Ikea and Sabine Marcelis' luminous new collaboration is now available to buy
Ikea and Sabine Marcelis present the much-anticipated ‘Varmblixt’ collection: now available online, the collection features conceptual lights that ‘bounce off the wall’, as well as home accessories and glassware inspired by Marcelis' recurring donut shape
Ikea and Sabine Marcelis' much-anticipated 'Varmblixt' collection is now available online. Originally previewed during Milan Design Week 2022, the collection is fronted by two LED lights with a broader collection of home accessories and glassware now added to the lineup.
Sabine Marcelis' 'Varmblixt' collection for Ikea is formed of 19 pieces, comprising a series of limited-edition pieces as well as 4 LED lighting designs that will remain part of Ikea's collection long-term. These include a donut shaped table/wall lamp made of orange glass; a pendant lamp; a circular wall lamp and a wall lamp that doubles as a mirror.
'I wanted to take an unexpected approach to exploring the idea of how lighting functions within the home and to inspire people to consider new shapes and elements which blend into and highlight different types of interior spaces in new, bold, and artistic ways,' says Marcelis upon launching the Ikea collection.
Sabine Marcelis Ikea collection: from lighting to glassware
As well as the lighting, the 'Varmblixt' collection includes glassware such as a vase, champagne coupes and 35ml glasses, glass drink stirrers and carafes, donut-shaped glass bowls with lids in green and amber, paper napkins and low pile rugs in orange gradient inspired by sunsets, glass shelves and trays as well as coffee tables that mimic the designer's popular Candy Cubes.
‘When I select designers [I ask them], “What do you have on your mind? What is your vision? What do you want to change in this world?”’ explains Henrik Most, creative leader at Ikea. ‘For me, it's about finding the original signature a designer has, and what it is that separates this person from others. [But] the question is: “How do you define originality?” As an aesthetic person, I hope I have a feeling for when somebody has an originality that stands out. With Sabine, I recognised it from the beginning.’
For the collection, Marcelis sought to create a piece focused on art and emotion and that had life far beyond functionality. ‘[Light] is a very powerful tool to design with, because you can drastically change how you experience a space just by the temperature of the light, or the way it highlights different parts of the architecture it’s placed in,’ she says.
According to Most, the ‘open-minded’ conversation, which began virtually during the pandemic, led to a ‘bunch of ideas’; wide-ranging in concept and geometry. ‘It was a very tempting menu that she presented,’ says Most. ‘It was super hard to choose. So we went through all the concepts, and the functions and tried to narrow it down to sync to kind of a curational thread where light, material and colour were the focus.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
The standout piece of the ‘Varmblixt’ collection – and one that garnered much attention when the collection was first previewed – is a circular wall lamp, the top of which appears to ‘bounce’ off the wall creating a dramatic glow behind. The minimal lamps, previewed in linear and circular versions, can either be configured in multiples or as single wall pieces. When turned off, they can function as sculptures in their own right. ‘The concept was to take a singular line, and to gently pull it off the surface it would be mounted on. And that gap would allow for a void of light to flood on the surface’, says Marcelis. ‘Maximum impact with minimal materials.’
Harriet Lloyd-Smith was the Arts Editor of Wallpaper*, responsible for the art pages across digital and print, including profiles, exhibition reviews, and contemporary art collaborations. She started at Wallpaper* in 2017 and has written for leading contemporary art publications, auction houses and arts charities, and lectured on review writing and art journalism. When she’s not writing about art, she’s making her own.
-
Fuseproject has given form to Kind Humanoid, an AI-driven bipedal robot that wants to help
Human assistance robot Kind Humanoid steps out for the first time, shaped by Yves Béhar and Fuseproject and powered by AI, with a friendly face and mechanised limbs that can perform a variety of physical tasks
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
‘Fashion or art? It doesn’t have to be one or the other’: 16Arlington’s Marco Capaldo on turning curator for new London show
A deeply felt musing on the idea of memory, 16Arlington creative director Marco Capaldo unites with Almine Rech for an exhibition at Frieze No.9 Cork Street which features artists from Andy Warhol and John Giorno to rising stars Rhea Dillon, George Rouy and Jesse Pollock
By Mary Cleary Published
-
Take a deep dive into Norway's art scene with the Lofoten International Art Festival
Kite tails, lingonberries and woven islands: the Lofoten International Art Festival unveils its 18th edition
By Louise Long Published
-
SolidNature and Sabine Marcelis make a splash with ‘The Vondel Fountain, Stacked’ in Amsterdam
We see stone company SolidNature’s fountain unveiled during Amsterdam Fashion Week, and speak to its CEO learn about the brand’s past and future
By Ali Morris Published
-
Sabine Marcelis unveils new burgundy Lava Lamp
Sabine Marcelis designs a new burgundy Lava Lamp for Mathmos, her second design for the brand, initially imagined for the designer's VitraHaus interiors and available as a limited edition from October 2024
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Sabine Marcelis' colourful overhaul of VitraHaus is so delicious you'll wish you could move in
Sabine Marcelis brings elements from her own home to the interiors of the VitraHaus Loft, including a pink bathroom and mint green conversation pit
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Sabine Marcelis' new 1000 Miglia trophy ‘celebrates the deep and lasting bond between pilot and co-pilot’
1000 Miglia 2024 features trophies and medals by Sabine Marcelis in collaboration with Brescia's Palazzo Monti, as the week-long vintage car race crosses the finishing line on Sunday 15 June
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Rescue dogs and cats model Ikea's latest pet collection
Ikea Utsådd pet collection features cats and dogs essentials, modelled in their latest catalogue by rescue pets from the Woodgreen Pets Charity
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ikea meets Japan in this new pattern-filled collection
New Ikea Sötrönn collection by Japanese artist Hiroko Takahashi brings Japan and Scandinavia together in a pattern-filled, joyful range for the home
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ikea introduces its first gaming furniture collection
Brännboll is the first Ikea gaming furniture collection, unveiled during Milan Design Week 2024 and designed to swiftly transform a domestic space into a gamer’s paradise
By Jasper Spires Published
-
Deep’s Exopack by Sabine Marcelis helps scientists study insects without harming them
Exopack is a biodiversity project developed with designer Sabine Marcelis, supporting the research of undiscovered and critically endangered insects in the Amazon
By Léa Teuscher Published