My path as an industrial designer, architect, and artist
”Due to Olga’s multinational upbringing she has a great understanding for other cultures. As Olga has lived in Sweden for many years she has been of course influenced by the Scandanavian design traditions, although she expresses it with her own touch. Olga is very confident and unique in her design.”
Lars Engman, 2010
Worked for IKEA since 1975 and as Global Design Manager for IKEA (1997-2008)
As a freelance designer, architect, and artist, I’ve been privileged enough to work with successful companies and great people for many years. I always keep my eyes open for new opportunities to collaborate with professionals in my field!
With the freedom to choose my own work partners, I’m also grateful that my work has been purchased throughout the world (through IKEA) and featured in major design publications including Wallpaper, Architectural Digest, and Elle Interiör.
My Gottis and Frodig glassware products, designed uniquely for IKEA, were sold successfully across the world between 2011 and 2018. My latest collection of lamps has also been well received by IKEA’s staggering one billion-strong customer base this year.
I first launched my design and production company back in 1998, in Gothenburg. Soon after, in 1999, I exhibited at the Svenska Exhibition at Congress Centre (Svenska Mässan) where my original lamp designs were on display for the first time. The following year, I had a personal exhibition at the Grenen Art Museum in Denmark, showcasing my light sculptures.
Since 2002, I’ve also been been working on concept development and strategy for companies like IKEA, as well as creative consulting and facilitating partnerships for artistic projects. This work has helped develop my business potential and kept me in-tune with high-level design trends.
Continuous Inspiration.
My globetrotting upbringing has moulded me into a multifaceted designer, with simplicity and order at the heart of my creative work.
My family has always been spread across several countries. Born in Nairobi, I grew up in Kenya, New York, and Moscow (where I attended the Academy of Architecture) before finally settling down in Gothenburg, Sweden. That’s where me and my design consulting company have been based since 1998.
Unsurprisingly, my work often reflects the multicultural and boundaryless nature of my upbringing. My artistic style and creative perspective are most significantly influenced by traditional Japanese aesthetics (from my grandmother who lived there for 25 years) and the Scandinavian style of Sweden, where I’ve spent the past 20 years.
I find sensitivity for form in lines; it takes time to feel and see the future form, but there’s a relentless streak in me which stops me giving up before a completed design project. I’ve been told that my work is appreciated for its subtlety, light, simplicity, proportions, and the slight touch of playfulness.
A snapshot of my interior and product designs
| High-end restaurant in Tokyo | Hotels and private properties in Moscow |
| Malls and homes in New York | Private properties in London |
| Library and villas in Vancouver | Private property – LASVIT Moscow |
| EU office in Gothenburg | Grenen Art Museum for Axel Lind |
Some of my designs are created for specific projects and are not presented on my homepage.
We have different work processes for different projects in the studio Popyrina. But all of them are built on 3 main phases which are preparation, development and execution/ follow up. All projects require a thorough research and preparation in the start.
Olga Popyrina is a chief designer of all the products in the company.
When it comes to development, which is the biggest part of the whole process, it is extremely important that things are done right. A group of people, with various backgrounds, make up the development team. You can have a beautiful design but if it is not possible to produce then it is as good as worthless. The same goes for many other factors; price, material, usability, recycling etc. And it is necessary to complete the development stage and not leave any loose ends or undeveloped factors.
We deliver all the technical 3D drawings directly to the costumer and work close to them from the beginning to the final result so all the partners are happy.