Dr. Seuss Dinnerware In Gustaf Westman's IKEA Collection (EXCLUSIVE)
Okay, but why meatballs? Gustaf Westman quite literally centers his debut IKEA collaboration, a quirky collection of dinnerware and home goods, around the tasty Swedish sphere. Indeed, Westman's IKEA partnership is so anchored by this meatball plate that it became the first item in the offering to be revealed.
"I was keen to do a very everyday object with IKEA," Westman says matter-of-factly in Seoul, where Highsnobiety was on the gro to behold an enormous plate of meatballs.
Now that may sound like an odd way to describe a plate initially conceived of as a miniature throne for meat spheres. That is, until you open your mind to Westman's uniquely thoughtful whimsy.
The Swedish designer and Swedish design company are a natural fit. While Westman has grounded Seussian conceits in genuinely useful objects, IKEA has always proposed approachable furnishings with an air of play. There's an inherent lightness to both of their realms, as well as recognition that their creations must actually be used.
Thus, the meatball plate.
Though it was indeed born of a desire to present tiny balls of beef, chicken, or tofu, the plate is actually quite multifaceted, a useful centerpiece for entertaining. Let it push your notion of presentation: you can fill its core tray with spinach dip or salsa, framed by crackers or charcuterie.
This isn't merely a vehicle for meatballs but a call to coming together, gathering around a table to share and enjoy. It is, of course, also a vehicle for meatballs.
At the IKEA presentation in Seoul, Westman highlighted a few other standout creations that round out the 12-piece collection soon available on IKEA's site and stores for prices that begin at $6.99.
A vase was transformed into a springy coil that has as much life as the flowers it contains while cups and saucers are reimagined as colorfully curvaceous semi-statement pieces. It's not pure zaniness, however: the saucer is smartly designed with a nook that securely fits its cup. Here's where you see how the meatball plate kicks it all off, demonstrating both the fun to be had and the versatility at work.
This is real-world stuff, charming as it all is tactile.
As with all of Westman's inventions, the goods beg to be touched. Their gently bulbous forms stand out by being both soft and funky — could this joviality make them tough sell to people seeking serious tableware? Westman knows better.
"[Humor is] my way of designing," he says. "I feel like people just want to have fun objects that they're really connected to in their home."
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