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IKEA’s SOLUPPGÅNG Turns Outdoor Living Into a Design Statement

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Most camping gear looks like it was designed for someone who thinks color theory is for the weak. It’s all neon-trimmed polyester and tactical buckles that somehow cost as much as a plane ticket. IKEA, of all brands, just called the bluff on that entire category.

The Swedish giant’s new SOLUPPGÅNG collection arrived this month, and it is genuinely one of the more interesting product drops to come out of the outdoor space in a while. The name translates to “sunrise” in Swedish, and the design philosophy follows that same unhurried logic: slow mornings, good light, fresh air, minimal fuss.

Designer: IKEA

Designer Darja Nordberg of IKEA of Sweden drew from two very distinct wells. The first is friluftsliv, the Norwegian concept of open-air living that encourages outdoor time as a normal, everyday rhythm rather than a special event. The second is Japanese urban-outdoor culture, where city dwellers treat a quick weekend hike with the same thoughtfulness as a full expedition. The result is a collection that sits somewhere between a Muji catalog and a boutique camping outfitter, except it starts at $4.

That price point keeps coming up, and for good reason. The gear community has long operated on the assumption that beautiful outdoor equipment costs a fortune. Brands like Snow Peak have built entire identities around titanium cookware and minimalist camp furniture that sits firmly in the “aspirational” column of most budgets. SOLUPPGÅNG essentially covers the same aesthetic ground for a fraction of the spend, and the range of items is broader than you might expect from a first drop.

The furniture pieces anchor the collection. A folding stool with eucalyptus legs and a canvas seat comes in at $25, and a matching folding table at $39.99. Both are the kind of things that look considered without looking precious. The woven bamboo cooler basket at $34.99 follows the same logic: it functions well, travels easily, and looks like it belongs on an editorial shoot rather than a campsite supply list.

The cooking and dining side of the collection is where IKEA gets unexpectedly specific. The cast iron grill at $80 is compact, portable, and genuinely attractive in a way that cast iron grills rarely are. Enamel steel mugs come in at $5 or less, and the bamboo serving bowls, sold as a set of two for $24.99, have the kind of quiet material honesty that tends to photograph very well. The spork is worth singling out too. Rather than the standard fork-spoon hybrid that never fully commits to either identity, this one has a fork on one end and a spoon on the other, which sounds like a small detail until you realize how much more useful that actually is. It comes in at $4.

Beyond the cooking gear, the collection extends into territory that most camping lines don’t bother with. A dimmable LED lantern for $24.99 handles ambiance as much as function. A quilted throw at around $20 and cushion covers at $6.99 make the case that comfort outdoors shouldn’t feel like a compromise. A multi-pocket tote bag at $16.99 with a drawstring closure handles practicality, and a wide-brim cotton hat at $7.99 that folds flat rounds out the wearable end of things.

What makes all of this cohere is the palette. Off-whites, warm browns, deep greens, nothing is trying to be seen from a distance. It all looks like it belongs outside without screaming “outdoors,” and that restraint is harder to pull off across an entire collection than it sounds. SOLUPPGÅNG is also smartly non-prescriptive. None of these pieces demand a trailhead or a tent. They work equally well in a park, at the beach, in a backyard, or on a balcony. The idea is that a more considered relationship with being outside doesn’t require a grand occasion to justify it.

The collection is available now in the US, with broader rollout to stores in April 2026. Prices start at $4, which makes the barrier to entry lower than the cost of a flat white. The outdoor gear world has needed a credible mid-tier for a while. SOLUPPGÅNG makes a confident first argument for what that could look like.

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IKEA’s $10 Speaker Is Tiny, But You Can Pair 100 of Them Together

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Bluetooth speakers have a curious problem. The ones worth owning tend to cost real money, and the ones that don’t cost much tend to sound exactly like they cost nothing. IKEA’s KALLSUP sits somewhere outside that tired formula entirely, not because it defies audio physics at $9.99, but because it was never really designed around audio physics in the first place.

The KALLSUP is a cube, more or less. At 2.75 x 2.75 x 2.88 inches and built from ABS plastic, it has the proportions of a large sugar cube and a silhouette that wouldn’t look out of place on a shelf next to a small succulent. Designer Ola Wihlborg, who wanted the speaker to be “as small and simple as possible,” made something that reads less like audio equipment and more like an object that happens to produce sound when you connect your phone to it.

