Life & Style

This month, a number of Thai, Nepalese, Burmese, and Sri Lankan restaurants across the country will kickstart festivities to mark their respective new years.

We have seen the boom of small-seater restaurants, foraged ingredients dotting menus, and the celebration of traditional Indian cuisine courtesy of pop-ups and food festivals. Now, we are seeing the latter evolve into a larger trend of Indian restaurants commemorating traditional festivities across Asia and Southeast Asia with menus backed by intensive research and field trips. This not just spotlights the growing popularity of authentic regional food from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, among others, but also the changing culinary landscape of Indian diners.  

A snapshot of the Songkran festival 2019 at Wat Pho
| Photo Credit:
Varaporn_Chaisin

The Future of Food Report 2025 for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region also highlights that this is the year Asian flavours will take centrestage. Cuisines from the global South, including the Asia Pacific region are now receiving more Michelin stars from the esteemed French dining guide than western restaurants in Central London, it states. 

Dishes at Nara Thai
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

At Nara Thai in Mumbai, Songkran (Thai New Year) — observed between April 13 and 15 — celebrations are in full swing through the month of April. “Songkran, with its water-centric traditions, festive spirit, and refreshing summer-friendly Thai dishes, is an exciting opportunity for restaurants to create a seasonal culinary experience,” says Abhishek Bindal, COO, Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality. In collaboration with its executive chef based in Bangkok, the team identifies dishes that align with Songkran’s themes of water, and summer-friendly flavours, he says, adding that this year’s menu features guava som tam salad with watermelon granita, vermicelli clay pot, and a Thai tea panna cotta, among others.

The  Tiffin Meal at Burma Burma
| Photo Credit:
Cyrus Dalal

Popular restaurant chain Burma Burma is commemorating the Burmese New Year, Thingyan, albeit as a muted affair this year. “Our hearts go out to the families and communities, including our chef-partners, culinary experts, vendors, and artisans who have shared their skills, traditions, and warmth with us over many years and helped us create Burma Burma. While we will be offering our annual Thingyan Festival special menu for dine in and delivery from April 14 until May 11, part of the sale proceeds from this promotion will be donated to the UN World Food Programme — Burma Earthquake Relief Fund,” says co-founder Ankit Gupta, adding how, every year, their chefs create a special menu based on their experiences on research trips. The jasmine rice with white peas, for instance, is inspired by a signature offering at all Burmese feasts:  Pe Htamin.

Traditional sweets like banana sanwin makin, chilled black rice custard, sago delight, and tropical jelly are available at Burma Burma
| Photo Credit:
Cyrus Dalal

At the heart of this year’s celebrations is the Tiffin Meal for two, comprising an assortment of appetisers, dips, mains, and desserts served in a special tiffin box. “On a recent visit to Burma, a local family invited our culinary team to feast on a traditional meal, and this is where the idea for a tiffin-style meal — that also celebrates the region’s popular lacquer-coated enamel tiffins — took shape. Each year we strive to present a new facet of Burmese cuisine and this harvest festival’s offering is inspired by home-style celebratory dishes,” says Head Chef Ansab Khan, adding that popular dishes include hand-tossed broad beans, bottle gourd and tofu curry, etc.  

Cultural elements such as live storytelling about Thingyan’s significance will be part of the festivities at Asian Katha
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

At Chennai’s AsianKatha — which opened its doors six months ago — founder Aswin Thottupurath and his team are also gearing up to celebrate Thingyan. “Diners today are eager to explore beyond traditional fare and experience the stories, flavours, and customs that define different regions. We are planning an exclusive menu and cultural elements such as live storytelling about the festival’s cultural significance,” he says. Their special Thingyan menu (available from April 13 to 16) will highlight traditional Burmese delicacies such as mohinga (a fragrant fish noodle soup), laphet thoke (fermented tea leaf salad), and mont lone yay paw (sweet rice dumplings), among others. 

