STABIL was rustic furniture in the pine that was such an important part of the IKEA identity, and it suited the rural furnishing ideal of the 1970s.
The series was designed by Karin Mobring, one of the most influential designers at IKEA over the years. She was a brilliant, versatile designer who could deal with anything from traditional pine furniture to modern pieces made from steel tubing. Karin grew up on a farm in northern Sweden, and was firmly anchored in the rural vernacular style.
When Karin designed STABIL she insisted that the products should be untreated so they could be scrubbed with liquid castile soap like in the old days. For example, in the 1973 IKEA catalogue the table is described as follows: “It’s called STABIL. A solid untreated pine table that’s 180 cm long and a full 100 cm wide. A lovely, steady table with a 3 cm top of solid pine which should ideally be left as it is. But if you like, polish it with fine sandpaper or scrub it with castile soap. … If the top gets a stain, simply sand it off! … People have been asking for a table like this for years. And now it’s here. And just look at that price!”
When Ingvar Kamprad later needed a desk at home, he chose the STABIL dining table.