Designer: Ola Wihlborg (IKEA)

That framing matters. Most portable speakers broadcast what they are through a certain vocabulary: rubberized grilles, cylindrical barrels, carabiner clips, the unspoken suggestion that they’ve survived a kayaking trip. The KALLSUP makes none of those promises. Its face carries a circular grid of perforations, two buttons sit on top flanking a small LED, and the back has a USB-C port for charging. Nothing announces itself as a feature. It just exists, neatly, without fuss.

The minimalism extends to the controls, though that’s where things get slightly puzzling. There are only two buttons: one for Bluetooth and one for playback. No volume control sits on the unit itself, so the connected device handles all level adjustments. Pairing multiple units requires a long press of the play button, not the Bluetooth button, and there’s no manual power-off. These omissions read as deliberate simplicity, but they also feel like the kind of tradeoffs that made a $9.99 price tag achievable.

What the KALLSUP can do is genuinely surprise at this price. The rechargeable battery is advertised to run 9 hours at 50% volume, covering a full workday of background music. Bluetooth 5.3 holds up to 10 meters without interference. The real trick, the one that reframes the product’s logic entirely, is pairing up to 100 units together. One KALLSUP is a desk companion. Four of them, scattered across a room, start to approximate distributed audio.

The yellow-green colorway, one of three available alongside white and pink, sits in that particular register of color that’s neither subtle nor aggressive. It’s the kind of green that shows up in membrane keyboards and silicone phone cases aimed at people who want their objects to feel a little more alive.

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IKEA Built A $4 Stick-On Light That Lasts 6 Months

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IKEA has always had a knack for making you feel clever. You walk into the store needing a bookshelf, and you leave with a bag full of small, inexpensive things you didn’t know existed but now can’t imagine living without. The ANKARLÄGG is exactly that kind of product. It’s a battery-operated LED nightlight shaped like a lightbulb, it sticks to any surface, and it costs about as much as a nice sandwich. On paper, it barely qualifies as news. In practice, it’s one of those quiet little design wins that remind you why IKEA remains so good at what it does.

Designed by Bruno Adrien Aguirre, the ANKARLÄGG is a motion-sensing nightlight that runs on two AAA batteries. No cords, no plugs, no electrician. You peel the backing off a double-sided adhesive pad, press the light against a wall, and you’re done. When someone walks within three meters of it in a dark room, it switches on. Thirty seconds later, with no further movement detected, it turns itself off. During the day, even if you’re dancing in front of it, it stays dark. The batteries last about six months under regular use, which IKEA defines as roughly ten activations per day.

Designer: IKEA

The shape is what gets me. The ANKARLÄGG looks like an outline of a classic lightbulb, almost like a cartoon sketch brought into three dimensions. It’s not trying to be invisible or blend into your wall. It’s a little wink, a product that acknowledges what it is by wearing the silhouette of the thing it’s replacing. The base is made from polycarbonate plastic, which gives it durability, while the frosted cover made from polypropylene helps diffuse the light into something soft and even. At 105 millimeters tall and 75 millimeters wide, it’s about the size of a pear. The whole unit weighs 80 grams, which is nothing.

I think the reason this kind of product resonates is that it solves a problem most of us have just learned to accept. We stumble down dark hallways at 2 a.m., we fumble around the inside of closets, we guide ourselves along stairways by muscle memory. We’ve been doing it forever, so we don’t really think of it as a problem. But then someone puts a tiny stick-on light in front of you that costs 39 Swedish kronor, and suddenly you realize how unnecessary all that fumbling was. Good design often works that way. It doesn’t announce itself with drama. It just quietly removes a friction you’d stopped noticing.

What I appreciate about the ANKARLÄGG is that it doesn’t try to be smart in the way tech companies define smart. It doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi. It doesn’t need an app. It doesn’t want to join your ecosystem. It uses a basic infrared sensor to detect motion and an ambient light sensor to know when it’s dark. That’s the entire feature set. In an era when even toothbrushes want to sync with your phone, the restraint here feels genuinely refreshing. It’s a product that knows exactly what it needs to do and does nothing more.

The installation simplicity is worth emphasizing too. IKEA products are famous for their assembly instructions, those wordless cartoon manuals that have spawned a thousand jokes. But the ANKARLÄGG barely needs instructions at all. Pop in two AAA batteries, stick it on a wall. That’s the whole process. You could explain it to a child. You could explain it to someone who has never installed anything in their life. This kind of radical simplicity is hard to achieve. It takes real discipline to resist adding features, modes, brightness settings, or app connectivity. Somebody had to say no to a lot of ideas to keep this product this clean.