Dishes at Asian Katha
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

New culinary experiences aside, such festivals are giving Indian diners a taste of ingredients and a country’s regional flavours. At Bengaluru’s Utse Kitchen, founder Dechen Dolkar has brought Nepali cuisine to the forefront since it opened in 2017. “For us, the inspiration to celebrate our new year, Nepal Sambat (April 14), came from a passion for Nepalese cuisine and the joy of sharing special traditions with our guests,” says Dechen, who started commemorating Nepalese events about three years ago. The team at Utse Kitchen comprises Nepali chefs and housewives “who contribute their family recipes and cooking traditions”.  

The Newari Khaja Set Typical Nepali Thali with rice flakes, choyila, eggs, chickpeas, tama, bamboo soup, and more
| Photo Credit:
Jasper Neupane

New Delhi’s Yeti – The Himalayan Kitchen was founded in 2011 “with the idea to bring unexplored food from households of Nepal, Tibet, and other Himalayan regions to Delhi”. “We’re excited to have Nepali women in our kitchen team, and we have been working closely with them for the past two months to test and refine recipes to perfect our special menu,” says Joy Singh, partner, who has also added Naga-inspired dishes such as smoked sliced pork, ahomiya mutton, singju, and chicken raja mircha dry to the mix. 

The Thakali Thali at Yeti – The Himalayan Kitchen
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

For Nepali New Year At Utse Kitchen, diners can relish the kuchi bhoye — a community-style meal eaten on a leaf with dishes such as chiura (beaten rice), choyla (spicy grilled meat), bara (lentil patties), among other dishes; samay baji that comprises beaten rice, bara, a spicy potato salad, bhatmas, and meat, and is popular among the country’s Newar community; chhukey, a hearty dish made with dried meat and veggies; and sukuti, a dried meat curry. And the menu at Yeti comprises sel roti with chukauni, a Nepali khaja platter, and smoked stir-fried pork, to name a few.

“On these special occasions, we serve the local jhangoora kheer complimentary to all guests,” says Joy, who sources spices and gundruk from Nepal, and their cheese is “custom-made using a special proprietary recipe to complement the local Datchi flavour”.

Kiribhath (milk rice) made with heirloom rice varieties at Yo Colombo
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Trials and travels

“There’s a definite shift away from generic menus to food that is rooted in real places and celebrates their cultures and traditions,” says Chef Priya Bala, who runs Sri Lankan delivery-only restaurant, Yo Colombo, in Bengaluru. Observing Sinhalese New Year aka Aluth Avurudda (on April 14), she will be offering the signature harvest festival dish: kiribhath (milk rice) made with heirloom rice varieties, and served with sambols from April 11 to 16. “We will serve the traditional coconut sambol; the lunumiris with shallots, red chillies and lime juice; and a sweet version with coconut and jaggery,” says Priya who also served the kiribhath last year for Avurudda. “It was a hit especially among people who had travelled to Sri Lanka and knew about the dish,” she says of the kiribhath that is often served at breakfast buffets at hotels in Sri Lanka. 

Sel roti at Yeti – The Himalayan Kitchen
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Unlike regular restaurant menus, a festival curation takes months, and often involves travelling to the home country for research. “We visit Burma frequently and take our chefs along to explore and learn first-hand with local cooks and culinary experts,” says Chef Ansab, adding how Burma Burma’s research and cuisine development team, headed by Chef Touseef Shamsudeen, has a dedicated kitchen space for trials and training. “It can take a few months for us to curate dishes,” he adds.

Asian Katha sources dry shrimp and dry catfish directly from Myanmar
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Aswin says the process of crafting the Thingyan menu begins months in advance. “We source key ingredients such as dry shrimp and dry catfish directly from Myanmar, conduct multiple tasting trials, and refine the recipes. Each trial can reveal something new perhaps the fish stock could be enriched, or we might add a touch more chilli for the perfect hint of heat. We also update our festival menus from time to time, introducing fresh variations with seasonal ingredients.”

