Top 10 Pieces of Iconic British Design And Homeware
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Top 10 Pieces of Iconic British Design And Homeware

Where the Brits have designed your home – iconically

By Priya Khanchandani | 1 year ago

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Priya Khanchandani, head of curatorial at the Design Museum, chooses her stand-out products and most iconic pieces of British design for homeware. 

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The Top 10 Most Iconic Pieces of British Design and Homeware

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My Beautiful Backside Sofa

Who made it? Doshi Levien

Tell us more? Launched by Moroso and Doshi Levien during Milan Design Week 2008, it’s inspired by a miniature painting of an Indian princess surrounded by cushions.

The Anglepoise Lamp

Who made it? George Carwardine

Tell us more? The demand for this four-spring lamp designed by George Carwardine almost immediately outstripped his supply capabilities. The Model 1208 is the popular form of this lamp that took the world by storm.

E1027 Table

Who made it? Eileen Gray

Tell us more? Eileen Gray loved developing multi-functional furniture. The E1027 table, designed in 1927, was designed to sit ‘over her knees’ while she was seated, and would moonlight as the occasional bedside table.

Ercol’s Love Seat

Who made it? Lucian Ercolani

Tell us more? Creating an intimate and shared experience, the L. Ercolani Loveseat was designed in 1946 by Ercol founder, Lucian R Ercolani. This is a 1950 version of the design.

Antelope Chair

Who made it? Ernest Race

Tell us more? Designed in 1951, this recalls Windsor side chairs with the vertical slats at the back, while remaining playful in its sculptural form and ball feet.

Falcon’s Enamelware

Who made it? Joe Kleiner & Sons

Tell us more? The brand, Falcon, originated in the 1920s as part of Joe Kleiner & Sons. The enamelware has an instantly recognisable design, with its ice-white body and blue rim.

Kangan Arora’s textiles for Ikea

Who made it? Kangan Arora x Ikea

Tell us more? A design for IKEA intended to bring Indian textiles into every home, the fabric was also inspired by the IKEA Museum in Sweden – drawing on a rich legacy of printed textiles across geography. 

Trauma Chair

Who made it? Samuel Ross

Tell us more? An art piece and commentary rather than functional homeware. he Trauma Chair sits tall like an African tribal throne. It’s lacquered with a mix containing molasses, and speaks in its design of torture and slavery.

Loop Table

Who made it? Barber Osgerby

Tell us more? The Loop Table was part of the first Barber Osgerby furniture collaboration, evolving from an initial handmade model made of cardboard. The Modernist design now sits in the permanent collections of the V&A and the MMA, New York.

The Meisen Cabinet

Who made it? Bethan Laura Wood

Tell us more? Designed first as an investigation into handles, Bethan developed the Meisen’s colourful forms, inspired by Meisen kimonos.

Featured image: Martin Deusch via Flickr