IKEA Malaysia announced the availability of SAMMANKOPPLA, a brand-new collection developed in collaboration with designers from GREYHOUND ORIGINAL, a renowned Thai fashion label that has transformed into a cutting-edge lifestyle brand. From chair covers to shelving units, lamps to woven rugs, this expressive collection sees a blend of Bangkok street style and Scandinavian home furnishing. The SAMMANKOPPLA collection is now available on IKEA.my, to be followed by IKEA Malaysia stores soon.
Michael Nikolic, Creative Leader at IKEA, said “Working with GREYHOUND ORIGINAL enabled us to learn about adaptation. Through the brand’s relaxed and playful attitude, we created new distinctive designs. We believe that SAMMANKOPPLA will meet the needs of those who are ‘young at heart,’ looking for functional furniture which also offers unique characteristics and is customisable in multiple ways, thereby perfectly helping to allocate their budget and space.”
The SAMMANKOPPLA collection connects three elements into one idea. The synthesis of these elements include Bangkok’s modern way of life, traditional Thai beliefs and philosophy of sustainable living, and GREYHOUND ORIGINAL’s street style-creativity – which have resulted in a collection of distinctive furniture and home accessories that are sustainable and fun for small space living.
“This is a collection influenced by a city with a rich heritage, history and with an unending sense of optimism, and it also shows that imperfection can be perfect,” said Bhanu Inkawat, Co-Founder of GREYHOUND ORIGINAL, adding, “Since GREYHOUND first opened its doors in 1980, we have always believed in ‘Basic with a Creative Twist’ aiming to make simple everyday life creatively pleasurable. SAMMANKOPPLA is an excellent opportunity for us to expound on this belief and connect the world with Thailand’s rich heritage, mixing the old and new ways of life and presenting them in the fun and creative GREYHOUND style. This collaboration with IKEA is a tremendous opportunity and experience. We have learned the work process that adheres to their brand philosophy, and how they always search for new ways to continuously develop good ideas that result in beautiful furniture at an affordable price for everyone. And most importantly, we have learned how a 70-year old brand like IKEA is full of never-ending eagerness to understand the changing lifestyles and attitudes of its consumers, making the brand continue to feel young, vibrant and relevant year after year.”
“With a strong representation of contemporary lifestyle, the unique objects and expressive designs from the SAMMANKOPPLA collection will allow more Malaysians to showcase their personalities and personal style in their homes. The affordable collection which feature 25 products is now available on IKEA.my and will soon be offered at all IKEA Malaysia stores,” added Gerard Jansen, Deputy Retail Director, IKEA Southeast Asia.
Many items in the collection are based on the concepts of multifunction and reuse, like furniture developed from a scaffolding system that is light and flexible, a lampshade inspired by reusing an old plastic container or the woven straw mats found in traditional Thai wickerwork remade with modern materials and designs, and utilising production concepts that reduce the environmental footprint by recycling PET bottles to maximise their utility.
IKEA and GREYHOUND ORIGINAL spent three years working closely together, exchanging ideas and designs, and their thoughts on material selection and production.
