Product stories
1950s

The MK wing chair was launched in 1951, and was one of the first pieces of upholstered furniture to be launched at IKEA. The chair was the result of a collaboration between Ingvar Kamprad and the Qvarnström furniture factory in Liatorp, near Älmhult. It was designed and manufactured at the factory. Ingvar had long been planning to expand his range with upholstered furniture. Wing chairs were the height of fashion in the 1950s, and of course IKEA wanted to sell one too.

The early IKEA catalogues described MK as “A quality product with superlative characteristics”, “The favourite to beat all favourites”, and “…the best the Swedish furniture industry has to offer”. For several years it was one of the most popular products at S:t Eriksmässan, the Stockholm Furniture Fair of its day. Above all it was a much-loved reading chair in Swedish homes.

Over the years, wing chairs have become classics that are still in demand today. This led to a comeback for MK in 2012, under a new guise and a new name: STRANDMON. One reason IKEA launched an armchair so similar to MK was that there was no other large, cosy wing chair in the range. But of course it had to be adapted to modern needs in terms of sustainability and comfort.

STRANDMON had to undergo a lot of tough quality tests before it reached the market. Ulf Engström, product developer at IKEA: “STRANDMON has been tested so we can be sure a person can sit down on it and get out of it at least 50,000 times. That’s equivalent to sitting in it and getting up again once a day for 136 years.”

Even though people in many ways live differently now compared to the 1950s, there still seems to be a need for a classic, high-quality, high-comfort armchair. “I think that’s one of the reasons why STRANDMON is so popular,” says Ulf Engström.

The BOHEM armchair was launched in the 1956 IKEA catalogue, and this was also the first time a designer was named. Gillis Lundgren had designed BOHEM using moulded plywood and steel tubing in the construction, quite unusual production and material options in traditional upholstered furniture production. The materials made it possible to experiment with a modern design expression. The frame was made at a mechanical workshop in Älmhult, and the seating unit at a joinery. The parts were then sent to a local upholstered furniture factory which completed the product, all at a very low price.

In the early IKEA catalogues, Ingvar Kamprad himself wrote most of the texts, and he described the BOHEM armchair as “superbly comfortable”. But talking about it many years later, he had changed his mind. Ingvar said “your arms went to sleep after sitting in it a while… it was an odd little armchair!”

When the LÖVET coffee table was launched in the 1956 IKEA catalogue, Ingvar Kamprad described it as “a lovely little thing, in ultra-modern design”.

LÖVET had jacaranda in the top and brass-covered feet. It could be packed into a small flat pack, or “individually packed in wood wool & cardboard with string” as it was described at the time. LÖVET was, however, not the first self-assembly product in the IKEA range. They were the DELFI, KÖKSA and RIGA tables, launched in 1953.

LÖVET remained in the IKEA catalogue until 1962, and then took a long break until 2013. That was when product developer Glenn Berndtsson was talking to Ingvar Kamprad about going through old documents, what IKEA likes to call ‘the treasure chest’, to see if there were any nice products that could be given new life.

“We knew that a lot of people were interested in these design classics, and felt the time was right to resurrect some of them,” Glenn remembers. A decision was made to recreate several pieces of classic furniture from the 1950s and ’60s, including the iconic LÖVET table. The aim was to produce a table as close to the original as possible, but no one knew where the old drawings were.

Glenn and his colleagues went to the IKEA historical archive and collection and found an original table.

“That way we could establish the right shape, weigh the table and photocopy the legs to prepare for production,” says Glenn.

Another important difference with the reproduced coffee table was that IKEA no longer used jacaranda, a tropical wood species that, today, has to be protected from logging. So Glenn and his colleagues chose more sustainable species.

“They are sawn in a way so they look just like the original. Put the two next to each other and it’s almost impossible to see the difference,” says Glenn.

The new version of LÖVET is called LÖVBACKEN, and was available at selected IKEA stores in 2021.

The ESBJERG armchair was designed by Danish architect Thomas Harlev, and also came as a two-seater sofa. The idea of working with Danish designers was born in the early 1950s, when traditional furniture retailers in Sweden urged furniture factories to boycott IKEA, whose low prices were seen as a threat. Otherwise the retailers would stop buying from companies that supplied IKEA.

