Elegant and Utilitarian: Swedish Norrom Aquarium Features Customizable 3D Printed Lid, Now on Kickstarter

An unabashed IKEA addict, I perk up whenever I hear about any new product or design from Switzerland or Scandinavia, no matter how big or small. One greedily anticipates a visual treat, and the Norrom Aquarium does not disappoint.

One might also jump to the conclusion that this is going to be an immediate hit, as it takes the boxiness and bulkiness out of the aquarium and puts something compact and aesthetically pleasing in front you. Oh yes–and–you could also put fish in it.

Everything is just as you would expect: simple, pretty, and pretty perfect. Offering handcrafted, painted lids that feature a 3D printing option, a unique filtration system, and innovative ‘upside-down’ lighting, the Norrom Aquarium was designed in Sweden but is being produced in the UK by Norrom Ltd., who just launched in hopes to raise £3,900 by March 22^nd on Kickstarter.

The compact design can hold up to eight gallons of water, and part of the fun in the Norrom Aquarium is that users can ‘get funky’ and 3D print their own elegant lids and bases for the aquarium, as Norrom provides the files to all owners interested in doing so. The standard lids that come with the aquarium are hardly run-of-the-mill though, as they are wooden and handcrafted, and are available in a number of options like rare Zebrano wood and American black walnut. You can also order unfinished lids for painting if you so desire, as well.

While the Norrom Acquarium is an object of beauty, the whole point is actually to house and contain superbly healthy fish and invertebrates that will experience longevity in their home which features a superior filtration device that is, not surprisingly, perfectly hidden and quiet.

The aquarium is bottom-lit, which is a new and unusual design, offering a hidden LED unit that provides natural white light, and operates with a dimming switch. Part of the beauty of the lighting system is that because it is installed in the bottom of the aquarium, there aren’t any clunky, unwieldy cords snaking their way down from the top of the unit. On checking it out, one must wonder why no one thought of that before?

The filter is, of course, a revolutionary work in its own right as well. The aquarium’s central airlift tube pushes water up and through the filter, circulating water, and carrying illumination from the LED’s in the base. Fish, shellfish, frogs, and inverterbrates will all be happy in this amazing little home, but for species that Norrom recommends ‘mixing,’ click here.

Those who pledge £296 or more receive a pre-launch version of the aquarium with all sorts of different options available regarding the lid (with more rudimentary choices), base, and stones, as well as all the other items needed to get up and running. At £314 or more, the lid choices are available in the more exotic woods as well, if you aren’t planning to get funky and 3D print. The product is completely developed and ready for production once the Kickstarter campaign is over, with fulfillment orders to those who pledged slated to be completed in May.

Is this aquarium design one you are interested in, and would you choose to 3D print your own lid? Are you planning to contribute to this Kickstarter campaign? Tell us your thoughts in the Norrom Aquarium with 3D Printed Lid forum over at 3DPB.com.