Category: Design and Interiors

The Rocket Gallery in London is home to the first-ever UK exhibition of mid-century furniture by Danish-born designer Jens Risom.

The designs on display date from between 1941 and 1971, all imported specifically for the exhibition and all being offered for sale when the show ends. And there are some real classics to choose from, with Risom responsible for much of Knoll’s early output before setting up his own company, producing a range of pieces that are sought-after by collectors and housed in museums around the world.

The piece pictured above is the Knoll 652w armchair, a design that dates back to 1941 and a chair that was produced before 1951. If you want it, you can buy it for £850. See the website for a more designs and prices.

Find out more at the Rocket Gallery website

Struggling to afford an original Tulip dining table? You could get yourself down to Marks & Spencer for this Veneto glass dining table.

Chrome and glass is the order of the day here – the steel frame is finished in chrome, with a grey-tinted toughened safety  glass top more than capable of a few knocks.

This Italian-made table has a total size of 72.5cm (height) x 120cm (diameter) and is currently on offer, priced at £239, down from its usual £299 price point for a limited time.

Find out more at the Marks & Spencer website

For all its faults, the one thing you were guaranteed in the 1980s was colour. And it doesn’t get much more colourful than the Vision storage system.

Originally designed in 1985 by Pierre Mazairac and Karel Boonzaaijer for Dutch brand Pastoe, it’s a design that was undoubtedly influenced by the Rubik’s Cube. The Vision is made up of nine lacquered MDF cabinets, each with an internal shelf, with doors that close using a pneumatic system.

And you can buy it again, courtesy of the Conran Shop, which has an exclusive on the reissue. But you’ll have to do some saving first – it is priced at £9,350.

Find out more at the Conran Shop website

Some great design has come out of Brazil over the years – and right up there is this M3 sofa.

It was designed by Miguel Forte & Jacob Ruchti back in the 1950s, but its wood frame and fabric upholstery still look incredibly stylish and contemporary today. Indeed, you can still buy it today, courtesy of UK-based Brazilia Interiors, which has reissued the M3 and some size variations for today’s market.

Obviously that style comes at a price – it retails for £3250, but that does buy you a genuine classic.

Find out more at the Brazilia Interiors website

You may recall us flagging up the DFS Nimbo seating – a tribute to or indeed copy of the classic Togo seating from Ligne Roset, dating back to 1973. Well, there’s some more seating on the market with more than a hint of the same inspiration – this ILVA loft modular seating.

It is certainly similar in look, albeit much firmer than the original. But it does have a seriously 70s vibe, ideal for that space age look. It’s available in white or black imitation leather in a size that suits you – that’s the joy of modular seating.

And it is reasonably cheap. A set-up with three seats and a corner unit (similar to the one shown above) will retail for around £849. Compare that to your average designer sofa and it looks very good value.

Find out more at the ILVA website