LÖVBACKEN LOVE

Hey guys. It's Nick from Mid-CenturyMidwest again.

I swear, Kate of Retro Rennovation and I didn't secretly conspire to post about the very same topic on the very same day. That's just the way things work out sometimes in the blogging world. Great minds think alike and all, right?

So, if you've read her post, you might already know that Ikea recently re-released the LÖVBACKEN, a veneer-topped side table that first appeared in their 1956 catalog as the LÖVET. You might also know that it was Ikea's first flat-pack piece, a move inspired by after Swedish designer Gillis Lundgren's attempts to fit a pre-assembled table into the back of his vehicle (I'd imagine that it was some small European hatchback), which resulted in the removal of its legs.

Source: Ikea

However, what you didn't see is a non-catalog photo of the actual table, and, as the fast food industry has taught us, sometimes the glamor shot and the real deal are miles apart.

Well, who in this Ikealess wasteland of St. Louis might have a LÖVBACKEN that we can check out?

Oh, wait. I do!

My brother made a weekend trip to Chicago last weekend and asked me if I needed anything at Ikea.  Poor guy, little did he realize that I wanted ALL THE THINGS and had prepared a long list for such an occasion.  At the top of said list was one LÖVBACKEN. 

Unlike most new MCM-inspired designs, it looks incredibly authentic, with spindly, brass-capped legs that are slightly askew and a very Googie top inspired by a leaf.  If it weren't so clean and unblemished (most everything that I bring home is "well-loved"), I'd have thought that he was bringing back an actual period piece.

 

And, unlike your Big Mac, this thing comes out looking just like it did on the menu.  Take a peep at that gorgeous poplar veneer on the top.  Better keep those coasters handy!
 

In typical Ikea fashion, the base is composite wood, but in all honesty, 1950's manufacturers would have employed similar materials in such a table.  Everything looks good and feels solid.

So, the LÖVBACKEN receives this MCM collector's wholehearted endorsement.  If you want to check one out, you can find it at your local Ikea (if you have a local Ikea, I'm super jealous) for the price of $59.99.  Now, please excuse me while I try to explain this endorsement to that Ikea-hater Mr. Modtomic.

If you'd like to read more about Mid-Century Modern and my adventures in thriftiness, visit my blog at midcenturymidwest.blogspot.com.