There is some pretty great stuff at IKEA. But it's hard not to be jealous of IKEA shoppers from the 70s and 80s when you see some of the amazing stuff that used to line the retailer's shelves. Here are eleven favorite vintage pieces that we'd love to see make a comeback. Above: IKEA's TAJT, seen here on the cover of their 1973 catalog (via Scraphacker), is a pretty clever design — and maybe the most attractive chair-that-turns-into-a-bed I've ever seen. This couch, also spotted on Scraphacker, is pretty fantastic. (Image credit: Niels Gammelgaard) A Bertoia-esque chair, designed by Niels Gammelgaard for IKEA and introduced in 1986. I've spotted this one in a few European interiors. These folding chairs, also by Niels Gammelgaard, might not look super comfortable, but they are quite attractive. (Image credit: Anyas Vintage) This is the ombre DUETT lamp, spotted on Anyas Vintage. (Image credit: Neils Gammelgaard) I seriously covet this MOMENT sofa, by Neils Gammelgaard.
(Image credit: Home Designing) Here it is on the cover of IKEA's 1985 catalog. That is one good-looking sofa. IKEA may have made some design missteps in the 80s, but this was not one of them. The elegant KROKEN lounger, spotted on the cover of the 1979 catalog (via Home Designing). These sling chairs, spotted on Retronu, are pretty sweet (and the matching table is nice, too). (Image credit: Nordiska Style) These loungers and matching ottomans, spotted on Nordiska Style, embody everything that was great about 70s design. (Image credit: Hung Up on Retro) These folding chairs, spotted at Hung Up on Retro, would be at home in pretty much any decor. (And is that a velvet TAJT in the foreground?) Verner Panton, designer of the famous S Chair, also created a chair for IKEA called the VILBERT. The chairs were produced in limited quantities and, as you might expect, sold out rather quickly, but they do crop up on eBay from time to time. Image from IKEA the Book, via F7.
You might like: 10 Amazing Things from the 1965 Sears Catalog Re-edited from a post originally published 8.17.15-ntPlayroom FutonIkea FutonSofa IkeaBed IkeaIkea Sofa Bed CoverBalkarp SofaFuton CouchRoom SofaSleeper SofaForwardIKEA - BALKARP, Sofa bed, , The adjustable back means you can choose whether you want to sit, recline or lie down.Easily converts into a bed.Ikea biffed by going after IkeaHackers, the fan site that shares all kinds of new uses and smart mods for the Swedish superstore's affordable furniture—seriously, you can't buy this kind of devotion. Until founder Jules Yap sets up shop under a new name, let's have a look at a few of the projects that make her site so endlessly scrollable. There's such a range of finished works—from "Oh oh I could do that!" to "Why would you do that?!" to "Hey now that gives me an idea..."—that it's tough not to fall into a DIY-design clickhole. Here are some of the adventures-in-how-to that stood out to us. Share your own personal faves below!
There's no end to what you can to with an Expedit (RIP). This awesome hamster habitat won the Hack of the Year in 2010, and it's easy to see why: Some small modifications to the Expedit—plus a little glass—turned Ikea's beloved shelving system into a home for a furry friend. You'd never guess that this sleek, sinuous privacy screen—which turns the bathroom of an open loft into its own space—was made from $2 Rektangel vases. But yep: Hundreds of these glass thangs were tipped on their sides and repurposed. There's a reason this incredible personal library won the 2011 Hack of the Year. It's made from 60—yes, 60—Billy bookshelves, Ikea's bargain basement bookshelf. Attached to the French country home of Chas Saunter, they look undeniably classy. Here's the archetypal example of IkeaHacking brilliance. Take one stool, four nested file organizers, and boom: A transformable table with tons of storage space for under $10. All you have to do is glue the folders together and attach them to the stool.
For an added bonus, the nested folders inside the table pull out to change its profile. Things really get cool when an Ikea hacker has soldering skills: This brilliant hacker turned a plain old wood table top into a beautiful working guitar. Now this is unexpected. Tracing around an old kid's jacket will give a decent enough pattern for this cute little coat. Lined or unlined, it's pretty ingenious—though apparently it will dull the hell out of your sewing machine needle. I'm wondering whether to try to make one for myself... Here's a solution for all those space-challenged Ikea hackers out there (and aren't there so many!). This Dutch hacker took a shelf and a cabinet and mounted them to the wall, creating what might be the skinniest desk for an iMac ever built. The best part might be the fact that there aren't any errant cables hanging around: They're all stored inside the upper cabinet. Okay, this is admittedly not for everyone, but it's a smart solution! An industrious family member made this for her grandma's home in Malacca, Malaysia, which is lacking upstairs plumbing.
Adding a raised section to the top and a few privacy panels between the legs of a Stefan chair, a small bowl can easily slide in to the hole. Noted: next time she's choosing a model with arms, for extra comfort (though it would be tough to beat Homer's Lazy Man Toilet Seat for sheer sit-back-and-relax luxury). This was designed to allow or opening the drawers under a Mandal bed, but relocating two of the Frosta stool's legs looks like it would make a killer sofa table, too (as long as the height was right). There are a lot of storage beds on IkeaHackers, but there's something about the structure and staging of this one, which used nine Faktum cabinets, that makes it look particularly perfect for a small space. It's involved (with extended blog post how-to here), but if you had the tools and the time and the drive—it would be incredible to make something this functional look this good. This is another project that's going to require some power tools, but if you're keen on sewing and have the room for a dedicated place to stitch, this is a might purdy use of an Ingo table.
Additional tutorial here, if you're into it. Okay, hey—we're back to unconventional spots to pee and poo. The name here really says it all, and all it took was a long piece of MDF, a pair of Ikea PS Lockers, and a cat flap inserted into a custom cut-out in the side. Slide a litter box in the drawer and you're good to go.This effect was made pretty much exclusively out of Trofast toy storage boxes affixed to the walls and ceiling: some facing out and filled with magazines and books, some facing the other way and lit from within by LEDs. Ikea's iconic Frosta stool is a cult favorite—and here, it's turned into a beautifully abstract bookshelf that seems to climb up the wall like a vine. Rather than spring for some spendy backsplash, this cool kitchen has a series of Rationell glass panels installed flush up against the wall between counter and cabinet. Wallpaper will make it match whatever else you've got going on, color-and-style-wise. Take an average Bjursta dining room table, two average plastic high chairs, do a little clever sawing, et voila: An incredible double-trouble high chair.