IKEA reinvents its most famous tool – this time it lights up your home

IKEA introduces ÖDLEBLAD, a new pendant luminaire that elevates the humble Allen key from a simple tool into a sculptural sphere of light. The lamp’s design is a strong example of material-smart construction: it’s composed of 60 identical parts, each shaped like the iconic tool, crafted from birch veneer to click together seamlessly without a single fitting.

The Allen key has frustrated, helped, and united people for decades, building millions of homes and friendships. ÖDLEBLAD is a homage to this small but mighty tool — a bold new lamp that, of course, comes flatpacked. When switched on, its shade changes expression, emitting a soft, subdued glow through the veneer. It’s a glowing reminder of how one simple idea changed how we live, and a playful twist on the fact that this time, no Allen key is needed for assembly.

“The Allen key is usually something hidden away in a drawer, but it’s one of the most quietly influential objects in our history,” says David Wahl, Designer at IKEA of Sweden. “With ÖDLEBLAD, I wanted to let it step forward into the light as a sculptural centrepiece. It’s my homage to a tool that has shaped how people bring IKEA into their homes.” 

Material-smart design 

David Wahl, who won the Red Dot Design Award for STARKVIND, and received an honorary mention for the IKEA PS 2014 pendant lamp, is known for working with expressive shapes and efficient construction. For him, efficiency in design is not only about choosing the right material, but about how the form and construction minimise waste from the very beginning.  

“The challenge was to design a flatpacked lamp that avoids unnecessary material and connects without any fittings. For me, that means the project is a lot about designing the production itself,” says David Wahl. “The Allen key shape is brilliant, because with its specific form, we get precision-cut parts with minimal waste. The entire sphere is held together by its own geometry. There’s no need for extra fittings, which is a smarter way to use materials and a really satisfying way to build something.” 

And if the thought of clicking together 60 pieces might test the patience of some, IKEA has made the start easier — ÖDLEBLAD comes with five modules, each made up of 12 pre-assembled parts, which then click together to form the complete 60-part sphere. 

ÖDLEBLAD will be available in IKEA stores and online from October, with sales start varying between markets.