Iconic Designer Chairs - Distinguishing Classics From Imitations

To define a true design classic, you really need to distinguish an original from an imitation. With an original piece, one is buying an iconic piece of design history - it will have been produced to the exact details intended by the designer, it will have been manufactured using only the finest materials available by trained and experienced craftsmen, and it will last a lifetime.

In contrast, imitation pieces are generally manufactured from lesser materials to a lower standard and will have a much shorter lifespan than its original counterpart. It may look similar but build quality, materials and intention - the heart of a piece - are lost.

Most pieces that are regarded as classics carry design copyrights by such manufacturers as Cassina and Knoll. They will carry specific markings to distinguish them from the proliferation of copies that abound.

Paying tribute to an armchair variant of the Model 209, prolific architect and designer Le Corbusier stated 'Never has anything been created more elegant and better in its conception, more precise in its execution and more excellently functional'. The chair being referred to was more than 100 years old at the time but Le Corbusier found the simplicity and design essence of the piece transcended fashion and represented the modernist concept of economy, durability and humbleness.

Cesca Side Chair by Knoll
Designed by Marcel Breuer circa 1928. The Cesca chair was a product of the influential Bauhaus school of design in the late twenties. Widely copied in the 60s and 70s, the original piece was made of tubular steel with a hand woven cane seat and back inserts framed with satin stained wood.

Barcelona Chair by Knoll
Designed by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe for the pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona Exposition. The design of the Barcelona chair was amended in 1950 by replacing the original frame with a one-piece seamless steel one. Manufactured today by Knoll, the Barcelona is one of the most recognised pieces of furniture although the original is sadly outsold by poorer quality imitation pieces.

Tulip by Knoll
Designed by Saarinen between 1955 and 1957, the Tulip is made from moulded, reinforced fibreglass with a cast aluminium base and either a removable seat pad or upholstered inner shelf. Manufactured currently by Knoll, the simple, clean elegance of the Tulip chair makes it one of the most beautiful pieces ever conceived.

Bentwood by Thonet
Designed by Michael Thonet in 1859. The Bentwood chair is possibly the most influential design in the history of furniture with its bent beech frame and cane seat. It had sold more than 50 million by the mid 1930s and is manufactured today by the fifth generation of the Thonet family.

Model 3107 by Fritz Hansen
Created in 1955 as part of Arne Jacobsen's Series 7 group the 3107 became synonymous with Danish modern design. Its sparse yet sensual form make it a true classic.

Eames Lounge Chair
The lounge chair was designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the mid fifties, originally as a one off piece as a birthday present. It is constructed from three rosewood shells, each upholstered in black leather, and attached to an aluminium frame. Unfortunately the copies that abound are generally of significantly poorer build quality and its isn't uncommon for the upholstery to separate from the moulded frame!

Louis Ghost Armchair
With aesthetics influenced hugely by the style of Loius XV, the Ghost chair was designed by Phillipe Starcke in 2002. It is made from a single injection moulded polycarbonate and is a fun piece that has the potential to become a future classic.

Cab Chair by Cassina
Designed in 1977 by Bellini, the Cab chair is constructed from an enamelled steel frame covered by a zipped saddle leather cover. Manufactured by Cassina, the Cab chair is one of the most beautifully crafted chairs on the market today and will be extremely sought after in ten or twenty years.

Order Desk Chair
Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1904, the designers distinctive style fused the Arts and Crafts tradition with the organic of Art Nouveau. It is now manufactured by Cassina and better known as the Willow 1 chair.

Diamond by Knoll
Designed by Bertoia in 1952 and constructed from chrome steel rods, the Diamond Chair is available with either an upholstered seat pad or can be fully upholstered. This is a beautifully designed and manufactured piece, almost sculptural, and can be distinguished from lesser copies by the quality of weld and finish of the chrome rods.