Ikea reissues 26 furniture and accessory designs from the 1950s – 1970s

We show you photos of the complete collection

Cheap, cheerful and mid-century authentic, get to it:  Ikea recently reissued 26 pieces of furniture and accessory designs from Ikea catalogs from the 1950s-1970s. Many of the chairs, sofas, tables, lighting, textiles and dishes in the new ÅRGÅNG collection are quite affordable. Lookie that pretty red “Sila” pendant light — straight from 1956, and just $80. 

Only available in stores

Ikea tell us that these products available in select stores. However, you can take a look online and get more information about sizes, materials, etc.. Right now, we know of no single link to the collection as a whole. We’ve asked Ikea about that, but meanwhile, here’s our suggestion for how to get to each of the 26 items:

• We have every single product in the collection in our slide show at the bottom of this page. Find the product name in our captions — type it into the search box at Ikea — and you then can ogle.

I guess we could put all 26 links in this story. But yikes. Ikea: We need a collection link, pretty please!

(Note: In the lead image above, the fabric and tripod lamp are not available in the U.S.)

From the press release:

A bit of history.

IKEA has throughout history always worked with fantastic designers. To the left you see an extract from the 1956 IKEA catalog with some of our designers whose pieces are now making its way back into history. It’s the IKEA circle of life.

To celebrate IKEA turning 70 years, we let a whole collection of faithful old servants from the 50s-70s reappear. The ÅRGÅNG Collection includes everything from furniture and lighting to textiles and tableware. It’s a great trip down memory lane for everyone interested in interior design. Still the simple timeless design will make each and every solitaire in the collection a centerpiece in homes of today.

We found plenty of inspiration and picked out “jewels” to give a new life. The collection ended up with 26 strong products, all with a true IKEA identity. Through this collection we strengthen the IKEA brand, add vitality – and some history – in our stores. Retro design is a big trend right now, so the timing for ÅRGÅNG Collection is just right!

A stroke of genius.

“A lovely little table, ultramodern in design with turned legs in two pieces. Top in beautiful rosewood and black copper-tipped legs. A table that was an immediate hit with ‘the connoisseurs’ at the store in Älmhult. Assemblable.”

That’s what Ingvar Kamprad himself wrote about LÖVET in the 1956 IKEA catalog. To help him he had his loyal friend Gillis Lundgren who served as the company’s marketing director at the time and who would later become the designer of some of the most classic pieces of IKEA furniture, including BILLY bookcase, ÖGLAN chair and TORE drawer unit.

• See our original story on the Lovbacken table (above), which was released last year.

Even though Gillis Lundgren didn’t design LÖVET, he has a strong link to the table. How? Well, when Gillis tried to put the table in his car, he discovered how bulky it was. So he removed the legs to make it easier to transport. This action led to the birth of the concept of flat packaging at IKEA. Furniture took less room to transport and customers assembled it themselves at home. Transport was expensive even back in those days and that stroke of genius helped IKEA to save money. Savings that allowed us to continue to lower our prices on quality furniture, like LÖVET. The idea that was born in 1955 with LÖVET table went on to define our entire approach to designing furniture. Then, now and in the future..

In addition to the LÖVBACKEN table, some of my favorites from the collection include the EKENÄSET armchair above…

The GÅRDSKÄR pendant light…(above)

The GAGNET, hoop style chair…(above)

The two styles of ARJEPLOG pendant lights… (above and below) And the SKOVEN rug in orange and black, (above) which could be a fun addition to a tiki lounge seating area or 70s style space.

Pam says she’s digging the dinnerware, too.

To see the entire ÅRGÅNG collection, view the slideshow below. Mega thanks to Mod Betty from Retro Roadmap, who was first to tip us to the story. Several other readers followed close at hand. Thank you, aa!

Readers — which pieces are your favorite?

Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… click anywhere to move forward and look for previous and next buttons within photo to move back or forth… you can start or stop at any image: