All the designs ready to transform your surroundings
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
1
Saarinen Coffee Table
by Eero Saarinen (1956)
Bear Grylls//Digital Spy
A second-generation Finnish-American architect, Saarinen was responsible for the futuristic TWA Flight Center at New York’s JFK Airport (1962), which dramatically sped up the flow of travellers while later being designated a historic landmark. This coffee table, though, was his solution to resolving the problem of clutter — its slimline marble table top sits on the tulip-shaped base so it looks like it’s floating in the air.
This contemporary classic constructed from flat planes angled together is as much a sculpture as a functional stacking chair. Educated at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, German-born Serbian industrial designer Grcic is the poster boy of new furniture design.
Constructed from a solid white Carrara marble base, adjustable aluminium arm and stainless steel shade, the Arco floor lamp for Flos is the most iconic ever constructed.
Barred in the early 20th century from architecture and glass work for being female, Anni Albers deferred to weaving, becoming one of the most famous names in textile design and print. The Smyrna rug recreated by contemporary carpet designer Christopher Farr is based on Albers’ design, which was donated to the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Architect Jorge Zalszupin’s fascination with Brazilian modernism inspired him to leave his native Poland and move to Rio in 1949. The Dinamarquesa (meaning Danish in Portuguese) chair’s slender, tapered legs with brass feet make it a beautiful statement piece.
Laccio Low Table (long & short)
by Marcel Breuer (1925)
Bear Grylls//Digital Spy
Once the director of furniture at German art school Bauhaus, Breuer believed that furniture should not be ornamental but functional. The Laccio tables for Knoll are stripped down to their bare elements, allowing light to pass through.
606 Universal Shelving System
by Dieter Rams (1960)
Bear Grylls//Digital Spy
This timeless storage system is the perfect example of unobtrusive furniture design. Dieter Rams, also known for inspiring Apple’s electronic devices, created the modular system for Vitsoe in 1960, which allows stowage space to be expanded simply by attaching more shelves and cabinets.
LC3 Chair
by Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and PierreJeanneret (1928)
Bear Grylls//Digital Spy
The LC3 design is the collective effort of three early 20th century French architects, Le Corbusier, Perriand and Jeanneret. It’s constructed of tubular steel and leather, materials that ensure it remains relentlessly modern, even 80 years on.
Mid-century Danish furniture designer Hans Wegner is best known for pioneering “organic functionality”. This angular oak table on stainless steel legs did away with his trademark curves, however, in favour of a more stark and dramatic design.
Tip of the tongue lamp
by Michael Anastassiades (2013)
Bear Grylls//Digital Spy
Made from brass and glass, this sculptural table light plays with the idea of balance. The glass sphere rests precariously on the heavy brass base giving the illusion it could roll off at any second.