The best furniture designs never age, and in fact, can even go up in value over time. That vintage chair you always used to lounge on at your parents' or grandparents’ house may actually be worth a pretty penny.

The value of classic items will always vary depending on rarity, condition and demand among other factors, but here we’ve compiled a list of 21 iconic designer furniture pieces – plus what they could be worth today.

Click or scroll through and let's see what treasures could be hiding in your home...

Many inventions start unexpectedly, and thus is the story of the Tolix Model A Chair, which was invented in 1935 by French metalworker Xavier Pauchard as a way to protect sheet metal from rusting.

Its design is now in the public domain, making it much-imitated; however the originals are always handmade, composed of 99% recyclable materials, and each chair comes with its own identification plate. The average price of a vintage Tolix Model A Chair on online marketplace 1stDibs is around £262 ($345).

Another famous design by Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto, the Stool 60 is a multifunctional piece that can be used as a seat, a table, a storage unit, or a mini coffee table.

Embodying pared-back Scandi modernism and made from Finnish birchwood, the stool is stackable, affordable and comes with a lifetime guarantee. It’s sold millions of units in its time, and you can pick up a vintage version for around £1,000 ($1,300) depending on age or condition. Alternatively, a new model for £244 ($324). 

First created by mid-century Danish designer Verner Panton, the S-shaped Panton Chair was produced by Vitra in 1967. The first chair to be created from a single piece of plastic, the Panton Chair isn’t just a statement: it’s practical too, thanks to its curved, stackable design and array of colour choices.

Prices for these designer chairs vary but can reach well over £1,000 ($1,300) for a single vintage chair.

Renowned French designer Philippe Starck took a traditional armchair used by King Louis XVI and brought it into the 21st century with his Louis Ghost Chair, first produced in 2002.

As well as elevating an old furniture style, he also raised the profile of plastic, showing just how high-end the typically cheap material could look. The average price of a Louis Ghost chair on 1stDibs is £1,190 ($1,570). 

The Emeco Navy Chair is another perennially imitated design whose popularity endures today. First built for the US Navy during the Second World War, the Navy Chair, by American furniture brand Emeco, is made from recycled aluminium through a painstaking 77-step system.

It also comes with a lifetime guarantee, so it is worth the average price of £1,401 ($1,845) per vintage chair, according to 1stDibs. 

French furniture designer Pierre Paulin was the creative brains behind the Tongue Chair, which was created in 1967 by fitting upholstery over a tubular metal frame.

When creating this single-piece, incredibly comfortable, mid-century design, Paulin looked to appeal to the flexible lifestyle of the younger generation, who were into "low-level living". The average price for a vintage Pierre Paulin Tongue Chair is £2,060 ($2,712), but they often sell for much more than that.

Originally designed in 1958 by Danish design visionary Verner Panton for his father’s restaurant, the Cone Chair doesn’t just look striking, but is comfy and practical too thanks to its padded shell and swivel base.

So unusual was the shape that, when it was displayed in a shop window in New York, it caused traffic jams as drivers stopped suddenly to get a glimpse of it. Available in a variety of colours, a vintage version of the Cone Chair will set you back around £2,400 ($3,158). 

Created by Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto in 1932, the Paimio Armchair is a modern reimagining of the traditional club chair that retains its popularity nearly a century later.

Initially created to furnish the lounge of a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Finnish city of Paimio, the stylish birchwood chair was designed to help patients breathe more easily thanks to the angle of the back. Today, vintage versions cost around £2,700 ($3,595) to buy. 

The much-imitated Arco Lamp was first created by brothers Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo in 1962, and continues to be a beloved design to this day.

Functioning as a freestanding piece of furniture rather than a background light fitting, a stainless steel arch sits above a stylish White Carrara marble base, extending over a table or chair, and offering a more flexible standalone solution to lighting. A new lamp costs £2,397 ($3,152), while a vintage Arco lamp costs on average £2,889 ($3,799). 

Still much copied to this day, American architect Warren Platner’s futuristic dining table was first designed in 1966. Its frame is built of vertical steel wire rods, with its top usually either in marble or glass, and a vintage version costs around £3,000 ($3,943).

