IKEA as We’ve Never Seen it Before

Most design authorities will recommend investing in a classic sofa with lifelong potential, but there remain sound occasions to buy IKEA upholstery—a budget crunch, temporary apartment living, decorating a playroom for a fickle youngster, needing a cheerful accent piece, etc. In such cases, British fabric design phenom Tricia Guild and Bemz, a maker of custom slipcovers for the pocketbook-friendly Swedish furnishings, are here to save the day. Guild recently lent her whimsical, modern aesthetic to a cheap and chic line of Designers Guild covers for IKEA chairs, sofas and cushions. The 70-piece Barcelona Collection, which debuted yesterday at Bemz.com, ranges in price from about $55 to $719, depending on the piece, plus a flat $20 for shipping and handling. The Spanish-inspired textiles are made of 100 percent cotton and are machine washable, too. I’m partial to the neutral patterns, but the colorful versions would be vivid complements to any daring decorating scheme. I think the motifs really spruce up IKEA’s very simple shapes beautifully! Here are a few of my favorite images of the new collection below:

What do you think? Will these high-end-look slipcovers take IKEA basics up a notch to full-on glam?