In 1964, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, spotted a wooden chair designed by Karin Mobring and was immediately smitten. Mobring had an eye for materials and a talent for designing comfortable, quality furniture with wide appeal, making her the perfect candidate to become IKEA’s first woman designer.
More than half a century later, Mobring’s work is still highly sought-after. Her designs are known for their simplicity, functionality, and timeless style. She was also a pioneer in using sustainable materials, such as bamboo and rattan, in her furniture. Mobring’s legacy continues to inspire IKEA designers today. Her commitment to creating affordable, high-quality furniture for the masses has helped to make IKEA one of the most popular furniture retailers in the world.
Karin Mobring was born in 1927 in Östersund, Sweden. She began her creative path with ceramics, but her interest soon turned to furniture design. She enrolled at the school of the renowned Swedish furniture designer Carl Malmsten, where she learned about craftsmanship, quality, and comfort.
After graduating in 1951, Mobring returned to Östersund to help her father with his civil engineering business. She also continued to design furniture, and in 1964, one of her wooden armchairs was displayed at the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Her work was admired by Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, and she was hired to join the design team that same year.
Karin with colleagues Erik Wørts (left) and Gillis Lundgren (centre)
Mobring’s debut in the 1966 IKEA catalog included a number of her designs, including the PEGGY highchair, NIRAK hall mirror, and INGRID chair. Her work was known for its simplicity, functionality, and timeless style. She was also a pioneer in using sustainable materials, such as bamboo and rattan, in her furniture.
Top left: PEGGY highchair, featured in the 1966 IKEA catalogue
Karin’s INGRID chair also featured in the 1966 IKEA catalogue
Karin makes her debut the same year
By the 1970s, Karin Mobring had become one of IKEA’s most productive and trendsetting designers. Her work was prolific and included a wide range of furniture, from the LONDON series of chairs and footstools to the AMIRAL armchair.
The AMIRAL armchair was a hit, but it was discontinued due to the high demand for the leather details and the difficulty of flat-packing the frame. It was later reintroduced in a flat-pack version, upholstered in canvas.
LONDON Chair, launched in 1969
Karin Mobring was a versatile designer who was known for her ability to create furniture in a variety of styles, from classic and rural to modern and futuristic. Her back catalogue of around 100 IKEA products includes a wide range of designs, from the traditional Windsor-inspired TORPET chair to the futuristic KARUSELL coffee table.
Mobring’s versatility was evident in her ability to combine traditional materials and craftsmanship with modern design principles. For example, the NATURA armchair is made of solid wood and features traditional joinery, while the KARUSELL coffee table is made of particleboard and features a sleek, futuristic design.
Her KATINKA chair and sofa, designed in the 1960s, feature bent, lacquered plywood and a futuristic aesthetic that was popular at the time.
KARUSELL chairs and KATINKA table, 1969
In 1972, Karin Mobring launched the KRUMELUR armchair, which was targeted at a relatively new market for IKEA: the younger generation. The emergence of youth culture in the 1960s had given birth to a new breed of homemakers who were looking for bold prints, bright colors, and new materials, all at an affordable price.
The KRUMELUR armchair, with its curved, lacquered metal frame and seat constructed from fire hose fabric, was a perfect fit for this new market. It was featured on the front cover of the IKEA catalogue in the year of its launch, with a modest price tag of just 68 Swedish Kronor.
KRUMELUR chairs, shown on the cover of the 1972 IKEA catalogue
STABIL Table, 1970. A favourite of Ingvar Kamprad.
SMÅLAND 3-seater sofa, 1970
The 1980s were a time of material wealth and extravagance, and IKEA faced the challenge of creating “new antiques” for customers seeking a bourgeoisie look for their homes. In keeping with IKEA’s philosophy of design for all, Karin Mobring and fellow IKEA designer Tomas Jelinek were tasked with creating the STOCKHOLM collection, a range of products inspired by the best of Swedish and Central European furniture traditions.
Mobring’s traditional upbringing and training under the master craftsman Carl Malmsten, combined with her talent for interpreting modern tastes, made her the perfect person for the job. The debut STOCKHOLM collection was launched in 1985 and was an instant success.
The front cover of the first STOCKHOLM collection catalogue, published in 1986
Glass cabinet from the STOCKHOLM 1985 collection, designed by Karin Mobring and Tomas Jelinek
Table lamp, also from the 1985 collection and designed by Mobring and Tomas Jelinek
Cabinet from the STOCKHOLM 1985 collection
“Products such as AMIRAL and NATURA are appealing because they have a timeless design language which is retro, yet modern at the same time and works well with all types of interiors.”
Maria Granström, Antiques expert
Karin Mobring passed away in 2005. Although her catalogue of more than 100 designs for IKEA are no longer in production, more than half a century on, her products remain popular. The trend for Scandinavian design, coupled with a growing interest in vintage IKEA furniture has created a renewed interest in her work. Classics such as the NATURA armchair and the original AMIRAL chair in leather from 1970 have become highly sought after on the vintage market.
“We’ve seen a lot more Karin Mobring furniture showing up at auction, and her work is becoming more expensive. Products such as AMIRAL and NATURA are appealing because they have a timeless design language which is retro, yet modern at the same time and works well with all types of interiors, NATURA chairs have sold for as much as 14,000 SEK at auction in Sweden, while in the US, Scandinavian design collectors can expect to pay almost 3,000 dollars”.
Maria Granström
NATURA Armchair, 1977
AMIRAL Chair, 1970
DIANA Chair, 1972
You can find Mobring’s work in the IKEA Museum in Älmhult, Sweden to experience The Story of IKEA and other inspiring exhibitions and events. https://ikeamuseum.com