Practical, stylish and unmistakably 1930s – that’ll be the Alvar Aalto 115 Umbrella Stand.
If you’ve got the hallway and you live in a rainy climate, you might want to check this 1936 design out. The frame is in birch, with the plate at the bottom in brass – and the whole thing can probably hold as many umbrellas as you and your guests can throw at it.
Available online – it sells for around £300.
We’ve been admiring the Patricia Urquiola Caboche suspension light for some time in its original clear design, but we’re really sold on the new yellow finish.
Its look is pure 1970s decadence, but it actually dates back to 2005, the work of Patricia Urquiola for Foscarini. A central clear glass shade throws out light up and down, but those space age-style globes that cover the light offer something a bit more special – a cool yellow glow and an eye-catching light effect. Not to mention a stylish focal point for your room.
Not cheap at £652, but if you want to impress your friends, worth every penny.
Find out more at the Panik Design website
We’ve featured many lights. Indeed we’ve featured many Verner Panton lights – yet bizarrely, we’ve somehow missed the most famous of all – the Verner Panton Panthella lamp.
Designed for Louis Poulsen back in 1970, the Panthella is classic space age design, with a look all the more stylish because of its simplicity. That ‘glowing’ spherical shade is made of high pressure moulded opal acrylic, with the supporting stand in high pressure moulded polycarbonate structure built around a steel stem.
Take your pick from the floor or table version, selling for £450 or £345 respectively.
I have a table just like this, dating back to the early 70s – but these Dwell low walnut coffee tables are actually modern designs.
Also reminiscent of the Merrow Associates designs of the late 60s/early 70s, the tables feature a walnut veneer for the surface, as well as a stainless steel frame for support.
And you get two of them, one standing at 30 x 80 x 80cm, the other at 23 x 70 x 70cm. And they sell as a pair for £245.
Find out more at the Dwell website
It’s not easy being a child – all that running around, playing games and watching TV, it’s bound to take it out of you. Which is where the Alexander Taylor Kids Rock comes in.
It’s a rocking chair for kids, perfect for kicking back into after a tough day at school. And not just any old chair – this one packs some stylish mid-century style curves, a solid oak frame and a natural rubber seat inlay (think easier to clean).
Produced by Thorsten Van Elten and available online in four colours, priced around the £350 mark.
Quite simply, a stunning piece of design – that’s the Geoffrey Harcourt Cleopatra chaise longue.
Designed in 1970 for Artifort, this wonderfully space age design is a modern-day (well, relatively) take on the classic chaise, adding sweeping curves and bold colours to your daytime relaxation.
Indeed, you can choose from four colours for the fabric finish, all available at the same price – £2,718.
