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Evening Standard
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Kate Jacobs

100 interiors design icons: from budget buys to rare vintage gems — how many do you have?

From immediately recognisable hits to the if-you-know-you-know future collectables, thrifty hard-workers to six-figure rarities, how many of these design classics are already in your living space?

1. Anglepoise lamp

Original 1227 Giant Floor Lamp (Anglepoise)

The glossy, adjustable lamp was created by George Carwardine, a car suspension designer, in 1931; that it remains mostly unchanged is testament to a true classic.

Original 1227 Brass Desk Lamp, £259, anglepoise.com

2. Pierre Jeanneret Chandigarh chair

A Good Taste staple, the 1950s-designed chairs were originally created for government workers. Hundreds were abandoned or sold off for a few rupees when tastes changed, but today you can occasionally find one listed on eBay for thousands of pounds. Kourtney Kardashian has a Jeanneret habit.

Pair of Chandigarh Easy Chairs by Pierre Jeanneret in original condition with original caning, £9,000, nicholaswells.com

3. Vitsœ by Dieter Rams Universal 606 modular shelving

(606 Vitsœ)

‘My design classic is the Vitsœ shelving, it’s so useful, multifunctional and defies all trends and is a real legacy piece for me in terms of interiors; we’ve got it downstairs in our basement and it can come with us wherever we go. We know that we’re going to have it for a lifetime and be able to pass it down to our children,’ says Laura Jackson, founder of Glassette.

606 components, from £20, vitsoe.com

4. Alessi Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer

(Alessi)

Bringing a sci-fi swish to your morning juice, the Philippe Starck design is as functional as it is distinctive.

£80, uk.alessi.com

5. Le Creuset Cast Iron Round Casserole

(Le Creuset)

Nearly 100 years old and still going strong. Available in a rainbow of shades, but orange is the OG.

From £195, lecreuset.co.uk

6. David Mellor Pride cutlery

(David Mellor)

The sleek, modernist design was created in 1953 — while Mellor was still a student at the Royal College of Art — and has been in constant production since then.

From £125 for a six-piece place setting, davidmellordesign.com

7. Matilda Goad & Co scallop lampshade

(Matilda Goad)

London’s very own Matilda Goad took lampshades to ‘it’ status with her wavy raffia designs.

From £80, matildagoad.com

8. Ettore Sottsass Ultrafragola mirror

(Jeremy Selwyn)

The 1970s, wavy pink design launched a thousand dupes — and even more selfies.

£7,320, alexeagle.com

9. Ercol 333 Small chair

Established in 1920 by Italian designer Lucian R Ercolani who had the ambition to create ‘relevant and honest furniture’, the still family owned Ercol continues his legacy. The 1950s-designed 333 chair is the inspiration for the brand’s Heritage collection.

Heritage chair, from £390, ercol.com

10. Ercol Windsor Chair

See also the Windsor Chair, launched in 1950 at The Furniture Exhibition, and in production ever since.

Windsor dining chair, from £465, ercol.com

11. Hermes Avalon throw blanket

(Hermes)

The comfort blanket of the 1 per cent (searches surged 500 per cent after it made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the Harry & Meghan doc).

£1,470, hermes.com

12. Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

(Vitra)

Proof that comfort and style need not be mutually exclusive. The Charles and Ray Eames 1956 design has been produced by Vitra ever since.

From £6,835, vitra.com

13. Marcel Breuer Wassily chair

(Fremdbesitz!)

“My husband Matt Gibberd and I received a Wassily chair as a gift more than 20 years ago. I think it’s probably from the 1960s but it may be older. Matt’s parents gave it to us,” says Faye Toogood, founder of Toogood.

“Matt’s father was an architect and his grandfather was a really important modernist architect [Frederick Gibberd]. The chair is the point at which our two aesthetics meet. It is very angular, very simple and very elegant, with a tough canvas seat and back.”

From £1,601.40, aram.co.uk

14. Jermaine Gallacher candlesticks

(Liberty)

London’s impish interiors whizz has a cult hit on his hands via the zigzag candlesticks.

£175 at jermainegallacher.com

15. Dualit toaster

(Dualit)

“A Dualit toaster for its iconic design of course and the familiar whirring sound of the timer that signals breakfast time in our home each morning,” says Matilda Goad,

2 Slice NewGen Classic Toaster, £170, dualit.com

16. Mario Bellini for B&B Italia Camaleonda sofa

The curvy, puffy modular sofa is another one of those pieces that suddenly seems to be everywhere. Making its debut in 1970, it was reissued by B&B Italia in 2020. Warning: doesn’t come cheap.

