Polyprop chair
1963 Robin Day for Hille
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The Polyprop chair has been in production since 1963 when it was designed by Robin Day for manufacturer Hille International. It is significant for its simple but effective utilitarian design and the fact that it was the first mass-produced injection-moulded polypropylene chair of its kind, boasting a seamless seat and tubular steel frame/legs. It is purchased for use in all sorts of environments from schools through to theatres and homes. Over 14 million Polyprop chairs have been sold to date. It is currently made, in revised form, by Hille Educational Products and has been renamed the Polyside chair.
Useful links
Design Museum biography of Robin and Lucienne Day
Hille
Bisley filing cabinet
1980 Bernard Richards for Bisley
Steel storage manufacturer Bisley started in 1931 but one of its most famous products was designed almost 50 years later as a way of keeping its workforce employed during the 1980s recession. Bisley's annual turnover at that time was around £3.5 million and ten years later it shot up to £35 million, thanks largely to the success of its filing cabinet. Back then the carcasses, made of sheet steel, were made by hand. Today one carcass is made every 45 seconds using a fully- automated process.
Useful links
Find out more about a day in the life of Bisley Director of Design, John Fogarty.
E1027 tables
1927 Eileen Gray
Designed in 1927, this iconic table didn't become popular until the 1960s, most probably because it was way ahead of its time when it was first produced, along with other furniture and furnishings, for Gray's legendary E1027 house. Gray's furniture has taken on a slick, sophisticated air over time but the designer was initially interested in producing rational and functional furniture for widespread use. She was one of the first designers to exhibit steel tube and glass furniture. British retailer ARAM now holds the world license for all Eileen Gray designs including E1027 and it is supplied by retailers including Iconic Interiors.
Useful links
Aram website
Iconic Interiors
Nest of tables
1956 Lucian Ercolani for Ercol
One of Britain's best-known furniture manufacturers, Ercol, was in fact founded by an Italian, Lucian Ercolani in 1920. From his workshop in High Wycombe, Ercolani perfected the technique of steam-bending wood. By the 1950s Ercol had become a household name producing well-designed but unassuming furniture that was affordable. Nest of Tables was designed in 1956 and is just one of several designs that now has iconic status, and is widely regarded as a Mid-Century Modern classic.
Useful links
Ercol website
Balzac armchair
1991 Matthew Hilton for SCP
Already a contemporary classic, the Balzac is another simple, but perfectly formed chair. With its clever curves and sumptuous leather upholstery, it has become a must-have item for any stylish home, often gracing the pages of glamorous interiors publications. It was designed for British furniture company SCP which also produces and distributes the chair. SCP sells one for every day of the year – making it their best-selling product by far and a good earner for the designer himself who has several other iconic products to his name.
Useful links
Visit the SCP website