Vintage Ikea?
I teased this image on my social media channels and asked if anyone could guess what major retailer featured this furniture set in it's 1970 catalog. No one guessed correctly and I bet you won't either.
I even got one message in jest asking if I meant to type 1913 instead of 1970. And truth be told, this style of furniture would seem much more appropriate in the Victorian Era rather than the 1970's. It's a classic example of styles and trends changing over time, yet coming back around years later. So, have an idea of where it's from? Ethan Allen, Sears, Bombay were common guesses, but if I told you it was actually IKEA would you believe it? I wouldn't have either if I didn't see it in the catalog with my own eyes! Did you know that there is an IKEA Museum site and all of their previous catalogs are listed? You can scroll all the way back to 1950 and see how their styles have evolved. One thing I noticed while browsing through the years was that SO much of the furniture could still be relevant today. It's not so much that furniture goes ‘out of style’, but more of how that furniture is styled in a space. One might not have a formal parlor room for all the furniture above, but in the right fabric, a settee like that could absolutely be a standout piece and pairs of chairs, from wings to clubs will always be ‘in style’. So, when magazines or influencers tell you that a recent ‘trend’ is now out of style, just know that as a whole that might be true, but if you dissect the pieces, you can probably find a way to incorporate what you already have into the next wave of style. To see the entire collection of IKEA catalogs click below. Have fun and let me know what your favorite years are. I'd love to know. Also, it's pretty fun to see what was selling in your birth year. Hello 1976!