Search
Reconstruction of the exhibition Our Roots during week 9  

IKEA Museum
presents

IKEA catalogue

Browse through seven decades of home furnishing inspiration and nostalgia in IKEA catalogues catching the spirit of the times.

1976
1978
1986
1997
1960
1969
1980
1970
Start browsing

70+ IKEA catalogues

Great mistakes

There have been plenty of mistakes and costly lessons for IKEA over the years. Some projects were stopped along the way, but others made it to launch. Here you can read about some of those mistakes and lessons.

An inflatable story
Cushion filling in a tube
The heaviest disaster
A flexible failure
A foul-smelling fiasco

Designer portraits

Get to know some of the people whose ideas and skills have shaped IKEA designs over the years. Explore their story and see how their work continues to inspire.

Anna Efverlund
Bengt Ruda
Ehlén Johansson
Gillis Lundgren
Inez Svensson
Karin Mobring
Maria Vinka
Niels Gammelgaard
Noboru Nakamura
Sven Fristedt
Read the stories behind the designers

10+ designer stories

The Story of IKEA

Follow the timeline to discover stories on innovation and insights, big mistakes and great ideas.

Our roots
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Discover the Story of IKEA

100+ Editorials · Video · Galleries · Games · Audio · Product stories

Product stories

Discover the stories behind some of the most loved and iconic products in IKEA history.

BOHEM
BILLY
LÖVET
FAMNIG
MK
SKOGSBRYNET
HATTEN
IMPALA
Read the stories behind iconic products

150+ product stories

Life at home

Experience life at home in different decades through interiors, reflection and insights.

Life at home 1960s
Life at home 1970s
Life at home 1980s
Explore life at home

Watch

More than a low price
Why is it called that?
Home visits
Design by IKEA of Sweden
Democratic Design
See all videos

Listen

Listen to narrated articles when you are on the go
or just relaxing.

The birth of IKEA
€1?!
Meet Ingvar Kamprad
Beloved bag
Everything falls apart
The world’s biggest restaurant
The Testament of a Furniture Dealer
Great mistakes
Show all

Topics

Browse topics to find stories that you are particularly curious about.

1980s metal
Booming stock markets, shoulder pads and postmodern design. The 1980s were about equal parts decadence and optimism. For IKEA it was a challenging decade, with both expansion and a quest for an identity. Could steel wire furniture be part of the answer?
Children’s IKEA
Explore two stories about Children’s IKEA. Children and families with children have always been central to IKEA. But it was in the 1990s that things really took off. Find out about the early beginnings, how it works today, and what IKEA puts into making a range for the most important people in the world.
Collaborations
IKEA is, at its core, collaborative. Be it suppliers or consumers, everyone is invited to join in. Collaboration happens when customers assemble furniture at home, and when creatives like Virgil Abloh and Olafur Eliason develop new products together with IKEA. This film takes a deep dive into the creative process of collaboration, and how IKEA strives to find the right people to seek out the right solutions to everyday challenges.
Democratic Design
What is Democratic Design? Is it a road map for product developers, or a communicative tool that brings great ideas to the many people? In true IKEA style, it is of course both. Here, we explore the roots and application of the Democratic Design principle and its five pillars.
Design by IKEA of Sweden
Ideas for IKEA products are always inspired by needs and dreams in people’s lives at home. In this film, two generations of IKEA people tell the story of working towards fulfilling those aspirations. It’s about finding the best and most cost-effective solution, guided by all the different dimensions of Democratic Design – form, function, quality, sustainability, and low price.
For both mansion and cottage
In the early 1990s, IKEA wanted to breathe new life into the Swedish furniture legacy from the 1700s. The point of departure was the Gustavian style – an evolution of French Neoclassicism; simple everyday furniture with beautiful lines and sculpted details. It was a design ethos that would stand the test of time and shifting trends, right up to the current era.
IKEA 365+ series
Following the 1980s’ love of luxury and extravagance, the 1990s began with a recession. For IKEA, this meant an increased interest in life’s many everydays. Spectacular design was replaced by a more restrained look, and a group of designers were brought in to create a series of simple basic products for the kitchen, to be used all 365 days of the year.
IKEA PS 1995 brochure New
Browse the catalogue for the very first IKEA PS collection, launched in 1995 in Milan, under the theme of Democratic Design. The collection represented a renewal of the Scandinavian design tradition, and the launch was a huge success.
View all topics
Home Watch Listen Topics