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How The Perfect Home Looked From 1951 To 2000, According To Vintage IKEA Catalogs
How The Perfect Home Looked From 1951 To 2000, According To Vintage IKEA Catalogs
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How The Perfect Home Looked From 1951 To 2000, According To Vintage IKEA Catalogs

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IKEA is probably your home’s best friend. Its father, Feodor Ingvar Kamprad, founded the company in 1943 when he was only 17. Even the iconic yellow-blue logo is an acronym, composed of his initials paired with the first letter of Elmtaryd, the name of the farm where he grew up, and Aggunaryd, his Swedish hometown. To become the retail giant with over 43 billion dollars in revenue that it is today, IKEA focused on cost control, operational details, and continuous product development. The company is known for its modernist solutions for various types of appliances, furniture, and home decor pieces and its interior design work is often associated with an eco-friendly simplicity.

Recently, Nordic Style Magazine has looked into some vintage photos and discovered a collection of old IKEA catalog covers, provided by Smörgås Pinners, the official Pinterest account of the company’s communication team. You might want to grab your favorite ‘POÄNG’ chair for this one because the series perfectly reveal the hottest IKEA design trends and remind us of those vintage designs that we were glad to forget. Scroll down and take a look at what IKEA furniture people have been assembling since 1951!

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    1957

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    1962

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    1964

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    1966

    1967

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    1969

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    1971

    1972

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    1973

    1974

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    1977

    1978

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    1979

    1980

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    1981

    1983

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    1985

    1986

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    1987

    1989

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    1990

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    1992

    1993

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    1995

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    1998

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    2000

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    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Author, Senior Writer

    Read more »

    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

    Read less »
    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Author, Senior Writer

    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

    What do you think ?
    Justin Dodson
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    so basically nothing has changed except the print quality of magazines.

    Magdalina777
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Omg the 1973 chair/bed/stuff hybrid...I need this. Where can I find one?

    Vernice Aure
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know!! I love the possibilities of this piece. Talk about a great item for apartments.

    Load More Replies...
    Hans
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A journey through interior design. And Poäng was on the cover already 1977. I also have one home...

    Furious_Lover
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why do you copy and paste this on EVERYTHING?!

    Load More Replies...
    Melody Lanzatella
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The 80's style/fashion is a time I like to think of as a nightmare best forgotten. (at times though, recently, I see them bringing some of this gross stuff back. *GAG*)

    Load More Replies...
    Miguel Macedo
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If we look at the pictures from bottom to top, IKEA is getting way cool!!!

    Ayra
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They brought back the 51 wingback chair. Look for STRANDMON ^_^

    Corey Smith
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It looks to me like some of the older furniture would be in style today.

    Meike Henneman
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, they're going a little fifties retro lately with the strandmon and the asymmetrical little tables

    Load More Replies...
    stellermatt
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    damn the 60's and 70's were iconic. they should bring all that back and I'd buy a bucket load, and probably some tea-lights too... I wonder if one day all our furniture will seem as cool?

    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They were cool in some instances but I lived through the horrors of that lime green & wood paneling kitsch decade! It was tacky & cheap looking to me as a 70s child. I think all around today we have evolved the best balance of old & new.

    Load More Replies...
    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Omg you would've loved my mom's decor- just like this; all bland white & tan, safe yet oh-so-boring!

    Load More Replies...
    Ms.Panda
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1977 looks oddly modern, im i right?

    Isabelle Cenzon
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why??? Why do the 90's look so... retro?? It was only 10 years ago! >_>

    Taralyn215
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ikea is awesome! I didn't realize it's been around this long though !

    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Me neither! Why was I thinking it was a modern store? We never heard of it b4 the late 90s here in the Gulf south. Sears, JC Penny, monkey Wards hell even Target but not Ikea.

    Load More Replies...
    Amazon QT
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’ve got a 1994 that they didn’t show. Found it in a box of magazine I never recycled... love it. And I have a catalog from every year since 2001!

    Louie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I want the one from 1973

    Chloe
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like IKEA's style.it's simple and makes people feel comfortable.

    Connie Martin
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1962 looks exactly like my Barbie's Dream House of that era. Her furniture was made of cardboard too ;)

    Debbie Andersson
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Those prices for furniture will never come back.

    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wrong man. Check prices again from old game shows & you'll see how much more you can buy today. Furniture & appliances used to made in the States but all those good factory jobs got sent to low wage countries. The only positive is they cost about the same as 40 years ago! Of course the average wage has stagnated so it's all relative!

    Load More Replies...
    Jim Foster
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's amazing how little Ikea has changed since the 1960s.

    Jim Foster
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's amazing how similar 1960s Ikea is to 2020's Ikea. In fact, all Ikea is similar to 2020's Ikea.

    Nicole Holt
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I love the blue couch with the movable pillow in 1973!

    Quinn Enestvedt
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I want that blue furniture item from '73.

    The Famous Junkie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ikea is quite timeless to be honest. Even the oldest photos would still look blam today. Love a bit of ikea

    Ali Cat
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Honestly, I would put most of this furniture in my house. Also I love that the Poang chair has apparently been around since the 70s... I have two of them, ha!

    Magpie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So in 1957 they sold cats ?

    ...
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did anyone notice how many candles there were in the last one? Why did they need that many?

    Sato E
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just have one question, have they ever had a person of color on the IKEA magazine?

