IKEA updates the VARMBLIXT lamps with smart colour and dimming features
IKEA extends its collaboration with designer Sabine Marcelis by introducing new smart versions of the familiar VARMBLIXT lamps, presenting a refined study of how light can influence atmosphere at home.
The update keeps the sculptural volume that made the range so recognisable while adding colour-shifting and dimmable features that allow spaces to adapt gently throughout the day.
This marks a new chapter in a partnership that now looks ahead to a forthcoming collection scheduled for 2027.
Since debuting three years ago, the VARMBLIXT line has earned attention for pieces that command visual presence and offer light as a sensory encounter, expanding the material research first unveiled when Sabine Marcelis creates Totem Lights with cast resins.
The recent iteration advances that approach through smart control and colour variation, letting rooms move from cool to warm tones without abrupt transitions.
Marcelis describes the evolution as a continuation of the original idea: instead of relying on external reflections on glossy glass, the matte finish of the new donut lamp lets light emanate from within, producing a soft radiance that feels technical yet calm.
The VARMBLIXT smart donut lamp retains the original model in the IKEA range while adding smart functionality. A matte white glass surface joins a curated palette of twelve preset colours that can be switched through using an included BILRESA remote.
The sequence flows through white temperatures before shifting into amber, warm red, pink, lavender, turquoise and pale yellow before returning to white again, with each colour selected to pass into the next without interrupting the ambience of a room.
The careful curation of transitions emphasises experience rather than spectacle, transforming spatial perception through light.
Connected through DIRIGERA to the IKEA Home Smart app, users can access more than forty shades across the spectrum along with intensity control and dimming.
The VARMBLIXT smart pendant, which accompanies the donut lamp, focuses on the gradations of white light, moving from cool daylight to a gentle yellow glow reminiscent of candle illumination.
Both models can be controlled immediately via remote or integrated into broader smart-home systems.
All updated versions support the Matter standard, enabling compatibility across platforms while contributing to IKEA’s wider rollout of smart-home products that prioritise accessibility. The company’s recent addition of 21 Matter-compatible items set the foundation for an open smart-home ecosystem, positioning VARMBLIXT as an example of how design and technology can improve daily routines without adding complexity.
The partnership between IKEA and Marcelis continues with an emphasis on new expressions of light and its emotional presence in domestic environments. The next joint release, expected in 2027, will extend this dialogue through a collection that unites design sensibility with smart capability. The updated VARMBLIXT lamps will be available from April, with local store availability varying by market.
All images courtesy of IKEA
