Making friends with IKEA's new GREJSIMOJS collection

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 3 of 13, W26 * Subscribe free *

A love of playful design can lead you into funny situations. Last summer, while browsing Zig Zag, one of my favourite vintage shops, I came across a large night light in the shape of a giraffe. The price was reasonable and I decided to get it. Temporarily housed in a shopping bag with its neck poking out, it looked very conspicuous as I travelled home on the TTC. Part of me felt like an attention-seeking goof, the other part like the proud owner of a new pet:

The slightly embarrassing trip paid off when I let it loose at home. It soon found a prominent spot in my living room, and it's now a kind of guardian of the space:

I do have a thing for items that take me back to childhood. I recently inherited an Anne Murray record for kids, one my brothers and I used to sing along to fiercely when we were little:

I must confess, it's the family possession I was most hoping to obtain.

So, when I learned about IKEA's upcoming play-inspired collection through a PDF on their website, I felt my heart rate accelerating. I sent an email to the press contact and heard back the next day – it was last minute, but they could add me to the guest list for an exclusive early-Sunday-morning preview, if I could make it. Of course I said yes.

It was an intimate affair, with coffee and snacks, a warm intro from the IKEA crew – including a performer in a teddy bear costume – and influencers ready to point their phones at the goods. As I perused the central exhibit, I realized it may have been the giraffe factor that initially drew me in:

But there was a whole host of other animals too, including these storage containers in the form of quizzical cats:

And a dog lamp with a stance so perky it must be a puppy:

Some non-animal products seemed animal-esque too. A furry slipcover allows you to turn the MAMMUT kids chair into a four-footed beast:

The pink version has the tactile appeal of candy floss:

A carpet with a topographical design is a cue that this is about more than one-off products – it's about a world of imagination, waiting for your stories to populate it and bring it to life:

The collection feels like a spontaneous hug – and the lineup includes bears ready to give you an actual one:

It's all called GREJSIMOJS, which is Swedish for "thingamajig." I'm happy to report that my living room giraffe now has two thingamajig companions to keep it company:

A big thank you to the IKEA Toronto downtown crew, especially Shayan Rashidi, who talked to me at length about the collection. It's great to see play celebrated in a way that includes all generations.

From the archives

Our fast-growing inventory of articles has more to say on playful decor and the Swedish juggernaut that is IKEA:

Youthify: micro-decorating move #20
Is it possible to rediscover your childhood self?

The three stages of toy
We all know grief has stages. But did you know processing your love of toys has stages too?

IKEA, Where's Waldo, and you
How much IKEA is too much IKEA?

Enjoy the browsing! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an Anne Murray record to listen to.

Thank you for reading.