10 designer objects you can't do without

18 August 2022
Design
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Objects of art have always been one of the most valued and sought-after investments: the best art acquires value over time, provides security and certainty even in the most difficult historical times and undoubtedly increases the quality of the assets in which it is placed.

However, investing in art pieces does not only mean buying paintings, prints or sculptures, but also incorporating designer objects into the interior design of one's home or workplace.

Lamps, sofas, armchairs, chairs, tables... they are all furnishing complements that transcend their simple function and become to all intents and purposes objects of art, the moment they have been conceived, designed and produced by prominent designers and brands.

In this article we introduce you to the 10 designer objects for your home selected by AGOF: read on!

Eclisse, the lamp designed by Vico Magistretti and produced by Artemide

It is one of the most significant design products of the 20th century and symbolises Italian design in the world. Magistretti's Eclisse lamp is exhibited in the permanent collection of the Triennale Design Museum in Milan and the Museum of Modern Arts in New York. Awarded the Compasso d'Oro prize in 1967, it is still produced and sold today by Artemide, the historic Italian brand founded by Ernesto Gismondi.

Nuvola 05, the armchair designed by Paola Navone and produced by Gervasoni

The Nuvola armchair, upholstered in the prestigious category E fabric, was designed by Paola Navone for Gervasoni. It welcomes you with a soft seat that truly gives the sensation of being on a cloud. The Gervasoni small armchair has a completely removable cover and is upholstered in a special fabric, which is also upholstered: a timeless piece of furniture that combines the highest quality with enviable comfort.

Bilia the lamp designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Fontana Arte

The Bilia table lamp, designed by Gio Ponti for Fontana Arte, is an Italian design classic from 1932. Bilia combines two essential geometric shapes, a sphere and a cone, in a skilful and balanced manner. An absolutely contemporary lamp with an exclusive and elegant shape. Fontana Arte is a historic Italian company, originally founded as a manufacturer of sheets and glass for building purposes. It specialised at the end of the 19th century in the production of decorative objects.

Tolomeo Mega the lamp designed by Giancarlo Fassina and produced by Artemide

The iconic Tolomeo Mega floor lamp by Artemide, is a floor lamp with a reality diffuser that belongs to the collection of lamps of the same name designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina. A must-have in the most contemporary, innovative studios and offices, eager to welcome potential clients in a precious and comfortable environment.

Elisa, the sofa designed by Enzo Mari and produced by Driade

A precious, unique and designer sofa can certainly be recognised by the finish of the stitching, the materials chosen and the shapes that are as particular as they are capable of offering comfort and cosiness. The Elisa sofa, designed by Enzo Mari for Driade, is a splendid piece of furniture that is not only one of the most sought-after and sophisticated ever, but also contains a touch of great class represented by its simplicity.

Snoopy, the lamp designed by Achille Castiglioni and produced by Flos

Snoopy, a table lamp designed by Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos in 1967. It is a lighting product with an amusing tone, evoking the Snoopy character from the imagination of the famous comic strip author Charles M. Schulz. The purity and brilliance of the materials that make up this particular table lamp make it a unique object, capable of transforming and fully enhancing the environment with its presence.

Bo, the chair designed by Philippe Starck and produced by Driade

In the design of the 'Bo' chair, architect and designer Philippe Starck started from what are the canonical rules for stackable chairs: narrower front legs, rear legs positioned outside the edge of the seat, then transformed these rules into an expedient that strongly characterises the design. Bo in fact takes on a special snap, taking advantage precisely of the widening at the point where the seat top becomes a backrest.

Lampe de Marseille, the lamp designed by Le Corbusier and produced by NEMO

Designed by Le Corbusier for the Unité d'Habitation in Marseille in 1950/52, the Lampe de Marseille wall lamp is considered an absolute icon of contemporary design. NEMO, founded in Milan in 1993 by Franco Cassina and Carlo Forcolini, is one of the world leaders in the field of lighting, committed to the creation of innovative and avant-garde design.

Coupé, the lamp designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Oluce

Joe Colombo's Coupé lamp was initially conceived as a variant of the lamp Spider, already in Oluce's collection. The designer reinterpreted the more long-lived Spider by taking inspiration from the same base and stem, but remodelling them into a design with a stem and swivelling shade - useful as a lampshade. In 1968, the Coupé won the prestigious International Design Award from the American Institute of Interior Designers in Chicago, and was later also included in the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the Neue Sammlung Museum in Munich

Pipistrello, the lamp designed by Gae Aulenti and produced by Martinelli Luce

The unfurled wings, caught in the instant before the complete opening. In this momentum crystallised in time is contained all the value, emotional and stylistic charge of the Pipistrello lamp, a design icon created by Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce. A lamp that through its diffuser and telescopic base with a sinuous, curved shape encapsulates discontinuity, modernity, humour and grace, elegance and dynamism. It is thanks to the courage of having proposed all these facets, even contrasting with each other, that Pipistrello resists time with a unique charm.