Let's get one thing out of the way: The term iconic is overused. It's also hyperbolic, subjective, and culturally biased. But we are going to embrace the concept anyway, in all its imperfect glory, to discuss icons of 20th- and 21st-century design.
To clarify, we're not talking about architectural icons, which are arguably easier to come to some consensus about. But rather, what are the Empire State Buildings, if you will, of furniture and lighting produced over the past 125 years primarily in the United States and Europe? What qualities does a chair, table, or lamp need (striking originality, comforting timelessness) to be considered iconic?
"What makes a piece iconic is that it has a new aesthetic, which is either driven by changes in technology or craft, that fulfills its function perfectly," says London designer Rabih Hage, who ran a design gallery for years. Not a bad starting definition. Los Angeles designer Kelly Wearstler offers this take: "Iconic design is sexy and memorable it elicits an emotional response."
Put another way, icons are "the things that most represent their time," says New York City architect and interior designer Lee F. Mindel, who also owns Galerie 56, where he sells collectible design. "Every era has its icons, but I would say there are very few things that become iconic in their day. They need time to bake." By "baking" he means the perception-shaping forces of historical perspective and the market, which plays no small role in anointing design icons.
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MORE, PLEASE
Eric Hughes joins forces with Standard Architecture to transform two neighboring homes into a sprawling family compound.
SIZED TO FIT
Designer Nannette Brown reimagines a new-build apartment with unexpected depth, character, and texture.
Play It Cool
In balmy Texas, Ashe Leandro brings urbane style and a chill vibe to a home in a historic district.
Mic Drop
For former talk radio star Tom Joyner, Studio Roda creates an oceanfront pleasure pad with out-of-sight views and disco-era glamour.
EYE IN THE SKY
How do you cozy up a Manhattan high-rise? Call designers Hendricks Churchill.
THE JOY OF KØKKEN
In Brooklyn, a writer transforms her kitchen into a space of warmth and connection, blending personal memories with Scandinavian design.
CURTAIN RAISER
ELLE DECOR partners with designers Christine and John Gachot to refresh an iconic lounge at a New York institution, the Metropolitan Opera House.
The Empire Strikes Back - A 19th-century gem in Cambridge, Massachusetts, gets a tour-de-force restoration thanks to Frances Merrill of Reath Design.
Is it possible to simultaneously go back in time and leap forward? This was the challenge a couple set for themselves upon purchasing a salmon-pink 1869 house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, not far from Longfellow House, the National Historic Site that served as George Washington's headquarters during the revolution. We loved all the beautiful old details of this house, the homeowner says.
Just Like That, But Cheaper. -One writer tried to replicate a classic ELLE DECOR interior in his apartment. Could he do it for $500?
It was all about the green curtains. In 2008, to my great surprise, I was offered a ninemonth fellowship based in New York City. I had lived there twice before, both times unsuccessfully, meaning I had failed to create any kind of significant social life, and so this was a chance not only to do research for my new novel, but also an opportunity to get things right. I swore I wouldn't let the city break me a third time.
And How! - Decorator Nick Olsen transforms a Sag Harbor home into a Hamptons retreat with an irreverent humor.
If you must go to the Hamptons, however-because it is devilishly good fun, after all-you may notice an apparently modest, low-slung cottage on Sag Harbor's Main Street and think, with a comfortable sort of feeling, Now that is how a house should look. Nestled amid the Botox bars, helipads, and club-staurants, it could almost set the sordid world aright both a rebuke and a solution to the chaos that surrounds it. A real home.
