IKEA’s “Magical Patterns” Brings 60 Years of Prints to Edinburgh — and Back Into Our Homes
At Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios, Magical Patterns puts IKEA’s textile legacy center stage, unfurling 180 designs spanning six decades across banners, vitrines and room vignettes. Presented by IKEA Museum (Älmhult), the touring exhibition runs July 18, 2025 through January 17, 2026 and makes a clear case for pattern as a democratic design tool—one that still shapes how we decorate today.
From banana stripes to broccoli prints: a brief pattern history
The show tracks a shift that began in the early 1960s when IKEA empowered young designers to break from beige. Visionaries such as Inez Svensson (whose stripes hit the 1972 catalogue covers) and Sven Fristedt helped define a punchier, more playful Scandinavian look. The exhibition also highlights later favorites like Ida Pettersson Preutz’s “ANNIKEN”—the broccoli-on-pink textile that became a cheeky contemporary icon. Together, these works argue that pattern can be witty, approachable and thoroughly modern.
Why it matters for interiors now
After years of beige minimalism, design is rediscovering character: curves, saturated palettes and retro optimism. Pattern is the fastest way to dial that in—especially on the walls. A single large-format print or a tightly edited gallery at eye level anchors the room and sets the palette for textiles and smaller accents.
Bring the look home: wall art styling ideas
- Lead with a hero piece. Choose a graphic canvas—bold geometrics, stripes or organic motifs—and size up. Over a sofa or console, 80–120 cm (32–48") reads confident.
- Keep pattern scales intentional. Pair one oversized print with medium-scale geometry; avoid stacking many similar scales (visual noise).
- Color bridge. Pick two hues from your hero artwork and echo them in pillows or a throw; it’s the quickest cohesion trick.
- Let frames do quiet work. Thin oak or white frames outline busy compositions without adding weight.
- Try a micro-gallery. Three related prints in a tight row over a sideboard can nod to the exhibition’s archival feel without becoming cluttered.
If you’re going
Location: Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh • Dates: July 18, 2025–January 17, 2026 • Exhibition details | Ticket info via Time Out.
Keep exploring
- 1960s design cues staging a comeback — geometry, curves, and joyous color.
- Fall 2025 interior trends — rich palettes and tactile layers meet everyday practicality.
- Beyond accent walls — designers are looking up to the “fifth wall.”
Love this topic? We’re regularly covering fresh takes on patterns, galleries and murals. Browse more in Newsroom+—including trend explainers and styling guides that pair perfectly with the ideas above.
Why this show resonates with wall art lovers
The through-line from IKEA’s archives to today’s living rooms is simple: pattern is permission to be personal. You don’t need to wallpaper the whole house; one expressive canvas can shift a room’s mood, invite complementary colors, and open the door to layered, lived-in style.
References
• Wallpaper*: ‘How IKEA brought pattern into the home’ — coverage of the exhibition’s scope and key designers. https://www.wallpaper.com/design-interiors/design-events/ikea-magical-patterns
• IKEA Museum: “Magical Patterns — On Tour” (dates and overview). https://ikeamuseum.com/en/whats-on/exhibitions/magical-patterns/
• Livingetc: Exhibition preview with curator commentary and image set. https://www.livingetc.com/features/ikea-pattern-exhibition-fringe-2025
• Time Out UK: Announcement with dates and venue details. https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/an-exhibition-of-ikea-patterns-is-coming-to-one-of-britains-most-culturally-vibrant-cities-071425