The modern furniture designs that have everlasting appeal
Some pieces of furniture perfectly capture the style of the period in which they were designed — but quickly lose their charm, looking tired or out of place after a few years. Others are created with such clean lines, such simple structures, that they never date. It is the latter that we feature here, by well-known architects including Antonio Citterio, Gio Ponti and Armani, as well as rising stars such as the London-based designer Michael Anastassiades. Many of the pieces, like the D.151.4 armchair, were conceived decades ago and are still in production today. But there are also contemporary creations that are destined to be future classics. Here, Nick Vinson selects some of his favourite designs – from fabrics to lamps, sofas to side-tables — whose beauty will never fade.
Twiggy armchair
by Rodolfo Dordoni for Minotti
Geometric shapes in a soft, supple leather form the seat and back of this design by the Milan-based architect Rodolfo Dordoni. Choose between polished or coffee-hued aluminium feet. Shown here in fern-coloured leather.
£7,536, minotti.com
Byram wall fabric
by Raf Simons for Kvadrat
Woven from pure kid mohair, Byram is a deep-piled velvet fabric that is extremely soft to the touch. The palette by the Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons includes primrose yellow, which gives a room a light, spring look.
£386 a metre, kvadrat.dk
Club 44 table
by Angelo Mangiarotti for Agapecasa
Designed in Milan in 1957 for the Club 44 cultural centre in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, this table is now being produced as a series. The top, made from 30mm birch plywood with exposed edges, is finished with natural Forbo linoleum and sits on monumental conical legs of cast cement.
From £5,895, agapecasa.it
Plain rug
by Poliform
This carpet is woven from a blend of three natural fibres —