10 of the Best Limited Edition Luxury Designs Available Right Now
For lovers of luxury design, there’s nothing quite like an exclusive. Whether presented as a one-off piece or part of a numbered collection, limited editions offer a new take on iconic styles while revealing the designer at their most daring. In today’s blog post we’ll take a look at 10 of the best limited edition luxury designs available today.
1) Cassina Taliesin Limited Edition Armchair
Our first limited edition comes from the legendary American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Wright dismissed the idea of democratic design, insisting on designing each item of furniture for a unique interior and client. The Taliesin Armchair was designed for his family home in Wisconsin and consequently features the same sculpted structure and overhanging planes. Crafted from a single piece of folded plywood, it has been described as origami in wood, and can now be upholstered in three limited edition short hair leathers.
Fancy a closer look? All three versions are currently available in our luxury lifestyle showroom in Hatch End.
2) Poltrona Frau Sanluca Armchair
While each of these limited editions tells a story, the Sanluca’s is particularly special. Its sculpted silhouette was born from the Castiglioni brother’s desire to create a chair that would not require traditional padding to be comfortable. Ergonomic and avant-garde, the shape is contoured to fit your body, in a beautiful exploration of comfort and style.
The limited edition Sanluca also connects the Castiglioni’s with one of their dearest friends, graphic designer Max Huber. It features Huber’s original Geophysical Waves upholstery, crafted from a Jacquard loom as per the original design.
An icon of contemporary design, it’s the ultimate limited edition armchair for Italian design buffs.
3) Knoll Barcelona Relax Lounge Chair
Arguably one of the most recognisable chairs of all time, Knoll’s limited edition Barcelona Relax features a stunning black chrome finish, infusing the tubular frame with new impact and style. It was introduced in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus School of the Arts, of which Mies Van Der Rohe was the third and final Director. A gorgeous way to celebrate two great legacies, there are 365 editions available, one for every day of the centenary.
4) Flos Toio Floor Lamp
One of the greatest skills of a contemporary designer is the ability to reimagine an everyday item with new vigour and purpose. In 1962, Achille and Pier Castiglioni did just that with a contemporary floor lamp named Toio.
Illumination was provided by a car headlight attached to a telescopic stem, the kind you might expect to find on a modern fishing rod. Industrial yet playful, it showcased a distinct masculine beauty and kick-started the vogue for mechanical-looking modern lighting.
Widely recognised as an icon of contemporary design, Flos’s Limited Edition Toio features a matt black finish and holographic label. With just 2,500 copies in existence, it’s your chance to take home a slice of design history.
5) Vitra Panton Chrome and Glow Dining Chair
It was the chair that defined an era. All sinuous curves and cheerful hues, Vitra’s Panton Dining Chair was the first cantilevered plastic chair to be manufactured in one piece.
And yet, it wasn’t quite how Verner Panton had always envisioned it looking. Ever the perfectionist, he dreamt of cool chrome and a mirrored finish, a look he believed would accentuate its statement curves. After months of experimentation in the early 1970s, he gave up, unable to resolve the issue of scratching on such a reflective surface.
In 2017, Vitra made a major breakthrough, launching a complex coating system that would be suitable for domestic use. In a clever interpretation of his desire for reflectivity, they also developed a glow-in-the-dark Panton, and both were officially released at Milan Design Week 2018. Symbols of hope and progress, they represented the realisation of a long-forgotten dream.
With extremely limited stock available in the UK, Chaplins is delighted to have secured 2 Chrome Pantons and 1 Glow. Pop by the showroom or browse online to find out more.
6) Thonet 214 Cafe Chair
The idea that “less is more” is a commonly held view. However, in 1859, minimalists were few and far between. It’s surprising then that with just 6 parts, 10 screws and 2 nuts, Michael Thonet created one of the most successful products of all time, the 214 Cafe Chair.
To celebrate its 200th anniversary, Studio Besau Marguerre were invited to give the 214 Chair a colourful makeover. The result is a stunning two-tone finish available in black, white, velvet red and sage. The new looks highlight its minimalistic construction while transporting it into a contemporary context. Available to order throughout 2019.
7) Foscarini Be Colour! Capsule Collection
Foscarini’s Be Colour! Capsule Collection reimagines some of their classic lighting designs with retro flavours. Highlights include the Twiggy Floor Lamp and Gregg Table Lamp, each of which takes on an invigorating new personality thanks to striking new chromatic combos.
When asked to comment on the collection, Ferruccio Laviani described how colour has historically been seen as an accessory rather than something fundamental. With this new collection, he and his colleagues seek to blow that notion out of the water, bringing new life to contemporary living spaces.
8) Zanotta Fenis Dining Chair
An enigmatic artist, Carlo Mollino has been held up as the embodiment of the ‘homo universalis’, a ‘universal man’ who counted writing, designing and acrobatic flying among his many talents.
He was particularly fascinated with organic, surreal forms, and all but banished straight lines from his portfolio. Between the years of 1940 and 1950, he produced a series of limited edition chairs, tables and desks — the most valuable of which would sell for 3.8 million dollars in a 2005 Christie’s auction.
Due to popular demand, Zanotta have re-released one of his most iconic designs as a numbered edition. Crafted from 7 pieces of solid maple wood, Fenis is a striking occasional chair. Its sinuous form recalls the curvatures of human limbs and wouldn’t look out of place in a Salvador Dali painting. Part sculpture, part chair, it promises to add drama and intrigue to any interior.
9) Slamp Avia Pendant Light
Zaha Hadid never shied away from making history. One of the most influential architects of all time, she ushered in a new way of building, shaping skylines the world over. Her ability to evoke a sense of motion through powerful lines and dramatic curves translated perfectly into contemporary design and she left behind several exciting products before her untimely death in 2016.
The Avia Pendant Light by Slamp was one such example. Crafted from 50 layers of CristalFlex, Avia is a dramatic, futuristic pendant. Its many layers ensure that light and movement ripples across its surface, in a constant play between solid and void. And yet, for all its advanced technology there is something wonderfully organic about it, reminiscent of a glowing jellyfish or the ethereal fauna in James Cameron’s Avatar.
In 2018, Slamp released the Avia Pendant Light in three new limited edition colours, blue, turquoise and ultramarine. With just 99 numbered editions for each hue, they represent the essence of Zaha and are bound to become a precious collector’s item.
10) Flos Snoopy Table Lamp
Fusing pop culture with contemporary design, Snoopy is an instantly loveable table lamp. Its beagle-like nose rests gently on a veined marble stem in a whimsical homage to one of America’s most beloved cartoon characters. First produced in 1967, it revealed how design could be humorous yet beautiful, perhaps one of the most important takeaways of the Castiglioni brothers ethos.
The limited edition Snoopy features a matt black shade, adding understated elegance to this iconic design. With just 50 editions available in the UK, Chaplins are delighted to have one on display in our showroom. Shop now to be part of the story.
Are you a fan of limited edition luxury design? Let us know which pieces you’ve got on your wishlist via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Likewise, if you’re on the lookout for a unique piece for your home or project, be sure to book a complimentary appointment with one of our design experts in our beautiful Hatch End showroom.