Vicky Sanderson Hahahahaha to all of you who turn your noses up at an Ikea chair as fast furniture. I’ve been trying tell you that they work with some great designers to make some truly terrific, long-lasting pieces. If they didn’t, record prices for vintage Ikea furniture would not be a thing. And they are a thing. Take the 62-year-old Ikea chair that sold sold last year for about CND $20,000.
The Cavelli was designed for Ikea by Bengt Ruda, a renowned young architect who joined the company in 1957. Two years later, he designed this astonishing piece.
Another valuable chair has turned up-in gorgeous sunny yellow (above and below). It will be auctioned at @auctionet Fine Art auction on May 15.
The newly-found piece has a funny back story. It was bought at a garage sale in the early 2000s. But as it, um, “did not appeal to everyone in the household” it was housed with a friend until its valuable origin story was revealed, and it was brought to auction. We’ll be watching to see if it can match or exceed the earlier record for an Ikea chair.
For another fabulously fun collaboration Ikea did, check out the wildly inventive textile collection by British designer Zandra Rhodes. In time for summer, look online and in stores for a home fragrance range developed together with long-term collaborator Ilse Crawford (below middle). Scents are inspired by the outdoors, and include ADLAD, which evokes the essence of Scandinavian forests and ENSTAKA, which conjures memories of a pleasantly smoky bonfire to appeal to our primal need for warmth.
