The Easy DIY That Gives IKEA's VARMBLIXT Lamp An Extra Warm Glow

IKEA's VARMBLIXT lamp launched early 2023 and has quickly become one of their most iconic designs and stylish items. It's an orange donut-shaped lamp that can either be displayed on a table or hung up on the wall. It has an LED light source, so it consumes 85% less energy but lasts 20 times longer than a normal incandescent bulb. Despite the donut lamp scoring highly in terms of style, there has been one common piece of negative feedback, and that is that the LED light doesn't give off a warm orange glow, which you would expect it to. Instead, it's more of a yellowy hue.

However, there is an easy DIY that you can do to rectify this and ensure that the VARMBLIXT lamp radiates a cozy orange light, and that's by painting the inside of the lamp with red nail polish. A bottle of cheap red nail polish is really all that is required for this creative way to revamp your light fixture, and it couldn't be more simple.

First, turn off the lamp and open it up by pressing the big yellow button on the side of it. This will expose the inner workings of the lamp and allow you to access the LED light ring. Carefully cover the LED light ring with red nail polish by painting it on generously. One coat of nail polish will probably be enough, but if you want the light to have more of a rich orange hue, go ahead and paint a second coat. 

You may be wondering, is it entirely safe to paint a lightbulb? In theory, yes it is because the LED light inside the VARMBLIXT lamp is enclosed in a silicone tube and doesn't heat up; therefore, there shouldn't be a concern about heat-related safety issues. Also, LED light bulbs in general are considered a safer option for painting as they don't produce as much heat as regular bulbs. However, it is not generally recommended to use nail polish on other types of lights that don't have a protective casing. It is advised to use a paint that is designed to handle heat exposure like heat-resistant glass paint.