Ikea Is Revisiting Its Past Best Sellers With Its New Collection

Vintage charm is steadily climbing to the top of the trends chart as a new appreciation for second-hand items and nostalgia resurfaces for consumers. International furniture retailer Ikea is known for its modern, easy-to-build, and multifunctional furniture. However, the brand's vintage pieces dating as far back as the '80s are coveted online, selling for more than $600 in some cases on websites like Etsy, Chairish, and Pamono. This frenzy isn't lost on the retailer as they announce special plans to celebrate the brand's 80th anniversary by launching a collection that recreates some of their most iconic designs. The new collection has been named Nytillverkad and debuted at 2023's Milan Design Week, with an expected launch across Ikea stores in July. 

"With Nytillverkad, we are returning to the future again. In multiple launches over the next few years, we will release a series of carefully selected products from our design archive, updated to match the bold outlook of the next generation," said Fredrika Inger, Ikea of Sweden's Managing Director. "At Ikea, the past, the present, and the future are all connected. We've designed many functional and beautiful home furnishings products during the last 80 years." Including bedding, accessories, and furniture, this collection's vibrant colors and striking patterns will transport you into decades past. 

Karin Gustavsson, Ikea of Sweden's Creative Leader on the collection, describes this launch as "loud, colorful and fun," taking new plays on some of Ikea's best-selling vintage items. "All the products have a story behind them, like one of our most iconic products Lövet, first introduced in 1956," she said. "In the Nytillverkad version, we call it Lövbacken, and it comes in orange, blue, and light green with an ash veneer top, adding a bold pop of color to any room." In addition to Lövet, other updates include the 1980 textile design Krypkornell as a sofa cover called Bladhult, and the Jerry stool has inspired the new Domsten stool. The Smed coat rack is reinvented from the Bondskäret coat stand, which appeared in a 1984 Ikea catalog. Smed is redesigned with pastel purple and yellow colorways, metal hardware, and an adjusted base.

Gustavsson explains via Ikea that they settled on which items to incorporate into Nytillverkad by grooming past catalogs and conversing with long-standing team members and designers. "With Nytillverkad, we wanted to find the icons of the future in the old and create a tribute to our eighty-year-long history at Ikea. It isn't meant to be a completely curated collection, but accents that could spice things up a bit in the range and in homes." People seek creative freedom to curate their spaces, and Ikea hopes its new collection can assist in this endeavor.