IKEA’s New Limited Edition Lanterns Are a Game-Changer for Garden Lighting
Goodbye soulless solar lights, hello fabulous flickering candlelight.
Lighting is a vital part of garden design nowadays, and the plummeting price of solar-powered LEDs means every yard can get its glow on. But it seems that lots of us are turning back to a simpler, more personal way of lighting our gardens, with candles. As well as natural wax candles, realistic rechargeable faux candles suitable for outdoor use are surging in popularity, and IKEA’s stylish new lanterns are the perfect way to bring the lively warmth of candlelight to your garden.
Candlelight is inviting, and has mesmerizing motion that a string of solar lighting could never match. Place a garden lantern with a candle on a patio coffee table and it will naturally draw guest to gather on the seats around it. Use candles on an outdoor dining table when you’re entertaining and the occasion will instantly feel more intimate. And whether you’re enjoying a warm summer evening outside with your partner or restoring your sanity with a moment of alone-time, a candle flame will encourage you to linger longer.
So if you plan to do anything in your garden this summer, do it by candlelight. As far as garden lighting ideas go, it really couldn't be simpler – yet it's beautifully effective. Whether you choose real wax for elegance or remote-control for ease is beside the point: as long as the flame flickers, you’ll add magical ambience to all your garden goings-on.
The Lanterns
IKEA’s new limited edition TOFSAND lanterns are made from durable powder-coated steel with glass shades. A larger white lantern measures 17¼ inches by 7¾ inches and is designed to hold a pillar candle up to 5⅞ inches high and 2¾ inches wide. The smaller lantern is available in yellow or pink, and measures 8¼ inches by 4¾ inches; it’s designed to hold a standard-sized tealight.
The Candles
IKEA has a useful range of candles that fit these lanterns perfectly.
For The Larger Lantern
If you prefer a classic look, then this unscented pillar candle is a natural tone. It measures 5½ inches by 2¾ inches and is made of plant-based and paraffin wax, with a longer burn time of 45 hours.
This unscented candle measures 5½ inches by 2¾ inches and has a burn time of 40 hours. It’s available in pale blue, pink, yellow and a light gray-green and is made of plant-based and paraffin wax.
Preset this LED candle to turn on at the same time everyday for 3 or 6 hours. Of the three sizes available, the 5½" x 2¾" design is the best fit for the TOFSAND lantern. 2 AA batteries required.
For the Smaller Lanterns
Hands up who doesn’t have a pack of these staple unscented tealights in a cupboard already! Made from a blend of plant-based and paraffin wax in aluminum cups, each natural-tone tealight has a burn time of 4 hours and there are 100 in a pack.
Also new, IKEA’s range of scented tealights have a burn time of 3.5 hours. Scents including linen white, fig leaf, pink flowers and red berries are available, but our pick is vanilla, which is such an inviting, comforting fragrance. There are 30 tealights in a pack.
Just dropped, this new range of rechargeable LED tealights starts with a pack of 4 flickering warm-toned tealights. They are recharged via a USB tray, and a full charge gives 35 hours of light. Replacement tealights and a pack of 12 tealights are also available.