The ANKARLÄGG is available now in selected IKEA stores and online. It’s a minor product in the grand scheme of the catalog, tucked somewhere between wall lamps and LED strips. But sometimes the minor products are the ones that tell you the most about a company’s design philosophy. IKEA still believes that useful, well-designed objects should be affordable and uncomplicated. The ANKARLÄGG is a small, glowing proof of that belief, shaped like the most universal symbol of a good idea.

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This €289 Add-On Turns Your €49 Billy Bookcase Into a Standing Desk

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Over 120 million IKEA Billy bookcases have been sold since 1979, according to the famed brand. One rolls off the line every five seconds, and at least one is probably within arm’s reach of wherever you’re sitting right now. For most of its 46-year existence, the Billy has been a passive piece of furniture, a storage object that holds books, plants, and the occasional decorative object nobody remembers buying.

Berlin-based designer Michael Hilgers, however, looked at that same bookcase and saw a workspace hiding in plain sight. This gave birth to the STECKRETÄR, a folded steel panel that plugs directly into the Billy’s existing shelf pin holes and folds down into a compact standing desk. No tools, no drilling, no hardware. The name is a portmanteau of the German words for “plug in” and “secretary desk,” which sums up the interaction neatly.

Designer: Michael Hilgers

Made from 2mm recyclable steel, the STECKRETÄR arrives powder-coated in a fine-texture finish across colors like reseda green, mustard, nougat, and rust red. These aren’t neutral tones that blend into the Billy’s usual white or birch exterior but deliberate accents, meant to be seen. The work surface measures roughly 750mm x 330mm, enough for a laptop and perhaps a notebook beside it, though a mouse would be pushing the boundaries of the available real estate.

The scenario where this makes the most sense is familiar to anyone living in a compact apartment. You probably already own a Billy because almost everyone owns a Billy. You need a workspace that doesn’t permanently eat into your floor plan. The STECKRETÄR folds flat against the bookcase when not in use and swings down when you need to answer emails, sketch something out, or take a quick video call while standing.

A few practical considerations temper the appeal. The Billy must be wall-anchored before installation, a step many owners skip and one that involves actual drilling. The work surface offers no integrated power outlet or lighting. And standing is the only option here, since the desk height depends on which row of shelf pin holes you choose along the Billy’s tall frame. IKEA itself now sells a pull-out desk add-on for the Billy, but that version is particleboard and a different interaction entirely, one that slides out rather than folding down.

Hilgers frames the product as a reflection on “the blurring of work and private life” and “the creative reinterpretation of the everyday,” which is a lot of conceptual weight for a folding desk. Whether the STECKRETÄR is a functional home office solution or a limited-edition design statement about mass production probably depends on how you feel about paying €289 to transform something you bought for €49. Either way, it might be the first time anyone has looked at a Billy bookcase and seen potential beyond storage.

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IKEA Just Made a Mouse-Shaped Speaker That Kids Can Actually Carry

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IKEA’s GREJSIMOJS collection started with a dog-shaped lamp that dims when you hold its head for bedtime, turning a light switch into something closer to petting a sleepy puppy. The limited collection is more than just about cute animals, but also about playful behavior baked into everyday objects. That same thinking now shows up in a tiny Bluetooth speaker shaped like a mouse, with four stubby legs and a braided tail that doubles as a carry loop.

The GREJSIMOJS portable Bluetooth speaker is a small, mouse-shaped character IKEA calls a “cute little music friend” for playful people of all ages. It is meant to follow kids from room to room, turning background sound into something they can carry and interact with, while still being a straightforward wireless speaker for parents who just want podcasts in the kitchen or bedtime audiobooks without fumbling with phone speakers.

Designer: Marta Krupińska (IKEA)

Picture a child drawing at a desk, the purple mouse sitting nearby quietly playing an audiobook or favorite songs. Pairing is as simple as connecting a phone over Bluetooth, and the sound is tuned for everyday listening rather than shaking walls. The built-in volume limit protects sensitive ears, so kids can turn it up without parents needing to hover over the controls constantly or worry about hearing damage.

The braided tail makes it easy for small hands to grab and move the speaker from bedroom to living room. Charging happens over USB-C, though the cable and adapter are sold separately, and IKEA says adults should handle that part. The speaker cannot play while charging, which creates a split that lets kids control what they listen to while adults manage batteries and power.

The multi-speaker mode lets the mouse pair with other IKEA Bluetooth speakers supporting the same feature. That means the same music can play from multiple spots, turning a hallway and playroom into one sound zone without complicated app setups. It is an easy way to make dance parties or tidy-up time feel coordinated, even if the tech behind it stays invisible to everyone involved.

