Sweden – Furniture giant Ikea has continued its designer collaboration strategy and teamed up with The Netherlands-based designer Sabine Marcelis to create the homewares collection, Varmblixt, a Swedish term meaning 'warm lighting'.
At the heart of the collaboration are four sculptural lamps that will remain a part of Ikea’s core product line in the long term. These are a pendant lamp, a circular wall lamp, a lamp that doubles as a mirror, and an orange-glass doughnut-shaped table lamp (doughnuts are a frequent motif of Marcelis’s work). Ikea hopes Marcelis's designs will encourage customers to think differently about how light can transform the look, feel and atmosphere of their homes, tapping into Marcelis's view inspired by 'objects that serve more than their functional needs but add to the artistic value of home'.
The remainder of the 19-piece collection is limited edition and includes champagne coupes, glass drink stirrers, carafes, doughnut-shaped glass bowls and rugs inspired by sunsets. Varmblixt will be available in all Ikea markets from February 2023. As consumers have spent more time at home and embraced multi-domesticity over the past couple of years, they need products that remind them that the domestic space is about more than how it functions, but also a place for relaxation, beauty and joy.
Strategic opportunity
Homeware feels luxurious to consumers when it goes beyond utility. Offer consumers products that prioritise creativity and encourage them to experiment in their living spaces