Priya, however, is sticking to just one dish for the New Year celebrations, and not an entire menu or selection of dishes. “Unlike the Thai or Chinese New Years, we don’t have a special menu in Sri Lanka, but we do make special sweets like the oil cake with rice flour and treacle, and kokis, Sri Lankan rose cookies. But since these are skill and technique-oriented preparations, and ingredients are not easy to source, we are sticking to just the kiribhath.”

Traditional Sinhala and Tamil sweets
| Photo Credit:
Nilanka Sampath

Authenticity vs. adaptation

The chefs also highlight that modifying dishes to suit local preferences and/or dietary restrictions in India is key to the menu curation process. “We’ve had to make a few small tweaks along the way,” says Joy, adding, “For instance, while mutton with skin is a favourite among Nepali diners, we don’t prepare it that way here as Indians eat the meat without the skin.” 

Aswin explains how many Burmese dishes incorporate fish sauce and shrimp paste, “which may not appeal to all diners”. At AsianKatha, he offers vegetarian and vegan alternatives that maintain the umami-rich profile while using locally available substitutes. 

Burma Burma imports ingredients such as tea leaf, fermented soybean paste, and dried mustard
| Photo Credit:
Achyut Sood

To retain originality, the team at Burma Burma imports ingredients such as tea leaf, fermented soybean paste, and dried mustard. Having said that, Ankit believes tastes and cuisines evolve over a period. “What we ate in India a decade ago is very different from what and how we eat today. A similar change is happening across the world including in Burma, and we try to keep up with the changing foodscape,” says Ankit, who notes Burma now has several standalone restaurants wherein dishes like broad bean edamame hummus, shiitake fingers, and stuffed savoury puffs are lining menus. 

Traditional Thai cuisine incorporates many ingredients that are unfamiliar to Indian palates, such as kapi (fermented shrimp paste) and nam pla (fish sauce). They have been adapted to suit vegetarian preferences by using alternatives such as in-house chilli paste,” says Abhishek, who also has plant-based adaptations of key Thai sauces.

Pahadi munchies platter at Yeti – The Himalayan Kitchen
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

At Utse, Dechen starts the process by keeping the core flavours and ingredients intact. “If a dish calls for a certain type of meat or ingredient that’s hard to find or maybe not as widely accepted here, I’ll swap it out for a similar flavour profile,” she explains. The timur (Nepalese pepper), for instance, Dechen says, “doesn’t adapt well with the Indian palette” so she has replaced it with whole black pepper. “Fermented soybean in soups has an acquired smell, and we use oyster sauce instead. Yak meat is common in Nepal, but it’s heaty and works in the high altitude region but isn’t suited for the Indian climate. Also, our Tibetan tea uses Amul butter and not yak butter, and it tastes somewhat similar to the original.”

Dishes at Asian Katha
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Aswin further adds that the cuisine aside, storytelling is at the heart of the restaurant’s vision. “We wanted to create more than just a dining experience, and such festivals offer the perfect opportunity to bring people closer to the essence of a culture,” he concludes.

On-call hypnotherapists. AI-assisted beds. Smart goggles that use heat, massage and vibration to lower the heart rate. Bedtime tea blends. Electro magnetic and infrared therapy. Sequestered guest rooms — with one in London even housed inside a three-storey stainless steel sculpture, to promote meditative stillness. These are just some of the things travellers are signing up for on holiday. All for one simple reason: to sleep.

There’s been a big shift from the earlier standard of a vacation, where catching Zzzs was the most boring thing you could possibly do. Now, sleep tourism is the year’s hottest travel trend. It’s no surprise — India (and the world) is tired. According to a 2025 survey by LocalCircles, a citizen engagement platform, ahead of World Sleep Day (March 14), nearly 60% of Indians sleep for less than six hours daily. For many, even those precious few hours are not uninterrupted. This is cause for concern when studies link poor sleep to mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. It could explain why ‘napcations’ are getting popular as a concept and why holiday programmes are being designed to improve health and well-being through curated sleep experiences.

