Thursday , March 28 2024

The best designs of all time

There are some designs which we love for a few months before consigning them to the bin of bad taste.  But there are some which stand the test of time, looking great in every changing trend…

Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair  With its clean lines and sleek looks Mies van der Rohe’s leather and chrome chair looks as fresh and modern now as it did when it was first made by the Bauhaus architect back, believe it or not, in 1929.

Sunburst Mirror  Probably a very old French design, the sunburst mirror has been reproduced in slightly different designs and colours endlessly over the years.  Now enjoying a real renaissance it looks set to stay in the public consciousness for good. 

Fornasetti Wallpaper  Recently given a new lease of life by Cole and Son, Piero Fornasetti’s almost spooky illustrations of opera singer Lina Cavalieri’s face are a real love-it-or-hate-it thing.  The simplistic black and white of his designs mean that Lina’s face will adorn homes for years to come. 

Kartell Louis Ghost Chair  Originally designed by Phillipe Starck, an icon in his own right, these chairs are now found everywhere from plush hotels to Victorian terraces.  Based on fussy Louis XV designs, reimagined in polycarbonate, these chairs are already true classics. 

Anglepoise Lamp  The most simple, recognisable and useful design every created, the Anglepoise lamp is reinvented time and time again in so many different ways but whether in pop art colours or cast in wood nothing can take away its usability. 

Tulip Table  Originally designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, the Tulip table has made a major comeback in recent years thanks to a much more reasonably priced Ikea reworking.  Simplistic and pure it somehow fits in to just about any interior. 

Vitra Eames DAX Plastic Armchair  Now found as rocking chairs, swivel office chairs and with wooden legs the original DAX was so simple as to be almost easy to ignore, not to mention the fact that they were mass produced and owned by all.  Yet somehow there’s now no more desirable design. 

Aga Cooker  No English country kitchen is complete without an Aga.  The sturdy, iron body of this cooker, now painted in any colour you could wish is not just beautiful but practical and long lasting too while for enthusiastic cooks the Aga takes cookery to the next level. 

Ikea Billy Bookcase  Reaching its 30th birthday in October 2009 the Billy has to be the most successful creation of the Swedish interior giant.  The charm is in the fact that Billy is so plain and unimpressive he fits in anywhere, can be painted, covered or adapted to suit your taste. 

Thonet Model 14 Bentwood Chair  Designed in 1859 and still manufactured by Thonet to this day, the Model 14 is one of the most successful commercial products of all time.  Noo surprise when you consider that it’s found in restaurants and homes the world over.

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