Written by NDA tutor Sarah-Jane Wilkinson
Iconic designer furniture create visual focus points as well as add character and individuality to a space. Many beloved and renowned pieces have been used over the years to enhance Interiors on our cinema screens and TV productions, here are some of favourite examples you may have spotted!
Eames Lounge Chair by Charles and Ray Eames
The Eames chair is a combination of plywood and leather which has inspired many other furniture items and remained a versatile piece which is still produced today by Herman Miller in the US and Vitra in Europe.
The Eames Lounge chair and ottoman is probably the most famous and desirable of all Eames creations and has been featured in the following classic films and TV programmes:
Iron Man, Click, Sunday In New York, The Ghost Writer, Frasier, Gossip Girl, Hope Springs, The Housemaid, Tron: Legacy, Closer & Archer and House… to name a few!
The Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohes
It has an elegant frame that supports the cushioned leather pads, creating an executive finish, which is why this particular piece is used frequently amongst waiting areas & office spaces.
The Barcelona chair is one of the most recognisable chair designs and an icon of the modern movement.
The Barcelona ‘day bed’ can been seen in the Movie Twilight within Edward Cullen’s bedroom, and the Barcelona chair has also featured in Iron Man 2, Casino Royale, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Role Models, Down with Love, 500 Days of Summer, Tron: Legacy.
The Tulip Chair by Eero Saarinen
The chair was originally designed to match the tulip dining table in 1955. The design is a reflection of modernism industrial design and considered, ‘experimental’ for its time in terms of the materials used.
The Tulip Chair was used on the TV show Star Trek, on the actual ‘set’ of the Enterprise and throughout the rest of the ship.
The Ball Chair by Eero Aarnia
Commonly referred to as the ‘Globe Chair’ was designed and inspired by the simplest of forms, ‘a ball’ which resulted in the unconventional shape of this chair. The chair was designed in 1966 using innovative techniques in plastic and fibreglass to achieve the spherical finish.
It has been said the ball chair is a ‘room within a room’ protective of outside noises, giving a calm and relaxed atmosphere once sat inside.
The ‘Wire chair’ series by Bertoia for Knoll
The series was designed in 1950 as a result of an experiment that involved bending metal rods into practical art. As seen in the Movie Devil Wears Prada, amongst overs in various adaptations.
The Le Corbusier LC3 – Grand Comfort lounge Chair
This iconic lounge chair was seen in the movie Incredibles and the TV series Sherlock.
These are some of our favourite ‘Iconic’ designer pieces used within TV & Film and will always stand the test of time, what are your favourites and why?
