IKEA THE BOOK. Designers, Products, and Other Stuff

Author: Bengtsson, Staffan
Country: Sweden
Language: English
Year Published: 2010
No. of pages: 444
Illustrations: 360 Color Illustrations. 20 B&W Illustrations.
Binding: Softbound
Size: 9”x 7”
Weight: 3.00
ISBN: 9789185689064
Biblio/Bio: Index.
Code: 6601

Price: $145.00

''Not for the rich but for the smart'' - a perfect motto for IKEA, the company that has spent half a century democratizing good design. This monumental, lavishly illustrated book - almost 500 full-color pages as full of beauty, bright ideas and cool surprises as a visit to IKEA itself - is the first complete presentation ever of the phenomenon that is the world's most successful furniture enterprise. It's an incredible resource for anyone interested in contemporary design and consumer culture. This book tells IKEA's story from its origins as a mail-order company. It details breakthroughs like the invention of the hex wrench and the flat pack, which let the cutting-edge retail giant serve almost 600 million customers in 25 countries in 2009. Chapters showcase the hit parade of the most popular pieces over the decades (the Billy bookshelf has sold millions), and interviews with some of the chain's top designers reveal their surprising passion for the store and its visionary founder, Ingvar Kamprad. This first-edition book itself is destined to be a collector's edition: impeccably printed in Europe, it is published with three different cover colors (pink, green and brown, each with its own ISBN). After a year or so, IKEA will offer its 78n mass-produced version in a smaller trim size and lower print quality. Like the vintage IKEA catalogs now selling on eBay, get this while you can.