The collection’s goal is to inspire play and togetherness across the home, and the mouse fits that mission well. IKEA notes that £1 from every GREJSIMOJS product sold during a set period goes to the Baby Bank Alliance, adding a layer of purposeful giving. More than just decor, the speaker is a small facilitator for shared stories, music, and movement in family spaces without needing complicated setup rituals.

The GREJSIMOJS mouse speaker, like the dog lamp, treats technology as something that should feel approachable and a bit silly rather than cold. Rather than competing with serious audio gear, it is trying to make rooms feel more alive without asking kids to sit still or parents to manage another app. In homes where screens already demand enough attention, a small purple mouse that quietly pipes in sound might be exactly the kind of tech everyone can agree on.

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IKEA GREJSIMOJS Dog Lamp Dims When You Hold Its Head for Bedtime

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Bedtime means juggling bright ceiling lights, harsh phone screens, and random night lights that feel more like plastic gadgets. Kids often want a light that feels like a friend keeping watch, while adults want something that does not fight the decor or scream “children’s product” when guests walk by. IKEA’s GREJSIMOJS tries to bridge that gap with a lamp that is both functional and playful without picking a side.

GREJSIMOJS is an LED table lamp shaped like a small blue dog, designed by Marta Krupińska as part of IKEA’s play-driven collection. It is meant for children but deliberately “far from childish,” with a rounded capsule body, soft legs, and a white dome that glows like a head, so it reads as a friendly companion even before you turn it on.

Designer: Marta Krupińska (IKEA)

Turning it on at night means pressing and holding the button on the dog’s head to dim the light seamlessly. The lamp remembers the last brightness level, so it always comes back exactly where you left it, whether that is a low night-light glow or a brighter setting for reading. The gesture is simple enough for a child to understand, but satisfying enough that adults do not feel like they are using a toy.

The light itself is a pleasant, glare-free glow that is gentle on the eyes. It is bright enough for bedtime stories or quiet play, but can be dialed down to a soft presence that makes the room feel safe without keeping anyone awake. Over time, that consistency makes the lamp part of the ritual, a signal that the day is winding down and it is time to rest.

Krupińska describes the lamp as a reliable friend that keeps you company and makes you smile every day, and the GREJSIMOJS collection is built around play and togetherness for all ages. The dog shape is abstract enough to sit on a grown-up’s bedside table without feeling out of place, yet expressive enough that a child can project personality onto it, which is a neat trick for polypropylene and LEDs.

The body is made from polypropylene with at least 50% recycled content, and the LED light source is replaceable with a lifetime of about 25,000 hours, roughly 20 years at three hours a day. It is mains-powered with a cord and adapter included, cool to the touch, and cleaning is as simple as dusting it with a cloth.

GREJSIMOJS is less about adding another gadget to a child’s room and more about choosing a bit of playfulness in everyday objects. It is a reminder that a lamp can be both a piece of design and a small character in the room, watching over the bed, joining in on shadow puppets, and quietly proving that functional lighting does not have to grow up completely.

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5 Furniture Trends That Just Made IKEA Look Obsolete in 2026

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Furniture is now understood as a core architectural component rather than a purely functional addition to a space. In 2026, instead of sharp, rigid forms, current design directions favor softer, organic silhouettes that promote comfort and visual calm. These shapes help create interiors that feel more balanced and human-centred, supporting everyday use while enhancing the emotional quality of the environment.

This evolution is reinforced by the use of advanced materials and modular construction systems that improve durability and adaptability. Flexible configurations allow furniture to respond to changing needs, extending product life and long-term value. When thoughtfully integrated, these pieces guide movement and define zones within an interior. Take a look at the furniture trends that remains relevant as lifestyles and design preferences evolve in 2026.

1. Soft Spatial Forms

Design is steadily shifting away from rigid, rectilinear furniture toward softer, curving silhouettes inspired by natural movement. Rounded edges and flowing profiles reduce visual tension, helping spaces feel more relaxed and continuous. These forms also support smoother spatial flow, allowing furniture to guide movement gently rather than interrupt it with sharp transitions.

Curved surfaces interact with ambient light in more subtle ways, creating soft highlights and layered shadows that add depth to interiors. Beyond visual appeal, these shapes offer practical advantages, including improved ergonomics and reduced edge damage over time. By combining comfort, durability, and visual warmth, soft-form furniture supports long-term usability while maintaining a calm, human-centred interior environment.

