Let’s be honest, most home tech available on the market is incredibly useful but not very pretty to look at, favouring utilitarian designs over stylish ones. But IKEA is changing that with the IKEA x Teklan collaboration including boldly coloured and patterned bluetooth speakers and speaker lamps coming out in January next year.
There are some products from the Swedish retailer that really need no IKEA hack to upgrade them because they’re perfect as they are. And these soon-to-be-released speakers are among those.
Created in partnership with Swedish designer Tekla Evelina Severin of Teklan, known for her bold use of colour in interiors, the collection includes the SOLSKYDD circular-shaped Bluetooth speakers in three different sizes, each with its own individual look, and then the KULGLASS lamp speaker in two different colourways.
And this is not the first time that IKEA has impressed with the aesthetically pleasing look of its tech and tech accessories. Earlier this year, I was taken with the IKEA NATTBAD speaker, available in a soft pink or a butter yellow colourway. And even before that, the retailer put an end to ugly extension cords with the launch of the SKOTAT.
‘Home electronics are often seen as purely functional, something many people want to hide,’ says Sara Ottosson, product developer at IKEA. ‘We want to change that. In recent years, we’ve learned a lot about developing high-quality sound products and how people want to furnish their homes with them. We’re treating speakers with the same care as the rest of the home, so they contribute to a room’s atmosphere and personality not only through sound but also through form, colour and character.’
Even though the speakers from this collaboration are yet to be released, you can already get a piece of IKEA’s partnership with Teklan now as the vibrantly coloured and patterned charging cables are available to shop now.
Stylish tech to buy from IKEA now
This is one of the fun USB cables from the IKEA x Teklan collab. And it's likely my favourite one for its stylish pattern and surprisingly nice colour combo.
It's not only that the sage green colourway and unusual rectangular shape look cool, the latter is practical for perfectly fitting into corners.
This is one of the prettiest speakers I've ever seen - and it's only £29! It's still on my wish list but now I'm thinking I might wait for the lamp speaker instead.
What to expect from the IKEA x Teklan speakers
Starting with the KULGLASS speaker lamps, a product like this is extremely hard to find. A lamp with a base that’s also a speaker but with a design that looks pretty and cool?! Tell me, where else have you seen something like this? The shape of the lampshade is inspired by soft-serve ice cream which is a reference that just melts my heart (pun intended). And the stunning colourways of two-tone green and pink with brown are to die for.
As for the SOLSKYDD speakers which could be considered the main event, the two smaller sizes can be either hung on the wall or stood on the bases provided. Both also come with their own bold colourways and patterns – the smaller orange one is covered with an intricate geometric pattern, while the medium size comes in green with a diagonal striped print. The largest size resembles the sun, both thanks to the shape and the orange colourway with no pattern in sight, and it’s designed to be mounted on the wall.
Pretty speakers to buy now
I myself own this Roberts Revival Petite radio that also doubles as a super stylish speaker. And I highly recommend it as both a speaker and a decorative object for your shelf.
Not only is this portable speaker super small so there's no danger of it getting in the way of literally anything, it also comes in no less than 14 different colourways to go with your home decor.
If you want a speaker that looks aesthetically pleasing and performs well (that's not IKEA), Roberts is your best bet as both great sound and good looks is important to the brand, as this design is the perfect example of.
Which one are you thinking of investing in?
