paintings to exceptional curios, precious jewels, sculptures, antiquities, rugs, textiles and accessories - the curated marketplace brings under one roof select products from designers and brands like Jay Strongwater, Noelle Kadar, Taherally's, Paul Bhosle, JewelCraftz, Andraab, Airdiem, Sunita Shekhwat, with many more in the pipeline.

 

Another unique offering from The House Of Things is personalized and individual attention to your needs by way of their Concierge service. Offering custom designing & production and curated sourcing , the concierge team at The House Of Things, also assists with the entire process of shipping, insurance and payments. They ship worldwide and pride themselves with impeccable attention to detail and efficiency when it comes to fulfilling a customer's desire. 

The gorgeous products showcased in this post are but just a glimpse of the array that The House Of Things offers. Make sure to keep checking the following links to get updated with the latest in their treasure trunk:

 Shop  |  Facebook  | Instagram  |  Pintrest

 Happy shopping!

[All Images: The House Of Things. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]