IKEA’s Swedish meatballs are probably more famous than half the furniture in their showrooms. Millions get served every year, yet somehow these legendary spheres of deliciousness have been stuck eating off boring, generic plates this whole time. Swedish designer Gustaf Westman finally decided to fix that glaring oversight.
The new IKEA meatball plate looks exactly like what you’d expect from Westman’s playful design brain. It’s this elongated, glossy blue rectangle with a deep channel running down the middle that’s perfectly sized to cradle a neat row of meatballs. Each little sphere gets its own designated spot, so no more chasing runaway meatballs around your plate.
Designer: Gustaf Westman x IKEA
That signature pastel blue finish screams Gustaf Westman from across the room. The guy’s known for his bold, rounded forms and cartoon-like aesthetic, and this plate delivers all of that in spades. The silhouette is almost comically oversized, but the glossy finish and substantial weight make it feel genuinely premium rather than like a novelty item.
The best part might be the tongue-in-cheek instruction manual that comes with it. Classic IKEA move, except this time they’re teaching you how to properly arrange and eat meatballs instead of assembling furniture. It’s the kind of self-aware humor that makes you appreciate both brands even more.
This plate transforms the whole IKEA meatball experience from cafeteria meal to design moment. Instead of just shoveling food into your mouth after a long furniture shopping session, you’re now participating in this little ritual that feels special and intentional. The meatballs line up like perfect little soldiers, begging to be photographed and shared.
Gustaf Westman has built his reputation on making everyday objects feel joyful and unexpected. His sculptural, almost toy-like approach to design fits perfectly with IKEA’s democratic design philosophy. This collaboration feels natural rather than forced, bringing fresh energy to IKEA’s food offerings without losing that accessible Swedish charm.
What makes this plate genuinely clever is how it solves a real problem while being completely ridiculous at the same time. Yes, meatballs do roll around on regular plates, and yes, this design keeps them perfectly organized. But it also turns a simple meal into a conversation starter and a design statement.
The plate represents something bigger about how brands can celebrate their own icons. Instead of just slapping logos on generic products, IKEA and Westman created something that honors the cultural significance of those famous meatballs while bringing genuine design value to the table. Sometimes the best innovations come from taking the things we already love and making them just a little bit more special.
The post IKEA Finally Gets a Dedicated Meatball Plate Thanks to Gustaf Westman first appeared on Yanko Design.