Design classics get a second life in beautiful reissued pieces

Some of the most sought-after 'new' pieces of furniture were often designed decades ago — and have, with the designer's family or studio, been re-imagined for life today. We've selected seven iconic chairs, tables and chests of drawers (mostly from the 1980s) which have been reincarnated, from a Hong-Kong-designed spiralling chest of drawers and a table padded in soft leather to a curved Philippe Starck chair with a curved plywood back.
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By Chi Wing Lo for GiorgettiThis corner chest of drawers in maple was designed by Chi Wing Lo in 1995. It was the start of a long and fruitful collaboration between the Hong Kong-born designer and the Brianza-based cabinet maker Giorgetti. When the doors and drawers are open, it really comes to life.Details From £16,523, Giorgetti
By Aldo Rossi for UniforThis extraordinary chair appears to be rigid but is instead soft to the touch. Made of matt black-varnished aluminium and moulded red polyurethane seat and back, it was designed by the Milan-based architect in 1989 and is part of the brand's Archivio Unifor collection of re-editions.Details £3,578, Unifor
By Shiro Kuramata for CappelliniThe Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata left a legacy of important 20th-century furniture. This table, created in 1986, is made of black-stained ash and has a chrome handle for moving it around easily. It can double up as a seat – one of the little details that turns this piece into an object worthy of praise.Details €970, Cappellini
By Philippe Starck for DriadeIn 1984 Philippe Starck designed Café Costes in Paris and for that project created this now-iconic chair. Last year Driade celebrated its 40th year of producing the Costes chair, with its three legs, painted tubular steel frame and curved plywood shell.Details €990, Driade
By Antonio Citterio for FlexformGinger was introduced in 1984 and then reintroduced last year, 40 years later. Its classic structure of chromed tubular steel can be finished in fabric or tobacco leather (as shown here). It comes with its own pivoting side table.Details £8,331, Flexform
By Lella and Massimo Vignelli for Poltrona FrauThe CEO table was introduced in 1989 by the New York-based Lella and Massimo Vignelli and updated by Lella in 2008. Made up of cylinders and squares, it has a monumental, sculptural shape. It is entirely wrapped in leather (this one is in the shade Tobacco) and padded, making it soft to the touch.Details £8,580, Poltrona Frau
By Rena Dumas for HermèsRena Dumas created the Pippa collection of folding furniture in 1983. It was the first Hermès furniture collection and the house chose Pier Luigi Ghianda, Italy's most respected cabinetmaker, to develop the pieces. This one is in ebonised maple and red Taurillon Clemence buffalo-calf leather.Details £19,170, Hermes

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The Sun

7 hours ago

• The Sun

I left frantic UK life to buy 85p home in sunny paradise – now I'm building property empire for cost of two pints

