The Last of IKEA’s Paperback Catalogue
As magazines and newspapers are making the transition online to fully digital, brands are following suit in a bid to go fully digital. Swedish furniture chain IKEA has made the tough decision to discontinue their print catalogue.
The iconic IKEA catalogue usually features entire collections, home décor inspirations, and also makes for great coffee table book (we all know a someone who always has the catalogue in their house!).
At its peak in 2016, IKEA says that over 200 million catalogs were distributed in 32 languages all over the world, with BBC claiming that the IKEA catalogue was the largest publication in the world.
Engaging customers online
The decision to discontinue the annual catalogue didn’t just come out of nowhere. IKEA saw an increase in online sales and website visits from customers looking for home inspiration. Konrad Gruss, Managing Director at franchiser Inter IKEA Systems, shares that as a whole, more people are using the app, website and social media. The budget that would usually go into the production of the catalogue would be redirected into online initiatives like boosting app experience and social media content.
In the past few years, other big brands like H&M and Victoria’s Secret have been also been pulling back on their catalogues to go digital as part of their sustainability efforts.
IKEA has shared that they would be working on a smaller print publication focused on inspiration for home furnishing to be available in stores next year, but it wouldn’t be as comprehensive as it used to be.
Where to find design inspo
But other than their catalogues, there are also other places – both online and offline – that you can still turn to for home décor inspiration to get your dream home.
From home décor inspiration to DIY hacks, Pinterest is a rabbit hole full of Instagram-worthy inspiration and tips to get you that home of your dreams. “Pin” all your favourite photos and articles that piqued your interest to create a mood board for your next home décor project. Whether you’re looking for ideas to revamp your bedroom or decorating the living room from scratch, easily create a stylish place where you can be comfortable in.
Home & Décor
Singapore’s leading interior design magazine has both print and online versions to spark that interior design bug in you. The magazine curates the best of furniture and homeware and interior designers to get the best out of your budget.
They also feature themed interiors and popular styles like Japanese or Swedish minimalism, but our favourite feature has to be the house tour section that showcases various homes in Singapore. Pick from HDBs, condos, and landed properties to see how people have done up their living spaces. If they can do it, so can you!
CNA Lifestyle – Making Room
Watch Singapore homes be transformed into cosy family units in CNA Lifestyle’s home renovation series that showcases before and after photos to get a gauge of the space. Each house is designed with the homeowners and their preferences in mind to maximise the space with flexible living spaces and hidden storage corners. As most flats and houses in Singapore aren’t very big, every square metre counts! The house makeover videos are available to watch on CNA’s Facebook page and website, although it’ll take a bit of searching to find all of them.
Homify
Put together by a local interior design firm, Homify is a portal for homeowners to find inspiration or handy home tips. Called ideabooks, visitors can save photos and make notes on them into an interactive online notebook to collate ideas and theme styles.
Other than décor, the site also lets you purchase individual furniture items that match your ideabook. Homify can also advise you on fitting out the electrical installations and lighting to cover all the details, with articles giving advise on what to look out for when deciding on the furnishings like matching the floor finishing with the walls.
Although we’re sad over the discontinuation of one of our favourite interior design inspiration magazines ever, at least we have the power of the internet! Now, go forth and create that living space you’ve always wanted!
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