The New Ikea catalog: ‘Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah'

I spent the last hour flipping through the pages of the new 2012 IKEA catalog... and humming a song from The Jetsons: "Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah." If you know the song, and you're familiar with IKEA products, you'll understand why it happens to me every time I start reading IKEA descriptions of products with names like flort, skubb, malm, ektorp, lobo and snille.

The issue that drops in August, and is now online, marks the 61st anniversary of the first IKEA catalog. This year, the catalog for the world's largest home furnishings retailer is going to be available in 59 printed editions, 31 languages and 39 countries.

Ung mirror, polystyrene, 23x33, $40In a nötskal, the 2012 catalog is about form and function, sustainability, and maximizing small spaces. There's a bigger focus on modern styles, one with Swedish roots, the other with an international classic feel. There's a little Keith Haring, some vintage, and a lot of color.

A new textile line, called Eivor, draws from Sweden's tradition of using textiles to tell a story that reveals an awareness of place and culture. Designer Kajsa Aronsson describes it as "...very much an image of my own life, with associations Eivor duvet cover by Kajsa Aronsson for Ikea.and threads to memories, people and events that I like and love," the people, lamp posts, buses, plants, scooters and buildings she experiences and sees in the district of Södermalm, Stockholm, where she lives and works.

One thing you won't see in Aronsson's pattern, according to the description, is repetition. "I did change the scale of some figures as an important thing is to get that kind of swing and pleasant motion in the design," she said. "Not too messy, but not stationary either."The shape of Ikea’s curvy new Isala series is inspired by older Swedish furniture, with modern twists like thicker legs for a new expression.

For the new Eivor line, Aronsson designed a duvet cover set, a cushion and curtains. This is her first collaboration with IKEA since 1998. She's a graduate of The Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås, and one of three founders of HAPPYsthlm design company.

In the coming weeks, IKEA will be introducing some new digital tools, including a catalog iPad application, and has just created a new design-focused Twitter handle, @DesignByIKEA. The company also plans to launch a design blog and photo-sharing community in August to "further inspire and engage with home design enthusiasts."

You can view the catalog here: http://onlinecatalog.ikea-usa.com/US/en/2012/IKEA_Catalog/

You can view George Jetson and daughter Judy rocking to "Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah" by clicking on the image below: