Few retailers have made as much of an impact on our day-to-day lives as IKEA. We sleep in their beds, argue over their flatpack instructions, and dream of their signature Swedish meatballs when we’re hungry. Now, an art exhibition is set to debut about IKEA, honouring the very best of the brand’s textile designs from the past 60 years.
The show, named ‘Magical Patterns’, is set to open up during Edinburgh Art Festival, which spans most of August. In total, 180 fabrics will be on display, which organisers hope will ‘[showcase] the rich history of print, pattern and design at IKEA’.
RECOMMENDED: Your ultimate guide to the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The most exciting part? This is a world first; the collection was put together in Älmhult, Sweden, but has not yet been seen by the public. It will make its debut at Dovecot Studios, a modern art and textiles museum in Edinburgh, on Friday (July 18) and remain there for six months, waving goodbye to the Scottish capital on January 17 2026. That means you’ve got plenty of time to come and have a good look at IKEA’s finest.
You might be surprised by just how artsy a big brand like IKEA is willing to get. It’s worked with Swedish heritage designers like Inez Svensson and Sven Fristedt, and modern art icons alike, and has acted as a ‘nursery for experimental artists and designers’ since the 1960s. Since then, it’s seen duvet covers with a bright yellow banana motif, and lots of stripes, and even curtains adorned in broccoli. Clearly, fruit and veg works for the furniture giant.
Going to this exhibition isn’t just about finding your new favourite throw pillow, it’s a walk through time. You’ll be able to see trends come in and out of fashion, colours which were popular in the 90s which died out completely by 2005, and how we got to where we are today. As Dovecot Studios director, Celia Joicey puts it; ‘This exhibition highlights the important role pattern and textile play in shaping the spaces we live in.’
You can book your tickets from Dovecot’s website here.
This is the northern UK area that is one of the most affordable housing markets in the world
Exciting new details have been revealed about the upcoming Universal theme park in the UK.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country