Pegged at over USD $800 billion, according to a 2022 report by Grand View Research, the global sleep tourism market is poised to punch through the USD $1 trillion ceiling in the next three years. Meanwhile, in India, the Skyscanner Travel Trends 2025 report on the rise of wellness tourism — of which sleep tourism is a major vertical — has revealed that prioritising health during vacationing is being sought by 57% of Indian travellers. And 20% plan their vacations entirely around sleep.

‘Why am I so tired all the time?’

“The growth of sleep tourism can be attributed to rising stress levels and a growing recognition of sleep’s crucial role in maintaining health. Individuals are now actively looking for ways to prioritise rest,” says Rajesh Srinivas, general manager at Swastik Luxury Wellbeing Sanctuary. Opened last November, this wellness retreat in Khadakwasla on the outskirts of Pune has made sleep tourism one of its major calling cards with a programme called ‘The art of restorative sleep’.

“Designed to help individuals combat sleep disorders, it includes personalised sleep assessments, mind-body practices like yoga nidra and meditation, customised dietary plans [with L-tryptophan-rich foods that boost serotonin production, such as legumes], alongside modern therapies, including sound baths,” says Srinivas, who ensures guests leave adequately equipped to maintain this sleep hygiene back at home. “We suggest ways for them to set up a sleep-conducive environment, be it via lighting, audio-visual aids and even recipes for pre-sleep elixirs like kaadhas.”

Rajesh Srinivas

Sayali Sancheti, 37, has been battling insomnia for a while. The Pune resident recently underwent the five-day sleep therapy programme at Swastik. One that she says has made a difference. “I had read a lot about the body’s circadian rhythm, and thought of addressing it for a more long-term solution for my insomnia,” she says. “The mind-sound resonance technique, aerial yoga, and diet have all worked in my favour.”

Back home, the branding specialist has incorporated a lot of what she learnt on holiday, such as going to sleep while focusing on her breathing. “While the information is available online, seeing it doled out in a practical, problem-solving way made all the difference,” she says, adding that she does miss Swastik’s unique ‘tuck-in’ routine — where an attendant administered a mini foot massage and anointed her temples and forehead with sleep-inducing lavender oil.

Swastik Luxury Wellbeing Sanctuary
| Photo Credit:
Hemant Patil

Another Pune resident, Natasha Sharma, 45, doesn’t have a problem getting sleep but is still considering a sleep holiday. The writer and novelist finds it tough to get back to sleep if interrupted during the night. “Ever since becoming a mum, I’ve noticed that I’m quick to snap out of a deep sleep with the slightest of disturbances. It could be my daughter’s voice or even a whimper from my dog,” says Sharma. “I feel that an itinerary-bereft, pure sleep vacation, where I’m on my own and equipped with the techniques to fall back into a deep sleep is something I desperately need. [I’ll pick a place depending on] the bundled-up activities related to sleep on offer, and what they have when one is not sleeping. A nice pool, perhaps!”

Natasha Sharma

The situationship of conscious uncoupling

Unsurprisingly, sleep, or in this case, the lack thereof, is having a major impact on interpersonal relationships. Although they have been married for seven years, the proverbial ‘itch’ for Mumbai couple Mina and Louis Noronha (names changed on request) had begun to fester just a few months into living together. Unable to bear her husband’s snoring, which has since been diagnosed as clinical sleep apnea, brought on by his borderline obesity, Mina has made a spare bedroom her refuge. A “sleep sanctuary”, as the 34-year-old management consultant calls it.

Louis, a 37-year-old fintech specialist, is trying to get a handle on his problem through intensive sleep therapy sessions that include light therapy to regulate his circadian rhythm, and cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. He says this, coupled with medication (according to IKEA’s Sleep Report 2025, 37% of Indians use sleep medication — the highest in the world) and personalised sleep vacations, is helping him cope.

Sleep therapy sessions (representative photo)
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy SAANS

So far, he’s been on four sleep vacations; his first at a wellness retreat in Austria in 2019 and three in India. With a less intense approach in comparison to his sleep therapy sessions, these napcations have helped him learn to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and establish a relaxing bedtime routine, such as listening to soothing sounds on his sound machine.

