The much anticipated IKEA Hay collection has finally hit IKEA stores this week!

Swedish powerhouse IKEA and respected Danish design brand Hay are no strangers to exciting collaborations. And this one is no exception.

The IKEA Hay collection, YPPERLIG, shows Hay’s core aesthetic and functional design values. The collection also maintains IKEA’s dedication to affordable value with high standards and longevity. Husband and wife team Mette and Rolf Hay take inspiration from architecture, art and fashion, with an eye for modern living.

IKEA certainly know how to create affordable design. Rolf Hay says “We learned a lot of things from this collaboration that we can apply to our own company: the simplicity in the IKEA supply chain, and making something that’s complex more simple and therefore better and less expensive.”

Take the beautiful YPPERLIG coffee table, for instance. This style of table has previously set you back hundreds of pounds. But now it’s yours for £35 from the IKEA website.

IKEA Hay collection

The IKEA Hay collection posed some interesting design challenges. For example, achieving a comfortable night’s sleep on the YPPERLIG sofa bed by using a spring mattress as the seat. Or the lightweight monobloc chair by spraying liquid into a chair mould for just 30 seconds.

Mette Hay took the bold move to approach IKEA about updating their iconic blue carrier bag. “The blue bag is one of the most widely known and used IKEA products – but one that no one appreciates as a design object. So we kept its dimensions, and updated it in new patterns and colours. It’s a celebration of this iconic product,” says Mette. The overall design remains the same as the Frakta carrier bag. But the YPPERLIG carrier bag is now available in six colours, including yellow, grey and a sumptuous forest green weave with matching carry handles. Priced at a mere £1.50.

IKEA Hay collection – A Sharing of Experiences

Collaborations are much to do with shared attitudes. Rolf says that “We felt immediately that IKEA was a very open culture, so they were not afraid of sharing.” Mette agrees: “I think the times we are living in is so much about sharing experiences, the future is so much about collaborations. I feel that it is about doing the right collaborations, where both parties are bringing something to the table, and with IKEA and HAY I really felt that we both brought a lot to the table, and we did this together.”

Go online or head to your nearest store to now enjoy this collection! More YPPERLIG items will be added this year.

YPPERLIG, by the way, means EXCELLENT in Swedish. Rather fitting, one might say.

To see more of what’s new in design, don’t miss this post with 21 botanical highlights from London Design Week.

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All photos of the IKEA Hay collection YPPERLIG courtesy of IKEA.

Update January 2018: IKEA are launching a collection with British industrial designer Tom Dixon in February. The series, “DELAKTIG” means “taking part” in Swedish. This open source “platform for living” invites users to add, remove or completely change the “bed sofa” to suite their lifestyle and activities. You can see the story of the collection on the blog here.