Ikea’s 80th anniversary

From the fun colourful designs to the simple functionality of items and the use of sustainable materials, Ikea’s Nytillverkad collection encapsulates everything we love about the Swedish brand.

Launched to celebrate Ikea’s 80th anniversary, the range, which was previewed at Milan Design Week 2023 by a lucky view, features familiar shapes reimagined in fresh hues and materials.

For the designs, Ikea delved into its archives, selecting popular designs to be remade for the contemporary home.

No easy feat if you consider that Ikea creates over 2,500 designs a year.

“We had a big list to choose from,” says Karin Gustavsson, creative leader of Nytillverkad of the process. “The only thing we knew for sure was that, after the pandemic, we wanted colour and pattern, which people like to mix and match.”

In addition, Gustavsson adds, “People today are very mindful of consumption. Sustainability is top of everyone’s minds.”

To this end, soft items such as scatter cushions and rugs, now made from recycled cotton, feature fresh pastels, vibrant primary hues and bold patterns.

While other pieces, such as the ‘Gogo’ easy chair, now have high-strength steel frames, which are more eco-friendly to produce than the original carbon steel frames.

The company also focused on flat-pack designs, such as the iconic ‘Lövet’ coffee table that could be recreated in new colours.

That’s because “disassembly is as important as assembly for a nomadic generation always on the move,” explains Johan Ejdemo, design manager of Ikea Sweden. It also, of course, makes sense in terms of sustainability as it makes it easier to move items, cutting down on packaging, breakage and the need to purchase new items.

The first Nytillverkad pieces will be available in July, with further drops throughout the course of the year.