Well-known cult pieces of furniture, such as the Barcelona armchair, the Rex and Ghost chairs, and the Arco lamp, have been seen so many times that we are tired of them and have lost their element of exclusivity. Over the course of the twentieth century, many more beautiful pieces of furniture were designed that could easily compete with these surviving stars. If they hadn't sunk into oblivion for various reasons. In the current trend of reviving nostalgia, however, the popularity of such forgotten pieces is rising again. People appreciate classic quality again, new materials and technologies enable better reproductions, new production facilities are opening. Some interesting life stories of pieces that are just as relevant today as they were at the time of their "birth" are highlighted in the following paragraphs.
Eternal elegance
Some designer pieces have been on the market for so long that they are practically counterfeit. One of such well-known handy accessories for the home is the present pepper grinder. Few people know that it was introduced to the world long ago in 1874 by the French brand Peugot, which today is known mainly for the production of cars. The Peugot Paris U'Select grinder has remained on the market until today due to its excellent quality; of course with improvements and additions to the model. Its price may be really high, but it is definitely an indestructible steel mill, which is also guaranteed by a lifetime warranty. The rounded shell of the grinder is made of local French wood, which is ergonomically shaped and lacquered in a dark chocolate color.
The E-1027 coffee table is also one of the eternally elegant pieces of furniture. It got its name from the villa that was designed in the late 1920s by one of the first famous female architects or designers, Eileen Gray, together with her partner Jean Badovici. The round shape of the table with an adjustable height and a metal frame is a response to the design trend of the time, which came from the Bauhaus movement. Despite the fact that almost a century has passed since the creation of the table, it is still relevant and fits into modern interiors.
The golden fifties
Many pieces of furniture that are very fashionable today were created precisely in the first post-war decades. One of the successful examples is the innovative storage system ESU (Eames Storage Unit), which was designed in 1949 by the design duo Eames, otherwise better known for their armchairs. The system consists of wooden panels, lacquered panels, metal screens and a chrome frame. The company Vitra, which still manufactures the system today, recently updated the color scheme of the elements in collaboration with the Danish designer Hello Jongerius to meet today's standards and at the same time correspond to the spirit of the 1940s.
French architect and designer Jaques Adnet is best known for combining the design concepts of art nouveau and modernism. In the 1950s, he developed a series of furniture and home accessories for the legendary brand Hermes, in which he introduced an unexpected material; leather. A mirror mounted in a frame made of the finest leather is also part of this series. The warmth and utility of the leather stand and the sophistication of the brass clasps add a touch of timeless elegance to the simple mirror. In 2011, the Danish company Gubi proved this, bringing the mirror back to the market in black and leather and in two different sizes.
Eero Saarinen, an American of Finnish roots, researched between 1953 and 1958 the possibilities of reducing the number of legs of ordinary dining chairs and tables. In 1956, as part of this kind of research, he designed the Tulip table, which has only one leg instead of four. The base is designed very organically, and the surface of the table is available in wood, marble or white laminate. The table is part of a series that also includes chairs, armchairs and coffee tables. The series is still produced today by the company Knoll, which was founded by the husband of Saarin's good friend Florence Schust.
Seating comfort
Chairs are considered to be pieces of furniture that designers love to devote themselves to. The eternal quest for the most ergonomic seat, testing different materials and also the law of gravity has led to countless different versions of this seemingly simple element. One of the most well-known and widespread in our region is the Cesca chair, designed in 1928 by Marcel Breuer, one of the greatest masters of the modernist era. It consists of an elegant metal frame over which two woven rattan tarpaulins are stretched, which serve as a seat and backrest. With its functional, simple and modern form, the Cesca chair reflects the main characteristics of Breuer's design and at the same time perfectly combines modern industrial methods with traditional craftsmanship. Today, the chair is available on the market in two color versions and in a version with armrests.
The lesser-known Mosquito chair by the most famous Slovenian designer, Niko Kralj, was designed in 1953, but due to the demanding production process, it was only put into regular production in 2012. It got its interesting name because of its special shape, because with its thin, slanted legs and bent seat, it slightly resembles a a mosquito. It looks very modern and fresh and can be bought in natural wood texture and black and white.
