Ikea to explore the role of scent in the home with perfume house Byredo

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jun 12, 2017

Ikea has revealed a collaboration with Swedish perfume house Byredo that will look beyond scented candles and will create “a democratic approach to smell”.

Launching in 2019, the collaboration will see the Swedish furniture retailer and the fragrance brand join forces to explore new ways of bringing scent into the home.

“At Ikea we are curious about the senses and the importance they play for people to feel at home. We know that scents can help us create a feeling of safety and intimacy, but what does home smell like? And how can smell be communicated beyond scented candles? Collaborating with one of the best in the world, Ben Gorham at Byredo gives us the opportunity to explore this further”, says Marcus Engman, Design Manager at IKEA Range and Supply.

Founded by art-school graduate Ben Gorham, Byredo is the perfect brand to embark on this journey with. Creative and immersive, the label merges Gorham’s curiosity about the possibilities tied to smell with an understated approach. The label was founded in 2006 after a chance encounter with a perfumer and has since then made a name for itself in the world of people and home fragrances.

“We live in a very aesthetic world. Design is more accessible than ever, we learn as children about the names of colours, shapes, how to count, how to read. You learn about apparel and furniture, we use the internet every day which is endless in terms of altering our visual perception. I feel people just don’t reflect enough when it comes to scent, but smell is a very relevant part of our life and also the home. To collaborate on this idea of “invisible design” with Ikea, getting people to think about smell is very exciting. I enjoy their openness to new ideas and the experimental nature of what we’re doing”, says Byredo’s Gorham.

Fans of the brand will have to wait until 2019 to know all the details of the limited edition collection, but Ikea has already anticipated that it might also include the scent of Ikea’s Swedish cinnamon buns.