Interview: Gustaf Westman on His Playful Collection with IKEA
Joy at home
Now and then, a collaboration between two great forces comes around that sends ripples of excitement through the air—this is one of them. When the legendary Swedish furnishing brand IKEA announced that it was teaming up with rising Stockholm-based furniture designer Gustaf Westman, buzz quickly swirled online about what the collection would look like.
Westman’s style is instantly recognisable: playful, whimsical, colourful, and curvy (we did predict this style would only continue to rise in popularity last year, and looks like it’s still going strong!). His use of bold shapes, curvy lines, and bright colours adds warmth and personality to IKEA’s usually more democratic and minimalist designs.
Both collections, Vinterfint and Stråla, are part of IKEA’s annual Christmas collection and comprise 12 pieces. From lighting to candle holders and dinnerware, each product aims to bring fun, warmth, and whimsy into your home to make the festive season that much more special.
Ahead, we sit down with Westman during his short time in Malaysia to learn more about his inspiration behind the collection, his love for IKEA, and one interior design rule he hopes everyone lives by.
What was it like collaborating with IKEA on this project?
Gustaf Westman: I was personally really excited and honoured to work with IKEA. It’s such an iconic brand; they’ve shaped so many Swedish people’s lives as well as home design trends here. A lot of what people look for is influenced by IKEA.
At the same time, because they’ve been around for so long and have already done countless collaborations with other designers, it was very important for me to do something different; something that screams “me”.
So, creative freedom is vital whenever I’m collaborating with someone or a brand. While some ideas didn’t get approved [laughs], I’m very thankful that the team at IKEA has allowed me to really explore and experiment while retaining my style.
The collection highlights specific colours. What was your thought process behind the colour palette?
GW: The green and red are meant to evoke a Christmas-y feel since this is part of IKEA’s winter collection, while the blue and pink are more of my own typical aesthetic—pink is my favourite colour!
All the products actually came in all four colours at one point, but after a lot of sampling and testing, I had to make a decision about which colours suited which products the most. It was almost like a puzzle to bring the whole collection together.
Which piece went through changes from conception to the final product in your hand?
GW: It’s hard to say which one specifically because they’ve all gone through changes, but overall, there weren’t many drastic changes at all. This is because aesthetically, the idea and designs for my products are often very simple for anyone to understand. Even for product developers, I normally don’t have to explain too much because they’ll get it immediately from my 3D sketches.
Because I tend to go for curved and rounded silhouettes, there’s not a lot of detail and joints that they need to specifically research. As a result, they’ll come out like I envisioned—I feel very lucky in that regard. But of course, it was still a long process and a lot of sampling to get it perfect.
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We have to talk about the meatball holder that’s caught everyone’s attention. What was your thought process behind it, and why does it hold 11 and not 12 meatballs?
GW: I mean, it’s IKEA—their meatballs are iconic! [laughs] I knew I wanted to work with meatballs somehow in this collaboration, and thought a proper meatball serving plate would be really fun.
And yes, the 11 meatball situation. The technical answer is that through sampling and production, we realised the dimensions for 11 meatballs would be the perfect size based on our moulds. The more fun (and official) answer I’ll give is that I made it this way, knowing that most people would steal a meatball for themselves before serving them! [laughs]
Another product we think will be hugely popular is the pink LED lamp with the 360 hinge. Talk to us about the inspiration behind that.
GW: It’s one of my favourite products from the collection! The LED lamp is a mix between a portable lantern and a flashlight. A lot of the products in the two collections are based on my childhood memories growing up in Sweden. During winter, it gets dark very quickly and sometimes, when you want to go out to your porch or garden to get something or simply go on a walk, it’s hard to see.
So I designed the light to work as a lantern, which you can rotate and hold like it has a handle. Alternatively, you can lay it completely flat and use it as a warm, gentle light on your side table instead of turning on your ‘big’ lights. Versatile and eye-catching!
We’ve also noticed that the saucers are much bigger than the cups! Any reason for the inverted ratio?
GW: Yes, that was totally intentional! [laughs] The cup and saucer are also inspired by a childhood memory. My grandmother used to make different types of cookies during tea time—it’s a common tradition in Sweden to make an array of cookies. We love to dip them in tea or coffee.
But it was hard to fit them on the plate because the saucers were so small! So I wanted to fix this with my saucer and cup sets. Because of the wider space, you can now put three or four of your favourite cookies, biscuits, and snacks around the saucer and easily dip them into your cup!
What piece from this collection makes you want to host a dinner party and show it off to your guests?
GW: I love plates. I think they’re super fun, and people tend to keep those for a long time. In my opinion, the plates are the most sophisticated and versatile pieces in this collection, so probably those!
Apart from your designs, your followers love how you furnish your home! Can you share tips on what people should keep in mind when decorating their own home?
GW: Personally, I like to only look at products individually rather than objects belonging to a set. I love to be surrounded by random things that bring me joy, even if they’re not perfectly matched. Rather than trying to match things together, try collecting different items that you like, and you’re going to end up with a nice, eclectic mix.
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For me, when things get too matchy, I don’t really like it. I like the randomness, the organised chaos of it all. So, don’t feel constrained by the fact that you have to place things in a certain way or buy the entire three-piece set. Embrace the randomness—it’s all part of the fun!
What’s one design rule you think people should break?
GW: I’m not sure if this is controversial, but I don’t concern myself so much with things like feng shui. If there’s a product I like, I’ll get it and place it wherever I want [laughs]. I’m the type that goes with the flow and focuses on what feels right for me.
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I have a lot of mirrors around my house and in my bedroom, and I get a lot of comments telling me it’s not good for my feng shui, but I love mirrors. I think you should have them everywhere!
Lastly, what do you hope people feel with this collaboration?
GW: I hope these products can bring joy, warmth, and playfulness into everyone’s homes this festive season and beyond. If you’ve ever wanted pieces that impress your guests when they’re over, I hope you can find them in my collection!
The collection will be available on 18 September 2025 at IKEA Damansara and IKEA Cheras only.
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