Nada Debs designs Ramadan collection for IKEA (2023)

northada Debs' Ramadan 2020 collection for IKEA could have gone one of two ways,The Lebanese designer said; it could have had the moon or the hexagon as the main theme. In the end, Debs decided on the latter.

Geometric shapes appear in countless colors and combinations on tables, trays, cushions, rugs, ceramics and lanterns that make up the new collection Ljuv, which will be launched in IKEA stores on Thursday 12 March.

Islamic Design Principles

Ljuv, which means "joy" in Swedish, aims to juxtapose traditional Middle Eastern symbols with clean Scandinavian design.

"The hexagon is a very strong geometric shape, especially in this part of the world,"Deb said. "Because when you put patterns side by side, they create a continuous, infinite pattern, and that's what Islamic geometry is all about: Infinity is about God, Allah, and that's the basis of Islamic design."

Debs is the first Middle Eastern creative to be chosen by the Swedish homeware brand to design its collection. Karin Gustavsson, creative director and collection designer at IKEA Sweden, talks about the decision to hire a "world-renowned" regional designer. “Working with Nada is fun. He has a modern expression.and knowledge of colour, design and geometry".

luxury aesthetics

In Studio Nothing Debs,In Beirut, this knowledge is often manifested in carefully handcrafted, often one-of-a-kind furniture, decorative accessories, rugs and artifacts: think arabesque patterns carved into rich maple and ash.; mother-of-pearl is inlaid on cabinet fronts, or juxtaposed with resin for dazzling effect; and traditional Ma'amoul cake-shaped buttons adorn headboards and sofas. These products are firmly at the high end of the design spectrum. IKEA, on the other hand, is all about people and machines. That's a difficult gap to bridge, Debs acknowledged.

"Usually I start with a craft, then I figure out a technique and create the shape of the piece based on how that craft can best be displayed. In this case, the craft is not the main goal, [it's] more industrial Something that will reach the masses and follow democratic principles of design and function. It's hard,"Dice Deb.

"So I would draw a shape as if I were creating it for a luxury collection,Then simplify materials, colors and techniques. print instead of inFor example, laying or relief work, and the replacement of hand sewing by machines. I was introduced to various techniques (hand-knotting, embroidery, etc.) to make products look like they were handmade, but were actually made by machine. In the end, the product looked really good, which was an eye-opener," he said."I still believe that when someone works by hand, the final product makes a huge difference. But because the collection almost feels handmade and it's complemented by Islamic motifs, it adds a lot of emotion to the pieces.

"It's also fun to be able to work on both ends of the spectrum. I think it's good that premium brands are trying to reach everyone."When you become too exclusive, the whole idea of ​​design is lost, which is to create functional objects that make people feel better about themselves and who they are. In my case, I deal with identity a lot, so I reach out to everyone in the Middle East and the Arab world to make them feel that we are both modern and traditional, and that we respect our heritage and our culture.For me is the best part of this collaboration. "

Gustavsson recognizes the challenges a luxury designer can face when working with a large company with different values. "I love Nada's work, she makes one-of-a-kind pieces and it's a challenge to adapt some ideas for mass production. For example, we have a glass and metal table,It was initially too large to be shipped and sold as a whole. So we had to demolish the building. It arrives today in a flat pack withA small component and it becomes a complete, solid and elegant table. "

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creative process

For all industrial monotonousSharing the work, Debs said the process from conceptualization to creation was detailed and demanding. Gustavsson insists that designn can't be done from the table, she wants the Ljuv collection to come together on the "factory floor".

It's this strategy that gives the collection its coherence, the designers agree. "Once the sketchHas been developed, it's a process of choosing what works and what doesn't. We sent drawings to IKEA headquarters and then to factories in India for production as prototypes,” she said. “I spent 10 days in India myself going over each piece, determining proportions and colors, so in the end it became in order to be a very coherent set of objects".

The designer also revealed that the collection made her use brass for the first time. "I love exploring this material. You can hammer it, shape it, mold it, change its color... so there's a lot of potential in working with brass and I'm looking forward to continuing to do that."

The brass side table is the highlight of the collection and one of Debs' favorite pieces. The table is finished in shades of pink and rose gold, and its hexagonal shape complements the shape carvings on its surface.

"For the pink glass table, I created a sandblasted effect but left a pattern that wasn't sandblasted. The beauty is that when the light hits the floor it sits on, you see a scene Shadows. The same effect happens with lanterns; I like the idea of ​​playing with light and shadow",designer says.

"In terms of colour, we chose bright rather than austere for this collection, as it adds a youthful effect and freshness to traditional Islamic forms," ​​he continued. “We chose a model that Nada Debs Studio normally usesHe plays with pattern by superimposing it as prints, embroideries and exaggerated delicate lines, thin or thickexistHexagon pattern.

Gustafson saysHer favorite piece is the ceramic tableware, which emphasizes the purpose of the collection: to socialize during the holy month. “I learned that during Ramadan, when the sun sets and breaks the fast, people usually gather for dinner with family and friends. The colors and shapes of the ceramics are carefully designed and can be combined at the table to create unexpected way to serve your guests.”