Category: Design and Interiors

If you to buy a chair as an investment as well as for its looks, the Cassina limited edition Charlotte Perriand LC3 armchair.

Charlotte Perriand worked with Le Corbusier and original examples of her designs from the 1920s usually command a hefty price. All too often, reissues are traditionally not such great investments, but this one is – because it’s limited to just 500, each one registered with the Le Corbusier Foundation and featuring a poweder blue frame plus brown leather and linen cushions.

Aram is taking pre-orders for the chairs right now – but you’ll have to shell out £3,845 to get on the list.

Find out more at the Aram website

A 60s classic that’s still likely to cause a stir in 2008 – the Verner Panton VP Globe light fitting.

First seen in 1969, it is a composite globe structure in transparent acryl-glass plastic that features five reflectors in hollowed-out aluminium with coloured lacquered white, blue and orange inside. They are suspended by three steel chains, with the whole fitting held in place by black fabric wire.

Available in small and large sizes, prices start at £999.

Find out more at the Lollipop Shoppe website

Never has a chair looked so good – but been so expensive. But we can still sit back and admire the looks of the Superstructure easy chair.

On the face of it, this should be a piece of 1950s design, but those leaf-like looks are a creation of 2008, with strong curved oak (in natural or black stain finish) and a leather cushion offering support and comfort, with a solid oak base keeping things upright.

The work of David Design, it’s out of my price range (and probably yours) at the equivalent of £1,900, but when that lottery win comes through, you know where to go.

Find out more at the Pid website

As much as talking point as a piece of functional furniture – the Jean Prouvé Guéridon Bas coffee table.

Just think, when visitors come round, you can impress them with the knowledge that it was made by the influential designer in 1944 of ‘Table Africaine’ wood, built around folded sheet metal construction. They’re sure to be impressed.

This new version is actually available in impregnated dark oak or natural oak finishes, but other than that, is much the same as the 40s original. A Vitra reissue, you can pick it up for £938.

Find out more at the Utility Design website

Look familiar? The Girotondo Suction Clock probably does if you are familiar with George Nelson’s mid-century clock designs – although it does offer a couple of things ahead of those originals.

Firstly, there’s that ‘suction’, with each of the numbers having its own suction pad, which means you can rearrange as the mood takes you. All can be attached to any smooth surface (glass, tiles etc), with a reliable clock mechanism (powered by 1x AA battery) keeping the time.

And the other bonus point? Well, it’s a lot cheaper than a George Nelson reissue too, selling for just under £25.

Find out more at the Pedlars website

Not the most exciting piece of furniture you’ll ever see, but the Colonial Table is probably one of the more useful.

Designed by Hans Bellmann in the late 40s (and produced originally in the 1950s), it’s been reissued today by Vitra, offering a circular table for just about any use. And with an adjustable height and collapsible design, that should cover most things.

Available with a solid beech base with maple veneer or cherrywood top and in two sizes, you can pick the table up from £380.

Find out more at the Utility Design website