MTP – which as the 1963 IKEA catalogue explained stood for Måttriktig, Trivsam, Prisbillig (Well-dimensioned, Pleasant, Well-priced) – was a complete shelving system in light natural oak that could be combined freely. It included a bookcase, cabinet, drawer unit, TV bench and more.
From the start, MTP was actually a wedding gift to Ingvar Kamprad and Margareta Stennert. In January 1961, Ingvar went to Poland to look for new suppliers. There he met civil servant, engineer and designer Marian Grabinski. He was very accommodating and arranged factory visits for Ingvar, which led to a large order. Marian and Ingvar became good friends, and some time later they met again in Milan. When Ingvar said he was soon to marry his fiancée Margareta, Marian wanted to give them a surprise. On the plane on the way back to Warsaw he designed the MTP bookcase, and the Polish factory Jarocin quickly made a sample in light, Polish oak.
The gift was presented to Ingvar at the international Polish furniture fair in Poznań, and he was delighted. So delighted in fact that he also wanted to see it on sale in the IKEA store. The shelving system was sold under the name MTP and was a big seller at IKEA for more than a decade.
