An artist and a design prodigy, Sabine Marcelis’ cult ‘VARMBLIXT’ lamp for IKEA has made its CES 2026 debut in new colors and a high-tech system. The lamp was first designed and launched in 2022 as part of an extensive 20-piece collection for IKEA in the shape of a donut to explore the nuances of light within the home.
Now, this iconic and best-selling lamp has been reimagined in matte white finish and a smart bulb format, giving an edge to an already tactile and playful light. This integration of a dimmable and color-changing bulb allows the lamp to change colors, creating an atmospheric vibe within domestic settings.
The matte finish of the updated version alters tones from within, which users can control via an IKEA Bilresa remote. Not only this, users get to choose between 12 preset hues curated by the designer herself. Color has been a defining element in the lamp, showcasing Marcelis’ penchant for warm and soothing pastels, subtly transitioning from a cool white to glowing amber, warm red, soft pink, cool lavender, and turquoise.
It’s the first time for IKEA to partake in CES 2026, where this furniture giant has exhibited a myriad of smart home products, as Dezeen reports. An upgraded VARMBLIXT lamp is one of them, celebrated for its tangible presence in a room, for the light it radiates, and how it makes people feel emotionally connected. The fresh version is incorporated with plenty of smart features, enabling light and color to shift elegantly and transform any space with whimsy.
Apart from VARMBLIXT donut lamp, IKEA has also showcased an upgraded version of Sabine Marcelis’s pendant light from the VARMBLIXT light series. This smart pendant exhibits the shades of white light, moving flawlessly from a crisp, cool daylight to a warm, candle-like yellow glow. Like the donut lamp, the pendant light can be controlled via a remote, or can be made a part of a wide-ranging smart-home setup.
Both lamps are based on a Matter standard, which can work on different smart-home systems and can be easily combined into an existing app. When the lamp is connected to the IKEA Home Smart app through DIRIGERA, this donut lamp becomes fully accessible across the full color spectrum with more than 40 shades to choose from, including subtle gradations, light intensity, and dimming.
The collaboration between IKEA and Sabine Marcelis will keep growing in the coming future, focusing on exploring new interpretations of light and the emotional value it brings to everyday spaces in the home. The duo is planning to work on a new assortment of products, combining technology and design for 2027.
