Emotional attachment: Design icons attain special place in our hearts by fulfilling key role in the home

Fashion may come and go, but when it comes to dressing our homes certain looks are here to stay. The past century has seen everything from coffee tables and office chairs to table lamps and coat racks reach icon status and become designated as works of art. That’s not to say good design can only be found in museums - some of the best-known pieces remain hot sellers today and sought after by homeowners and interior decorators alike.

The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman - designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller to resemble “a well-used first baseman’s mitt” - has been in continuous production since its arrival in 1956. The American husband-and-wife duo set out to create furniture that was simple, sophisticated and functional. Key to their approach was signature moulded plywood technology, which gives the Lounge Chair its sleek shape.

Sleek lines - plus an appearance in Diamonds Are Forever - are also the hallmark of Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni’s Arco Floor Lamp. The dramatic design was inspired by a streetlight and features a marble base, fitted with a hole to allow it be transported with a broom handle. The Arco has inspired many imitations, but the original remains a bestseller as a statement piece for living and dining areas.

Another icon of Italian lighting design, Giorgio Armani’s Logo Lamp was designed and produced in 1982 for the fashion legend’s Milan offices. Eighteen years later, the elegantly minimalist table lamp launched Armani/Casa and became the symbol of the lifestyle brand and interior design studio. It recently starred in a series of photo essays by Beppe Brancato, in the homes and offices of global influencers Nick Vinson, David Collins, John Pawson and Vincenzo De Cotiis.