The 'MTP' is considered one of the iconic Ikea designs of the 1960s. It was originally a wedding gift to Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad and Margareta Stennert, before being put into production. MTP – which as the IKEA catalogue explained stood for “Well-dimensioned, Pleasant, Well-priced” in Swedish – is a shelving series in light oak that could be combined freely. MTP included a bookcase, cabinet, drawer unit, TV bench and more.

In January 1961, Ingvar went to Poland to look for new suppliers. There he met civil servant, engineer and designer Marian Grabinski. He was very accommodating and arranged factory visits for Ingvar, which led to a large order. Marian and Ingvar became good friends, and sometime later they met again in Milan. When Ingvar said he was soon to marry his fiancée Margareta, Marian wanted to give them a surprise. On his flight back to Warsaw he designed the MTP bookcase, and the Polish factory Jarocin quickly made a sample in light Polish oak.

The gift was presented to Ingvar at the international Polish furniture fair in Poznań, and he was delighted. So delighted in fact that he also wanted to see it on sale at IKEA. The shelving series was sold under the name MTP and was a big seller at IKEA for more than a decade.

Source: Ikea Museum