Prices start at around £10,000, pamono.co.uk

17. Welsh blanket

The traditional handwoven tapestry blankets have found a whole new fanbase. See jen-jones.com and welshblankets.co.uk for an excellent selection.

18. Faye Toogood Roly Poly chair

(Faye Toogood)

“Having children reawakened my creativity in every way. It brought a softer, more childlike and playful approach seen in the Roly-Poly chair,” says Toogood of the design.

“I think it really resonates with many different life situations, and it ultimately retains its own life within the home.”

£7,320, t-o-o-g-o-o-d.com

19. Cornishware

(Cornishware)

The blue and white striped mugs, bowls and plates are a kitchen staple.

Arch tastemaker Jonathan Anderson catapulted it back to the zeitgeist (not that it ever really left) when he referenced it for his SS24 menswear collection. Invites were sent out via customised teapots, bowls etc.

Small Betty teapot, £30, cornishware.co.uk

20. Isamu Noguchi Akari lamp

(eBay / premiumtokyo)

The pioneering polymath has been the subject of a Barbican retrospective and continues to influence lighting with his sculptural paper lampshades.

£305, aram.co.uk

21. Yves Klein Ikb table

In any colour… So long as it’s blue.

From £19,117, 1stdibs.com

22. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair

Over 100 years old and looking as good as ever, the Barcelona chair is one of those pieces that even people who don’t know about design know about.

From £6,456, aram.co.uk

23. Le Corbusier LC04 chaise longue

(Aram)

Seriously good looking, surprisingly comfortable, shockingly modern. A true icon.

£4,789, aram.co.uk

24. William Morris wallpaper

(William Morris)

The Arts and Crafts wallpaper has aged as well as Morris’s famous advice to “have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”.

morrisandco.sandersondesigngroup.com

25. Alvar Aalto vase

The curvy, fluid design dates from 1936 and is still coveted today. PS. South London’s brilliant Andu Masebo has an Aalto shelf, a wall-mounted design specifically designed to accommodate the contours of the 251mm Aalto vase.

Find pre-loved ones from comfortably under £100 on eBay.

26. Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair

(Arne Jacobsen)

Created as part of Jacobsen’s interior design for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen in 1960, this Danish design has truly gone global.

From £7,063, aram.co.uk

27. Eames Plastic Side Chair DSR

(Vitra)

A clean classic that can find a place in (almost) any home.

£330, vitra.com

28. Flos Arco lamp

(Arco)

Liberally ripped off (imitation is the highest form of flattery) 1962’s swooping Arco lamp is innovative and elegant. Designed to do away with the need for messy wiring, it took its cue from a streetlamp.

£1,955, heals.com

29. Ubald Klug Terraza sofa

Another status sectional sofa, Klug’s 1970s design has a status price tag to match.

30. Isokon Penguin Donkey magazine rack

(Isokon Plus)

Belsize Park’s modernist Isokon building has played home to a vast array of design talents including Marcel Breuer and Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius (as well as some spies).

Another former resident, Egon Riss, designed the Penguin Donkey. The bent plywood design was perfectly proportioned to hold up to 80 Penguin paperbacks.

£900, shop.penguin.co.uk

31. Kvadrat/Raf Simons textiles

(Kvadrat)

The Belgian designer’s cushions are a recurring accent in today’s best dressed homes.

32. Anissa Kermiche Popotin vase

(Anissa Kermiche)

Ultra-glamorous jeweller Kermiche helms a formidable homeware business, supercharged by bringing boobs and bums to mantelpieces and dining tables.

£65, anissakermiche.com

33. AGA range cooker

(AGA)

More than an oven, for AGA devotees they are a lifestyle.

From £5,013, agaliving.com

34. SMEG fridge

(Smeg)

It might look straight out of 1950s America, but this retro-look fridge (from Italian appliances manufacturer, SMEG) actually debuted in 1997.

35. Isamu Noguchi Biomorphic table

Noguchi considered his 1944 Coffee Table to be his finest design.

From £2,150, vitra.com

36. Plumen LED bulb

(Plumen)

The Design Museum’s 2011 Design of the Year, a spot in the permanent collections of MOMA and the V&A, who says lightbulbs can’t be… Important?

001 - Iconic LED Bulb - 120V, €46, plumen.com

37. Verner Panton S chair

(Panton)

Another hit from the Danish cannon, the plastic stacking chair is so iconic it’s shared a Vogue cover with a naked Kate Moss.

