CAVELLI armchair
Original price: approx £23
Value today: up to £15,500
Long before IKEA became synonymous with flat-pack furniture, it produced one of the rarest collector's pieces in Scandinavian design. Created by Bengt Ruda – the company's first professional designer – the CAVELLI armchair debuted in the 1959 IKEA catalogue as a bold showcase of innovation.
Combining sculptural form with exceptional comfort, the CAVELLI featured softly curved armrests, a generously padded foam seat and an integrated headrest. Its exposed red beech frame, stained to a teak finish, highlighted the craftsmanship behind the design. Surviving original examples have been found with both red and purple upholstery.
IKEA’s founder, Ingvar Kamprad, wrote in the catalogue: ‘CAVELLI will get noticed in your home – and indeed admired. … No expense has been spared and no stone left unturned to make CAVELLI an aristocrat of the 1960s.’
Indeed, production was so costly that just five examples were ever made, making it one of the most elusive IKEA designs in existence. Today, the CAVELLI is considered the ultimate prize for vintage IKEA collectors, with surviving chairs fetching record prices at auction and cementing its status as the brand's most sought-after masterpiece.
KROMVIK bed
Original price: approx £34
Value today: £5,000+
Designed by Knut Hagberg and launched by IKEA in 1981, the KROMVIK bed has become one of the brand's most coveted vintage pieces. Its appeal lies in its elegant simplicity: a chrome-plated tubular steel frame with softly curved headboard and footboard that give the design a light, sculptural quality. Blending Scandinavian restraint with the clean lines of 1980s modernism, it feels just as contemporary today as it did more than four decades ago.
As demand for collectible IKEA furniture has grown, pristine KROMVIK beds have appeared on high-end design marketplaces for several thousands of pounds. But there are still bargains to be found. One example sold at Stockholms Auktionsverk Hamburg for around £376, with its lower price reflecting condition issues including a musty smell, a yellowed mattress and a few missing screws.
For collectors prepared to restore rather than simply display, it's a reminder that iconic design doesn't always have to come with an eye-watering price tag.
IMPALA easy chair
Original price: approx £32
Value today: £10,000+
The IMPALA easy chair was one of IKEA's boldest designs, launched in 1971. Its low-slung seat, sculptural tubular steel frame and generously padded upholstery gave it a futuristic, space-age look that stood apart from anything else in the catalogue. IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad famously doubted the design, calling it too ‘difficult’ and betting its designer, Gillis Lundgren, a bottle of whisky it wouldn't sell. He lost the bet when IMPALA became a commercial success.
Despite its popularity, the chair was discontinued after only a short production run because it was expensive to manufacture, making surviving examples exceptionally rare today. That rarity has transformed the IMPALA into one of the most collectable vintage IKEA designs. A recently listed original on 1stDibs carries an asking price of €12,224 (around £10,451).
LADOGA sideboard
Original price: approx. £16
Value today: up to £3,200
IKEA’s Ladoga sideboard, designed by Erik Wörtz, reflects a shift in Danish furniture design during the 1960s toward more architectural, storage-focused pieces. The sliding doors with concealed tracks were not simply a visual choice, but a sign of the period’s growing interest in seamless, integrated mechanisms. The hidden hardware keeps the exterior uninterrupted, allowing the natural beauty of the wood to take centre stage.
This sideboard was produced as an accessible dining-room storage piece, available in several finishes including teak, jacaranda (rosewood) and American walnut. Today, it would work equally well in a mid-century home or contemporary interior. But why has it become so collectable? The answer is its rarity, quality materials and understated design.
Original rosewood editions are especially desirable due to the wood’s rich grain and limited availability – typically selling for £2,500-£3,200 – while teak examples range from £1,300-£1,600.
ÅKE easy chair
Original price: approx £8
Value today: £2,000+
Produced between 1952 and 1956, the ÅKE armchair is among the earliest and rarest pieces of IKEA furniture, dating from a time when the company made small batches of traditionally crafted designs, rather than flat-pack products. Its appeal lies in its sculptural, organic form, which perfectly captures the warmth and simplicity of mid-century Scandinavian design.
Original examples regularly command several thousand pounds (a pair sold at Bukowskis in 2019 for £2,320),while exceptional restorations fetch considerably more. One striking example, reimagined by French design house Norki in curly shearling upholstery, is currently offered for €42,000. It may bear little resemblance to the affordable furniture IKEA is known for today, but the ÅKE is proof that the company's earliest designs have become bona fide collector's pieces.
SOLIST table lamp
Original price: £30-40
Value today: £800-£1,000
Produced in the early 1990s, the Solist, designed by Karin Mobring, has become a sought-after collector’s piece. Combining patinated brass, metal and opaline glass, the lamp has a quiet sophistication. Its rounded silhouette and soft curves recall Art Deco influences, while the distinctive glass shade and trio of bulbs create a warm, atmospheric glow.
But what makes a once-affordable IKEA lamp become a coveted design classic decades later? The answer lies in its thoughtful details, quality materials and timeless form. The Solist reflects Mobring’s talent for blending simplicity with character.
Today, its rarity has made it increasingly desirable among vintage design collectors. Prices on Etsy are around the £800 mark, while Pamono has this one for £1,125. Once an everyday household object, the Solist is now recognised as an exemplary piece of Scandinavian design.
NATURA easy chair
Original price: approx. £55
Value today: £2,000+
Karin Mobring’s NATURA easy chair was introduced around 1977 and reflected IKEA’s move towards more design-conscious furniture. It’s now one of the most admired amongst vintage IKEA fans.
The leather strap construction is inspired by traditional campaign furniture and safari chairs, where leather supports were used because they were practical, lightweight and durable for travel. Rather than hiding the structure, Mobring made the strap part of the visual language of the chair. The NATURA was also designed to age beautifully, its leather developing a deep patina over time, while the pine frame gains warmth and character.
Today, original examples with intact straps, untouched leather and good pine colour are the most desirable, Prices vary considerably, with examples currently offered around £2,000-£2,300+ for well-preserved chairs, while pairs can reach higher values depending on condition and rarity.
Credits: midcenturyvintage.net; Norki Objects; 1st Dibs; Pamono