There is now a term for this rather unconventional but effective conjugal compromise. A sleep divorce. Where couples or partners sleep in different rooms or in different beds, or go on sleep-oriented vacations separately. (A 2025 Global Sleep Survey by ResMed, a medical equipment company, found 78% of couples in India have adopted the practice at some time.)

Minnu Bhonsle, a consulting psychotherapist at Mumbai’s Heart to Heart Counselling Centre, however is optimistic of its efficacy — despite any social stigma it might attract. “If the overall health of the relationship is good, then there is nothing wrong with sleeping in separate rooms or seeking out a tailor-made sleep vacation independent of a partner,” she says. “I very often recommend this seemingly simple solution to an otherwise impossible situation that can be detrimental to a marriage or romantic partnership.”

But it’s not always just lack of sleep that’s pushing married people to consider a sleep vacation. For Chennai-based HR professional Averyl D’sa-Saldanha, 46, it is work stress. “I’d really like to explore the possibility of spending a few days in a stress-free environment where the focus is on me and what my body and mind is craving. Rest!” she says. D’sa-Saldanh is thinking of nearby places in South India such as Coorg for her debut solo tryst with a napcation.

Averyl D’sa-Saldanha

“Sleep is both qualitative and quantitative. Inculcating good sleeping habits that we now term as sleep hygiene is very crucial. “This entails blocking out blue light from one’s phones which doesn’t allow melatonin [a sleep hormone produced by the pineal gland in response to darkness] to release, taking a warm bath before bedtime, aromatherapy with sleep-inducing lavender oil, and breathing exercises.”Dr. Partha Pratim BoseSenior consultant pulmonologist and founder of the SAANS Foundation for Sleep

Staycations turn snoozecations

Taking a slightly different approach, and promoting sleep as a shared “we” activity are a number of properties across the country. Ever since it opened its gates in India in 2021, the Six Senses Fort Barwara resort in Rajasthan has been aligning with the brand’s decade-old ‘Sleep with Six Senses’ global programme. The comprehensive package (for stays of three, five or seven nights) encompasses everything from personalised sleep assessments and yoga therapies to a nifty sleep kit with essential oils and sleep balms. “We offer personalised tips based on sleep data to help guests improve sleep quality,” says Mark Sands, vice president of wellness, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. “We also offer sleep-enhancing touches, including sound healing, and magnesium-rich foods, and teas [potassium and magnesium rich dried banana peel tea is a favourite recipe].”

Mark Sands
| Photo Credit:
Chumpol Chaikanarakkul

Of course, as The New York Times stated recently, sleep tourism can be called an old dog with new tricks. Before the trend got a name, hotels were offering pillow menus, blackout curtains, and white noise machines for staycationers. Today, they are upping the game with tech such as Therabody SmartGoggles (which uses heat and vibration to lower heart rate), sensory deprivation tanks, and Brain Gauge Pro (a program that tests cognitive performance and monitors brain conditions to offer customised sleep solutions).

The Westin Hotels and Resorts, one of the first hotel chains to introduce a sleep programme in India, for instance has its Heavenly Bed. Launched in 1999 with temperature regulating gel-infused memory foam, since upgraded with an A.I.-assisted, smartphone-pairable mattress with an active pressure-relief system that adjusts as you move to optimise deep sleep, it has a loyal following. Building on it, last month, the hospitality brand held ‘The 90-Hour Rest Week’ contest — a nationwide search for the person most deserving of rest — offering them a three-night wellness retreat at a Westin hotel in India.

The Westin’s Heavenly Bed

Ayurveda is also at the forefront of many sleep programmes. Think Ananda in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, Blue Hill Lotus Holistic Wellness Village in Tamil Nadu, and Atmantan Wellness Retreat in Maharashtra, which prioritise yoga, pranayama and meditation.

A hit or a miss?

Kumaar Bagrodia is a neuroscientist and founder of NeuroLeap. The eight-year-old Mumbai-based company offers advanced neurotechnology-based brain assessment and improvement. Post COVID-19, Bagrodia says he’s seen an increase in issues such as anxiety and brain fog. “[Lack of] sleep is one of the most visible symptoms. In fact, in India, there’s been a rise in [the use of] prescription drugs for these issues.”

