Bemz Launches New Slipcover Collection from Swedish Design House Bantie

STOCKHOLM, Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Bemz (www.bemz.com), the Swedish company that allows customers to personalize their IKEA sofas, chairs and cushions, announced the latest collaboration with up-and-coming Swedish design house Bantie.  Four new Bantie patterns will be available as slipcovers for IKEA sofas and chairs on the Bemz website in spring 2011.  

The Bantie Designer Collection at Bemz includes the Kokeshi, Salamander, Bubbel, and Korall patterns, available in a total of seven colorways.  Playful Kokeshi, depicting the ever-popular Japanese wooden dolls, is a modern interpretation of a classic toile de Jouy pattern with a distinct and affectionate Japanese twist.  Salamander seems to simmer with emotion and movement while Bubbel and Korall are more earthy depictions, using wonderfully unique organic treatments of shape and form with obvious retro influences. These new fabrics, machine washable as always, will be available as sofa and chair covers at www.bemz.com starting January 2011.

"Aside from the fact that we clearly love the Bantie patterns, we see this launch as a natural continuation of our work with both classic and modern Scandinavian design," says Lesley Pennington, Bemz CEO and founder.

Wilhelmina Wiese, CEO and founder and Ulrika Gyllstad, the individual behind the vision for the collection, started Bantie in 2007.  Together the two create a style that is contemporary, but not without a sense of humor and a serious nod to the past.  Inspiration is drawn from a wonderful melange of eclectic and modern design influences, pulled together with Scandinavian inspired color palettes and design sensibilities.

"It's fantastic to be able to initiate a collaboration with Bemz," said Wilhelmina Wiese, Bantie CEO and founder. "And, help to transform IKEA furniture all over the world into something unique and individual."

Bantie is the latest addition to the Bemz Designer series - a collection featuring patterns from high-profile designers such as Designers Guild of Britain, Marimekko of Finland and Lisa Bengtsson of Sweden.  The collection also includes Swedish design classics Stig Lindberg, Viola Grasten and Gota Tragardh. Including Banties four new fabrics, available in seven colorways, Bemz fabric choices via www.bemz.com exceeds 170.  All of the textiles are machine washable and made of natural fibres - factors that are extremely important to Bemz and their requirements in the use of textiles for slipcover production.  And, Bemz offers a flat $20 shipping rate for all orders to the United States and Canada.

High resolution images:

http://picasaweb.google.com/bemzstockholm/BantieBemzNov2010#

About Bantie

Swedish design house, Bantie, launched its first collection of patterned textiles in 2007. Today, the collection is made up of ten different prints in several colorways, available as fabric by the meter, wallpaper, cushions, placemats, bags and trays. Bantie creates fabrics for the home as well as public places using only high quality weave and paper for fabrics and wallpapers, printed exclusively in Sweden. Bantie products can be found in several European countries, as well as the US and Japan, and are also available online at www.bantie.se.

About Bemz

Bemz was founded in 2004 by expat-Canadian, Lesley Pennington. A year later, designer covers for Ikea sofas and chairs were available to customers around the world - via the Internet. Bemz fabrics are specially selected for their high quality and are machine washable. Made-to-measure slipcovers can be purchased via the website at www.bemz.com, with any favorites available as free swatches beforehand. In December 2009, Bemz opened an Inspiration Store on Odengatan 22 in Stockholm – a source of inspiration and shop in one.

SOURCE Bemz