There’s nothing like a new IKEA collection to put a spring in my step, and with their latest launch, emphasis on the spring.
IKEA abandoned the everything-always-somberly-Scandinavian some time ago, and now you’ll regularly see bright, vibrant color regularly in its collections. Its newest, TJÄRLEK, is giving bright and sunny vibes — total ‘dopamine decor’ in little buys that you can use to give your home a spring update.
There are colorful glass vases, goblets, and even multi-colored glass candlesticks and tealight holders that call to mind some of the big interior design trends in decor right now that more luxury-focused brands are doing.
So, with all this cool stuff, why is it I can’t take my eyes off these plates that stack into the shape of a daffodil?
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Now, usually, kitsch isn’t my thing, but there’s a clear stand-out for me in this collection which is something, maybe naively, I haven’t really seen before. The TJÄRLEK side plate, bowl, and egg cup may look like pretty innocuous flower-inspired plates by themselves, but when you put them together, they stack into a larger flower. I’d say a daffodil, though IKEA hasn’t confirmed that to me, necessarily.
Kitsch, it seems is having a moment. It’s something our New York-based Style Editor Devin Toolen (whose taste I trust implicitly) is seeing pop up in the coolest design spaces. “This kitsch decor used to feel like just a novelty, but it’s popping up in designer settings now with the return of Y2K style,” she tells me. Kitsch, I guess, is so uncool that it’s circled back around to being cool again.
When exactly you’d use this spring decor idea, I’m less sure. The eggcup suggests breakfast, but that’s a lot of table-dressing for first thing in the morning, so maybe a pretty spring brunch? Regardless, I can see this being one of the most popular buys from this collection, especially for the bright and colorful crowd — after all, when did something like having no clue when you’ll use it ever stop anyone from buying anything?
TJÄRLEK Bowl/egg Cup – Orange
It got me to thinking — this has to already be a thing right? Well, sort of. I’ve done a bit of searching around, and managed to unearth a few similar ‘floral nesting plates’ as I’ve come to call them, but there’s not a huge amount out there.
After seeing them at IKEA, however, I’ve no doubt there’ll be a few more designs like this in the works from other retailers. After all, they’re just joyful — not for everyone, for sure, but if you’re a sucker for color and are embracing the return of kitsch in interiors, these are a fun find.
Price: £29.50
These poppy-inspired bowls from Oliver Bonas are, perhaps, a more grown up take on the idea.
Price: From £6 per bowl
Not nesting necessarily, but this pretty yellow plate set will create the same effect when the table is laid.
