Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis has created an updated version of the popular Varmblixt lights she designed for IKEA, revamping the company’s most-sold lamp with a matte finish and a smart bulb.
Originally launched in 2023 as part of a 20-piece collection, the bloated, doughnut-shaped lamp quickly sold out and became a viral hit for its playful and tactile form.
Sabine Marcelis has updated the chubby Varmblixt lamp she designed for IKEA
Now, IKEA is presenting an updated version of the lamp at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, complete with a dimmable, colour-changing bulb.
The updated version also features a matte white glass surface that changes colour from within when users switch between 12 preset colours controlled via a handheld remote.
The new version has colour-changing and dimmable qualities
Engineered for a subtle transition, the colour sequence includes a spectrum of hues, from white light to pulsating amber, gentle pink and lavender.
“My main mission with this light was to create very smooth transitions between colours,” Marcelis told Dezeen.
“In the original doughnut lamp, external light played on the glossy surface and bounced beautifully off it.”
It features a matte white glass surface that changes colour from within
“What makes this new version so different is that the surface finish is matte and white as opposed to glossy and coloured,” she added.
“With this version, the matte finish lets the light glow softly from within. It’s a very natural, technical evolution of how light can be experienced.”
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IKEA is also presenting a smart version of the Varmblixt pendant light at CES.
Characterised by a cluster of curved tubes, the pendant “focuses on the nuances of white light” and glows with a spectrum of hues from cool white to candle-like yellow that can also be altered with a handheld remote.
IKEA is also presenting a smart version of the Varmblixt pendant light
IKEA global range manager David Granath believes that the Varmblixt “doughnut lamp” first took the internet by storm due to it being “a genuine design item”.
“I think it went viral because it’s a great shape and atmospheric light effect that is easy to like, and people simply started sharing it,” Granath told Dezeen.
“It stands out as a genuine design item, at a price many people can afford,” he reflected.
“Since launch it’s been selling out repeatedly, and today it’s our most sold lamp globally across all electronic products. In the US alone, one Varmblixt lamp is sold every five minutes.”
This is the first time that IKEA has shown at CES
This is the first time that IKEA has shown at CES, where products on display this year have so far ranged from a privacy-focussed smartphone and smart Lego bricks.
“CES is where a lot of conversations about the smart home start,” added Granath.
“For us, its a chance to show how smart functionality is increasingly becoming part of everyday home furnishing as something that can genuinely improve how products are used and experienced at home.”
The photography is courtesy of IKEA.
PS: Neat idea — simple and effective.