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From armchairs to cocktail cabinets, what did home furnishing look like in the mid-sixties?

1965

The year was 1965. Cosmonauts took the first ever spacewalk and The Beatles performed the world’s first stadium concert. Meanwhile, IKEA opened the biggest furniture store in Northern Europe at Kungens Kurva, just outside of Stockholm. The flagship store measured 45,800 square metres! But what went on inside the store and the IKEA catalogue 60 years ago? Let’s take a look!

Black and white photo of the IKEA flagship store at Kungens Kurva, taken in the 1960s
Front cover of the 1965 IKEA catalogue showing a black sofa anc chairs, and blue carpet.

Party people

The 1960s were swinging and IKEA had plenty to offer for home entertainment and entertaining. In many living rooms, record players, TVs and sometimes even a well-stocked bar were either proudly displayed on shelves or hidden away behind the doors of cupboards, drinks cabinets and media units.

Now, music lives in the cloud and TVs hang from the walls, but large-scale storage combinations like these are just as popular in today's home.

  • A 1965 catalogue image showing a person sitting on the floor, looking at her record collection.
  • The 1965 IKEA Catalogue showing the SPARTA wood storage unit filled with books and a TV next to a chair and lamp.
  • The 1965 IKEA catalogue showing shelves with a TV and drinks cabinet.

An orange a day

It seems like no roomset in the 1965 IKEA catalogue was complete without the addition of fresh fruit – in fact, fruity props appear more than 50 times! Oranges and apples in particular make frequent appearances on table tops, shelves and even nightstands; but you'll also spot the occasional bunch of grapes, bananas or a freshly sliced pineapple if you keep your eyes peeled.

  • An all green living room with a sofa and chairs around a wood coffee table.
  • A bold blue and red/orange living/dining area room set from 1965, with a bowl of oranges on the dining table in the background.
  • A bedroom room set from 1965 with two single beds separated by a night stand, upon which is a bowl of oranges.
  • A sparsely-furnished dining area room set from 1965 with a sideboard unit and dining table styled with a bowl of fruit.

Shag pile in style

Fuzzy rugs in deep shag pile were loved for their soft, snuggly feeling underfoot. According to the 1965 IKEA catalogue, the warm tone-on-tone colours were "particularly suitable for our upholstery fabrics," and the patterns were "reserved for IKEA's discerning customers". While the rugs may have been pleasing to the eye and feet, they may not have been quite as enjoyable for those tasked with vacuuming them.

  • A fluffy yellow shag pile rug next to a planter table in the 1965 catalogue.
  • A living/dining room with a large green shag pile rug and a white wood dining room set.
  • A living room from 1965 with a chair, sofa and footstool around a coffee table, with a yellow shag pile rug underneath.

Green spaces

Just a quick flick through the pages of the catalogue, and it's clear that green-on-green was all the rage in the mid-sixties. Rugs and carpets matched to walls, upholstery and fabrics in layered leafy tones gave the term “green room” a whole new meaning.

  • A green-walled bedroom room set from 1965 with two side-by-side single beds styled with green bed linen that matches the wall colour.
  • A green bedroom room set from 1965 featuring two single beds pushed together styled with green floral linen, green striped walls and a large green rug.
  • A lounge room set from 1965 with wall-to-wall shag carpet in green, and green walls; furnished with a large shelving unit, arm chair and day bed.
  • A sunny dining area room set from 1965 with green rug under the table, green curtains, green wall art and green table settings.

Fancy flourishes

Out with the old and in with the... even older! In addition to minimal, modern Scandinavian design, the IKEA catalogue also featured antique-inspired furniture with button back upholstery and decorative flourishes.

Antique styles remain popular to this day. With sustainability and economy a priority for many, flea markets, second-hand websites and even our 'As-Is' section in IKEA stores have become go-to places for those seeking retro finds and antique-inspired treasures.

  • A living room with a red antique sofa, two chairs, two tables and a pendant lamp.
  • A page from the 1965 IKEA catalogue featuring antique style chests of drawers.
  • An antique style velvet chair in green and burgundy sofa.

A place in the sun

The 1960s saw IKEA make its foray into outdoor furniture – inspired by sunny climates in bold, bright colours and natural materials like bamboo and rattan that remain a hit six decades later. While perfect for "the patio or garden with many nice features", several of the collections were also designed to be great choices for indoor lounging.

  • Rattan chairs and a table with drinks and food on the table.
  • Four red and yellow plastic chairs around a wood table, from the 1965 IKEA catalogue.
  • Four rattan framed outdoor chairs with red upholstery around a glass-topped rattan table, from the 1965 IKEA catalogue.

Looking for something a little more now?

Thanks to our friends at the IKEA Museum for all the great imagery from the 1965 IKEA catalogue. If you're looking for something a little more 2025, head on over to your local online IKEA store, where you'll find new products and plenty of inspiration for today's home.