Category: Design and Interiors

I’m fascinated by this Disc Wall Clock – not least because it looks more like traditional bathroom scales than a working timepiece.

Made of chrome and glass, it’s available in black or white, with both indicating the time through two very ‘matter of fact’ rotating numeric wheels – the kind of thing you might expect to see on a modernist piece of design.

Available online, you can pick one up for £65.

Find out more at the Dwell website

Looking for some design classics at knock-down prices? You might want to get down to London on November 17th for the Knoll International Studio sample sale.

Yes, that’s iconic 20th century furniture marked down heavily – and delivered before Christmas. All the pieces are ex display and photoshoot samples, hence the cheaper prices, but without a loss of quality. Knoll is the only authorised manufacturer of the Barcelona Chair, and the Saarinen Tulip and Bertoia collections. Indeed, one offer from the sample sale is a Knoll 250LC Barcelona Chair in black leather, marked down from  £3360 to £999.

The sale takes place on Saturday, 17th November, from 10am until 1pm at the Knoll showroom in Smithfield. Get there early.

See more of the range at the Knoll website

A nice mix of 1950s period lighting with traditional Japanese design – the Isamu Noguchi 1950 Akari table lamp.

It’s new to the MoMA online store, although original Isamu Noguchi Akari designs have been in the museum’s collection for decades. This reissue is faithful to that era, when electricity was added to the traditional paper lantern.

It’s handmade from washi paper and bamboo ribbing, supported by a metal frame and able to support a 40w bulb. You can buy one for $125, which is around £65.

Find out more from the MoMA website

We often refer to designs as ahead of their time but the Otto chair by Peter Raacke really was – and remains a classic piece of design and construction.

The Otto first hit the stores in 1968, turning a few heads with its cardboard construction. After all, why would prefer cardboard to plastic in the late 60s? Fast forward on to 2007 and the Otto can now be seen as a sharp piece of green design, constructed from completely recycled materials. All you have to do is finish it to your taste with a spot of paint or varnish and this sturdy chair will keep you seated for years to come.

It’s been reissued by German design retailer Pulpo – and at 69 Euros (£48), this is about as cheap as design classics come.

Find out more at the Pulpo website