I was in the IKEA store when I noticed this pair, and was curious why these little characters were frowning at me. It seems they are considered “mood vases” with the product name “Fröväxt,” which means “seed plant” in Swedish. They’re meant to be mini plant holders, with the idea that whatever greenery that comes out of what you’ve planted will be like “hair” for the face of your choice. Sure enough, if you look on the other side, they have smiles; but some previous shopper decided to turn them both around to showcase the frowns.
I have to admit, I wasn’t in IKEA with the need for any particular product; it was a cold winter day and my girlfriend and I decided to walk through for curiosity and entertainment much more so than to buy anything. Let’s check out a couple other products that caught my eye, from an artistic point of view.
What we have above left is a clear reproduction of Van Gogh – in fact, it’s a copy of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers,” 1888, from the collection of Neue Pinakothek, in Munich, Germany. But IKEA tags it simply as “motif created by Vincent Van Gogh.” Then on the right is a pair of birds, which IKEA tags as “motif created by Maja Gunnarsdottir,” but if you’re an art history stickler as I am, let’s be real on this one – it’s using the idea and style of birds as created by both Henri Matisse and Georges Braque.
Here’s a product at IKEA that caught me off guard: cowhides! At first, I assumed these were synthetic cowhides, meant to be similar enough in appearance but machine manufactured. But in fact, these are real cowhides for sale! IKEA says they are “a great way to add warmth and a cozy feeling to your floor,” yet my first thought was about the poor cow that was busy making milk when someone decided to take the skin. IKEA does offer the declaimer, right there in the store, that these are “sourced from the food industry where they are by-products,” so I guess it comes from the process that gave you a steak or a burger. They continue on that “IKEA doesn’t accept any form of cruelty to animals, we have traceability systems to verify that our requirements on animal welfare are being met.” Okay, that’s all fine and good, I’m not going to go on any crusade over this, but personally, I wouldn’t choose to have a cowhide on my floor.
I left the IKEA without buying anything, but I did leave with the curiosity about their Swedish Meatballs … I’ve seen them advertised numerous times, and they have them in the in-store restaurant, but I also see you can buy some to take home. Maybe next time, I’ll give them a try.