IKEA’s new SLADDA bicycle, hitting their Singapore stores soon (Image source: IKEA)
IKEA Singapore is launching their upcoming 2017 catalogue and gave PropertyGuru a preview of their upcoming collection. Some pieces were classics; others were introduced for the first time. Interestingly, some of the highlights were not the furniture pieces or home décor that many associate the company with.
The company is bringing to market a new range of products around transport and mobility, centered around a new bicycle. Named the SLADDA, the bicycle is equipped with a rust and oil-free belt drive and can be outfitted with a range of accessories, including a small trailer wagon.
The SLADDA has already won a Red Dot Design award this year in the “Best of the Best” category.
IKEA has also done a significant amount of user research with their Life at Home project. One of the insights they gleaned from these user studies was that people do more than just sitting on their sofas to watch television. Many can attest to sleeping on their couches, playing with their children, or even doing their work on it.
This modular sofa can be configured to suit different homes and needs
As such, the company is introducing a new modular couch, the VALLENTUNA, that allows for multiple configurations and even storage options, making it easy to fit into different homes, and to configure on the fly for different purposes. Keeping in mind the humidity of the tropics, storage cubbies in the seat cushions are fitted with ventilation slots to keep the contents stored from turning musty.
Other interesting modular pieces include the STUVA, a series of children’s furniture that allows parents to add more storage as their child grows older and requires more space to stash their things.
Introduced 40 years ago, the POÄNG armchair is a classic.
One of the key pieces showcased was the POÄNG armchair, an iconic piece designed by Japanese designer Noboru Nakamura that is seeing its 40th anniversary this year. This classic piece has been chair of choice for many Singaporeans to sink into at the end of a long day’s work.
IKEA is also introducing an additional frame and six new slipcovers for the POÄNG armchair to commemorate the occasion.
However, one of the things that this writer is most interested in is a simple new innovation that Ikea introduced – a “wedge dowel”. It’s an interesting device that makes assembling much simpler, instead of fiddling with a myriad of tiny bits and bobs.
Now, if only it was as easy to make it seem like one’s home came out of the pages of an Ikea catalogue.
A bright living room from IKEA’s 2017 catalogue.
This article was written by Chang Hui Chew, Content Marketing Manager at PropertyGuru.