£325, vitra.com

38. Thonet and Sons 214 Bentwood chair

AKA No. 14, the mid-19th century bistro chair is one of the earliest, and most enduringly successful, examples of mass-produced furniture.

£680, skandium.com

39. Willy Guhl Diabolo planter

“The Diablo was an iconic piece within his collection and a definitive shape of the era, the height of cool, mid-century simplicity,” says Jasmine McGarr, co-owner of garden design and antiques company, Feraland

“In the garden they can play an important architectural role, to create focal points or provide hard lines within the soft layers of the planting.”

From £776, 1stdibs.com

40. Tekla sheets

(Tekla)

Bragging rights bedding? Believe it. Copenhagen’s Tekla’s come in slightly odd Scandi shades. See also: the towels, PJs and dressing gowns.

From £31, teklafabrics.com

41. Afra and Tobia Scarpa Soriana chair

Designed by the husband and wife team for Cassina in 1969, it scooped the Compasso d'Oro Award in 1970.

£5,650, harrods.com

42. Charlotte Perriand 526 Nuage shelving unit

Crisp, confident, functional; Charlotte Perriand’s modular shelving is shockingly desirable. Designed in the 1950s and reissued by Cassina for the past decade.

£8,652, twentytwentyone.com

43. Gaetano Pesce Amazonia vase

‘Gaetano Pesce is a real design pioneer, a master of colour and materials and a real innovator. His design furniture is so sought after with some furniture fetching hundreds of thousands of pounds,” says Belma Gaudio, founder & creative director of KOIBIRD

“We love his vases as they are completely toddler proof and unbreakable!”

£385, koibird.com

44. Laura Ashley fabrics

There is something honest and unapologetically identifiable about the world of Laura Ashley. A renewed interest in the clothes (thank designer Batsheva Hay and/or ‘cottagecore’) makes the case for hanging onto your chintz.

45. Paustian Furniture Collection Arctander chair

Also known as the Clam chair, the 1944 design was widely misattributed before Philip Arctander finally got the credit. Reintroduced in 2016 by Paustian, the sheepskin ones are a fashion world favourite.

£6,134, skandium.com

46. Poole Pottery Blue Bird

The 1930s design is one of Poole Pottery’s most famous. Find pieces on eBay for a song.

47. Frank Gehry Wiggle side chair

(www.vitra.com)

One man’s trash is another’s future design icon. Gehry struck on the inspiration for his 1972 creation when he came across a pile of discarded cardboard outside his office.

£989, vitra.com

48. Robin Day Polyside chair

(www.fusionliving.co.uk)

Even if you don’t own one, you’ve definitely sat in one.

£40.60, justforschools.co.uk

49. IKEA Billy bookcase

(IKEA)

Launched in 1979 the Billy bookcase is wildly successful. According to IKEA, one is sold every five seconds.

From £55, ikea.com

50. Marc Newson Orgone chair

(www.marc-newson.com)

Arguably the most influential living designer, Marc Newson has given us sneakers and concept jets, headphones and cameras. 1993’s Orgone chair is a classic.

From £2,426, pamono.co.uk

51. Gerrit Reitfeld Red and Blue chair

Like a Mondrian’s been made 4D with its geometric lines and punchy primary colours, the Red and Blue chair is indicative of the Dutch De Stijl movement. Originally designed in 1918, later versions can be found online.

From £1,600, vinterior.co

52. Eileen Gray Bibendum chair

Eileen Gray’s curvy masterpiece was named after the Michelin man. Found in many of her interiors, including the living room of e1027. Want one in yours? Aram Designs holds the worldwide license.

From £3,500, aram.co.uk

53. Aesop handwash

(Aesop)

You might think it a bit of a stretch, but has any item come to instantly exemplify millennial aspiration quite like Aesop’s unmistakable handwash?

£31, aesop.com

54. Big Green Egg barbeque

(Big Green Egg)

Ditto the BEG… Has any item come to instantly exemplify alpha aspiration quite like the posh BBQ?

£1,415, biggreenegg.co.uk

55. Michel Ducaroy Ligne Roset Togo sofa

(Ligne Roset)

Yes, it’s modular sofa! Designed for Ligne Roset in 1973, Michel Ducaroy hit on the idea for squished, cushy settee on looking at a toothpaste tube (true!).

56. Florence Knoll Hairpin stacking table

The collectable table formerly known as the Model 75 stool. An accessible piece of design history.