AFTER years of enduring the rat race as a jewellery dealer in the UK, George Laing took a gamble on a new life in Europe - with just 85p. With gruelling hard work and patience, the Brit is slowly transforming a derelict three-story building into his dream home - and he has another plan up his sleeve. 15 15 15 He has just finalised the deal on a SECOND 85p house - and intends to purchase up to 15 more over the next three years. When George snapped up his first home in Sicily for only 85p over two years ago, he was well aware of the long, painful and pricey process he'd have to endure during the renovation. The property was in desperate need of an overhaul, with a hole in the roof and no running water or electricity. Several wooden beams were rotting from both ends and worrying cracks lined almost every wall in each room. The bathroom was a tiny box and the kitchen was simply a metal stove connected to a propane tank. But beyond the gloomy exterior and lackluster interior, jeweller and business mogul Laing saw its potential. And even with no prior background in revamping anything close to a three-floored home, George was determined to get stuck in. He now spends two weeks a month at home in the UK and the rest in beautiful Sicily, working tirelessly to complete his future kingdom. George even plans to open up an antiques shop in Mussomeli at the end of the year so he can continue his jewellery business in Italy. Speaking to The Sun, the young homeowner has revealed just how far he has come in the past 12 months. I left UK to buy 85p home - I get perfect weather, cheap booze & better neighbours He said: 'It's surreal to see the first house coming together - we've got water, electricity, and now we're onto the exciting part: fitting out the kitchen and bathrooms with marble from a local quarry. 'I want the finish to be as beautiful as the bones of the building. 'Once the first house is finished, we're throwing a huge celebration — the mayor's coming, the neighbours are invited. "It's not just a personal milestone, it's a community one. "What started as a crumbling €1 house has now started to turn into a beautiful, liveable home." Just 10,000 residents live in George's new hometown of Mussomeli. The sun-soaked region of Sicily has long been known as a glorious haven for those wanting the laid back European lifestyle. George, who lives in Eastbourne and used to work to London, says the drastic change in vibes is one of the key factors behind why he purchased the home. He explained: "In Sicily, life is just a bit slower. "You've got a different quality of life, and obviously the weather is 25-30 degrees everyday. And it's a beautiful place." 15 15 15 Despite living in a foodie paradise, renovating the home hasn't been without its challenges. He said: "It's been like a full-time job mixed with the most personal kind of DIY adventure. "I've overseen everything from rewiring and plumbing to sourcing materials locally and working with Italian builders who don't speak a word of English. "Navigating Italian bureaucracy without being fluent in Italian was definitely up there. "Also, understanding the true structural condition of the property - it's not always obvious what lies behind the walls until you start breaking them open. "And of course, doing all this on a tight budget meant I had to be hands-on with almost everything." But George loves the lifestyle so much that he has just finalised the deal on a second 85p house. BIG PLANS He said: "It's a totally different challenge, and I'm already planning how to preserve what's special, while breathing new life into it. "And I'm planning to purchase another three to five in the next year, another 10-15 over the next three years. "I've learned so much and now I want to go even bigger and begin to grow my property portfolio. "There's also something incredibly addictive about rescuing these abandoned homes. "I'm passionate about bringing life back to these forgotten places and helping others do the same." 15 15 15 From the first moment he arrived, George could tell he had entered into a tight-knit community. The locals in Sicily are very different to what George is used to. He quickly became friends with his Italian neighbours - although he admits he still has to use Google Translate to chat with them. And being in his early 30s, George has been thrilled to find the price of alcohol is drastically lower in Italy. He said: "It's just nice to buy things that are a lot cheaper. "You get a beer or a cocktail in Sicily for €1.50 or a glass of wine for €2 - whereas it's £7.50 now in London for a pint. "Even just living there day to day you spend less money, which is a nice bonus." 15 Three spacious storeys of room to play with and a classic Italian balcony at the front were paired with a glorious marble staircase. George is proud of his bold choice and says despite his pals being nervy about the move he is now confident it was the right choice. One of the main reasons he left was the struggle to find a home in and around London on the cheap. He said: "Financially getting on the property market in London or anywhere in the UK is incredibly hard. £5,000 in the UK isn't going to get you diddly squat." Another key factor is not having to pay an astronomical mortgage. Getting on the property ladder is notoriously hard in the UK due to the lack of available housing, surging house prices and rising bills. In 2023, 42,000 Brits left their lives behind and moved to a new EU nation. For George, when he heard Italy was flogging homes for less than £1, the bold move made sense - something others are now getting on board with. He said: "Seeing something so neglected come back to life is incredibly rewarding. "Also, becoming part of the local Sicilian community sharing food, stories, and wine with neighbours has made this much more than just a renovation. "It's been a total life reset in the best way." How does the €1 house scheme work? DEPENDING on the region, a number of towns and villages across Italy have offered the cheap €1 properties to encourage people to move to the area. There are around 25 regions who are taking part, each with a number of properties. Many of the areas have a dwindling or aging population and hope to build the community again. The properties range from small houses to larger villas, but are all in a very rundown condition. The conditions for buying each property also vary, but the majority of them need large renovation works which are part of the scheme According to Maurizio Berti, who runs the website "The houses are owned by private individuals who often want to get rid of them so as not to pay taxes and heavy taxes. "We are talking about dilapidated or unsafe properties that need major renovations." Conditions include notary fees, paying an additional three-year buying guarantee policy of €5,000 (which is refunded when it expires) as well as starting the project within two months once permits are given. The houses are put to an auction where people can bid on them so they technically aren't all €1. While some do sell for €1, on average houses sell for around €5,000 euros, although some are up to €20,000. Some of the schemes even offer to pay you money for buying a home if you can boost the economy with a new business venture. 15

