IKEA: no longer just for Swedish meatballs, minimalist, fuss-free furniture (read: cheap enough, decent looking enough, and easy enough to assemble) and, if you’re in New York, an excuse to spend a day in Red Hook.
The retailer is now exploring the world of scents with a debut fragrance, due out in 2019.
The to-be-announced perfume is a collaboration with the Swedish high-end brand Byredo.
“I know most people have associations of visiting their grandmother’s house – whether it’s her perfume or the flowers or her cooking – smell is a very relevant part of the home. It creates a sense of comfort and security,” Byredo founder, perfumer Ben Gorham writes on IKEA’s blog.
Except the actual scent — which is still a surprise — is teased to be more like something that would incite your appetite, rather than imbue you with hygge or nostalgia for your childhood bedroom.
“Today we got a sneak peek of what this aromatic collab might turn into: a whiff of the more than well-known Swedish cinnamon buns permeates the hallways of IKEA of Sweden (it’s mouth-watering!),” the brand writes on the blog.
Yum! But also, a little random? I don’t know about you, but cinnamon buns do not smell like home to me.
“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?” Marcus Engam, Design Manager at IKEA Range and Supply, said in a statement.
How can smell be communicated beyond scented candles? Uh, well, in any number of ways: diffusers, incense, sprays, air freshener…
Also, per the release: “The collaboration aims at looking into both the role of scent in the home, the carriers and the products as well as exploring innovation in scent, how we can integrate scents in completely new ways. But we are also curious to explore the scent of IKEA, if there is one, what does IKEA smell like?”
Even if IKEA does have a distinct smell, why would we want to bring that into our homes?
IKEA, maybe stick to the meatballs and those bookcases that look like squares stacked on top of each other.
