Rare Impala IKEA chair by Gillis Lundgren

Rare “Impala” armchair, designed by Gillis Lundgren (1929-2016) for IKEA in 1971.

• • Padded foam cushion, upholstered in buttercup yellow velvet. Chrome plated tubular steel structure.
  • H 74 CM X D 114 CM X W 80 CM.
  • H sitting 25 CM.
  • Gillis Lundgren was the fourth employee of the IKEA company, he is also the author of the famous “Billy” shelf.
  • Superb condition, a very slight wear mark on the bottom of the cushion.
  • The cushions have been cleaned and the chrome repolished in our restoration workshop.

Impala Armchair by Gillis Lundgren for IKEA

The Impala armchair, designed by Gillis Lundgren for IKEA in the 1970s, is among the boldest creations of Scandinavian design. With its low chrome-plated metal structure and organically shaped cushions, it fully embodies the futuristic aesthetic of its era.

A major IKEA designer, Gillis Lundgren (1929-2016) largely contributed to defining the brand’s identity. His approach, based on functionality and accessibility, is here accompanied by a rare formal experimentation, breaking with the more traditional codes of Nordic furniture.

Excerpt from the 1972 IKEA catalog featuring the Impala armchair. (Source: Ikea Museum)

Upon its release, the Impala model surprised with its avant-garde character. Although its commercial success exceeded initial expectations, its complex manufacturing quickly limited its production, which today explains the rarity of original examples.

IKEA Impala: Ingvar Kamprad’s lost bet

When the IMPALA series launched in 1971, Ingvar Kamprad did not believe the model would succeed. He found its form too “difficult” and bet Gillis Lundgren a bottle of whisky that the chair would not sell. The bet was quickly lost: IMPALA became, on the contrary, a genuine commercial success, and Gillis Lundgren won his bottle.

The anecdote reveals the chair’s audacious character for IKEA in the early 1970s. With its low chrome structure, generous volumes, and colorful cushions, IMPALA broke sharply with more traditional Scandinavian furniture. IKEA presented it in their 1972 catalog as a “luxurious, different” piece, deliberately difficult to categorize.

Having become emblematic of 1970s design, the Impala armchair is now sought after for the singularity of its lines and its place in the history of furniture published by IKEA.

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