The boycott created a lot of problems for IKEA, but it also forced it to innovate. It was then that Ingvar Kamprad turned to Denmark, a furniture nation. He visited furniture fairs there and made contacts with suppliers. One of the products he found was ESBJERG.

When ESBJERG was launched in the 1957 IKEA catalogue, Thomas Harlev was described as one of a group of Danish architects who could not only design exclusive pieces, but also think economically. “Where architect Harlev has succeeded so well is in combining function with beauty, at an affordable price,” as the text stated.

ESBJERG appeared in the IKEA catalogue until 1964, but was resurrected in the late 2010s as EKENÄSET. Today it is described as a piece of furniture that conveys a stylish retro vibe, inspired by 1950s Scandinavian design.

The HANSA bookcase was launched in 1957, and at the time was described in the IKEA catalogue as “cheerful and highly modern, for the joy of all book lovers”. The designer was Gillis Lundgren but the idea came from the Br. Franssons Möbelfabrik, a furniture factory in Rörvik. Franssons was one of the few manufacturers in Sweden still supplying to IKEA, after traditional furniture retailers had threatened to stop buying from companies that still worked with Ingvar Kamprad. His low prices were seen as a threat to the whole industry.

Franssons liked IKEA and Ingvar Kamprad. They liked the fact that IKEA paid on time, and that Ingvar was also interested in their production process. In May 1956, the factory owner wrote in a letter to Ingvar: “Please find enclosed a photo of a piece of furniture we are making. The thing is, we have promised our client not to produce it for anyone else. However, if you could change it to your preferences – it wouldn’t take much, as long as it doesn’t quite look the same – we could produce it for you. Make a sketch, send it over and we will produce a sample.”

Gillis Lundgren was ready with a pencil and soon sent a sketch as requested, and that became the HANSA bookcase.

PEGGY was launched in the 1957 catalogue as “The little table you can sit on”. Its low height of 41 cm meant it could double up as a stool, which was both sturdy and durable. Moreover, several tables could be stacked on top of each other. Further on in the same catalogue, the table appeared again in a set of three named PLUTO, with the call to “Put me wherever you want!”

The triangular table top was made by Skåne company Perstorp, which in 1950 had launched a new kind of laminated top that had an extremely durable surface.

Ingvar Kamprad wrote about PEGGY and PLUTO himself in the catalogue: “There are few things we would recommend more for your home. … A particularly sturdy and supported design means you can also use PLUTO as a stool. A brilliant idea you should definitely try.”

The 1957 IKEA catalogue saw the launch of the simple, stylish PRAAG sofa, 120 cm wide and with no armrests. Ingvar Kamprad proudly wrote: “Wouldn’t you agree that the clean, simple lines of this new sofa lend it that modern cosiness that everyone’s after? An original IKEA design. Look at how smart and well-made the base is.”

PRAAG was made by Spångs Möbel AB in Älmhult and was launched as an “original IKEA design”. It came in black and three other colours, reminiscent of teak, mahogany and jacaranda. Like all the other sofas in the 1957 catalogue, the back side was covered in fabric. As Ingvar was keen to point out, this made it possible to place it anywhere in a room regardless of walls.

While the intention was good, the design was probably a bit ahead of its time. PRAAG only appeared in one IKEA catalogue, and the designer is sadly unknown.

The TRINETT floor lamp was called “a colourful source of joy” when it was launched in the 1957 IKEA catalogue. The cluster floor lamp had one red, one yellow and one green shade on a black foot and felt very modern. Three-headed floor lamps like this were popular in the 1950s.

It was made at Örsjö Armaturfabrik, a lighting factory in Nybro. The fact that the name ended in -ETT was no coincidence; in 1953 there were the LAMPETT and VINJETT lamps, and many IKEA lamps were given names that ended with these three letters.

When IKEA celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2018, an updated version of TRINETT was launched under the name KNÄSJÖ. The modern one was sold for a limited period at IKEA, with white lampshades rather than red, yellow and green like in the 1950s.

The ÄGGET armchair was not designer Gillis Lundgren’s first experiment with moulded plywood and steel tubing – that was BOHEM, which Ingvar Kamprad described as “an odd little armchair”. Gillis succeeded far better with ÄGGET. It was comfier, sturdier and more modern looking. And the innovative production and material combination made it very reasonably priced.

