One of those designs that defies its age – the Martin Visser Spectrum sofa bed.
No, that date isn’t wrong – this contemporary-looking sofa bed was designed in 1959 – and is back on the market in 2008. The Spectrum is made of matt chrome plated steel, upholstered in a choice of fabric or leather and with an optional armrest. Ideal as a sofa or with a shift of the mechanism, you can convert to a single bed.
Prices start at £1,771.
Gio Ponto has been described (rightly or wrongly) as the ‘father of modern design’. So it’s no surprise to see some of his more interesting designs getting a reissue – like this Gio Ponti Rosalinda coffee table.
Amazingly, this first hit the shelves of the finer design stores in 1940 – probably not the best year to sell designer furniture, but it has certainly earned its keep since. The frame is lacquered wood (with a choice of colour) with a glass top to finish things off.
As you would expect, this reissue isn’t cheap at £2,800.
Find out more at the TwentyTwentyOne website
If you’re after a mid-century look, but don’t want to pay a fortune for vintage/designer pieces. this sideboard and storage cupboard from Amode could fit the bill.
Both are made of oak and aren’t a million miles away from the earlier G-Plan pieces – except of course, these are newly built. The storage unit has a large cupboard area, three drawers and two open areas, while the sideboard has two large storage areas behind the two doors.
You can pick up the sideboard for £380, while the storage unit comes in at around £400.
Find out more at the Amode website
Everyone needs a good armchair to sink into after a hard day at work – like the Spock swivel chair from Little Book Of Furniture.
Another in that ‘Bond villain’ mould – in fact, it is part of the company’s Goldfinger range – so maybe that was the inspiration. Anyway, for your money you get a chair made by ‘one of Italy’s finest furniture makers’ using ‘the best leathers in the world’ and sat on a chrome swivel base.
And all that will set you back £1,245.
If you are on the look out for a retro-styled dining table, but don’t want to go down the obvious Tulip table route, the Tonelli Farniente Alto dining table offers a minimalist alternative.
A modern piece with roots firmly set in the 70s, this Giovanni Tommasso Garattoni-designed table offers a round tempered glass surface and a pedestal-style chrome base. And as it goes down the minimalist route, you can match it up with just about any set of dining chairs on the market.
You can choose from a variety of heights and diameters, retailing for around £780.
Are they tables or are they seating? You cut put a good case for the Charles & Ray Eames Stools being both.
Dating back to 1960 and (like most pieces) back in circulation from Vitra, these Stools were part of a commission for the lobbies of the Rockefeller Center in New York, producing these three solid walnut items, each with distinct turned central areas.
Expect a weighty item for your money – but also a versatile one. Prices are around £700.
Find out more at the Nest website
