IKEA’s 75th Anniversary GRATULERA Collection is a Blast From the Past
There’s nothing quite like finding the perfect vintage piece for your home. It can immediately elevate your space and add a timeless touch that you just don’t get with many modern furnishings. The downside? Needing to comb through innumerable vintage stores to actually find what you’re looking for. But now, IKEA is changing the game.
In honor of its 75th anniversary—yep, IKEA has been hawking on-trend home pieces since 1944—the company is bringing back some of its most famous furnishing from decades past as part of the limited edition GRATULERA collection.
The nostalgic collection will roll out as three separate launches, each one focusing on a different decade: the ’50s-’60s, ’70s-’80s and the ’90s-’00s, launching at different times throughout the year. The launches will include beloved pieces that were available at IKEA during those decades.
“Each launch is very different, signifying its time period; from dark woods with a classic expression, to a very playful style with strong colors, and then to a more minimal look with natural light woods and graphic colors,” says Karin Gustavsson, Creative Leader, IKEA of Sweden.
The ’50s-’60s collection is up first and will hit stores starting in August—you can check online or call your local store for availability—with the ’70s-’80s collection following in October, and ’90s-’00s dropping in December just in time for the holidays.
The first iteration is particularly special because it brings back the piece responsible for starting IKEA’s flat-pack philosophy.
“An icon is an icon because it’s unexpected, or considered an innovation of its time. Like the LÖVBACKEN table (previously known as LÖVET), such a cool statement piece, with only three legs, the tips covered in metal. It’s our first knock down product,” says Gustavsson.
Back when the table was still known as the LÖVET, an IKEA worker named Gillis Lundgren spontaneously decided to remove the legs, so the piece would fit into his small car and not get damaged during the drive home. These days, most things sold at IKEA come in flat packs to make transporting them home easier for everyone.
The August launch also includes the GAGNET, which was originally released when IKEA opened its first store in Sweden in 1958. The round design feels decidedly retro but would fit right in with modern furnishings.
And of course there’s the STRANDMON armchair, apparently a favorite of IKEA’s founder, Ingvar Kamprad, which is being brought back in a new color featuring a major 2018 trend: blue velvet, anyone?
The whole ’50s-’60s collection has a Mid-Century Modern vibe that calls upon some of the biggest trends of that era: dark woods, classic lines, simple touches. But these pieces will easily integrate into the homes of today.
For the later launches, IKEA promises poppy, colorful, fun pieces—many inspired by the Memphis Design Movement—from the ’70s-’80s collection, and sleek, minimalistic pieces with a dose of pattern from the ’90s-’00s launch. Check back here throughout the year for more information on the later GRATULERA launches.