The launch of his collaborative line marked the Swedish designer&rsquo;s first-ever trip to Malaysia.

It might only be September, but there&rsquo;s already a reason to look forward to the year-end celebrations. IKEA has just unveiled an exciting Holiday 2025 collaboration with Swedish designer Gustaf Westman. Renowned for his playful, colour-charged aesthetic and bold sculptural forms, Westman infuses his joyful design language into a collection that&rsquo;s as functional as it is festive &mdash; perfectly timed for the season of gatherings.
The Swedish designer made his maiden trip to Malaysia for the launch of his collaborative line, and we took the opportunity to sit down with him to talk about the collection.
Is this the first time IKEA reached out to you? No, I first met someone from the team three years ago. Back then, it was about doing something kitchen-related for an exhibition, but I wanted to make products. We kept the conversation going and eventually came to this project. I wanted to create smaller, affordable products for a lot of people.
What were the biggest challenges in scaling your distinctive forms and colours for mass production? I didn&rsquo;t think too much about mass production when designing. I used the same process as always, and IKEA provided the input &mdash; they&rsquo;re experts at that. My creative freedom was very wide in this project, which was nice.

How do you implement Swedish design into something popular in Asia and Malaysia? I think my design is pretty global because it&rsquo;s simple and can fit into any aesthetic. Most of my objects have a strong identity, which makes them easier to place in any home. It&rsquo;s called a meatball plate, but I&rsquo;ll use it for many things &mdash; as a serving bowl, for salsa, or whatever. In the end, it&rsquo;s just a versatile bowl.

IKEA is known for sustainable, timeless design. But this collection is bold and bright. Do you think this reflects a shift in how people decorate their homes? Yes, and it&rsquo;s also because this is part of a Christmas collection. Traditions differ across countries &mdash; some are modern, some more traditional. We wanted to target different customers so everyone could find something. Younger people especially approach decorating differently. Many of us live small, so we don&rsquo;t have space for a box of Christmas ornaments. We want festive pieces that work all year round and can be brought out for occasions. I think this fits that mindset.

Did any personal holiday traditions influence your design? Yes, basically all of them. The meatball piece, for example, was inspired by my grandma and the experience of being with her. Since the aesthetic wasn&rsquo;t naturally mine, I had to find creativity in those memories.
If someone could only have one product from the collection, which should it be? The vase, because it&rsquo;s the most different from the usual IKEA range &mdash; and it&rsquo;s fun to bring something like that in.

IKEA x Gustaf Westman: In conversation with the designer on the joyful, bold collection

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