Published 20 April 2022 • Inter IKEA newsroom
Inspired by surfers, IKEA launches the KÅSEBERGA collection
In 2019, IKEA and the World Surf League announced a collaboration. The result is a collection of practical, beautifully designed products for the home and life on the go.
To better understand the everyday life of people with a mobile and active lifestyle in close rhythm with the ocean, IKEA teamed up with WSL to learn more about the needs and demands of surfers. The surfing lifestyle has provided many important insights about being constantly on the go, such as organising, mobility needs and handling humidity.
“These needs are relevant for many more people than surfers and inspired us to create products that enrich everybody’s lives with similar demands. With this collection, we hope to spread the joy of the surfing lifestyle in the home and everyday life of many people,” says Wiebke Braasch, Designer at IKEA of Sweden.
The KÅSEBERGA collection includes more than 25 products intended for the home or wherever life takes them. Among those are a hand plane for body surfing, a beach chair, a portable grill, a coffee table and a bag uniquely designed to function well for beach clean-ups.
Together with the World Surf League and surfers Kassia Meador and Rob Machado, the design process has revolved around including functionality, more recycled materials and promoting a more circular lifestyle. As a result, a big part of the products in the KÅSEBERGA collection are made of recycled polyester, while others are made of renewables, such as bamboo and cork.
“It has been an honour and a pleasure to team up with Rob Machado, the WSL and IKEA to create KÅSEBERGA. A collection of ocean-inspired home goods and on-the-go surf essentials in the most functional high vibe low impact way. For the ever-growing global community of earth-conscious surfers and beach lovers,” says Kassia Meador, surfer and business owner.
“Watching the IKEA KÅSEBERGA collaboration come to life and working with their designers on developing these sustainable products has been a truly rewarding experience for us at WSL,” says Cherie Cohen, WSL Chief Revenue Officer. “IKEA’s sustainability initiatives align closely with those of the WSL and our fans. We are confident that these products made using recycled and renewable materials will be hugely popular with surfers, ocean lovers, and design enthusiasts.”
KÅSEBERGA, named after a small city in Sweden with one of the most southern surf breaks in the country, will launch globally in May 2022. Availability may differ depending on the region. For more information, contact your local IKEA.
The IKEA and WSL design team consists of Kassia Meador, Kim Hogan, Rob Machado, Jason Penning, Daniel Willon from WSL, and Mikael Axelsson, Wiebke Braasch and Mehmet Mehmetalioglu, from IKEA.