£315, store.moma.org

57. Tord Boontje Garland light

Inspired by a walk in a forest, and created for Habitat in 2002, the Garland has since blossomed into museum-permanent-collection status.

£49, shop.tordboontje.com

58. Bialetti Moka Express coffee maker

(Handout)

La dolce vita in a silver pot, Bialetti’s stove-top coffee maker has been serving caffeine connoisseurs for 90 years.

€28.90, bialetti.com

59. Bodum Chambord teapot

And if you’re more into tea, this-Memphis style design can now fetch north of £100 second hand.

£196, vinterior.co

60. Sussex chair

(Geffrye Museum)

“Bobbin furniture has been having such a moment recently and so much of it is rooted in the Sussex chair. They lend a classic elegance to any space,” says interior designer Lucy Williams.

“I love that they work in more period traditional houses but equally you can pair them with modern designs.”

Vintage, from £495 at vinterior.co

61. Jochen Holz for HAY jug

Classic HAY: purposeful with design integrity.

£49, selfridges.com

62. Clara von Zweigbergk for HAY trays

(Connox)

See also the colourful stainless steel trays, another example of the Danish homeware emporium’s playful practicality.

From £21, connox.co.uk

63. Muji stacking boxes

The pared-back pragmatism of Muji makes it the great universal crowd pleaser. The nifty stacking boxes earn their place in any home.

From £10.95, muji.eu

64. Spode Blue Italian tableware

The ornate blue and white design has weathered trends for over 200 years.

From £12, spade.co.uk

65. Karim Rashid Umbra Garbo waste can

Yes, even your bin can have icon status.

£8, Umbra.com

66. Chesterfield sofa

(John Lewis)

Relax and open up… So comfortable that Sigmund Freud sat his patients on one.

From £2000, fleminghowland.com

67. Flos Taccia Table Lamp

(Flos)

‘Designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962, I love its industrial design, unique sculptural form, and the scale of it.’ Sophie Ashby, founder of Studio Ashby

£2,390, flos.com

68. Gerd Lange De Sede DS 125 sofa

Angular design dating from 1978.

Vintage or £14,450 from thecambridgechaircompany.com

69. Charlotte Perriand Les Arcs stacking chair

Designed for Les Arcs ski resort in the 1960s, the leather and metal chairs are peak chic. Seek them out at Vinterior, eBay, 1stDibs and more.

Vintage, from £1500 for set of 4 at vinterior.co.uk

70. Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage earthenware

Whimsical, collectable, and a novel approach to getting your five a day.

From £54, bordallopinheiro.com

71. Donald Judd Corner chair

Polymath artist Donald Judd began designing furniture for his 101 Spring Street residence in New York (now a pilgrimage site for design and art aficionados), and then later for his Marfa home. Stripped back and spare, the minimalist’s dream.

$9,300, judd.furniture

72. Philippe Starck for Kartell Louis Ghost chair

(Kartell)

Versailles via 2001: A Space Odyssey is the vibe.

From £294, heals.com

73. Tom Dixon Melt light

(Tom Dixon)

Resembling globs of liquid metal, Tom Dixon’s melt collection exudes a naturalistic, organic light.

From £230, tomdixon.net

74. Vladimir Kagan Serpentine sofa

Widely copied, super desirable, the curvy couch was introduced in 1950 – and looks better than ever.

Vintage, £7,430 on etsy.com

75. Gio Ponti for Ginori 1735 porcelain

The 300-year old Florentine studio’s vibrant work is opulent and ornate. Aritsitc director between 1923 and 1933, Ponti’s designs are some of the maison’s most famous. Ginori1735.com

Various, ginori1735.com

76. Rattan peacock chair

(www.therattancompany.co.uk)

A hotly debated origins story has done nothing to diminish the wicker chair’s fame. Pick up pre-loved styles for a song.

Vintage, from £200 on vinterior.com

77. Dior Maison Toile de Jouy

The pretty pastoral design originates from the 18th century. A favourite of Monsieur Dior, it has become a house signature, found on cushions, candles, cups and more.

From £130, dior.com

78. Vincent Van Duysen for Zara Home

(Vincent Van Duysen)

A rare opportunity to access that Belgian architect and designer’s work (he was one of the visionaries behind the Kardashian-West Calabasas compound). We predict Van Duysen’s ongoing collaboration with Zara to only grow in value.

zara.com

79. Jean-Michel Frank sofa

(www.artnet.com)

“I love the modernity of it. Given it was designed in the 1930s, its simple lines and beautiful proportion, means that it stands the test of time and works in almost any setting,” says Bryan O’Sullivan, interior designer and founder of Bryan O'Sullivan Studio.