    Magpie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They used to sell cats ?

    Rob Williams
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think I've still got one of the 1986 sofas upstairs!

    Lola
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think the 80s and 90s were the worst as far as home decor goes. There is so much more finesse and class from the decor of the 50s.

    Mysterious Welli
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1974 and 1992 are the only ones that actually look good, god.

    Johanna Zamora
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cheap and uncomfortable looking from the outset.

    Sobia
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Perfect homes without phones

    Daniel Losinger
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These catalogs don't show how people wanted to live. They show what IKEA wanted to sell.

    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Disagree- this reflects pretty much the style people copied. Also Ikea was a Nordic store and Europeans are always a bit ahead style wise in most things.

    Load More Replies...
    Ashley Fernandes
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lord the 80s were horrible for design.

    Sophster
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder how many lil annoying brothers were smothered in '73

    Justin Dodson
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    so basically nothing has changed except the print quality of magazines.

    Magdalina777
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Omg the 1973 chair/bed/stuff hybrid...I need this. Where can I find one?

    Vernice Aure
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know!! I love the possibilities of this piece. Talk about a great item for apartments.

    Load More Replies...
    Hans
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A journey through interior design. And Poäng was on the cover already 1977. I also have one home...

    Furious_Lover
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why do you copy and paste this on EVERYTHING?!

    Load More Replies...
    Melody Lanzatella
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The 80's style/fashion is a time I like to think of as a nightmare best forgotten. (at times though, recently, I see them bringing some of this gross stuff back. *GAG*)

    Load More Replies...
    Miguel Macedo
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If we look at the pictures from bottom to top, IKEA is getting way cool!!!

    Ayra
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They brought back the 51 wingback chair. Look for STRANDMON ^_^

    Corey Smith
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It looks to me like some of the older furniture would be in style today.

    Meike Henneman
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, they're going a little fifties retro lately with the strandmon and the asymmetrical little tables

    Load More Replies...
    stellermatt
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    damn the 60's and 70's were iconic. they should bring all that back and I'd buy a bucket load, and probably some tea-lights too... I wonder if one day all our furniture will seem as cool?

    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They were cool in some instances but I lived through the horrors of that lime green & wood paneling kitsch decade! It was tacky & cheap looking to me as a 70s child. I think all around today we have evolved the best balance of old & new.

    Load More Replies...
    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Omg you would've loved my mom's decor- just like this; all bland white & tan, safe yet oh-so-boring!

    Load More Replies...
    Ms.Panda
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1977 looks oddly modern, im i right?

    Isabelle Cenzon
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why??? Why do the 90's look so... retro?? It was only 10 years ago! >_>

    Taralyn215
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ikea is awesome! I didn't realize it's been around this long though !

    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Me neither! Why was I thinking it was a modern store? We never heard of it b4 the late 90s here in the Gulf south. Sears, JC Penny, monkey Wards hell even Target but not Ikea.

    Load More Replies...
    Amazon QT
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’ve got a 1994 that they didn’t show. Found it in a box of magazine I never recycled... love it. And I have a catalog from every year since 2001!

    Louie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I want the one from 1973

    Chloe
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like IKEA's style.it's simple and makes people feel comfortable.

    Connie Martin
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1962 looks exactly like my Barbie's Dream House of that era. Her furniture was made of cardboard too ;)

    Debbie Andersson
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Those prices for furniture will never come back.

    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wrong man. Check prices again from old game shows & you'll see how much more you can buy today. Furniture & appliances used to made in the States but all those good factory jobs got sent to low wage countries. The only positive is they cost about the same as 40 years ago! Of course the average wage has stagnated so it's all relative!

    Load More Replies...
    Jim Foster
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's amazing how little Ikea has changed since the 1960s.

    Jim Foster
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's amazing how similar 1960s Ikea is to 2020's Ikea. In fact, all Ikea is similar to 2020's Ikea.

    Nicole Holt
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I love the blue couch with the movable pillow in 1973!

    Quinn Enestvedt
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I want that blue furniture item from '73.

    The Famous Junkie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ikea is quite timeless to be honest. Even the oldest photos would still look blam today. Love a bit of ikea

    Ali Cat
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Honestly, I would put most of this furniture in my house. Also I love that the Poang chair has apparently been around since the 70s... I have two of them, ha!

    Magpie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So in 1957 they sold cats ?

    ...
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did anyone notice how many candles there were in the last one? Why did they need that many?

    Sato E
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just have one question, have they ever had a person of color on the IKEA magazine?

    Magpie
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They used to sell cats ?

    Rob Williams
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think I've still got one of the 1986 sofas upstairs!

    Lola
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think the 80s and 90s were the worst as far as home decor goes. There is so much more finesse and class from the decor of the 50s.

    Mysterious Welli
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1974 and 1992 are the only ones that actually look good, god.

    Johanna Zamora
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cheap and uncomfortable looking from the outset.

    Sobia
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Perfect homes without phones

    Daniel Losinger
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These catalogs don't show how people wanted to live. They show what IKEA wanted to sell.

    Sabal Minor
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Disagree- this reflects pretty much the style people copied. Also Ikea was a Nordic store and Europeans are always a bit ahead style wise in most things.

    Load More Replies...
    Ashley Fernandes
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lord the 80s were horrible for design.

    Sophster
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder how many lil annoying brothers were smothered in '73

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