I’ve always dreamt of owning a chair or table that had been designed by one the great furniture ‘godfathers’. Modernist visionaries such as Marcel Breuer, Le Corbusier, Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll to name a few, were (and still are) huge influences in the world of design. I feel a sense of awe when I see a piece of furniture designed as far back as the 1920’s (for example) and still looks contemporary today.

Many of us may have disregarded the idea of owning a design classic because of the expense, the worry where it will go and even if the style would sit well with the rest of the items in the home.

I want to demystify these concerns and share that you can transform your room by having just one key piece, injecting a level of sophistication and style. I’m not one for having a full set of anything, I like to mix my furniture and by throwing in a piece that has been stylish for decades will (I guarantee it) make your home stylish too. I’ve created a Pinterest board of inspirational rooms that have done just that. 

I was recently invited to a furniture sample sale preview by the lovely people at Knoll in Clerkenwell, to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of this annual sale. This iconic design company was founded in 1938 by Hans and Florence Knoll and has been a great success for 75 years. Being true to Bauhaus design philosophy and celebrating modern contemporary design, it’s a great place to find inspiration and hunt for the design classics.

The sample sale open to the public for one day only, 21st November (10-4pm), will have huge discounts including selected ten star buys including designs by Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen and Warren Platner. It’s on every year so it’s a perfect time to grab that star design classic for your room. Here’s what I found…..

The Bertoia side chair, designed by Harry Bertoia in 1952, an iconic mid-century chair. Knoll are promoting 10 of these chairs for £100 each, I can only imagine the fight for such a bargain on Saturday!

This Platner stool (by Warren Platner 1966), may be small but it’s quite a statement piece. Black wire and mustard cushion looks great, I also spotted a grey cushion version too.

Cesca chairs by Marcel Breuer, 1928, a perfect combo of traditional craftsmanship and industrial technology. I really do love this woven cane seats, they may look retro but I have a feeling we’ll see a resurgence of this style. I also spotted a white Bertoia diamond chair, this really stood out as a perfect key piece (as  you can see in my Pinterest board).

I hope this has inspired you to find your key item of furniture and that design classics can be accessible to everyone. Which design classic have you got your eyes on?

H x

Knoll UK Annual Sample Sale
Saturday 21 November 2015
Time: 10am – 4pm
Location: 91 Goswell Road, London EC1V 7EX
Email: uk@knolleurope.com Telephone: 020 7236 6655

feature image source – lily.fi

*disclaimer, part of this post was a collaboration with Knoll, all words and thoughts are my own, I only promote companies and products that I truly believe in.