80. Ron Arad Bookworm shelves

(Amazon UK)

“The ‘Bookworm’ bookshelf designed by Ron Arad is beyond iconic — I love it for its sculptural aesthetic,” says Hollie Bowden, founder of Hollie Bowden Interiors.

From £303, heals.com

81. Falcon Enamelware

(Falcon)

A design classic that’s also child-friendly? Not a myth. Falcon’s sturdy enamelware is available in a range of colours – but white with a blue rim remains the OG.

From £6 for a small sauce dish, falconenamelware.com

82. IKEA Poäng chair

(Amazon UK / IKEA)

IKEA is coming for your high-street. The 40-year-old Poäng chair will be there — if not already in your home.

From £80, ikea.com

83. Louis Poulsen PH5 pendant lamp

(www.nest.co.uk)

Another predictably good-looking, functional Danish design. Created by Poul Hennigsen for Louis Poulsen in 1958, the PH5 pendant allows for ideal light distribution.

From £875, louispoulsen.com

84. Alvar Aalto for Artek, Stool 60

Curved legs, round seat, stackable: the functional 90-year-old design has sold millions of units. A bona fide icon.

£234, twentytwentyone.com

85. Wegner Wishbone chair

Yes, another desirable Danish design. Created for Carl Hansen & Son in 1949, the Wishbone is still made (and coveted) today.

From £524, aram.co.uk

86. String shelving

(Skandium)

Affordable modular shelves with distinctive ladder style supports.

From £150, skandium.com

87. Kilner jars

Established in 1842, Kilner’s clever, vacuum-sealed storage jars are still a kitchen staple.

88. Campbell Rey for Nordic Knots Climbing Vine rug

Created for Hotel Il Pellicano (the height of style, forever), no further explanation needed.

From £695, nordicknots.com

89. Jonathan Adler Druggist Weed tray

Full dose porcelain tray, £40, from Jonathan Adler at Selfridges (Jonathan Adler)

Tongue-in-chic! Renowned for his exuberant interior designs, Jonathan Adler brings a playfulness to interiors. The Druggist accessories are a humorous place to begin.

£50, uk.jonathanadler.com

90. Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer

(KitchenAid)

Instantly recognisable, retro-look, best-in-class kitchen accessory from the brand that’s over 100 years old.

From £449, kitchenaid.com

91. Elsa Peretti Tiffany & Co thumb-print bowls

As elegant, striking and sensual as her Bone Cuffs, the thumb-print designs are pure Peretti. See also the world’s sleekest paperweights.

From £50, tiffany.co.uk

92. Missoni zigzag cushions

(www.missoni.com)

We have witnessed Serious Fashion People stuffing multiplies under their tops post-Missoni show.

From £230, mytheresa.com

93. Fornasetti Tema E Variazioni plates

That is the enigmatic face of opera singer Lina Cavalieri gazing at you from Piero Fornasetti’s most famous designs. Find her in multiple interpretations across a variety of pieces.

From £160, fornasetti.com

94. G Plan 6250 Chair

(www.jamesbondlifestyle.com)

AKA the Blofeld chair thanks to its Bond villain cameo.

£735, vinterior.co

95. Marimekko Unikko pattern

A poppy print that pops. The jolly, buoyant floral was created in 1964 and remains one of the Finnish textile brand’s best-loved designs.

Marimekko.com

96. Baccarat Havana ashtray

(www.baccarat.com)

Obviously, don’t smoke. But, if you must – a Baccarat crystal ashtray is suitably decadent. (See also Murano glass).

£690, baccarat.com

97. Dinosaur Designs salad servers and bowls

In a delicious, intense colour palette, the Australian design studio’s resin creations are irresistible.

Servers, £100, dinosaurdesigns.co.uk

98. Sori Yanaghi Butterfly stool

Japanese designer Sori Yanaghi’s gently curved stool was designed in the 1950s.

From £695, vitra.com

99. Pierre Frey Toile de Nantes fabric

The posh French fabric maison’s take on an ikat pattern.

Pierrefrey.com

100. Jean Prouvé Standard chair

Not just because we approve of the name. Considering himself an engineer as well as a designer and architect, Prouvé’s designs were informed by structure first. The Standard chairs have been produced by Vitra since 2002.

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