Marimekko x Ikea’s Bastua Collaboration in Person

I visited the Ikea in Brooklyn to see the launch of the new Marimekko x Ikea collaboration a few weekends ago. (And to adopt some more plants.) The limited-edition collection, called Bastua, was inspired by Nordic sauna culture.

Thought I’d share what it was like in person. (Yes, this post is late in our world of instant social media gratification, but hey, I’ve been busy. And I did make this Reel.)

What’s unique about this collection is that it’s the first time Marimekko designed prints for a collaboration.

The 26-piece collection features some small pieces of birch furniture, as well as towels, robes, cushions, and glassware. What’s unique about this collection is that it’s the first time Marimekko designed prints for a collaboration. Usually when they team up with another retailer, they use existing prints.

I especially liked this rhubarb leaf print, which was used for a shower curtain, robe, leaf-shaped tray, and in red for a floor cushion, tray, and shopping bag.

The textiles, from the robes to the towels, all seemed well woven, though they are on the thin side.

The robes — annoying called kimono (which it is not because kimono is a specific garment); it’s a robe, just call it a robe — come in two sizes, S/M and X/XL. The fabric, while not super soft, feels light-ish. Fabric composition is 50% cotton and 50% lyocell. Of the different types of rayon, lyocell is the most absorbent one and can wick moisture from the skin to keep things dry and cool. This choice makes a lot of sense for a sauna robe. The robe has belt loops for the matching sash. One thing I wish it had were pockets.

The textiles, from the robes to the towels, all seemed well woven, though they are on the thin side. The robes were made in India. I forgot to check the tag for the towels.

The sizes for the towels are interesting. You can either get a skinny towel for the sauna like this or this small one, or a large bath sheet in blue/green or blue/orange. I have to say, I find the decision to add fringe to the bath sheets an odd choice. Seems impractical and potentially problematic with tangling.

The furniture pieces looked really nice. This bench, with its indent in the middle, was comfy and sturdy — and it’s solid wood. Could totally see this in an entryway.

Not going to lie, spent some time thinking about where I could squeeze in this cute little birch veneer side table in my apartment. But no, I don’t need this.

The round trays fit perfectly on top of the table. Love that design. However, the trays were not in stock when I visited. There was only this one sample. To be honest, it was already looking a little beat-up with some chips on the edges. Quality-wise, it seemed average and comparable to other Ikea trays.

I didn’t think much of the glassware in preview pictures, which feature these organic shapes inspired by carved wood. But in person they had a nice heft, especially the pitcher. You can buy the drinking glasses for $8. Or for $2 more, you can buy one with a candle inside, which then leaves you with the glass when you’ve used the candle. Smart!

Let’s talk about cushions. There were these $7 lumbar cushions. Nothing really special in terms of quality. Seemed fine. Average Ikea stuff.

But there were also these floor cushions in the leaf print, which had an eye-popping price tag of $60. When I saw them in person, though, I understood why. They’re big and feel comfortable and supportive. (Yes, I tried one out on the floor.)

The portable LED lantern was cute. But people complain online that the light is disappointingly dim.

The best deal out of all of these items? The iconic Ikea shopping bags, of course, now in Marimekko prints. The large 19-gallon shopping bags in the blue/green log-inspired print or the leaf print go for $5. In addition to the fun prints, they differ from the regular 99-cent blue Frakta bags in that there’s a snap in the center of each bag.

There’s also this $3 shopping bag with a zipper, but it was smaller than I expected. I mean, this looks like a lunch bag to me.

In the end, I took home one each of the large bags and a robe. If the leaf pattern round tray had been in stock, I would have left with one of those too. I already have trays, so I don’t really need a tray, so just as well. (Though, for the record, let me say I don’t own any round trays so if I saw it in stock…)

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