Customers could buy ÄGGET with woollen fabric in a colour of their choice, combined with a grey woollen seat. The 1957 catalogue offered the colours red, yellow and ‘ice green’, among others. The frame was made at a mechanical workshop in Älmhult, and the seating unit at a joinery in Diö. These were then sent to the Rune Ring upholstery factory in Älmhult which completed the product.

The Axminster rug BÅSTAD was designed by Gillis Lundgren. It is an example of the then ongoing effort to make wool rugs of modern design, rather than making imitations of Persian rugs, for example.

Ingvar Kamprad was very interested in rugs, and early on he learned a lot about their history and production. He understood the benefit of selling sofas, armchairs, lamps and rugs together. In the catalogues, rugs were described as “comfort-creators for young people”, and they became important home furnishing products. They went from covering two pages in the 1952 IKEA catalogue to fifteen in 1962. So in ten years, Ingvar had made IKEA a rug dealer with a wide, unique range.

When BÅSTAD was launched in the 1958 IKEA catalogue, Gillis Lundgren had already designed two other rugs: TIMGLAS and PRISMA. BÅSTAD was described as a “bargain for the discerning rug customer”. It was produced mechanically at a factory called Firth & Sons at Clifton Mill in Yorkshire, England, which helped to keep the price down. Large volumes were required for IKEA to make rugs of in-house design in that kind of factory, but by then IKEA was selling so many rugs that it wasn’t a problem.

On its launch in 1958, the CUBA floor lamp was described as “Somewhat exotic – for the otherwise slightly formal room, this new floor lamp is sure to add an atmosphere of warmer climes. The light is filtered beautifully through the wicker wound shade, which is supported by three black-lacquered legs.”

Nothing like CUBA had ever been seen in the IKEA range. But this somewhat different lamp was not made in the tropics, but far further north at the Armaturverken Croma AB lighting factory in Malmö.

GRILL was a three-legged stackable chair with a steel tube frame, and a seat and back in moulded teak. GRILL was also made in a version with a wooden underframe. Designer Bengt Ruda was the first qualified designer to be employed at IKEA. Before being recruited in 1957, he had designed furniture for the high-end department store Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), working among other things on the self-assembly Triva series. With this background, he had an important part to play when IKEA started making furniture for flat packs. Bengt Ruda was a designer at IKEA until 1979.

In 1958, GRILL won the jury award at the Society of Crafts and Design’s major design exhibition – the forerunner of Excellent Swedish Design. One of the adjectives the panel used to describe the little chair was “energetic”. GRILL was also written about in furniture industry magazine Möbelvärlden, in an article from the furniture showroom at the new IKEA store in Älmhult in 1958.

GRILL is a good example of how, from the early days, IKEA focused on smart product development. For example, IKEA could keep prices down by using parts from the suppliers who could offer the lowest prices, as well as the best knowledge about the right materials and techniques.

GRILL was in the IKEA catalogue 1958–1960.

The modern KLOCKETT floor lamp stood steady thanks to its steel tube and heavy metal foot painted with black frost lacquer. It was a clear example of how IKEA had expanded its range from what in 1950 was called “stylish lighting”, such as traditional crystal chandeliers.

Unlike the modern way, with in-house IKEA designers, KLOCKETT and other lamps in the 1958 catalogue were by designers who worked for lighting factories. KLOCKETT was probably designed by Eric Wernå and made at his factory, Ewå Armaturer, in Värnamo. However, the catalogue stated: “Many of the modern designs of lighting are original models only available from IKEA”.

During the 1950s, it became increasingly important for IKEA to be able to offer lighting for the home. The 1951 IKEA catalogue had five pages of lighting, while in 1958 when KLOCKETT was launched, there were seven pages.

Both KOKETT and its similar-looking cousin KLOCKETT are good examples of modern, functional floor lamps that IKEA sold in 1958. KOKETT was probably designed by Eric Wernå and made at his factory, Ewå Armaturer, in Värnamo. KOKETT had a steel tube and a heavy metal foot. The cylindrical shade was split in two, one half copper coloured and the other in black frost lacquer.

The PASS rug was one of the first with an original pattern owned by IKEA. IKEA owning its patterns was an idea Ingvar Kamprad had in the late 1950s, when he made contact with several established textile artists. Git Ahrenstedt, the designer of PASS, was the first of them, and her patterns were represented in the IKEA catalogue between 1958 and 1963.