If you fall in love with the style, there’s a whole collection to match, including dining chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and ottomans. 

An instant showstopper in any home, the Bubble Chair was created by Finnish designer Eero Aarnio in 1968, inspired by his childhood fascination with soap bubbles.

Epitomising modernism, the chair hangs from the ceiling by a chain, with its acrylic shell letting in light from all angles. A vintage Bubble chair costs around £3,232 ($4,260), while a new model is a similar price. 

Created by Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti in 1965, the Pipistrello Lamp takes its name from the Italian word for “bat” and was inspired by the animal’s wings.

Its sculptural silhouette creates beautiful warmth when lit, while its base can be adjusted for practicality. Available in a variety of colours and materials, a vintage Pipistrello Lamp costs an average of £3,324 ($4,369). 

Ubiquitous on Instagram, the Wishbone Chair by Danish designer Hans J. Wegner may have been designed in 1949, but it’s as popular as ever today, with countless dupes available on the internet.

Available in dozens of colour choices, each chair is painstakingly crafted, mostly by hand, with over 100 steps needed, including hand-weaving the seat. A vintage Wishbone Chair set will cost an average of £3,702 ($4,757), but these seats are designed to last. 

Created by American designer Isamu Noguchi in 1944, the Noguchi coffee table is sculptural in its aesthetic, but simple in its composition, made of just two materials, wood and glass.

Noguchi himself regarded the table as his best furniture design, and the table’s style has been repeatedly copied as its popularity continues. Vintage versions can sell for a variety of prices, with the average cost around £3,800 (£4,994) depending on the year of origin. 

For instant wow factor, you can’t beat the Bocca Sofa by Italian architecture studio Studio 65. The piece was initially inspired by a Salvador Dali sculpture of the lips of actress Mae West, and was first conceived in 1970 as a one-off statement design for a Milan fitness centre.

The playful piece, which comes in a variety of bold colours, costs from £4,320 ($5,744) new, and a vintage piece will set you back a similar amount. 

Designed in 1954 by American designer Florence Knoll, the eponymous Florence Knoll Sofa was created to be comfortable and stylish in small spaces, both for home and office use.

Available in a variety of finishes and colours, a new three-seater will set you back around £9,700 ($12,893), while a vintage version costs around £5,000 ($6,649).

First designed in 1953 by Danish designer Poul Kjærholm, the PK22 chair is, as all the best designs are, a model of simplicity.

Made from brushed stainless steel and thick leather, the minimalist chair won the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale in 1957, cementing its cult status. A vintage PK22 chair costs an average of £6,308 ($8,385). 

The whimsical, luminous Akari Light Sculpture was first dreamt up by American artist Isamu Noguchi in 1951 after a trip to Gifu, Japan, where he witnessed the beauty of paper lanterns illuminating a night festival.

Noguchi explained that his creation stood out because “it has a shape, a sense of being which is more than merely lighting a room” - but they don’t come cheap. Depending on the design, they can go for between $500 ($657) for the simple round shades up to £24,434 ($32,132) for the rare elongated geometric designs such as Model D.

First designed in 1956, the award-winning Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman by American architectural powerhouse couple Charles and Ray Eames embodies modernist chic. The chair was designed to upgrade a traditional club chair, with all the comfort but lots more contemporary cool.

Made of moulded plywood and leather upholstery, the chair’s quality is long-lasting, as evidenced by the average price of £8,436 ($11,114) for a vintage version. 

Designed in 1958 by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen, the Egg Chair is one of the most instantly recognisable Scandi pieces of furniture.

Originally designed for Copenhagen’s SAS Royal Hotel, the Egg Chair made a splash when it was first introduced thanks to its organic shape and comfortable seat, and is just as iconic today. The average price of a vintage version is just over £9,000 ($11,968), while a new piece will cost you around £7,000 ($9,304). 

The futuristic, eye-catching Tube Chair was created by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1969. The striking chair works in a modular fashion so that the owner can swap the four hollow cylinders around to create their desired silhouette, or even put one inside the other like a nest.

A new one costs around £3,000 ($3,987) and a vintage Tube Chair from the 1960s costs up to £13,000 ($17,307). 

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