Maria Vinka

Maria was born and raised in a small town but spent all her summers on her father’s family homestead in the north of Sweden. Her father showed Maria how to fix things around the farm, and solve problems with simple means. “I loved creating, using my hands, learning from my elders,” said Maria.

Maria’s first involvement with IKEA came while she was still a design student. She worked on a collection named OLENA with designer Tom Hedqvist and others, experimenting with dots on different textures including cotton organza. After she graduated from university, she worked with everything from ceramics to T-shirt prints before starting at IKEA as an in-house designer in 1997. Maria was brought on as one of several young talents to add a fresh perspective alongside the more experienced team.

One of Maria’s first assignments was to design a fabric pattern, IKEA PS LÄNK, for the 1999 IKEA PS collection – an initiative that started in the nineties to bring “new blood to the system,” as she puts it. Maria would go on to do many more designs in the IKEA PS collections that followed, such as one of Ingvar Kamprad’s all-time favourites, the IKEA PS GULLHOLMEN rocking chair made from scraps from the banana tree.

One of the senior designers at IKEA, Anna Efverlund, became an important mentor for Maria. “She took me under her wing!” says Maria. They travelled together to meet suppliers around the world and also worked with the very first collaboration between IKEA, UNICEF and local artisans in India in 2006. This was the beginning of the ever-expanding work of IKEA with social businesses to make a positive impact on vulnerable communities. It would later morph into the IKEA Social Entrepreneurship initiative, where partners around the world collaborate to create positive social impact.

The 2006 GAGNEF rag rug was made of industrial textile waste. The idea of weaving them with “hinges” comes from the old Scandinavian tradition of folding long rugs around corners in small houses. The foundation of her design philosophy is to base an idea on the lifecycle of the product and never use more material than necessary. “I think I am a good fit for IKEA because I like to ask questions and work out smart solutions to problems. Limitations regarding, for example, resources or cost-effectiveness, give me more energy.”

Maria left IKEA to start her design studio in Gothenburg in 2009. There, the walls are covered with colourful mood boards, bold prints, and inspiring artefacts. Among her tools is an old brush that once belonged to legendary IKEA designer Erik Wørts. She still designs for IKEA and loves the recurring opportunity to solve problems for many people. In addition, Maria always adds a twist, perhaps a little provocation, to her stylish and functional products. “I always try to have fun creating,” she says.