Trained at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm in 1947–1951, Git Ahrenstedt was asked to submit a few potential rug designs. Ingvar later wrote to her in a letter: “After much time, I am now getting back regarding the various proposals for rug patterns Mrs. Ahrenstedt kindly designed for us. We have produced the Pass idea and one more (I can’t remember the name) with a wide border and a comb-like inside . Pass has been particularly successful and we expect a lot of success with it.”

Those expectations were met. PASS, which was probably manufactured by Salanders Fabriksaktiebolag in Lund, became one of the best-selling rugs at IKEA during its two years in the range. When it was first launched in the IKEA catalogue in 1958, it was described as a “sensational new creation”. One particular benefit was its discreet colour scheme in “grey-black, medium grey and grey-white”. According to the catalogue, it could be placed anywhere, whatever colours dominated the room otherwise. PASS was made of soft Swedish wool floss.

PASS remained in the IKEA catalogue until 1960. Git Ahrenstedt also designed two other wool floss rugs for IKEA: REGATTA in a similar colour scheme, and LUKTÄRT in various shades of green. REGATTA appeared in the catalogue between 1960 and 1963, while LUKTÄRT was only in the 1962 edition.

One of designer Gillis Lundgren’s earliest works for IKEA was the REGAL shelving unit. Here’s how it was described in the 1958 IKEA catalogue: “An IKEA idea for all book-lovers. A self-assembly bookcase, ingenious in structure and easy to put together.”

REGAL had three sturdy shelves, lacquered blue, with book-ends, or handles, at the top. According to the 1958 IKEA catalogue, REGAL was “an obvious choice in any modern interior”.

In the early 1960s, textile artist Kerstin Svensson delivered a number of rya rug patterns for IKEA. The one in green shades was called SKOGSBRYNET, SUNSET was more red, and the FORTUNATA pattern was a mixture of brownish black, medium brown and beige. Of the three, SKOGSBRYNET was most popular. In a letter to Kerstin Svensson in 1961, Ingvar Kamprad wrote simply and directly that SKOGSBRYNET had sold “extremely well” while SUNSET had “sold poorly”. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the manufacturer, Salanders in Lund, which he thought made the rya rugs for IKEA far too slowly. Ingvar had recently been to the furniture fair in Milan, and had visited rug manufacturer Vittorio Vergani. He soon decided to move production of SKOGSBRYNET to the Italian supplier. Their product development was fast, and the move resulted in a first order for 500 rya rugs – a large order for IKEA in those days.

SKOGSBRYNET was in the IKEA catalogue in 1962 and 1963.

When CAVELLI, designed by Bengt Ruda, was launched in the 1959 IKEA catalogue, Ingvar Kamprad wrote: “A confident designer has given this piece a bold construction. … CAVELLI will get noticed in your home – and indeed admired. … No expense has been spared and no stone left unturned to make CAVELLI an aristocrat of the 1960s.”

It was unusual for Ingvar to say “no expense has been spared”, bearing in mind how he and IKEA normally steered clear of high costs. Aristocrats were few and far between in 1960s Småland, and CAVELLI turned out to be no different. Älmhults Möbelstoppning, the company that made it, apparently only ever made five.

When Bengt Ruda joined IKEA in 1957, he was the first qualified designer to be employed. He had designed furniture for Stockholm department store NK in the late 1940s and early 1950s. With his background, he had an important part to play, especially when IKEA started moving towards flat packs.

More than 50 years later, designer Wiebke Braasch was inspired by CAVELLI in her work on the IKEA PS 2012 collection. This led to a metal outdoor chair, the IKEA PS 2012 easy chair. Wiebke pared down everything that could be regarded as unnecessary. What was left was the basic shape – a piece that looks like it could have been the frame for CAVELLI.

The tea trolley aptly named TEA was just right for 1959, when many were looking for a convenient serving trolley they could wheel from the kitchen into the living room and dining room.

Ingvar Kamprad on TEA in the 1959 catalogue: “The exclusive tea table. A new creation by Bengt Ruda that will win many friends. The well-made solid oak frame, the beautiful teak trays, the prominent solid oak edges and the sturdy wheels for crossing thresholds – all these features make the self-assembly TEA trolley an attractive and practical surface that fits in nicely in any modern home.”

TEA was made by Håkanssons Eftr. of Braås.