When furniture follows rounded geometries, it contributes to a more welcoming environment while maintaining a strong design identity. These forms work especially well in minimal interiors, where shape and proportion become the primary visual language rather than surface decoration.

Designed by Lagranja Design for Systemtronic, the Croma furniture collection is defined by consistent curved lines and warm-toned finishes inspired by Mediterranean materials. Natural and stained ash wood is combined with painted and chrome-plated aluminium to create contrast while maintaining visual softness. The collection includes arched wardrobes, rounded planter benches, circular tables in multiple sizes, mirrors, valet stands, and trolleys. Unified geometry across all pieces ensures compatibility within shared spaces, allowing the collection to function as a coordinated system rather than isolated objects.

2. Bio-Smart Materials

In 2026 material innovation is moving toward bio-engineered alternatives that reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-based synthetics. Regenerative materials such as mycelium and algae-based polymers offer low carbon impact while introducing rich, tactile surfaces that feel organic and visually distinctive. These bio-composites support responsible production methods while maintaining the structural performance required for everyday furniture use.

Textiles are also evolving through the use of self-cleaning and pollutant-breaking coatings, including titanium dioxide finishes that react to light exposure. These treatments improve hygiene, reduce maintenance needs, and extend fabric lifespan. Together, bio-based structures and advanced surface technologies support sustainability and long-term design relevance, ensuring furniture remains compliant with future environmental standards while delivering consistent aesthetic and functional performance.

Studio TOOJ’s Duk furniture series explores how mycelium-based materials can transform the surface and perception of solid furniture. Each piece is formed from sculpted wood and finished with Reishi, a biomaterial developed by MycoWorks from mushroom root structures. This layered construction allows rigid forms to visually resemble soft, draped fabric while maintaining structural stability. The mycelium surface introduces organic texture and matte softness, creating a textile-like appearance without using traditional upholstery or leather.

Reishi is cultivated under controlled conditions, allowing precise control over thickness, strength, and surface quality. This consistency supports complex furniture applications where uniform performance is essential. Unlike animal-based leather, the material can be grown to specification, reducing waste and enabling repeatable production standards.

3. Adaptive Modular Furniture

Furniture design is increasingly focused on modular systems that support multiple functions within compact interiors. Rather than simple add-on components, these systems are architecturally integrated, allowing pieces to shift between layouts with minimal effort. Magnetic connectors and precision interlocking joints enable fast reconfiguration without tools, making it easy to adapt furniture to different daily activities.

This flexibility improves spatial efficiency by allowing a single system to perform several roles, such as converting seating into lounge or guest arrangements. Loose-fit construction also supports easy repair and part replacement, extending product lifespan and reducing material waste. By combining adaptability with structural clarity, modular furniture delivers long-term value while responding to changing space requirements and evolving lifestyle needs.

The ZERO modular furniture collection redefines minimalism through visual lightness and reduced spatial impact. Designed to occupy less visual and physical volume, the pieces use clean lines, slim profiles, and restrained colour palettes to integrate quietly into interiors. This approach allows furniture to frame space rather than dominate it, supporting open layouts and reducing visual clutter. The neutral design language makes the system adaptable across residential and commercial environments, including contemporary, industrial, and modernist interiors.

Modularity is central to the system’s function. Each unit can be assembled, reconfigured, and expanded to support changing layouts, from compact living areas to larger open-plan spaces. This flexibility allows users to create seating, storage, or zoning solutions without adding visual density. Custom colour options support personalisation while preserving a cohesive aesthetic.

4. Thermal Comfort Surfaces

Furniture surfaces are increasingly designed to support thermal stability and physical comfort. Upholstery now integrates phase-change materials that absorb, store, and release heat, helping maintain consistent surface temperatures in response to body contact and room conditions. This technology reduces discomfort from cold or overheating, improving long-term seating comfort across changing seasons.

Material selection also prioritises tactile performance. High-tannin woods, honed stone, and heavy-weave natural fabrics provide stable, grounding textures that enhance sensory interaction with furniture. These finishes balance temperature control with durability and visual depth. By combining thermal responsiveness with carefully chosen surface materials, furniture delivers a measurable comfort advantage while contributing to passive climate regulation within interior spaces.

The SOLO furniture collection by Mudu Studios is a seating concept that balances visual refinement and thermal comfort with ergonomic comfort. The range includes an armchair, sofa, and pouf, all characterised by generously cushioned upholstery set on raised bases made from metal or natural veneer. This pedestal-style structure visually lifts the soft seating volumes, creating a strong contrast between plush textiles and solid foundations. Accent stitching adds subtle definition to the upholstery, reinforcing form while enhancing durability and finish quality.

