IKEA and Tom Dixon Collaborate on “Open-Source” Bed and Invite Hacks from the Rest of Us

Putting your own spin on IKEA furniture, bookcases, cabinetry, etc., is an industry unto itself. Modifications, add-ons, and upgrades for the Swedish giant’s home goods have launched thousands of posts and Pins, as well as spawned companies like Semihandmade.

Now high-end British designer Tom Dixon has entered the IKEA hackathon by designing the Delaktig, an uber-cool, versatile daybed and a collaboration that capitalizes on IKEA’s eminently hackable products. Taking a cue from the tech industry, Dixon and IKEA created Delaktig as an “open-source” platform—inviting customers, designers, and students to customize the Delaktig daybed at will.

 

The collaboration started out with Dixon’s pitch to IKEA for a cot and a coffin, “but they thought that was inappropriate,” his website observes. “We had a rethink and just thought: bed sofa.” Bingo. IKEA makes the bed, and Dixon worked with art students to create hacks that turn it into a chaise lounge or a three-seat sofa.

Dixon now sells a variety of heavy-duty hacks for the Delaktig, including a floor lamp that can be clamped onto the frame; an attachable and adjustable side table, side or back panel; a magazine rack; and several covers. Collaborator Bemz added “soft” hacks that elevate the IKEA frame into luxurious seating—slipcovers in basic black, waterproof stripes for outdoor use, a casual and cozy electric-blue boucle, and an indulgent Icelandic sheepskin.

Like many of IKEA’s most its forward-looking designs, the Delaktig is not yet available in U.S. stores, but predicted to be introduced here soon. Hacks by Dixon are available online. The innumerable hacks from the rest of us: still to come.

 

Delaktig with black Kvadrat cove, aluminum side table, side panels, and boom light.
Delaktig with waterproof striped slipcover
Delaktig with boom light, aluminum back panels, and wool throw

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