So, are travel companies on the right path with sleep tourism? Can napcations be effective in the long run? “I believe sleep is one of the many facets of why people go to such places.” Bagrodia believes it is naive to assume that somebody will spend lakhs of rupees to go somewhere just to sleep. “I think it is all the factors that lead up to it [sleep]: the environment, the experience, your routine, the food, and the amount of meditation, yoga or physical therapies that you will have access to, among other aids [at such sleep programmes].”

The Mumbai-based writer is passionate about food, travel and luxury, not necessarily in that order.

Hyderabad-based fashion designer Gaurang Shah is known for his exquisite saris and embroidery techniques. This mastery over fabric has been visible in his home line too, introduced last year, where craft techniques such as shibori dyeing, batik patterns, Kalamkari hand-painting and block printing are showcased.

His latest Spring-Summer collection of home furnishings, furniture and crockery has been named Haldi, which is apt as India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of the spice, turmeric. In warm yellow hues, the collection pays homage to the country’s rich textile and craft heritage. You will find Jamdani weaving alongside embroidery styles such as chikankari, kantha and sujini, and the dyeing methods shibori and batik. Nature-inspired floral and geometric patterns adorn handwoven khadi and tussar fabrics, creating refinement across bed and table linen, carpets, lamp shades, and textile art. The collection goes beyond textiles to include solid oak furniture, Kansa metal serveware and ceramic dinnerware. We asked the textile and fashion designer to share his highlights:

Gaurang Shah
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy: Gaurang Shah

Why was the golden spice taken as the focal point?

When we created Haldi, we were not just thinking about a colour or a spice, we wanted to delve into nostalgia. Turmeric has always been more than an ingredient in our homes; it has been a witness to our fun-filled celebrations, rituals and a guardian of our health. And these are the moments we wanted to capture. Yellow, with its radiant hues, reflects joy, warmth and energy. Just as spring awakens nature with vitality, the Haldi collection infuses modern homes with a renewed sense of tradition and artistry.

You find beauty in imperfection.

Apart from using traditional handcrafted techniques, there are subtle irregularities in the weaves and natural variations in ceramics which serve as reminders of the human touch behind each piece. True beauty emerges from these small imperfections rather than machine-made perfection.

Tell us about your furniture and serveware, crafted from traditional materials.

The Kansa serveware made from a traditional alloy of tin and copper is not just beautiful but believed to offer health benefits with each use. These pieces are crafted by skilled artisans using techniques passed down through generations. The oak wood collection brings comfort to any space with its natural grain and honey tones. The four-poster bed reimagines a classic silhouette with a modern twist — draped with handwoven Jamdani fabric that adds softness to its architectural frame. Thoughtfully incorporated cane elements create a delightful contrast.

What makes a house a home?

A house becomes a home when it holds the stories of the people who inhabit it. While modern comforts are important, our personal spaces should also reflect our roots — whether through handwoven textiles, handcrafted furniture or heirlooms passed down through the generations. It is the little things — the charm of a hand-carved furniture piece, the warmth of a block-printed quilt or the intricacy of a cane weave — that makes a place truly feel like home. This is exactly what Haldi aims to bring — craftsmanship and heritage woven into the fabric of everyday modern living.

(Picture courtesy: Gaurang Home)

The Bengaluru-based freelance writer is passionate about all things design, travel, food, art and culture.