The Guardian

7 hours ago

• The Guardian

Brighton's transfer push backed by ‘physicality' and cutting-edge data

It may not have been Tony Bloom's week at Ascot for once but at least the Brighton owner could console himself by securing yet another signing for his football team before the summer solstice was here. Confirmation of the Italy Under-21s defender Diego Coppola's arrival on the south coast as Lake Forest finished a disappointing fifth in the Queen Anne Stakes took Brighton's buys to three and the club are expected to announce any day that Olivier Boscagli is joining on a free from PSV Eindhoven. In with Coppola, who has joined from Verona, have come Sunderland's 19-year-old playoff hero, Tommy Watson, for £10m and the Greece Under-21s striker Charalampos Kostoulas for £30m. Talk about getting your business done early. A record-breaking outlay of almost £200m last summer made Brighton the biggest net spenders in Europe but Bloom has hinted that the spree is nearing an end at the club whose renowned scouting department is always ahead of the game. 'We have already got slightly involved in the transfer window and I don't think we will be doing a huge amount more between now and the end of the window,' he said after Poniros – the 100-1 shot which won at Cheltenham wearing Bloom's blue and white colours this year – ended up 17th in the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday. As well as being linked to complying with profitability and sustainability rules, that probably has something to do with Fabian Hürzeler's comments last month. The head coach said he had informed Bloom his squad needed more 'physicality' but also said: 'Overall I am not a big fan of too much change,' after admitting only two of last summer's six big signings, Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh, had adapted. 'All the others, they suffer,' Hürzeler said. 'They came here with injury, problems with the intensity, maybe problems with the culture. They all also will take the next step [next season].' It is all part of the process at Brighton, whose recruitment department, led by the technical director, the former Scotland defender David Weir, benefits from cutting-edge data provided by closely guarded algorithms developed by Bloom and his various companies. The ruthless decision to dispense with three full-time scouts last year and rely even more on data was recognition of the direction of travel, even if it raised fears in the wider scouting community. Given the club's success in recouping more than £320m in player sales over the past three seasons, the model is clearly here to stay. 'It's important to know exactly what you're looking for and what you're working towards,' says one Brighton source who does not want to be named. 'We went a little bit younger and higher on the potential side and, together with the fantastic managers that we've had, that's been assimilated into being a success in the Premier League probably sooner than anybody would have realised. So that's probably been the combination of things that's enabled what is no doubt a market-leading set of data to be as productive as it has been.' The towering 18-year-old Kostoulas – a product of the Olympiakos academy and part of the side that won the Uefa Youth League last year despite being a year younger than most of his teammates – is the latest example of that process. His compatriot Stefanos Tzimas was loaned by Brighton to Nuremberg in February after a £20.8m move, having been on the club's radar for some time, but the emergence of Kostoulas meant Brighton had to act quickly. 'It's that decisiveness that comes with knowing exactly when you want to be able to go for it as strongly as we do,' the source says. 'I'm sure a lot of clubs would have known about him, but probably weren't ready to go as strongly as we did in order to get it done at this stage.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion The groundwork for most of Brighton's transfers is done months in advance and there is the same philosophy when it comes to players leaving. João Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma have two years on their contracts and will be allowed to depart if their valuations are met, and there is interest from Napoli in Matt O'Riley 12 months after he joined from Celtic. Newcastle and Chelsea have been strongly linked with João Pedro, who is expected to cost about £60m; Bayern Munich have yet to follow up their interest in Mitoma. 'It's not wanting to sell or needing to sell, but knowing that's how it goes if the offers come along,' says the source. If they do, Bloom is guaranteed to drive a hard bargain. He acknowledged that missing out on Europe despite finishing eighth with 61 points – one fewer than when they came sixth in 2023 – was a disappointment for some supporters but reflected that it was 'a testament to how well we have done recently'. 'With our younger players a little bit older, Fabian a year in the Premier League,' Bloom said, 'we are hoping for more next season.'

BBC News

8 hours ago

• BBC News

Ipswich Willis building 'revolutionised' offices, says Norman Foster

One of Britain's most renowned architects said a building he designed for an insurance company revolutionised office all-glass exterior Willis building opened in Ipswich in 1975 with a roof-top garden and swimming was one of the first buildings designed by Lord Norman Foster who is also the architect behind other buildings such as London's Gherkin and Millennium Foster recently met with superfan Nicola Drown where he shared stories of designing the building which he called a "groundscraper". "Ipswich is a market town and everybody assumed that [the] Willis [building] would end up being a tower," Lord Foster explained. "If you think about the essence of Ipswich, it's these winding streets, it's a medieval geometry, so the idea was of recreating the street by following the edge of the site and keeping a building low and respecting the horizontality."That was really radical and it gave rise to a new kind of building that was called the groundscraper, as opposed to the skyscraper."That was subsequently adopted by developers." Lord Foster, who recently turned 90, said he was still continuously on the go, often attending meetings and talks, including an event at the Willis building to talk about it on its 50th anniversary. Lord Foster added the building was a "complete reinterpretation of the workplace" as it was a "lifestyle building", with a roof garden and swimming pool as well as its openness and swathes of natural sunlight colour scheme inside the building is yellow and green - colours of Norwich City Football Club, rival of local team Ipswich Town, whose stadium is just across the Foster said he "had no idea" about this when designing the building, however. Another interesting piece of the building's history included that Lord Foster was "apprehensive" about its initially got his design team to draw it up as a four-storey building, despite knowing it would never be iPlayer: Building Sights - Zaha Hadid on the Willis building"The first thing I got [a designer] to do was two drawings of the outside of the building," he explained."One was four-storey and one was three-storey."The first submission that I made was for the four-storey and the reaction that I got, that I had anticipated, was that it was too big."So we reduced it. We never intended it to be four-storey, but I remember that was a ploy at the time." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.