The YPPERLIG table lamp was part of the YPPERLIG collection, a collaboration between IKEA and Rolf and Mette Hay. The lamp was switched on and off using a touch control, and the brightness was also regulated using your fingertip.
Rolf and Mette Hay founded their company HAY in 2002, and create furniture with an eye for modern living using sophisticated industrial manufacturing. Rolf Hay has referred to the meeting with IKEA as a love story. He said: “Although we’re so different, we discovered we have the same perspective and sense of curiosity as well as being open to each other’s expertise.”
Large-scale production in high volumes was new to Rolf and Mette Hay, but not to Krister Nilsson and Ricky Eriksson, who had been product developers at IKEA their entire professional lives. Their final project before retiring was to ensure the design was adapted to the standard at IKEA, both when it came to quality and low price. Krister, Ricky, Rolf and Mette would jointly create a collection that explored the potential to use innovative production technology to create a new Scandinavian expression.
The collection also included a modern version of the traditional Scandinavian plank table, with a stable metal underframe. It is a slightly wider table with plenty of room for dinners, homework, crafting and other everyday activities. Another product is an armchair inspired by the classic café chair that was common in Vienna during the 19th century. It is cast in a single piece so no assembly is required. It is also UV treated and approved for public environments both indoors and outdoors.
Krister Nilsson says that it was the best possible project to finish his career with, but that it wasn’t exactly simple. He remembers: “When we thought something was good enough, Rolf and Mette kept demanding an exact radius or colour. It has been a bit tiresome at times, we needed to put in a few extra working days, but in the end it really paid off. The main challenge was to match their attention to detail with an attractive price.”
Several products in the YPPERLIG collection are still sold at IKEA in 2021.
