Isokon are still making furniture – some contemporary, other items with a great deal of history – like this Isokon Penguin Donkey.

It dates back to 1939, when it was advertised through Penguin (hence the name) as a stylish mini bookcase. It holds around 80 paperbacks, but isn’t just limited to your old books – it’s also good for newspapers, CDs, tapes or magazines.

Still as stylish today as it was 60+ years ago, you can pick one up for around £450.

Find out more at the Isokon Plus website

We have been featuring a few design classics recently, and this Savoy vase is one of the most iconic vases ever created. Designed by Alvar Aalto one of the founding fathers of organic design, the inspiration for the vase came from the shorelines of Finland’s fjords.

It was originally produced in 1937, and named after the Savoy restaurant in Aalto’s hometown of Helsinki. It is also know as the Aalto vase, and is probably the best know item produced by the designer.

The vases are still individually blown by the Finnish company Iittala, although the production has changed somewhat. The earliest models were made from re-cycled glass which gave them their greenish colour. They were blown round a wooden template which gave them an uneven texture. They are now produced round metal templates, which produce the smoother versions we know today.

You can buy one in the original 1937 green on the Skandium site. The price depends on size, and the 9.5cm version is £30, 12cm £60 and 16cm is £95.

Find out more on the Skandium site.