A Master Woodworker Designed IKEA's Brand New 'Woven' Cabinet — It Adds Storage, Yes, but Serious Design Flair, too
"It was for me a dream to bring this level of craft to IKEA," says Friso Weirsma, the designer behind this cabinet
Reliable, affordable, and accessible are all words people would readily connect with Scandi super-giant, IKEA. Artistry and craftsmanship, however, may not be the most typical descriptors. However, as this beautiful IKEA PS 2026 Pine Cabinet goes to prove, the brand is more than capable of doing both.
Designed by master woodworker and former boatbuilder Friso Weirsma, this ornate cabinet is part of the much-anticipated 2026 IKEA PS Collection. For the first time in over a decade, IKEA has returned with a brand new PS Collection, with the same core concept of Democratic Design, coupled with the new theme of 'Playful Functionality'. Each design in the 44-piece collection offers a unique view of what joy can look like, drawing on the designer's own understanding and experience of the theme. "I was so impressed with all our designers — they took up the task with so much enthusiasm and energy," says Maria O'Brian, the creative lead for this year's collection. "This IKEA PS collection is all about challenging and being playful while staying simple and creating interesting design."
With the signature Scandinavian simplicity that IKEA is known for, coupled with an intricacy and precision you would expect to find in luxurious, designer homewares, this woven cabinet feels at once quintessentially IKEA and undeniably elevated — and it's one of the standout pieces from the whole collection.
IKEA's PS 2026 Woven Cabinet
When conceptualizing this design, Friso knew that solid pine was the only material that could rise to the challenge. "I wanted to do it out of solid pine because pine is so Scandinavian, and also so IKEA," says Friso. And the effect is, as he says, distinctly Scandinavian in style, with a light, bright finish that warms up any room.
Counteracting the solid nature of the material, though, is the almost translucent look of the delicate, woven wooden panels decorating the front of the cabinet. Each strip was placed by hand, folding into one another to create a delicate, basketweave effect that brings texture and depth to the design. To exploit this effect even further, display the cabinet with a portable table lamp within it — when lit, the woven wooden sheets take on a glowing quality, with the tiny gaps and breaks between panels allowing the light to subtly shine through.
Standing at 140 cm tall, this cabinet offers a generous amount of storage, something Friso fought for from the beginning. And, for maximum freedom, it includes four detachable shelves, so you can dictate the format of your storage depending on what you plan to keep in it.
Whether in your entryway or your living room, this is a piece that doesn't just improve the functionality of your home but will bring an extra touch of design flair, too.
Although Friso is now a champion of IKEA, his journey to working with the brand was less than conventional. Trained as a traditional woodworker and boatbuilder, Friso saw the massive corporation of IKEA as the antithesis of everything he valued and worked for: "I saw IKEA as such an enemy of what I was doing," he reflects. In response to these feelings, he created a collection exploring how he would use the resources IKEA has available.
"So I made this collection, and I presented it at Milan Design Week, then I got a call from the IKEA design manager who said, ‘I’ve heard you were quite critical, would you like to come and be critical in Sweden?’" Although at first, Friso was hesitant to accept this request, once he did, he never looked back. "When I came here, I found the whole culture of IKEA really fit with me, even more so than the design world.”
But he never left his traditional roots far behind. Even when designing this piece, his primary goal was to create some kind of homage to the craftsman he first trained under. "It was for me a dream to bring this level of craft to IKEA," Friso explains, and in this intricately woven cabinet, he was able to bring that dream to life.
In order to achieve this beautiful, tactile woven finish on the doors, they had to work with expert craftsmen, who hand-wove the doors for each and every cabinet, bringing a level of artistry you wouldn't typically expect to find from a retailer of this size.
Alternatives to Shop
Although not actually woven, this chest of drawers achieves a similar effect in the home. Crafted out of mango wood, the unique grid-like pattern decorating this chest offers the same texture and depth as the IKEA piece, and would make a beautiful addition to a guest bedroom.
If you have your heart set on that specific woven finish, though, you may prefer this option. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this comes from another Scandinavian brand, Søstrene Grene; however, instead of wood, this cabinet is decorated with woven strips of a polyester fabric.
At less than £100, this is by far one of the most affordable ways to achieve this textured, wooden finish in your home. With a tighter weave, this offers a more secure finish than the other designs and would make for a beautiful nightstand or hallway sideboard.
Almost like an optical illusion, this solid wooden cabinet is decorated with a pattern that replicates the look of weaving. The sturdy design offers plenty of space, making it great for some extra small bathroom storage.
This striking sideboard is constructed from silvered teak for a beautiful, antique-effect, which is only intensified by the lovely woven pattern and rounded feet. This is a statement piece that would fit in perfectly in a rustic farmhouse kitchen or a cozy, cottage-style living room.
If you're looking for something with a bit more of a mid-century modern design feel, look no further than this gorgeous sideboard from Swoon. Crafted from a rich, warm acacia wood and finished with a striking geometric pattern, this stunning piece provides plenty of storage and plenty of style for your home, too.
If you love the cool, laid-back look of this design, you're sure to find plenty more where that came from in our roundup of the best Scandi decor pieces. And for the rest of your design inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter.
