The IKEA x Gustaf Westman collection is a candy-coded dream

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. 

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.

For this limited-edition festive collection, Westman has also tackled a Swedish holiday tradition—meatballs—with a cylindrical plate that can hold up to 11 meatballs, or perhaps as many gulab jamuns this Diwali. “For so many in Sweden, there’s no Christmas without meatballs,” said Westman, whose collection launch is timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of IKEA’s famous meatballs.

Another Christmas special in this new collection is a chunky teacup with a saucer designed to hold a generous portion of biscuits. The designer confesses that it was one of his favourite products to design, made for traditional glögg (mulled wine) and paired with an intentionally oversized saucer. The saucer is inspired by Westman’s childhood memories of his grandmother’s generous holiday baking, leaving room for biscuits, cakes or even just a regular fika (Swedish teatime) treat, aka a cinnamon bun or pastry. All we can say is, it’s serving!