As part of Världens Barn’s 2025 fundraising campaign, and the “Kommunkampen” competition featuring Älmhult Municipality, IKEA Museum is hosting a special charity auction in collaboration with Auctionet and Växjö Auktionskammare. From the 19 to 30 September, iconic IKEA STOCKHOLM pieces will go under the hammer, with all proceeds going directly to Radiohjälpen’s fundraising for Världens Barn.
From the 2006 catalogue © IKEA Museum
IKEA STOCKHOLM Celebrating 40 Years of Design
First introduced in 1985, the IKEA STOCKHOLM collection quickly became synonymous with timeless design, comfort, and quality. The goal was simple: to provide elegant, high-quality furniture and home décor at an affordable price. Over the decades, the collection has grown and evolved through collaborations with renowned designers such as Tomas Jelinek, Karin Mobring, Gunnel Sahlin, Niels Gammelgaard, Maria Vinka, Nike Karlsson, and Ola Wihlborg. Many of their pieces are now considered modern design classics, establishing IKEA STOCKHOLM’s place in design history.
From the IKEA 2006 catalogue © IKEA Museum
Items with Unique Provenance
The auction pieces each have a special history. Most were exhibition objects from two different IKEA STOCKHOLM special exhibitions: the retrospective “Fina gatan åt folket!” at IKEA Museum in Älmhult 10 April–30 August 2025, and the launch exhibition IKEA STOCKHOLM 2025 during Milan Design Week earlier this April. The items are marked with various seals confirming their history as exhibition pieces. All objects have been donated to the auction by IKEA Museum.
Max Thelin, CEO at Växjö Auktionskammare, shares his excitement about the collaboration:
“Being able to contribute to something like this is, of course, both fun and rewarding. And being able to offer so much great design all at once is, of course, especially enjoyable."
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Max Thelin, CEO at Växjö Auktionskammare
IKEA Museum: The Story of IKEA
IKEA Museum opened in 2016 and is located in what was once the world’s first IKEA store in Älmhult. Through the years, the museum has featured many exhibitions, with “The Story of IKEA” as a permanent one. The exhibition is divided into four sections: Our Roots, Democratic Design, Hello Ingvar!, and IKEA Through the Ages. Each year, over 200,000 visitors come to explore the museum, which also hosts temporary exhibitions and includes a restaurant and a shop.
Design specialist Andreas Siesing responds
Andreas Siesing in IKEA's "Cavelli" by Bengt Ruda - the world's most expensive IKEA piece.
What do you think makes this auction so special?
"The most appealing aspect is that the items have such a clear and strong provenance. Owning something that has been exhibited in these contexts adds an unbeatable extra value. On top of that, all proceeds go to a good cause, which makes the whole event unique."
Are there any particular items that you find especially noteworthy?
"I find it exciting to see the full range of IKEA STOCKHOLM, from classic sofas and lamps to smaller home accessories. It feels like a journey through four decades of Swedish design history."
You described this as a collection of cultural objects, why do you consider it that?
"When an object has a history, when it has been displayed in a museum or at an international design fair, it becomes more than just a piece of furniture. It becomes part of a larger cultural heritage. That is exactly what makes these items so interesting. With an exhibition label or seal, such an object becomes even more intriguing over time, a chance to invest in the future, if you like to think of it that way."
What do you hope the auction will achieve?
"The hope, of course, is that as many people as possible will want to take part in the auction and place an offer, both to own a piece of design history and to support Världens Barn. It’s a fantastic combination."
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