Designed to integrate across multiple interior styles, the collection supports varied colour options to suit different spatial palettes. A key functional feature is the armchair’s twist mechanism, which allows controlled rotation for relaxed seating positions without compromising stability. Elevated proportions also contribute to proper seating support and ease of movement.

5. Seamless Embedded Technology

Furniture is increasingly integrating technology directly into its structure, eliminating the need for visible devices or external accessories. Inductive charging systems are now concealed beneath thin layers of stone or solid wood, allowing phones and small electronics to charge when placed on tabletops or shelves. This integration maintains clean surfaces while delivering everyday functionality without additional hardware.

Control interfaces are also being built into materials, with touch-sensitive zones embedded in fabric or carved into timber for lighting and audio adjustment. These systems remove the reliance on separate remotes and illuminated panels, reducing visual clutter. By embedding technology within traditional materials, furniture maintains architectural continuity while offering discreet, intuitive interaction aligned with contemporary living needs.

The Cube by French audio brand La Boite is a wireless high-fidelity loudspeaker designed to function as both an audio system and a compact coffee or side table. Measuring approximately 47 × 35 × 49 cm, its form allows placement in central living are as without additional floor space for separate speakers. La Boite’s patented acoustic architecture ensures consistent sound dispersion regardless of positioning, maintaining balanced volume and clarity across the room. The furniture-grade enclosure supports everyday use while housing integrated audio components.

Each unit delivers a total power output of 200W and includes a multi-speaker configuration with front and rear drivers supported by aluminium bass-reflex ports. La Boite’s Wide Sound 2.0 technology expands the listening field for immersive playback from a single unit. Connectivity options include Bluetooth with AptX codec, analogue RCA, optical Toslink, and a 3.5 mm input, allowing compatibility with wireless streaming and traditional audio sources.

Furniture now functions as an adaptive layer of the built environment, combining biophilic form with intelligent, sustainable materials. Integrated technology and modular design extend product lifespan while improving daily comfort. Rather than acting as mere decoration, 2026 furniture trends position furniture as part of a responsive interior system – where performance, longevity, and well-being define true design value.

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IKEA’s Viral Donut Lamp Just Got a $100 Smart Upgrade

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Whenever I pass by IKEA, one of the things that always catches my eye are their minimalist lamps (well, a lot of their items are minimalist of course). They look simple, elegant, and something that would fit right into my space. Probably one of their most popular lamps is the VARMBLIXT donut lamp designed by renowned Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis, which is, as its name suggests, a donut-shaped lamp.

Now this lamp is seeing a 2026 upgrade with the new VARMBLIXT smart donut lamp that still keeps the popular sculptural but playful form intact but adds a smarter component. The light now radiates from the inside with its matte finish instead of the previous version where external light reflected and bounced off on its glossy surface. This shift from glossy to matte white glass fundamentally changes how you experience the lamp – instead of being a reflective object, it becomes a glowing light source that creates ambiance from within.

Designer: Sabine Marcelis for IKEA

The difference in the design, specifically the material, allows the lamp to create a different atmospheric experience. For those that love more colorful ambience lighting, you now get 12 preset colors that were personally curated by the designer herself. The colors also transition smoothly through the different hues so that there is no abrupt change to your environment. You get different temperatures of white light to glowing amber and warm red to soft pink to cool lavender and turquoise to gentle yellow tones and finally back to white light. Marcelis designed these transitions to be subtle and natural, so the shifts feel organic rather than jarring.

When you connect the lamp to the IKEA Home Smart app through DIRIGERA, you get the “full colour spectrum with more than 40 shades” to play with, giving you even more control over your lighting mood. The VARMBLIXT lamp comes with the BILRESA remote so you can start cycling through the colors without any complicated setup. But it is built on the Matter standard so you can integrate it with your smart home system including Apple Home, Siri, and other compatible platforms.

Just like the original donut lamp, you can use this smart version as a table lamp or you can also mount it on your wall if you need this to be part of your wall decor. You get flexibility on how you want this sculptural piece to be displayed in your space, whether to blend in with your aesthetic or to be the centerpiece decoration while providing ambient light. At $99.99, it hits that sweet spot of designer quality at an accessible price point.

IKEA is also launching a VARMBLIXT smart pendant lamp which focuses mostly on how white light can move from cool daylight to the yellow glow that mimics candles when it gets darker. Its design is a cluster of curved tubes made from frosted white glass that creates a sculptural presence even when turned off. When illuminated, those frosted tubes transform into a magical piece of light engineering, casting a soft, diffused glow. You can also use it with the included remote or connect it to your smart home system. The pendant is priced at $149.99.