Alhamn Sofa, priced at ₹1,09,890. Available in dark turquoise, dark brown and beige.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

In a country of long, dark winters, ‘mys’ — Swedish for cosiness — has its fans and is another growing global trend after the Danish ‘hygge’. It also resonates with Swedish giant IKEA’s heart-warming furniture that stands for comfort, good design and affordability — in all, a phenomenon in a flatpack. This concept of ‘flat’ works well in a world that’s getting flatter, according to Karin Gustavsson, creative leader of IKEA’s Stockholm collection, which celebrates its 40th anniversary. “We found that families were becoming very similar everywhere,” she says on a media webcast to explain why it works for contemporary lifestyles. Big houses are not affordable, fine dining rooms are outmoded and children do not stay in for dinner, notes Gustavsson, adding, “Someone has alcohol-free drinks, some have soda, some have wine.” Flexibility was key. Her design team of Ola Wihlborg, Nike Karlsson and Paulin Machado worked in close collaboration. Their findings nudged their designs towards an informal dining table, wine glasses of a universal size, plates designed for sharing portions and sectional sofas that could be moved in a small elevator and assembled.

“It’s not easy to design furniture as a flatpack,” says Gustavsson, something IKEA designers have mastered. The entire design process (from conception to production), which normally takes three years, was scrunched in 2.5 for Stockholm. After the initial design phase, testing and meeting guidelines takes a long time. “Everything goes into climate chambers. The third phase is to build stock and ship it globally.”

Urban meets nature

Launched at Milan Design Week on April 7, the new collection features 96 pieces for living and dining and as accessories. The team’s stand-out vision for 2025 was to create solitary pieces that let buyers curate their homes by mixing and matching. The Scandinavian love for a warm woodsy ambience is evident in the prominent use of pinewood and veneer. The designers set out to make statement pieces with a push for renewable and recyclable materials. With the Sundhamn sofa, designers Wihlborg and Karlsson aimed to substitute foam with coir. The result is a sofa with a 25-year guarantee, a combination of cotton weave, natural latex and coconut fibre in a visible frame of high-quality Swedish pine. Sofa covers are washable, as well as replaceable.

“Stockholm is a city built on islands,” says Karlsson, referring to the 14 islands and 50 bridges across the Baltic Sea archipelago that make up the city. Here architecture amidst waterways and forests is a testament to how urban and nature are closely intertwined. “Our collection is also very much about that — a blend.”

Pendant lamps – 54 cm (21”)
Priced at ₹14,990.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Meanwhile, Wihlborg recommends a boat ride through the archipelago. “You will see the water, the woods and the city!” he says. The bridging of Stockholm’s old city and new is a metaphor for how older traditions meet contemporariness in this nature-themed collection: a lamp with tree patterns emblazoned on the shade and a rattan cabinet involving Indonesian weavers. In addition to beiges and browns, bold colours like blue for the sofa have been introduced. A striking blue glass bowl by Machado is a tribute to the mouthblown glass tradition of Sweden.

Alhamn sofa, priced at ₹79,990.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

For the team, sustainability is about quality and long-lasting products. In the Alhamn sofa, their aim was to design it to hold its shape and comfort, even after extended use. “The goal is not to see the fittings,” says Wihlborg about their seamless designs with reduced joinery, clean lines and minimal materials. Concealed fittings inserted at an angle allow for wider shelves without braces, giving a clean sophisticated appearance. A patented wedge dowel lets a chair’s parts click together, without tools or metal fittings.

Complete ‘family’ range

Jasmeet Sood, IKEA India’s Country Home Furnishing & Retail Design Manager, talks about selling solutions, based on insights into real time needs and dreams via IKEA’s yearly survey, “Life at home”. Sood discovered Indians like to furnish homes with a family range, rather than mix and match. Traditionally, IKEA furniture tends to be white, while Indians prefer vibrant colours. Here too, post-pandemic, people are looking for multifunctional furniture — a dining table where we can also socialise, perfect for small spaces.

Stockholm dining chair and table
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Stockholm dining chair with a solid beech backrest expertly bent by steam.
Priced at ₹19,990.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Sood is convinced that the blue sofa is a winner, and across oceans, the IKEA design team feels the same. Ultimately, it’s the minimalist Nordic aesthetic that’s the most appealing, Scandinavia’s gift to the historic timeline of design, hovering above excessive ornamentation and luxe, like a breath of fresh air. “Stockholm is a complete Scandinavian design statement,” Gustavsson says.

The writer is a brand strategist with a background in design from SAIC and NID.