IKEA and Tom Dixon take on the HACK – DELAKTIG

In the wake of IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad’s passing, comes a collaboration with Tom Dixon said to revolutionise the sofa.

IKEA hacks from around the world get smarter and better looking every day, from replacement kitchen doors by Superfront to everyday repurposing of furniture. So what’s the response? IKEA embraces this movement with British Industrial Design heavyweight Tom Dixon, creating a modular sofa-cum-bed-cum-entertaining-station. And as a Swede living in the UK, I’m always excited to hear of IKEA’s latest collaborative innovations.

The collection is called DELAKTIG, meaning “taking part” in Swedish. This aluminium, open source “platform for living” invites users to make it their own, by adding, removing or completely changing the piece at their own will. The aluminium frame is a blank canvas from which to experiment and make a piece of furniture that suits your space and needs. You can add to the platform a lamp, a side table, a choice of armrests, fabrics and cushions. These easily combine to create a sofa, a bed or a space to live life and entertain, all in a short shift. This approach it perfect for small spaces or spaces where many activities happen. Whilst challenging norms, DELAKTIG remains true to IKEA’s cornerstone mission to uphold aesthetics, affordable price, long life and democracy.

IKEA and Tom Dixon: A Co-Operative Open Source Project

IKEA’s collaboration with Tom Dixon celebrates differences. Tom’s not one to do things by the book. He dropped out of school and followed his music passion with his band “Funkapolitan”, taught himself to weld and eventually began producing furniture. Today, his work appears in design led homes and museums alike.

As well as the furniture created by IKEA, Tom Dixon will create his own accessories to compliment the DELAKTIG series. True to the DELAKTIG’s “involved” spirit, IKEA invited 75 design students to also submit their ideas for DELAKTIG add-ons to follow. Tom Dixon supports this initiative: ”The more people that get involved in DELAKTIG – the better. I think that’s how a modern business should work.”

See the full IKEA and Tom Dixon collection from February 9th on IKEA’s website.

If you’re an IKEA fan, you didn’t miss the IKEA vs Hay collaboration this autumn did you? Catch up on the collection with this blog post. 

And be sure to check out the Scandinavian influenced homewares and furniture in the Chalk & Moss shop.

All images courtesy of IKEA unless otherwise stated.

British Industrial Designer Tom Dixon.
Photo courtesy of Tom Dixon.