Christmas Reimagined with Gustaf Westman

A Swedish icon on a new stage

Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the iconic IKEA meatball, the collection features a dedicated meatball plate designed to give the Swedish staple a place of honour. The porcelain plate arranges meatballs, or any other small bites, in a neat, celebratory row.

Gustaf says: “I love designing objects for a very specific function and for this plate, I wanted to give the meatball its own special place on the table, where each one is visible — like they’re sitting on a little throne.”

Now a global icon with one billion sold annually, the meatball has evolved over the years to include the plant ball, veggie ball, and chicken ball – all of which fit perfectly on the plate.

Vase with a humour

The bouncy vase is made from a single metal spiral that twists into an hourglass silhouette, holding a separate glass vessel. The spiral frame also provides a supportive structure, allowing drooping flowers to be threaded through and lean against the edge for a playful arrangement. 

Gustaf adds, “A rounded form has no clear ending, which I think gives an object more life. This vase is a good example — it has a continuous shape, and it also brings an element of humour with its bounciness.

The two parts don’t really look like they need each other, but they do, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It’s that feeling of being a bit unnecessary, but in a fun way.”

A saucer for grandmother‘s cookies

While perfectly sized for an espresso, the porcelain cup and saucer set was originally designed for serving ‘glögg’ (mulled wine). Its key feature is the intentionally oversized saucer, which provides enough room to hold a serving of biscuits.

“When I was growing up, I spent Christmas at my grandmother’s house, and she always baked so many different kinds of cookies. You were supposed to take one of each, but you could never hold them all in your hands. I wanted to create an oversized saucer that could act as its own small plate, so you could place the cookies around your cup and carry everything at once.”

A lantern of rotating orbits

The collection includes a pink decorative lamp — a portable, rechargeable light encircled by two chunky rings. The rings can be rotated to create a handle for carrying or hanging, or they can be aligned so the lamp lies flat on a surface.

“I wanted the lamp to be beautiful when it’s lying down, but also be something you just instinctively grab and take with you. I had this image of someone using it like a lantern, going out into the winter darkness to get wood for the fire.”

Chunky for all

The collection includes a range of chunky, whimsical pillar candle holders, candlesticks, and tealight holders designed not just to hold light, but to create a cheerful atmosphere. The pieces are made to be mixed and matched and can be paired easily with other items in the collection, creating a playful backdrop for gathering around the table.

“I love the chunky shape of the pillar candle holder. It’s a simple, rounded form with no sharp edges or endings that adds a lot of character.”

A contemporary nod to a holiday must

The red candelabra reinterprets a traditional element of Swedish Christmas culture – the candle-style lamp often placed in windows during winter. 

The design borrows a classic festive red colour, but is updated with a steel frame, curvy shapes and soft lines, without any corners.