Earlier this year, for one hot second on Instagram, millennial pink was back in fashion. It was around the same time as Paris Fashion Week when a spiral baguette “bag” started appearing on our feeds with a loaf of bread cradled in it. The French couldn’t help but bite: it was absurd but also amusing, and the sort of design genius you don’t need but definitely want.
Turns out, its designer, a Swede called Gustaf Westman, has a full collection of colourful, curvy, and quirky design pieces, now available at IKEA.
Westman with his 12-piece collection for IKEA
Besides the bread bag, Westman has previously created several cheeky products, like a juicer shaped like a butt plug and an unconventional three-person bed. He defines his aesthetic as “playful and colourful with a bit of humour in it”. Chunky yet clean, his playful designs, which may remind you of product-design greats like Ettore Sottsass, somehow manage to retain his Scandinavian design roots in a way that feels uniquely his. “I think [my style] is kind of simple and Scandinavian in a lot of ways as well,” the designer told The Nod at IKEA’s annual Democratic Design Days in Sweden.
His 12-object edit of tableware and home objects for IKEA toys with humour once again. You will find everything from a voluptuous spiral vase to a square dining plate, a donut-shaped lantern, and a chunky candlestand that resembles the tetrapods you see across Mumbai’s promenade. Each piece carries his signature quirk and offers small touches to make your home brighter and more functional.