Both lamps will be available starting in April 2026, and they represent more than just a product upgrade. They’re part of IKEA’s ongoing collaboration with Sabine Marcelis, with another collection already planned for 2027. For collectors and design enthusiasts, this makes the VARMBLIXT pieces part of an evolving story worth following.

What I love most about these smart upgrades is that IKEA didn’t sacrifice the design integrity that made these lamps iconic in the first place. They’ve simply enhanced what was already working beautifully, adding functionality that feels intuitive rather than overwhelming. Whether you’re drawn to the playful personality of the donut lamp or the refined elegance of the pendant, both pieces prove that smart lighting can be sculptural, affordable, and genuinely beautiful.

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IKEA’s $10 Donut Charger is the Quirkiest Tech Accessory You Need

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IKEA has always understood that good design is about more than just aesthetics; it’s about making everyday life just a little bit smarter and a whole lot more delightful. From the iconic, ubiquitous flat-pack furniture phenomenon that has furnished college dorms and first apartments worldwide, to their surprisingly savvy and rapidly expanding smart home gear, the Swedish powerhouse consistently sneaks into our lives with functional, well-priced objects. They have a unique talent for translating high-level function into accessible, everyday items, democratizing design in a way few other companies can match.

But their latest accessory, the VÄSTMÄRKE wireless charger, feels like they stopped designing furniture for a minute and started making tech that belongs on a designer’s desk or maybe even a breakfast tray. And truth be told, I’m all for this kind of quirky but also highly functional kind of device, especially for someone who always needs to charge one gadget or another and appreciates a bit of personality in their tech landscape.

Designer: IKEA

Forget the sleek metal pucks and boring black slabs that define the typical wireless charger landscape. The VÄSTMÄRKE arrives in a striking, happy red color which is a shade that manages to be both playful and aggressive. It is wrapped in soft, tactile silicone, and is shaped unmistakably like a bright, circular donut. Yes, a donut. This accessory is a masterclass in playful industrial design, immediately standing out in a crowded market where everything is trying desperately to be minimal and invisible, striving for that elusive “zero design” aesthetic. The VÄSTMÄRKE loudly rebels against that. At around ten dollars, it’s an absolute steal and an impulsive buy designed to bring a little pop culture fun and necessary color into your daily tech routine. It’s an instant dopamine hit for your desk.

But don’t let the adorable, pastry-like exterior fool you into thinking this is merely a cute paperweight that’s all style and no substance. Underneath that cheerful, friendly silicone exterior is a genuinely modern piece of charging tech that proves IKEA is serious about functionality. The VÄSTMÄRKE supports the new Qi2 standard, which is the current industry gold standard for magnetic wireless charging. This means it offers fast 15-watt charging speeds which is on par with high-end, premium alternatives, and, crucially for modern phone users, it includes precise magnetic alignment. This makes it instantly compatible with systems like Apple’s MagSafe or Google’s emerging PixelSnap standard, ensuring your phone snaps perfectly into place every single time. That magnetic click maximizes charging efficiency and eliminates the frustrating hunt for the sweet spot, a common annoyance with older, non-magnetic wireless pads.

Where the VÄSTMÄRKE truly shines, however, is in its secret identity, offering two hidden functions that transform it from a simple charger into a genuine utility tool, a Swiss Army knife of power. The whole device is built around a clever fold-out core. You can flip the top half up and invert the ring, effectively turning the charger into an impromptu, stable, PopSocket-style grip for your phone. Imagine charging on the go, then seamlessly using the attached charger, which is still magnetically clamped to your device, to secure your grip while scrolling through social media, watching a video, or taking a complicated selfie. It’s a brilliant crossover of charging and ergonomic convenience that no one specifically asked for, but everyone who uses it will immediately wonder how they lived without it.

The second genius trick tackles the bane of all tech lovers: the cable tangle. That circular cutout, which doubles as the grip, is also a clever storage solution. The VÄSTMÄRKE includes an integrated USB-C cord, which is another nod to modernity and universal compatibility. When you’re done charging or ready to travel, you can simply wrap the cable neatly and snugly around the center gap and snap the silicone top back down. The cord disappears completely into the design, keeping your bag or pocket blissfully knot-free and preventing the charger itself from becoming a tangle magnet. It’s a supremely thoughtful nod to portability, making this the ideal budget travel companion for anyone constantly on the move.

