Ice Cream-Inspired Lights? This Latest Lighting Trend Brings Some Permanence to the Ephemeral, Summertime Delight — And We're Here for It
The latest trend that designers are scooping up is every bit as sweet as the real deal
How do you know when summer has officially begun? Is it the smell of barbecues floating through the streets, or the harmonious buzz of the bees filling your ears? For me, summer begins whenever I have my first ice cream of the season. A swirling, flake-topped Mr Whippy, to be exact. There's no joy quite like it — pure delicious nostalgia. And now, I've found a way to bring that joy into my home, all year round.
No, I've not bought myself a soft-serve machine (though I could be convinced) — this sweet treat actually comes in the form of one of the hottest lighting trends of the year. It may sound mad, but as of late, we've been spotting more and more lighting designs that look suspiciously similar to our favorite summertime snack. With swirling forms and shades so sweet they could give you a toothache, these designs are full of the playful whimsy and wonder of a sky-high sundae.
Don't believe me? Just take a look at the soft-serve-inspired lamps by Crème Atelier, or the swirling Neapolitan-flavored scoops from Studio Buchanan's collaboration with Original BTC. It's your favorite childhood treat, with a grown-up makeover — and no risk of melting. Here's why designers are loving ice cream-inspired lighting.
Article continues belowWhy Is Ice Cream-Inspired Lighting Trending?
The Neotenic Collection uses the unique nature of hand-blown glass to capture the ephemerality of ice cream.
So, why are all these designers suddenly turning towards our favorite summertime treat for design inspiration?
In part, the explanation for this trend can be chalked up to a general desire and fascination with feelings of nostalgia. Just take the rise in lava lamps, the popular Y2K trend, as another example. However, unlike that throwback lighting trend, these ice cream-inspired forms feel even more playful, more surrealist. They speak to our increased interest in playfulism in the home, finding ways to bring some lightness and joy into our interiors.
Kai Price, co-founder of Att Pynta, one of the main UK stockists of the Swedish brand Crème Atelier, explains, "The Soft Serve designs were directly inspired by the swirling, organic form of soft serve ice cream, with the founders exploring soft, creamy shapes and textures and translating this ephemeral, nostalgic form into a lasting design object that captures both movement and lightness."
The essential ephemerality of ice cream is central to the appeal of these designs. They take a form that is fleeting in its beauty and turn it into something with permanence.
To capture this nature in an enduring form, the materials used play a crucial role. You want to find something that references the source material, while still being a functional choice. For Crème Atelier, this required a degree of innovation. "The lights are 3D-printed using recycled bioplastics, primarily derived from food packaging and materials like cornstarch — a choice that allows for the precise layered swirl texture while supporting a more sustainable, small-scale production approach aligned with the brand’s environmental values," explains Kai. The process of 3D printing, as well as the sustainable material used, creates a futuristic effect to these swirling, soft-serve lights.
For the team at Studio Buchanan, the material was the starting point. "We were completely mesmerised by our factory tour at Original BTC’s Oxfordshire HQ. Watching the glass being manipulated and blown was an extraordinary experience. We were drawn to the curved forms: a soft purity of shape with the same organic simplicity that defines our work," explains Charlotte Buchanan, CEO of the brand.
Once combined, the gentle fluidity of this blown glass material and the sweetness of the selected color palette made an obvious pairing. "The color palette came first, but once it was in place, the Neapolitan association felt inevitable — reinforced by the swirls in the hand-blown glass, which are unmistakably reminiscent of ice cream," says Charlotte.
When so many interior design trends can feel so serious, there's something delightfully refreshing about the sweet playfulness of these designs.
Bring the Trend Home
At Crème Atelier, ice-cream lighting isn't just a trend — it's their brand. Made from a sustainable material derived from corn starch and recycled food packaging, this design has a unique, sculptural softness, almost cloud-like in its appearance. The design comes in various sizes and styles, including a convenient battery-powered portable light and a striking pendant light. And while each dessert-inspired shade is as delectable as the next, the bubble-gum pink Rose Sorbet is particularly hard to resist.
This collaboration between Original BTC and Buchanan Studio brings pure Neapolitan nostalgia into your home, with a delightfully retro scoop-like design. Named the Neotenic collection, the name refers to the importance of maintaining the playfulness of youth, even as an adult. Choose between the equally delicious chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry color options, each decorated with the confectionery-like swirls created only by hand-blown glass.
There's something about a wall light that feels particularly well-suited to this trend. And this design from Anthropologie shows just how easy it can be to integrate ice cream lighting into your home. With its undulating, bobbin-like base in a pastel pink tone and the lightly translucent fabric shade, this sweet design would look perfect in a children's bedroom. Though it would be equally striking in a pink, color-drenched powder room, too.
This Soho Home design looks like the most luxe vanilla scoop we've ever seen. A grown-up take on the ice cream trend, this wireless, rechargeable lamp has the signature Soho Home elegance, with a touch of the playfulness that defines this trend. Instead of a waffle cone, this design features a white, Carrara marble base, topped with a domed, pleated molded-glass scoop.
Tell me this doesn't look like a whipped cream-topped vanilla scoop in a waffle cup. Inspired by the beautiful architectural trends of the Islamic Golden Age, this nightlight design by Spanish brand Lladro is rich with detail, covered in intricate patterns that elevate the confectionery-like design to new heights. The delicate porcelain body mimics the ephemerality of the frozen dessert while providing a soft, diffused glow.
A scoop of vanilla, pistachio, and strawberry, please. This ice cream sundae in pendant light form uses opal glass to create a muted wash of color that gently warms any room. Over a dining room table or a kitchen island, this cluster fitting provides a sense of structure and depth, thanks to the layered design. It's playful, yet sophisticated, capturing everything we love about this treat of a trend.
This trend is hardly the first moment in the spotlight for the frozen dessert. As the ever-expanding list of London's best ice cream spots shows, there's nothing juvenile about this treat anymore.
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