A person handing a seedling to another person holding a paper cup with soil in it.
02 July 2019

Dig into BOTANISK – A collection that grows on you, literally

Made by sure-handed artisans, for plant swappers, urban gardeners, or anyone who dreams of growing a green thumb, BOTANISK is a handmade collection of pots, baskets (and lots more) that doesn’t only add to the fun of indoor potting – it creates jobs in regions where they are most needed.

There are some things in life that are more rewarding than others. Like realizing that the seeds you sowed a week ago are sprouting, or that the cuttings you got from your best friend have grown roots. Best of all, you don’t need a garden or even a balcony to enjoy all the greatness. Your apartment jungle is literally just a few pots and plants away, which is exactly what BOTANISK collection is about.

“We know that lots of people dream of bringing in even more greenery. We want to make it more fun and easier to create your own urban garden,” says Maria O’Brian, Creative Leader at IKEA.

A man and a woman working with pots, plants, baskets and material samples on a workbench.
Maria O'Brian and Andreas Fredriksson verifying the prototypes.

BOTANISK is made up of plant pots, baskets, paper pot maker, plant pot cover, tool bag, and more, in natural materials like banana fibre, jute, and cotton. Just like the colours, the materials have been picked to reflect the botanical theme. Even the items that can’t be used for planting and potting add to the green concept, or how about a cushion cover with hand-embroidered green leaves? Above all, each item is handmade by skilled artisans, merging traditional handicraft with modern design.

“I’m super happy with the way we’ve been able to create beautiful, handmade products that also have clear functions – meaning that they’ll serve more than one purpose in the home,” says Maria.

A design team working with pots, plants, baskets and fabrics on a black workbench.
A design team working with pots, plants, baskets and fabrics on a black workbench.

BOTANISK is sustainable in more ways than one. The collection is made in close collaboration with six social entrepreneurs across the world, whose business ideas are based on creating work in regions where it’s most needed. Through the partnerships IKEA doesn’t only get a chance to contribute to more jobs, but to strike a blow for women’s empowerment. Also, we get to tap into the artisans’ great handicraft skills. At the end of the day, that means that we can offer our customers unique, handmade products that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

“The whole collection is made with people in mind. We’ve constantly had to consider that these products are made by people and not machines – and therefore think about how to make it fun and rewarding for the artisans to produce the designs we are after. From start to finish the process has been all about the collaboration, developing the items together,” says Maria.

Fabrics with floral motifs, ceramic pots and annotations on pieces of paper.
People working with pots, plants and material samples on a workbench.

About the BOTANISK collection

  • Consists of plant pots, baskets, paper pot maker, plant pot cover, tool bag, carpet, cushion cover, plus more, designed to make urban gardening fun, functional and beautiful.
  • Made of sustainable materials like banana fibre, jute, and better cotton.
  • Each item is handmade by skilled artisans in India, Jordan, Thailand, and Romania.
  • The collection is created in collaboration with six social entrepreneurs – Rangsutra, Industree, and Ramesh Flowers in India, Doi Tung DP in Thailand, Jordan River Foundation in Jordan, and MBQ in Romania. They all have business ideas that are based on creating jobs in regions where they are most needed, and for people that need them most.