The VÄSTMÄRKE is the perfect embodiment of IKEA’s approach to the smart home and personal tech. It’s cheap, utterly practical, uses high-level Qi2 technology typically reserved for more expensive gear, and comes wrapped in a delightful design that is guaranteed to spark conversation and smiles. It’s a testament to the idea that functional tech doesn’t have to be visually dull or take itself too seriously. Sometimes, the best design is the one that looks like it belongs on the menu rather than on the motherboard. If you’re looking for a dash of color, a clever set of features, and next-gen magnetic charging without emptying your wallet, this little red donut is an unexpected, delightful, and highly functional winner.

The post IKEA’s $10 Donut Charger is the Quirkiest Tech Accessory You Need first appeared on Yanko Design.

IKEA and Teklan Turn Tech Into Eye Candy

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You know that weird thing we do with tech products? We buy them, we use them every day, but then we kind of hide them. Tuck the speaker behind the plant. Stash the lamp in the corner. As if apologizing for needing functional things in our homes. IKEA’s new collaboration with Swedish designer Tekla Evelina Severin (known as Teklan) is here to flip that script entirely.

The Teklan collection, which launches globally this December, is all about making your speakers and lamps the main character instead of background extras. We’re talking bold patterns, nostalgic color combos, and shapes that look like they wandered out of a really cool vintage store and somehow learned to play your Spotify playlist.

Designer: Teklan for IKEA

At the heart of the collection is the SOLSKYDD family, a trio of round Bluetooth speakers that refuse to be boring. The smallest is an 8-inch portable speaker in orange with a pattern that practically demands attention. The medium version comes in green with brown and beige diagonal stripes that feel very 70s but in the best possible way. And the largest? An 18-inch wall-mounted beast in textured orange that can even connect to a screen. These aren’t speakers that blend in. They’re conversation starters that happen to have excellent acoustics, designed by Ola Wihlborg to balance form with serious sound quality.

Then there’s the KULGLASS lamp speakers, which might be my favorite thing about this entire launch. Teklan designed them to look like soft-serve ice cream, because why shouldn’t your tech look like dessert? They come in mint green and a red-brown with pink combo, and they work as both lamps and Bluetooth speakers. The built-in volume knob is a nice tactile touch in a world where everything is controlled by tapping a screen.

What makes this collaboration feel special isn’t just the aesthetic, though the colors are definitely doing the heavy lifting. It’s the intention behind it. Teklan literally went to her grandparents’ house to match the exact shade of mint green to an old bar of soap from her childhood memories. That level of personal storytelling in product design is rare, especially for mass-market furniture retailers.

“We wanted to bring that softness and friendliness into technology, to help people see home electronics differently and invite more colour into their everyday spaces,” Teklan explained. And honestly, mission accomplished. These products feel warm and approachable in a way that most tech doesn’t. While the insides are packed with all the technical complexity you’d want from quality speakers, the outsides feel almost playful.

The collection also includes a refresh of IKEA’s cult-favorite VAPPEBY speaker, now decked out in Teklan’s signature colors, plus a whole range of braided charging cables called SITTBRUNN, RUNDHULT, and LILLHULT that are inspired by climbing ropes. Even your charging cables get to have personality now.

All the speakers can connect to each other and other compatible IKEA Bluetooth speakers for multi-speaker mode, and they support Spotify Tap, so you can seamlessly continue whatever you were listening to. The SOLSKYDD also comes in a plain white version if you’re not quite ready to commit to orange geometric patterns (though I’d argue that’s missing the point). Price-wise, we’re still solidly in IKEA territory. The portable SOLSKYDD starts at $80, the medium at $100, and the largest at $140. The KULGLASS lamp speakers are $130. Not cheap for IKEA, but reasonable when you consider you’re getting both form and function wrapped in genuinely unique design.

This collaboration represents something bigger than just pretty speakers. It’s part of a shift in how we think about the stuff that makes our homes work. After years of minimalism telling us to hide everything, make it all white, keep it neutral, there’s this growing appetite for objects with personality. Things that reflect who we are, what we love, the colors that make us happy.

IKEA has been experimenting with this more expressive approach since ending its partnership with Sonos earlier this year. The Teklan collection feels like a confident step into that space, proving that affordable design doesn’t have to mean boring design. The collection starts rolling out in December, with specific dates varying by market, so check with your local IKEA for availability. And maybe start thinking about where you want to display, not hide, your next speaker.

The post IKEA and Teklan Turn Tech Into Eye Candy first appeared on Yanko Design.