IKEA returns with the tenth edition of the IKEA PS collection, considered the most innovative to date, designed around an ambitious concept: pushing the boundaries of Scandinavian design and transforming it into a style accessible to as many people as possible. The IKEA PS 2026 collection proposes 44 new products, in which everyday functionality meets unexpected playful elements – from a rotating floor lamp and an inflatable armchair, to furniture and objects that swing, fold or climb. The collection will be available exclusively in IKEA stores starting May 20 and online starting June 3.
Launched for the first time in 1995, IKEA PS has been from the very beginning the collection in which democratic design is found in its most dynamic and creative expression. For this edition, twelve designers received an open brief to interpret Scandinavian design in their own style, exploring functionality and a playful spirit, with a shared challenge: to create products that are simple, but never ordinary, just as functional as they are fun and full of personality.
“IKEA PS starts from the idea that simplicity does not have to be boring, but can highlight design in its purest and most captivating form. We wanted simplicity to become discovery through interaction and surprise, through objects with multiple functions and unexpected details that bring joy to people,” says Maria O’Brian, Creative Leader at IKEA of Sweden.
The collection is designed to respond to people’s curiosity and their need for interaction. The details have a subtly playful character, conceived to be discovered through interaction, not just admired from a distance: from a secret drawer that opens from both sides and transforms a table into a game between two people, to the reinterpretation of the clock from the 1995 PS collection in the form of a curved tube, inspired by a periscope. Some functions are evident from first use, such as the rocking bench that sets you in motion as soon as you sit down, while others reveal themselves only through interaction, such as a simple chair that can be used in multiple ways. In addition, the height-adjustable pine stool invites interaction, immediately sparking curiosity to test its mechanism.
“Excessive design can be perceived as precious and intangible. I wanted the opposite, I wanted to create an object that sparks interest and curiosity. When furniture invites play, it becomes something you truly live with and that brings joy to everyday life,” says Mikael Axelsson, designer at IKEA of Sweden.
In small homes, where every object must justify its space, several pieces in the collection surprise through their functionality. The statement sofa, built on pocket springs, transforms into a genuine bed, while the armchair, available in shades of white or red, transforms in turn, extremely easily, into a comfortable guest bed. The solid wood table can fold completely when not in use, despite its solid construction, and the folding chair can be stored on the wall, becoming a decorative object. Another example is the floor lamp designed by designer Lex Pott, which rotates manually into three different positions, completely transforming the atmosphere of any space.
“Movement is what brings an object to life and gives it personality. When functionality and play come together, the result is a truly interesting design,” says Lex Pott.
Traditional Crafts and Innovation
Since the mid-90s, IKEA has tried to create furniture using air as a raw material. But only now, through the IKEA PS 2026 collection, has this become possible. Designer Mikael Axelsson made 20 prototypes before finding the solution: two air chambers integrated into a chrome tubular frame. The inflatable armchair from the new PS collection has passed all the resistance tests that IKEA carries out for its armchairs and is packaged flat, for the easiest possible delivery.
The imprint of traditional craftsmanship can be found throughout the entire collection. Designer Friso Wiersma contributes two solid wood storage pieces, inspired by his experience in boat building. The first is a chest of drawers with woven wood doors, highlighting a woodworking technique, and the second, a solid pine shelf, with the ends painted in red, reflecting traditional wood processing methods.
The collection is completed by rugs, pillowcases, pre-cut textiles and a blanket with expressive motifs created by artist Michelle Armas, as well as three hand-blown glass vases, handmade by Maria Vinka.
The designers of the IKEA PS 2026 collection are: Henrik Preutz, Mikael Axelsson, Matilda Lindstam Nilsson, Ellen Hallström, Lex Pott, Lukas Bazle, Maria Vinka, Ola Wihlborg, Michelle Armas, David Wahl and Friso Wiersma.
The IKEA PS 2026 collection will be available starting May 20 in all IKEA stores, as well as online starting June 3.
