KRÄSEN was made of dolerite, or black granite, a beautiful rock type that’s common in southern Sweden. It was designed by Ehlén Johansson, who had started at IKEA in 1984. When Ehlén wanted to make candlesticks out of stone, she simply visited a local stonemasonry and got some surplus dolerite pieces. She developed three different candlesticks using the material and they were sold as a set.
The KRÄSEN candlesticks from 1987 united an ancient material with a modern style. Or as an internal protocol from 1987 put it: “Who said our modern style is feeble and that everything has already been done? Come on, speak up! Or look at our new KRÄSEN candlesticks! With a foot of natural stone, a post of iron wire and a candle cup of brass, our new candlesticks build bridges between material, design and function.”
KRÄSEN was originally part of the IKEA Tomorrow programme, a ‘trend department’ with different, modern design.
KRÄSEN did not appear in the catalogue until 1997. This was after a traditional chandelier by Ehlén had already appeared, which says something about how IKEA at the time prioritised traditional products above a more modern style.
