Take the IKEA time machine back to

1984

It's 1984 and the Apple Macintosh personal computer makes its debut. Sweden wins the Eurovision Song Contest and the colourful, graphic style of Milan's Memphis Group is making waves in the design world. The '80s are a time of optimism and 'going big'; and IKEA is doing just that by opening new stores in new markets around the globe. Belgium and Kuwait are the latest markets to say hej to IKEA. Let's take a look at some of the trends at home in the 1984 IKEA Catalogue.

Prime time for colour

The '80s are all about working and playing hard, an era of energy, optimism and – of course – excess. Furniture and decoration in primary colours work just as hard in the home. The brighter the better approach to interiors echoes the upbeat tempo of the times.

  • A yellow sofa, a red sofa and a blue sofa placed in a room alongside tables with lamps.
  • A darkened living room with a red and yellow chair beside an open sofa bed with a yellow duvet. Floorlamps shine a spotlight on the chair and bed.
  • A photo from the 1984 IKEA Catalogue, featuring a hallway with blue and white furniture and a blue rug.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a bedroom with a red and yellow bunkbed and a red desk.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue a yellow and white living room with a quilted corner section.

A whiter shade of pale

White and off-white tones with just a hint of colour create a calmer alternative. Teamed with side lamps, uplighters and spotlights, rooms appear bigger and brighter. However, they don't just emphasise space, but spills, stains and spots on furniture too. Thankfully, many IKEA sofas come with washable covers.

  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue showing a white living room with a sectional sofa and two lamps.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue showing a view of the dining room from the white living room.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a white living room with a sofa, armchair and lamps.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a bedroom with a bed and two bedside lamps.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a white sofa, with an uplighter floor lamp behind.

Lines of the times

It's not just The Artist Formerly Known As Prince who's popular – prints are too. From chintzy florals blooming on sofas, to dashing diagonals and stripes in monochrome combos, these are just some of the patterns du jour. Game of chess anyone? Checkerboard floors transform hallways and kitchens into hopscotch courts.

  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a living room with a chintz sofa and a coffee table with flowers in the foreground.
  • A man sits on a sofa smiling. He sits next to an illuminated lamp.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a black patterned KLIPPAN sofa with a white table, a lamp and a picture hanging behind.
  • A red and white bedroom with a striped duvet cover on the bed and a wooden desk, shown in the 1984 IKEA Catalogue.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA Catalogue, featuring a hallway with a red and black floor and metal mesh shelving.

Club tropicana

Shagpile rugs aren't the ony thing that are wild in the '80s home; plants are springing up everywhere. Bathrooms, bedrooms and living rooms are domestic jungles filled with tropical shrubs like large bamboo palms, spider plants and palm trees.

  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a bed with a TV and large plant beside it.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA Catalogue showing a living room with striped blinds, plants and a white sofa.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue showing a living room with large mirror panels that reflect large green plants, next to a sofa.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a white bedroom with plants.

The big picture

What's on the wall? Art prints are all the rage. From Matisse to Botero, reprints and gallery posters deck the walls, while matching the decor. Marilyn Monroe is everyone's favourite pin-up, but who's that cheeky chap also hanging on the wall? Answers on a postcard please.

  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a black, white and yellow bedroom with a chequerboard floor.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a pink hallway with white furniture and a table lamp.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA Catalogue featuring a striped sofa flanked by two floor lamps and a picture on the wall.
  • An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a red and white home office area.

Round-the-clock style

The 1980s may have been big, brash and over the top, but it was also a decade of great home furnishing ideas and trends that continue to inspire more than 40 years on.

An image from the 1984 IKEA Catalogue featuring a yellow quilted sofa next to pine furniture in a living room.
An image from the 1984 IKEA catalogue featuring a living room at night, with a yellow sofa bed.

Looking for something a little more 21st century?

Head on over to your local online IKEA store, where you'll find plenty of products and inspiration for today's home. You may even notice some old favourites from the '80s back on the shelves!

Over its 70 years of publication, the IKEA Catalogue became an icon around the world. The final edition was printed in 2020, but thanks to the IKEA Museum's digital archive, you can always take a trip down memory lane. Visit the IKEA Museum's digital archive of every IKEA Catalogue every published, where you'll find a treasure trove of home furnishing history.