emergentfutures:

Putting a Designer’s Polish on Ikea Products

Inevitably, Mr. Christensen said: “We would tell the client, ‘You can save half if you use Ikea carcasses, and we just skin it.’ That’s where the initial idea started.”

Sensing that there was a bigger business opportunity than producing a few one-off kitchens, they discussed the concept for Reform over a beer and soon compiled a list of three collaborators that represented their Danish design dream team: BIG, Henning Larsen and Norm.

“We never imagined they would all say yes,” Mr. Andersen said.

But they did, and Reform introduced its first architect-designed collection in August 2015. (The company also offers a kitchen designed in-house).

Ikea as a platform – who knew

Full Story: NYT

This has been a thing among designers and makers for years – take IKEA bones and dress them up with high end accessories and things like handles (from, say, Anthropologie).

That a cottage industry around this would spring up is only natural. And IKEA has learned their lesson since the time of cease and desist letters they sent to Ikeahackers.net .