Meet the designer behind the El Restaurante collection: Ingela P. Arrhenius
At Kitsch Kitchen we believe that color, creativity, and cheerfulness belong in every interior. That’s why our collaboration with Swedish illustrator and designer Ingela P. Arrhenius feels like a perfect match.
Ingela is known for her iconic retro style, inspired by the 50s and 60s. Based in Stockholm, she has been working for nearly 35 years as an illustrator and designer on children's books, toys, and home accessories. Always recognizable by her playful shapes, cheerful colors, and nostalgic appearance.
In our collections, her illustrations come to life. Think of the colorful El Restaurante collection, the cheerful underwater world of the Sealife collection, and the well-known Carlos & Marisol.
Especially for our customers, we spoke with Ingela about her inspiration, her recognizable style, and the stories behind the collections.
Be inspired by Ingela P. Arrhenius, who shares more about the collection in this video and showcases the designs herself.
A collaboration that started in Amsterdam
What makes this collaboration extra special is that Ingela was already a fan of Kitsch Kitchen before we started working together.
“I remember being in the Kitsch Kitchen store in Amsterdam years ago. I thought it was so cool, cheerful, and inspiring right away!”
About 11 years ago, we reached out to her after discovering her work on Pinterest — luckily, she said yes right away.
Since then, we have developed various colorful collections together that perfectly fit the cheerful and creative world of Kitsch Kitchen.
For the El Restaurante collection, Ingela imagined Kitsch Kitchen as a colorful restaurant.
“It was a fun challenge to envision Kitsch Kitchen as a restaurant. I thought about the tableware, the bar, and the guests. The inspiration naturally came from Mexico, taco restaurants, and vintage logos.”
The result is a collection full of warm colors, playful illustrations, and retro details. From colorful bowls and plates to cheerful tea towels and accessories — each item instantly brings atmosphere into the home.
Designed to make you happy
Ingela always starts her design process on her iPad. There, she experiments with patterns, color combinations, typography, and characters until the right atmosphere is created.
Her biggest wish for the collection?
“I hope people feel that they absolutely need to have this in their kitchen :) That a cup of coffee from one of my mugs makes their day just a little brighter!”
One of her personal favorites from the El Restaurante collection is the yellow bowl with taco illustration, check it out here.
“I can't explain why, but that bowl just makes me happy with its cheerful colors and the taco.”
Discover the complete collection
Are you crazy about colorful home accessories, retro designs, and unique gifts? Then discover the complete Ingela P. Arrhenius collection featuring colorful tableware, serving bowls, tea towels, decorative tiles, stationery, and more.
Perfect for making every day a little happier!
