IKEA. Enetri Shelving unit designed by Niells Gammelgaard
Chairs are iconic, sexy even in some cases - take the David Weeks Semana chair (Vintage Habitat). Lamps, Beds, Objects, Shelves…. Shelves are not sexy, I have a friend who’s nickname is ‘Shelf’ and not for any sexy reasons.
Enter Niels Gammelgaards Enetri shelving unit for IKEA. The design is ten/ten, design being the synthesis of utility and aesthetics. In this case informed by Art Deco through to brutalism, the Enetri Shelving unit has been offered in dark brown, white, light and dark grey, oak (natural), coloured. Originally designed and released in 1980 by IKEA, the Enetri Shelf has been re-released a few times, in the various updated colourways.
From an engineering point of view making something that can hold the weight the Enetri does and be freestanding is a feat. The adjustable feet in all four corners compensate for unlevel floors. The Disassembled flat pack 4-tier shelf is easily transportable, we’ve sent them to Japan, China, Finland, Sweden. The ease of assembly is silly-easy, only 7 parts, all you need is an Allen key (or the back of a spoon) and a posi screwdriver, thats it!

The shelves have been sitting quietly in the margins for the last 40 years, (waiting for TikTok lol). Fast forward to 2024 and now they are euphemistically everywhere, (seeing as they are quite rare). EVERY interior design influencer has a set ‘casually’ in the background of their Reels, elevating this now iconic piece of furniture to a status of its own. They are the go-to shelving - affordable, lasting, in terms of materials and style, and they effortlessly communicate “I am stylish”, on behalf of their ‘owner’.

The price range in 2024 is between 400 - 1000, depending on condition and colourway, which is actually ridiculously cheap for a piece of furniture that can withstand landfills and lasts longer than you. That price is going up as their popularity increases and a new wave of collector/interior aestheticists cull the current availability. Mid-century, vintage, retro, 80’s furniture is receiving a boom thanks in large part to a dwindling contemporary market replete with low-cost materials and a fast-furniture culture.