The currently extremely fashionable Tolix chair was created way back in 1934, when it was made by the pioneer of electroplating, Xavier Pauchard. The metal chair is very light, stable, comfortable to sit on and excellent for use both indoors and outdoors. Credit for the recent revival of this forgotten chair goes to Chantal Andriot, who with a small team of workers undertook the task of reviving production, and so Tolix is now available in several colors and shapes, as well as a smaller version for children.
The recently revived Drop chair was designed in 1958 by the famous architect Arne Jacobsen. Originally, the Drop, Swan and Egg chairs were made in a limited edition exclusively for the furnishings of the Radisson Scandinavian System Hotel in Copenhagen. The Swan and Egg chairs soon went into mass production and became cult design pieces, while the elegant Drop has sunk into oblivion until today. It consists of a plastic seat surface and extremely thin metal legs and is shaped like a floating drop. This year they revived its production, and thanks to new material technologies it is available in many different colors and even textures.
Since its birth in 1972, the Trip Trap chair has become a true family icon. The adjustable seat panel and footrest can be adjusted to the size of the child, which allows the chair to 'grow' with the child almost from birth to adulthood. It allows the child to participate at the table on the level of an equal family member. Sitting is comfortable and ergonomically correct, and children also like to use the chair as a climbing toy. Strokke still manufactures these popular chairs today, but they also provide a wide range of accessories such as bassinets and padded backrests.
The playful Marshmellow sofa was designed by George Nelson and Irving Harper. Produced between 1956 and 1061 by the American company Herman Miller, which in the 1980s 'reprinted' the sofa as part of a line of classic pieces. It is currently available in the market in two dimensions and many color variations. The sofa consists of a strong metal frame, through which round seat cushions are arranged. The round cushions give the sofa a slightly spacey look, and despite its shape, the sofa is extremely comfortable to sit on.
The element of light
The design of light fixtures is also an area that challenges many designers, including Konstantin Crcic, when he designed the May Day lamp in 1999 for the Italian company Flos. Named after the cries for help before the sinking of the Titanic, it was designed to be a portable work tool. It consists of a large white plastic funnel that serves as a shade, an interesting carrier with a hook and a cable carrier, and a five-meter electric cable. The lamp can be used in several different ways in completely unexpected situations; during auto mechanic work in the workshop, during evening work in the garden or while rescuing a cat from a tree. To this day, the versatile lamp has become a necessary accessory in every dynamic home.
Forty years before, the French industrial designer Serge Mouille researched the design of lamps, and the result of his work is a series of lamps that are completely relevant even today due to their graphic aesthetics. He strove to design dynamic pieces that function elegantly, futuristically and kinetically. The lamps are strictly black in color, have long metal frames and smaller rounded shades. He designed both ceiling and wall lamps as well as free-standing versions.
Fresh models
Brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec confirmed the fact that pieces of furniture can be iconic right from the start with the Cloud shelf. They designed the plastic shelf in 2002 at the invitation of the Italian furniture giant Vitra. A seemingly simple piece of furniture can serve as a shelf system for storing items, but it can also be used as a partition panel to separate a room. Due to its interesting shape, individual rack units can be stacked on top of each other, and it is available in white, red and two shades of green.
Also produced in 1992, the lacquered metal first aid cabinet Help was an immediate success. It was designed for the Italian company Capellini by the Swedish designer Thomas Eriksson, who found inspiration for its interesting shape in the internationally recognized symbol of the Red Cross organization. Otherwise, it can also be bought in white, blue and green, but it is best expressed in strong red. Today, the cabinet is part of many homes as well as the collections of the largest design museums.
Everything shows that time is the best indicator of the quality of a product. Pieces that become cult are created when the authors follow the utility of the object rather than the trends for a trendy form. Namely, aesthetic values change, but the usefulness of objects can be the same throughout a greater breadth of periods.
