Sabine Marcelis New Lava Lamps

A new chapter in Mathmos® design collaboration

Mathmos invented the lava lamp in 1963, and more than sixty years on, we continue to create each lamp in Britain using our unique formulation, hand-filled in our Dorset factory. This year, we are pleased to introduce two new pieces created in collaboration with celebrated Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis: the honeydew Astro lava lamp and the giant Column lava lamp. Together, they explore scale, colour, and the soft, diffused glow at the heart of Marcelis’ work, while staying true to our heritage of craft and innovation.

Design press have responded warmly. Elle Decoration described the launch as: “Everyone’s favourite design classic has grown up.”

The Honeydew Astro: A Gentle New Palette for a Design Original

Marcelis’ Honeydew Astro reimagines our original 1963 Astro lava lamp in a fresh, translucent palette. The finish is subtle and contemporary, with a milky wax tone developed to offer a softer, more ambient character. It highlights the lamp’s familiar silhouette while placing it firmly within Marcelis’ material-led universe.

Speaking to Dezeen, Marcelis explained her approach: “What makes the lamp different is the diffused way of seeing the lava. It gives a soft glow. And the lava is milky instead of a sharp, clear colour.”

The result is an Astro that feels both familiar and new: a British design icon with a gentle shift in texture and tone. Like every Mathmos Astro, it is precision-made, tested to international standards, and built to last with spare parts available.

The Giant Column: A long-held dream in towering form

If the Honeydew Astro introduces a quieter mood, the Giant Column takes the lava lamp into bold architectural territory. Standing just under three metres tall, it translates the smooth, rhythmic movement of lava into a presence that fills a room.

Marcelis has spoken openly about her fascination with the lamp since childhood. “I always wanted to design a giant lava lamp,” she said. “In my first meeting with Mathmos, I imagined a room filled with towering versions. Now that dream is becoming a reality.”

Her vision resonated widely. As Hypebeast noted, “The ‘Column Lava Lamp’ stands at just under three metres tall, transforming the familiar hypnotic flow of liquid wax into a calm, architectural presence.”

For Mathmos, this collaboration brings together decades of specialist knowledge with Marcelis’ instinctive understanding of light and form. Each tower is crafted with the same attention to detail as our smaller lamps, using premium materials and our long-lasting formulation.

A design icon reimagined for 2025

The response from the design world signals the importance of this moment. Wallpaper wrote:

“If there’s one object that encapsulates the spirit of the 1960s, and later the 1990s, when it saw a resurgence in popularity, making it a nostalgic staple of millennial childhoods, it’s the lava lamp. Now, its manufacturer, Mathmos, is unveiling a 2025 iteration of the beloved classic in collaboration with Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis.”

These two new lamps demonstrate how a timeless object can evolve through thoughtful collaboration. They celebrate the qualities that have defined Mathmos since 1963: British manufacturing, long-lasting materials, and a commitment to innovation, while opening up new ways to experience light, colour, and movement.