
“The 2007 Ikea catalog dropped with a global 80,000-ton thud a few weeks ago. Though its arrival hardly rates on the American cultural calendar, it’s something of a phenomenon in Europe, where shelter catalogs aren’t so plentiful.
Still, publishing 160 million catalogs a year worldwide (20 million in the United States) is a retail achievement nonpareil. By way of comparison, three years after its release, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code has about 60 million copies in print.
The catalog is dizzying — its 370 pages the two-dimensional equivalent of the store’s labyrinthine showrooms. But what popped out this year was a page of postage-stamp-size, black-and-white portraits of Ikea’s design team. They were arranged like a school yearbook, 26 of them, their vowel-heavy Swedish names in small red type. On later pages they reappeared individually next to their latest creations.
Was this a subtle allusion to Design Within Reach or a more deliberate poke? Since its debut in
1999, black-and-white portraits of furniture designers have been a hallmark of DWR’s catalog, essential to the way that each object is presented as a work of art…”
Robin Rauzi
LA Times
Photo: Christine Cotter/ LA Times
In the News
DWR, IKEA catalog

“An IKEA catalogue with a photo that appears to show a dog with a
larger-than-normal, human-like appendage has not been tampered with, according
to the furniture giant’s Canadian office.
The first photo in the 2007 catalogue — a two-page, front-cover
foldout — shows a young family lounging on a bed with a dog.
The dog, which appears to be a greyhound or whippet, seems to have one
distinctly human male characteristic, prompting some to suggest the image had
been tampered with by a mischievous employee using a program such as Photoshop.
Ikea Canada says that’s simply not the case.
“The picture has
definitely not been tampered with,” Debbie McDowell, corporate communications
manager for the Swedish retailer’s Canadian office told CTV.ca.”
CTV.ca
[via BoingBoing]
In the News
IKEA Canada, IKEA catalog, IKEA picture

“My son peruses the Ikea catalog”
By Kirida @ IKEA Lovers/FLICKR
© All rights reserved. Used with permission.
People
IKEA catalog, IKEA on Flickr, monday cuteness attack!

Next week the the magazine that all Swedes are waiting for will be stuffed
into mailboxes from the far north of Lapland to the southern Skånsk beaches.
After luring so many to redo bathrooms and kitchens, Ikea is set to
dominate the wardrobe market, asking the public to “come into the
closet”.
On Thursday, Ikea presented it new catalogue.
“The past years push on bedrooms and kitchens has gone really well,” said Jeanette
Söderberg, head of Ikea Sweden. “Both the paper Vi I Villa and we have done
investigations that show many want to put more time in their storage, especially
younger people.”
Ikea is planning on lowering prices 5 percent and some
30 percent on wardrobes.
Adam Ewing
The Local
[Thanks Jen!]
…
Request your copy at IKEA
In the News
IKEA catalog, IKEA furniture, IKEA prices, IKEA Sweden, IKEA wardrobes
Holly tipped us to items in the coming 2007 catalog but this one’s worth another mention:

“We got a sneak peek at the upcoming IKEA 2007 catalog and spotted this
headboard with shelves that slide out on either side. It’s shelving that’s
common in most modern kitchens, but just as practical in the bedroom. Called
Malm, it’s the name of both the headboard and the bed…”
Moco Loco
[Thanks Jen!]
Product Updates
2007 catalog, IKEA catalog, IKEA Malm, malm, moco loco, sneak peek

Holly Becker posted some pics of new items you can expect in the stores soon:
“IKEA sent their press release kit to me today announcing new products due
to hit stores soon along with the release of their 2007 catalog in August. Some
of these items are already online, others will slowly be rolling out over the
next few months.
I’m impressed with their low consoles for televisions, their new sofas,
modern line of bedroom furniture available in 4 different finishes, a cool new
bed with a rolling storage unit tucked into the headboard, and some of the thier
kitchen cabinets that can double as storage units in the dining room or
office….”
Visit her blog, decor8
Product Updates
2007 catalog, decor8, IKEA catalog, IKEA furniture, sneak peek

“My name is Istvan and I come from Hungary. I have seen your web-site and I would like to know more about you and IKEA.
I am a big IKEA fanatic too. There was an article about me and my IKEA catalogue collection in an in-house magasin at IKEA called README.
Best regards,
Istvan”
Well, congratulations Istvan! If we ever need a back issue we know where to look now:)
People
IKEA catalog, IKEA fans, IKEA Hungary