Author: Justine Harvey

Winning design awards for Peter Opsvik this year, the Varier Penguin Chair is a new design, but their strange structural shape, cool Scandinavian style and quirky name gives them much in common with classic chair designs from the past.

The chairs are intended to be used in kitchen or dining room, but where some chairs designed for dining can be too rigid to ever be fully comfortable, these have been designed with comfort in mind. The legs of the chair are designed to allow for a rolling motion and the position of the armrests make them ideal support for reclining.

Available in a choice of colours, including pure white and walnut, they usually cost £295 each from Espacio, but if you order before the end of the year, they are available at the reduced price of £250.75 each.

If like us, you like type and you like tea, then the Serif Teapot and Mugs are sure fire winner.

The teapot, which holds six cups, features a number 6 hand painted in a serif font on its front, whilst the mugs are numbered one to four in a similar style. They are all made from cream stoneware.

The teapot costs £15 and the mugs £18 for a set of four, from Colloco.

Cattelan Italia’s may be described as contemporary, but when it comes to a piece like the Echo Bar Unit, it looks more than a little bit retro, perhaps because the idea of a home bar is a rather 1970s fashion.

The unit is cylindrical and on wheels, and comprises of a wooden top and bottom combined with aluminium sliding shutters. The wooden parts are available in a choice of wenge or cherrywood, adding to the retro look.

The unit is available to buy from Mac and Mac Interiors, priced £800.