IKEA Resells Old Items With Reasons They Were Abandoned—From Divorce To Death

Sometimes, a piece of furniture may be headed to landfill not because it holds too many painful memories. IKEA, which has been making it its mission to encourage homeowners to take over used products instead of buying new ones, is now delving into the deeper motivations behind the letting go of beloved home items.

The Life Collection 2022, produced by advertising agency TRY Oslo, is a catalog of used furniture accompanied by the real reasons the products are being resold at IKEA’s new second-hand stores in Norway.

One bed, for example, was taken apart because the couple that used it had separated after 12 years of marriage. Another BILLY shelf was finally set free after being left alone in a hallway for three years. A vintage chair, purchased in 1977, was put back on the market as its owner had passed away. And one office chair was let go by its owner because his partner found it “too tacky.”

From office closures during the pandemic to divorce, bankruptcy, keeping loved ones happy, and even death, the series humanizes the decisions behind making way for something new. No matter how much one might work to maintain harmony at home, life happens.

“We wanted to show how we understand that furniture isn’t necessarily useful forever,” explains IKEA Global Marketing Manager Roberto Giannone. “Our new second-hand stores are needed because life happens, and we needed a more sustainable way of treating our furniture.”

[via IKEA]