ABOUT IKEA
IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. IKEA stands for “Ingvar Kamprad from Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd”. IKEA have been pioneers in furniture design, construction, distribution and retailing for over 70 years, and have successfully made good, stylish design accessible to millions of people across the world.
A lot of people don’t think of IKEA when they think of vintage furniture and decor. But vintage IKEA products are becoming increasingly sought after due to their unique designs. We explore some of their most stylish products from the past 40 years, including some well known and lesser known models.
WHAT IS VINTAGE IKEA?
Vintage IKEA simply relates to products which have been discontinued by IKEA.
People often think of vintage as being really old. Technically speaking, anything which isn’t brand new automatically becomes vintage. So when we refer to vintage IKEA, we don’t just mean old IKEA.
What we mean, is IKEA design classics, which are not just discontinued, but have a design quality which gives them a legacy. Not just in terms of their build quality, but their aesthetic and practicality.
At urbnnest.com, we sell Vintage IKEA products from the 1980s right the way through to the 2010s. We only sell well made and designed items which fit in with our mid century vibe. Tap here to see our Vintage IKEA collection.
WHY ARE OLD IKEA PRODUCTS DISCONTINUED?
Products can be discontinued for a range of reasons. Sometimes they weren’t very popular at the time, and sometimes they're successful but fashions and technology progress and they're replaced by newer models.
The key thing to remember is that discontinuation doesn’t make the product poor. IKEA are well known to push boundaries and are not scared of innovation. This means that often new products are given test runs. Some of the most sought after Vintage IKEA products only had 1-2 year product runs.
A great example of this is the Tirup chair which was part of an experimental range of higher quality products inspired by Scandinavian design. Because it was more expensive, and mid century in style (this hadn’t quite become mainstream yet), it didn’t sell well back in the late 00s. However, it’s arguably one of IKEA’s best made products of recent years, and now that mid century modern is a really desirable look again, it provides a good quality egg chair at a much cheaper price than an original. It's a modern design classic.
WHY ARE VINTAGE IKEA PRODUCTS SO POPULAR?
IKEA’s best designs are rooted in their Scandinavian heritage. Mid century modernism as a style borrows a lot of principles from Scandinavian modernism. Given how popular mid century interior design is today, it’s easy to see why good quality IKEA designs are still popular years after their release dates.
Our most popular vintage IKEA products have had a strong emphasis on design and build quality, with a unique quirkiness which give interiors that edge. Not all products are designed equally, though. That’s why we work really hard to hand pick the products which we think you’ll love. Tap here to see our curated Vintage IKEA collection.
ARE VINTAGE IKEA PRODUCTS EXPENSIVE?
No - a common misconception is that rare vintage items are worth more money. At urbn nest, we do give some weight to market value, but balance this against other factors such as price paid when sourcing, and any costs to us such as labour and materials. This means everything is priced individually and we try to make this as fair as possible.
So the words “rare” and “vintage” do not make an item more expensive by default.
HOW DO I LEARN MORE ABOUT VINTAGE IKEA PRODUCTS?
We love learning and sharing the stories behind our products. It adds so much depth to the curation process.
The urbn nest blog is a great place to learn more about interesting, well designed vintage IKEA furniture and decor. We use resources such as the amazing IKEA Museum website which has every single IKEA catalogue (although they’re all in Swedish…!).
Tap here for more Vintage IKEA goodness.
WHERE CAN I BUY VINTAGE IKEA PRODUCTS?
urbnnest.com - the home of vintage and mid century - regularly sells vintage and discontinued IKEA furniture and decor from the 1980s to the 2010s. We stock only the most stylish vintage IKEA chairs, lamps, tables, candle holders, vases and more…
Tap here to see our Vintage IKEA collection.
ABOUT URBNNEST.COM
At urbnnest.com, we only stock amazing, sustainable mid century designs from the past and present, marketing them at competitive prices. Helping you save money when styling your dream interior, while also helping to save the planet. Start shopping now and complete your dream look.